Category: PM News

Three women have been killed and another person injured after gunmen attacked a mining site in Rakum community, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The attackers reportedly stormed the mining site at about 4:30pm on Monday and opened fire on workers before fleeing the area.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over the safety of residents and workers in parts of the state already facing security challenges.

The spokesman of the Berom Youth Moulders-Association (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, confirmed the attack to journalists in Jos.

He said three women were killed while another person sustained injuries during the attack.

‘This is another sad development that has further heightened concerns over the safety of people working and living in the area,’ Tengwong said.

He called on security agencies to investigate the attack, arrest those responsible and bring them to justice.

A resident of the affected community, John Silas, also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were carrying out their activities at the mining site when the gunmen attacked.

‘The attackers came to the mining site and opened fire on the people there. Three women were killed and another person was injured,’ he said.

Silas appealed to security agencies to strengthen efforts to protect communities and allow residents to carry out their legitimate activities without fear.

The attack comes amid heightened tension in parts of Plateau State, including Mangu, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos, where residents have reported a series of violent incidents.

The Plateau State Government had earlier urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding while assuring that it was working with security agencies to protect lives and property.

The National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC) has helped unlock ?46.95bn in loans for Nigerians and businesses within one year of commencing operations, President Bola Tinubu has said.

Tinubu disclosed this while highlighting the impact of the company’s credit guarantee programme, which he said was created to address one of the major barriers preventing businesses from accessing finance.

According to the President, many viable businesses often struggle to obtain loans because lenders consider them too risky due to limited collateral or lack of credit history.

He said NCGC was established to reduce that challenge by taking on part of the lending risk faced by financial institutions.

‘Many viable businesses still meet the same obstacle at the bank. Lenders see too much risk in a sound business when the owner has little collateral or no credit history,’ Tinubu said.

‘We established NCGC to help change that. It carries part of the lending risk with participating financial institutions, giving them greater confidence to lend to businesses and borrowers they might otherwise turn away.’

The President said the company currently works with 19 financial institutions, including 13 commercial banks, three microfinance banks and three development finance institutions.

He stated that NCGC had issued ?21.59bn in guarantees, allowing participating lenders to extend ?46.95bn in loans.

Tinubu said the figures showed that every ?1 provided in guarantees had helped unlock about ?2.17 in credit.

He added that 67,512 borrowers across 25 states and the Federal Capital Territory had received credit backed by the scheme.

The beneficiaries include 11,374 women, while 33.5 per cent are first-time formal borrowers entering Nigeria’s credit system for the first time.

According to Tinubu, more than 22,000 Nigerians have now gained access to formal credit records, which could improve their chances of securing future loans through successful repayment.

He explained that access to credit was important because of what individuals and businesses could achieve with it.

‘A trader can restock before the festive season. When a manufacturer takes a bigger order and buys another machine to fill it, another Nigerian gets a job,’ he said.

The President said businesses supported through the NCGC programme were estimated to account for 661,291 direct and indirect jobs.

Tinubu said the initiative was part of efforts by his administration to move Nigeria towards a credit-based economy, where individuals and businesses can access financing to expand their activities.

He added that the government would continue to widen access to credit opportunities across the country.

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba, has called for greater focus on turning Africa’s vast opportunities into investable projects.

Alawuba spoke in New York, at the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium, held during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly engagements (UNGA), where he participated in a fireside chat themed ‘From Mandate to Impact.’

Speaking on the need to translate Africa’s development ambitions into tangible outcomes, the UBA boss said Africa’s opportunities deserve rigorous preparation and serious capital, noting that projects must be commercially sustainable and supported by institutions capable of delivering on their commitments.

He also emphasised the need for dependable revenues, credible institutions and accountable delivery to unlock sustainable capital for the continent.

Drawing from UBA’s experience across the continent, Alawuba highlighted the bank’s role in connecting African enterprise with capital, expertise and financial infrastructure, citing projects across telecommunications, energy, roads, digital services and other critical sectors.

In Chad, for instance, he explained that UBA financed a US$6.56 million telecommunications modernisation project initiated in 2021, with completion recorded in 2025 and the loan fully repaid. For Alawuba, the project demonstrates how a clearly defined development need can move from financing to completion and repayment when the right structure and accountability are in place.

According to Alawuba, UBA has consistently remained instrumental in propelling Africa’s growth aa is further evidenced in a US$45 million loan facility to Oak Asset SPV for road construction in Kenya, where the bank’s relationships extend beyond project financing to government collections and contractor facilities, creating banking support around the broader delivery chain.

Beyond physical infrastructure, he highlighted the role of digital finance in expanding opportunities across African markets, pointing to Leo, UBA’s digital banking platform, which now serves more than six million users across 20 African countries and processes over 16 million transactions annually.

Highlighting Leo’s support for English, French, Portuguese and Swahili, he noted that UBA continues to take the lead with innovation demonstrating, how digital services can help bridge language and market barriers, while its payment capabilities support everyday banking and cross-border commerce.

He also pointed to UBA’s financing activities across markets including Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and Liberia as examples of the different ways commercial banking can support African development, ranging from direct lending and syndicated financing to guarantees, contractor facilities and banking services supporting project operations.

Alawuba noted that, these experiences reinforce the importance of African financial institutions being close enough to understand local markets while maintaining the international connections required to mobilise capital and support cross-border investment, saying, ‘At UBA, Africa’s Global Bank, we bring the conviction that African enterprise belongs at the centre of Africa’s transformation, supported by strong institutions and productive global partnerships.’

While concluding, he urged stakeholders to focus the next phase of Africa’s development efforts on preparing and de-risking a selected pipeline of viable projects, while ensuring that execution capability is built into each investment and, also called for priority to be given to completing viable investments already under way while preparing the next generation of bankable projects in areas such as dependable power, digital connectivity and logistics.

United Bank for Africa is one of Africa’s largest financial institutions, serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services while championing financial inclusion, innovation and sustainable development across its markets.

Tango Brook Technologies Limited, Nigeria’s fast-emerging energy technology and intelligence company, today celebrated the first anniversary of its intelligent fuel management solution, Tango Fuel App, announcing its evolution from a homegrown solution into a pan-African energy-spend management platform now trusted across Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Zimbabwe.

Tango Fuel App is an intelligent fuel and fleet management system designed to provide secure, traceable and controlled transactions, launched in September 2025. It is a collaboration that integrates payment cards with Tango Brook’s innovative fuel tracking solution, giving businesses accountability over their energy spend.

Within 12 months of its first product rollout, Tango Brook has won esteemed clients: over 150 leading corporates, including Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), Seven-Up Bottling Company, LAGRIDE, United Bank for Africa (UBA), CardinalStone, and ICS Outsourcing, validating its core thesis that businesses across emerging economies urgently need visibility, control and accountability over energy expenditure.

Between January and August 2026, the company recorded explosive growth: wallet funding grew 12.4x, revenue grew 46.7x, app transactions grew 3.4x, and active transacting cards grew 3.4x. Tango Brook also achieved ISO 27001:2022 certification, demonstrating its commitment to global standards in information security, customer trust, and enterprise-grade governance, a critical foundation for scaling across Africa.

‘Every great journey begins with a problem worth solving,’ said Peter Atuma, Chairman of Tango Brook Technologies Limited, reflecting on the company’s journey. ‘Across emerging economies, organisations spend billions on petrol and diesel to power vehicles, generators and operations, yet rely on manual processes that create fraud, leakages and zero visibility. Tango Fuel App was founded to change this. From an idea to a solution, from a solution to more than 150 corporate customers, from Nigeria to Africa and beyond – the Tango journey has begun.’

In response to customer pain points, Tango Brook rapidly expanded in 2026 with two critical modules: Tango Fleet Management – a telematics and fleet intelligence solution for vehicle tracking, route optimisation, and operational visibility, and Tango GenVault – a generator monitoring solution that tracks generator runtime, diesel consumption, refuelling events, and unusual consumption patterns

Together, these three products create a connected ecosystem integrating digital payments, fleet management, generator monitoring, data analytics, and intelligent reporting – giving finance and operations teams real-time control over every litre of fuel and every naira spent on energy. This marks Tango Brook’s evolution from a fuel and fleet management business into a full-fledged Energy Technology and Intelligence Company.

Managing Director Africa, Obiajulu Wemambu, affirmed the company’s vision and commitment to building Africa’s business resilience and intelligent energy infrastructure: ‘One of the most significant milestones in our journey has been the development of the infrastructure, partnerships, and governance required to scale beyond our original market. Our ISO 27001:2022 certification further demonstrates our commitment to information security, customer trust, and international standards as we build for scale.’

‘Today, our ambition extends beyond Nigeria. We are actively positioning Tango Brook for a truly pan-African future, with expansion into Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe, Ghana, and a few other prospective African Markets. These markets represent important strategic opportunities to replicate our technology-driven approach while adapting our solutions to the unique energy, mobility and commercial realities of each country.’

He said the company’s expansion strategy is not an ambition; it is a vision for scaling Africa’s competitiveness. ‘As we look ahead, our vision remains clear: to build an African technology company with the capacity, credibility and innovation to compete globally. We are moving from being a company with a promising solution to becoming an infrastructure partner for Africa’s energy and operational transformation,’ Wemambu added.

Chief Executive Officer of Tango Brook Technologies Nigeria, David Ita, who assumed leadership in January 2026, remarked that the first year’s milestone was proof of possibilities. ‘We had to rebuild our technology architecture, strengthen critical partnerships, and navigate resource constraints. The market has validated that work,’ he said.

‘Our ambition is increasingly clear: to use technology and data to give individuals and organisations greater visibility, control and intelligence over their energy consumption and operational assets. That ambition now extends beyond Nigeria. We have established entities in five African markets as we build towards an African – and ultimately global-future.’

As Tango Fuel App enters its second year, its focus is clear: to become the leading energy-spend management technology platform across emerging economies. The company will focus on three pillars: deepening data intelligence and predictive analytics for clients to eliminate leakages and improve operational efficiency; expanding local teams and partnerships in its new markets; and launching new features for SMEs and individuals seeking control over energy costs.

The company expressed gratitude to its team, customers, technology partners, shareholders, and Board for their trust and resilience. It remarked that year one was about proving the possibilities, and the years ahead will be about scaling them.

The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, has stressed the need for stronger international partnerships to tackle terrorism, banditry, oil theft, cybercrime, and other emerging security threats in Nigeria

Musa ?????who made the call on the sideline of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, said such strategy would involve government, communities, international partners and the private sector.

According to him, Nigeria’s security challenges have become too interconnected for any single institution or country to tackle alone.

‘Nigeria’s security challenges are national in their impact, regional in their consequences, and increasingly international in their implications.’

He explained that while military and other security operations remained essential to protecting Nigeria citizens and territorial integrity, lasting peace and stability could not be achieved through military action alone.

According to him, Nigeria is, therefore, seeking practical partnership with the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, bilateral partners, civil society, researchers, and the private sector to strengthen its security capabilities and institutions.

He stressed that government was pursuing measures, including recruitment of additional 22,000 personnel, restructuring of the Army divisions, stronger subnational security arrangements, and proposals for state police and forest guards.

In a separate interview, retired Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Famadewa, Special Adviser to the President on Homeland Security, told the News Agency of Nigeria( NAN), that Nigeria was moving from a capability-driven to a threat-driven security strategy.

According to him, such assessment would identify the country’s major threats, determine existing capability gaps, and prioritise resources for addressing them.

‘The national security strategy document, I know, is a draft review, but this is what we’re trying to do, like I said during the engagement, meant that we are moving from capability-driven to threat-driven.

‘Defense is a very expensive venture. So, you need to prioritize,’ Famadewa said.

He explained that the process would involve developing a five-year framework for acquiring critical capabilities while strengthening Nigeria’s domestic defence-production capacity.

‘Also, that government would review previous assumptions about security and develop new approaches to ensure the safety of Nigerians.

‘We are bringing out new methods of achieving the objective of ensuring that every Nigerian is safe and Nigeria prospers,’ he added.

He reiterated that government could not guarantee national security alone, while urging citizens to remain vigilant and support security agencies with useful information.

The court also ordered the companies to pay N200, 000, 00 for each of the day they had committed the offence.

By Ayorinde Oluokun

A Federal High Court in Lafia Nasarawa State has ordered 21 companies to pay a fine of N30 million each for operating investment schemes without licenses from Security and Exchange Commission, SEC.

The presiding judge, Justice Anyalewa Onoja-Alapa gave the order after convicting each of the 21 companies on a one-count charge bordering on illegal operation, contrary to Section 57 (1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act of 2020 filed against them by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,

The Abuja Zonal Directorate of the EFCC filed the charge against the companies on September 15, and 16, 2026, Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson for the anti-graft agency said in a statement.

The companies are: Ngwuoke Daniels Technologies, ?Credio Banco Ltd; ?Digital Company Ltd; ?Co Request Capital Nigeria Ltd; ?Mega Drop Quality Stores Ltd; ?Norland Global Ltd; Oxford International; Creative Agriculture Cooperative; Qnet Nigeria Ltd; Qnet ProfessionAl Skill Academy Ltd and ?Mastermind Energy and Agro Nigeria Ltd.

Others are: Atus West Africa Investment Company; ?Eatrich360 Farms; ?Matag Agro General Services; Viables X Agribusiness Ltd; ?Kwakol Markets Ltd; ?Light Shade International Ltd; Value Growth Ltd; B12 Synergy Nigeria Ltd; ?Phresh Farm Ltd and Omega Pro Global Resources.

The charge against Megadrop Quality Stores Limited reads: ‘That you, Megadrop Quality Stores Limited, a body corporate, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, sometime in 2025, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did engage in specialized business of other financial institution without valid licence to wit: advertising and operating a financial investment management without valid licence from the Securities and Exchange Commission; and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 57(1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020 and punishable under Section 57(5)(a) of the same Act.’

The charge against Ngwuoke Daniels Technologies reads: ‘That you, Ngwuoke Daniels Technologies, a body corporate, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, sometime in 2025, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, did engage in specialized business of other financial institution without valid licence to wit: advertising and operating a financial investment management without valid licence by the Securities and Exchange Commission; and you thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 57(1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, 2020 and punishable under Section 57(5)(a) of the same Act.’

The representatives of all the companies were absent when the charges were read, and upon application by the prosecution counsel, Nasir Umar, the court entered a ‘not guilty’ plea on behalf of the companies and commenced trial.

The prosecution counsel relied on the witnesses and documents contained in the proof of evidence, in proving his case against the companies.

He further tendered intelligence reports, statements of the investigating officers, letters of investigation activities, response from CAC, and response from SEC in evidence against the companies.

Following the presentations of the prosecution counsel, Justice Onoja-Alapa convicted and sentenced the companies to N30 million fine each. In addition, she ordered them to pay N200, 000, 00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira), for each of the day, they had committed the offence.

The companies were prosecuted following actionable intelligence available to the Commission that linked them to investment fraud and operating without license.

In the course of the investigations, the Commission invited the promoters of the companies for interrogation on December 22, 2022 and further interrogation on Thursday 12, January, 2023, which they all ignored. Over a period of five years, they evaded interrogation by the Commission, prompting the prosecution of the companies.

Popular Nigerian preacher and televangelist, Apostle Joshua Selman has revealed that he had a shocking vision involving the death and burial of a high-ranking politician in the country.

While speaking during a sermon, the apostle explained that he was sharing the vision so that God could comfort and prepare the politician’s family ahead of the tragedy.

Selman also claimed that nothing could be done to change what he described as the person’s impending death.

‘I don’t usually do this but I am seeing people gather to bury a high-ranking politician in this nation. His time is up. I am seeing him going. The reason why we announce this is so that God will comfort the family and prepare their hearts but there’s nothing that can be done. It’s time, it’s over. This is not impress, I don’t have that time,’ he stated.

Selman, however, did not identify the politician in the statement.

Businessman and politician Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has argued that petrol could sell for N600 per litre in Nigeria without government subsidy if the pricing of crude allocated for domestic refining is properly structured.

Olawepo-Hashim, who reportedly made the submission during a September Diaspora Dialogues podcast, based his argument on figures from his experience as a crude oil producer and oil and gas business owner.

He maintained that the cost of petrol should be determined after taking into consideration expenses across the upstream and downstream sectors, as well as reasonable profit margins.

His position is that petrol should not cost more than N600 per litre at the pump, whether it is produced from locally refined crude or imported.

A major component of his argument is the need for Nigeria to allocate a portion of its crude production for domestic refining.

He argued that such crude should be sold to domestic refiners at a lower price than crude exported to the international market.

Olawepo-Hashim also cited the practice of other members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which he said have arrangements for supplying crude to their domestic markets at prices different from those applicable to exports.

The argument effectively challenges the way Nigeria’s fuel pricing debate has traditionally been framed around the question of whether the government should retain or remove petrol subsidy.

Rather, Olawepo-Hashim wants the focus shifted to determining the actual cost of producing and distributing petrol in the country.

In a recent interview with Channels TV, Olawepo-Hashim has taken a similar position. He had said petrol should cost around ?500-605 based on actual domestic production costs plus reasonable margins and a modest energy tax. According to him the current high prices and the entire subsidy story were government-driven accounting fiction.

‘It’s not… It’s not magic. The truth of it is that the price is currently inflated,’ he had said.

The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr Peter Obi on Monday changed his stance on what he will do with petroleum subsidy if elected in 2027 at a town hall meeting in Sokoto.

The NDC presidential candidate had previously said he will not restore petroleum subsidy, but instead he will ensure that savings from the removal were deployed to meet the needs of Nigerians.

His position was contrary to that of the of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC who had repeatedly promised that he will restore subsidy on petrol if elected into office in 2027.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the incumbent, who is also seeking re-election in the 2027 election had announced an end to payment of subsidy on petrol when he was being sworn in for his first term of office on 29 May, 2023.

Tinubu had also recently insisted that his administration will not restore payment of subsidy despite soaring petrol prices.

Instead, he said his administration will explore alternative means of energy to bring down the hardship associated with the rising petrol price on Nigerians.

But speaking at a town hall meeting organised for the Obi/Kwankwaso presidential ticket in Sokoto on Monday, Obi changed his stance on petrol subsidy with promise that he will restore it after his administration has successfully ended corruption in the country.

He said corruption remained the major challenge confronting Nigeria, adding that his administration, if elected, would tackle corruption across all sectors.

‘People are talking about subsidy but what is all about it is corruption. By removing the corruption, I assure you that we will bring back subsidy.

‘The problem of Nigeria is corruption, as such, if elected, we will stop all forms of corruption in every sector of the country,’ he said.

Obi urged Nigerians to use the 2027 general elections to vote for NDC candidates at all levels, saying it is a collective responsibility to address the country’s recurring challenges.

He said the party is committed to providing what he described as a ‘politics of care and service to Nigerians.’

The former Anambra governor also expressed concerns over the economic situation of Nigerians, promising to deploy the country’s resources to improve security, education and other sectors of the economy.

‘Education is our number one priority after unity and security,’ Obi said.

He also promised to connect all state capitals with railway lines to facilitate economic activities and boost development.

Also speaking, the NDC Vice-Presidential Candidate, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, said the visit was to meet with the people of Sokoto and seek their support and cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, said they had earlier visited the Sultan of Sokoto, where he prayed for the success of the Obi/Kwankwaso ticket and conveyed his goodwill.

He said although various parts of Nigeria were facing challenges, the North-West had become a major hotspot for banditry and kidnapping.

‘We are, therefore, committed to mitigating all these challenges and make Nigeria better,’ he said.

Earlier, the NDC governorship candidate in Sokoto state, Dr Shamsudeen Haido, pledged to provide good governance if elected in the 2027 elections.

The state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bello Yabo, said the meeting provided an opportunity for residents to hear directly from Obi and Kwankwaso about their plans and vision for the country.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has endorsed the constitutional amendment bill seeking the creation of state police in Nigeria.

The development followed the transmission of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (Sixth Alteration) Bill, 2026, by the National Assembly to the 36 state Houses of Assembly for consideration.

The bill is seeking constitutional backing for the establishment of state policing in Nigeria.