The Muslim community has been thrown into mourning following the passing of one of its most revered figures, Alhaji Muyideen Bello.

Born in 1940 in Ibadan, Alhaji Bello was widely respected for his profound teachings and unwavering dedication to Islamic scholarship.

The announcement of his demise was made by another prominent Islamic scholar, Alfa Aribidesi of At-Tawdeeh Islamic Da’awah on Friday morning.

Sheikh Akewugbagold Taofeek, an Ibadan-based cleric, also disclosed the demise of the fearless Oyo state-born preacher in a Facebook post on Friday.

 

 

According to Akewugbagold, the renowned preacher returned to his creator on Friday, praying that God be pleased with his soul.

Corroborating the news of the demise, popular cleric and follower of the late Bello, who is also an Islamic singer, Alhaji Basit Olarenwaju popularly known as Aponle Anabi also shared the image of the 84 year old scholar with tearful emojis on his official Facebook page on Friday.

 

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as Hamas's military commander.

 

The last has not been heard about the Nigeria's petrol  crisis,as it seem to a be a long circus.Oil marketers have again written a letter to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery expressing their willingness to buy refined petroleum products from the $20bn plant.

They disclosed this on Wednesday following Tuesday’s remarks by the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, that marketers were not buying products from the Lekki-based facility.

Dangote faulted the continued importation of petrol by oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited despite the fact that the commodity was being produced by his refinery.

He raised the concern in Abuja on Tuesday after he was summoned by President Bola Tinubu, alongside the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari.

“I have a refinery. I’m not in the business of retail. If I’m in the business of retail then you can hold me responsible. But what I’m saying is that the retailers should please come forward and pick. If they don’t come forward and pick, what do you want me to do?

“So, I am expecting either the NNPCL or the marketers to stop importing; they should come and pick because we have what they need. And as they move, I will be pumping,” Dangote stated after the meeting with the President in Abuja.

 

Responding to this on Wednesday, oil dealers under the aegis of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria and their counterparts in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria said they were willing to buy petrol from Dangote.

They specifically stated that they had approached the refinery a couple of times to express the interest of their members in lifting refined products from the plant.

“We have listened to him (Dangote) and as far as I’m concerned what he said is very strange to my hearing. PETROAN had written to him since 2022, we wanted to have a business meeting with him and understand the business dynamics,” PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, told one of our correspondents.

He added, “I sent the same letter to him (Dangote) today (Wednesday) to ask for a meeting, so, we can determine the modality of business. We cannot drive our tankers into the Dangote refinery to start buying products just like that. We must have a business meeting to determine the modalities, make our inputs and compare notes.

“We are willing to patronise Dangote but cannot do it in the air. We have to sit down and have a productive business meeting with him that is transparent enough. That is the challenge. So, we are willing but we can’t just fly into the plant and start loading products.”

Asked what was the response of the refinery, Gillis-Harry replied, “Up till this moment, there has never been any positive response, rather, all we get from them is that they repeatedly say to us that ‘we will meet.’ But we never met. So, at what point are we going to meet and conclude the business? Let Nigerians know that PETROAN is willing to buy from him.

“If he has 500 million litres, we are willing to be one of the off-takers, for with the size of our membership and retailers scattered across the country, we are a very productive business mix that should be good for him. So, he also has the job to woo us and to get us to work with him.”

 

Gillis-Harry said petrol retailers were awaiting the plant to fix a date for both parties to meet.

Also, speaking on the matter, the National President of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, raised concerns over difficulties faced by IPMAN members in accessing fuel at the Dangote refinery despite a N40bn payment made through NNPCL.

Maigandi stated that despite NNPCL’s directive that IPMAN members pick up fuel at the Lagos-based refinery, some marketers waited with their trucks for four days without being able to load any product.

He expressed surprise at Dangote’s statement on Tuesday, claiming the refinery had 500 million litres of petrol in stock and ready to supply the nation.

“If the refinery truly has 500 million litres, then there should be no reason our members couldn’t load after four days. We are willing to buy the product directly if the refinery is ready to sell to us, but for now, our members can’t access it ,even after paying,” Maigandi said while speaking on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.

The refinery, touted as Africa’s largest, reportedly can produce over 30 million litres of fuel daily at full capacity.

Dangote, during Tuesday’s visit to Tinubu, reassured that the facility was prepared to meet local demands,emphasising that the stock in reserve could sustain the country for over 12 days without imports.

 

However, Maigandi countered Dangote’s claims, pointing out that IPMAN members were yet to successfully load fuel from the refinery through the NNPCL arrangement, despite their readiness to purchase directly.

He added, “Instead of routing through NNPCL, Dangote should consider registering independent marketers directly. This would simplify the process and prevent such delays in accessing the product.”

Import licences

Meanwhile, some marketers revealed on Wednesday that Dangote refinery was currently selling its petrol to dealers with import licences.

We hear the refinery,  is currently prioritising marketers with valid import licences even as plans were underway to start selling to other marketers soon.

After battling crude shortages for months, the refinery unveiled its petrol in early September and began selling to the NNPCL on September 15 as its sole off-taker.

However, following the Federal Government’s directive that all marketers could approach the refinery for PMS lifting without waiting for the NNPC, willing marketers said they had indicated interest in buying petrol from the $20bn refinery.

 

Officials of the refinery told one of our correspondents that the direct sale of PMS had begun without recourse to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

This came barely a week after some marketers said their demand to lift fuel was halted by the existing agreement between the refinery and the NNPCL.

Speaking with our correspondent, some operators, who were yet to start business with the refinery, said officials had assured them of their cooperation.

The sources said the supply of PMS was being done in different categories, and those who had licences from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to import petrol were the first set of marketers that were being attended to.

“Dangote refinery is selling to those who have import licences. They are the first set of customers. We don’t know the reason, but it may be because the refinery is in a free trade zone,” a marketer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, stated.

Earlier in an interview with The PUNCH, the National Vice President of IPMAN, Hammed Fashola, said this explained why IPMAN was making efforts to get its import licence from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.

 

He also alluded to the opinion that this might be because the refinery was located in a free trade zone.

 

“Yes, I heard it too, they (Dangote) have started selling to some marketers. They categorised it. There are some marketers with import licences. Those are the people that they are attending to right now.

“And that’s why we are trying as much as possible to get our import licence too. So, I think very soon they will start dealing with the small ones. I don’t know how they came about that idea. I think it depends on the directive given to them, according to them. And we believe that they will soon start with the other marketers. Maybe it’s because that place is a free trade zone,” he said.

Fashola said he could not confirm whether or not the product was being sold in naira to those with import licences.

“I don’t want to say something that I cannot really confirm or that I’m not sure of,” he added.

Fashola disclosed that the association’s application for an import licence was still being processed by the NMDPRA.

“We are still on the import licence. We are seriously working on that. There is no way that it will not take the official time. There are things that we had to submit. You have to meet some terms and conditions to have it granted. So, we are trying to do that,” he said.

However, Fashola refused to state some of the conditions.

 

“I don’t need to mention that to the media,” he insisted.

For importation, Fashola said the association had enough storage capacity with tank farms in Calabar and Lagos.

“We have enough storage capacity. You know, I said the other time that I don’t want to discuss our capacity. But all those documents related to capacity have been submitted. And when we get what we want, we will disclose everything to the public,” he stated.

Expert speaks

An energy expert, Professor Emeritus, Wumi Iledare, said though he would not know whether or not the refinery was selling to marketers with import licenses, this could be because of the location of the facility.

However, he advised that the government should give a waiver to Dangote so that the refinery would be able to sell to local marketers without, hindrance if that was the case.

“We recognise Dangote is in a free trade zone. So, if you want to buy something like that, unless there is a waiver, it is going to be like an import. But because of the arrangement with the Federal Government, this may be different. The Petroleum Industry Act allows for willing-buyer, willing-seller arrangements.

 

“As the marketers are seeking Dangote out, Dangote should be seeking them out too. The marketers know the landing cost and this will allow them to negotiate with Dangote. Import is the alternative, otherwise, Dangote will become a monopoly,” Iledare stated.

The Don maintained that the Dangote refinery was not a domestic refinery but an offshore refinery in the sense that it was located in a free trade zone.

“That is why Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, and others are eager to buy from Dangote. The Nigerian marketers are actually competing with other other countries looking to buy from Dangote. The government has to grant a waiver to Dangote to sell to the domestic market. That is why NNPC should have taken an equity whereby products from Dangote will be for their domestic market, but they didn’t do that.

“Dangote should be granted waivers to sell to the domestic market if that is the issue. The government should look at this from the consumers’ point of view without jeopardising the investors from making money,” he noted.

41.7 million litres

The Nigerian Ports Authority said two vessels carrying a total of 41,705,100 litres of petrol arrived in Lagos through the Tincan Island Ports on Wednesday.

The NPA disclosed this in the Wednesday edition of its ‘Daily Shipping Position’.

 

Earlier,a vessel with 20,115,000 litres of PMS was reported discharging at the Kirikiri Lighter Ports Phase 2 on Wednesday but a second check at the report showed that another vessel with 21,590,100 litres of the product was discharging at the Kirikiri Phase 3, Tincan Island Port the same day.

The document also showed that a vessel carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of AGO (diesel), discharged at the same terminal on Tuesday.

According to the document, aside from the vessel coming with 250 units of used vehicles on Saturday at Five Star Logistics, another vessel with 500 units of used vehicles would also be berthing at the Tincan Island Container Terminal the same day.

The document showed that a total of 12 vessels carrying different consignments, including butane gas, AGO and containers among others, are expected to berth between Monday, October 28, and Friday, November 8, 2024.

Meanwhile, it was recently reported that the Dangote refinery was not able to meet its commitment to the NNPC in the supply of PMS.

There were claims in the media that out of the 400 million litres of petrol that the refinery ought to supply in September, only 103 million litres were delivered.

It was also claimed that in October, Dangote supplied 214 million litres to the NNPC instead of 665 million litres, resulting in a shortfall of 78 per cent.

 

The reports added that from September 15 to October 20, only 317 million litres of PMS had been supplied out of a total commitment of 1.065 billion litres of petrol.

Meanwhile, following the NNPCL’s increase of petrol across the country on Tuesday, long queues were seen at its retail outlets in Lagos and Abuja on Wednesday.

The national oil firm raised the retail price of petrol in Abuja to N1,060 from N1,030 per litre, while in Lagos, it increased the unit price of the commodity from N998 to N1,025 per litre, which received widespread criticisms from the Organised Private Sector, Civil Society Organisations and Nigerians in general.

Experts and key followers of the Nigerian oil and gas sector fear inflation in the country may further skyrocket following the latest hike, after it rose to a 28-year high (34.2 per cent) in June, which could compound the hardship in the country.

 

Renowned Senior Advocate of Nigeria and founder of Afe Babalola University, Aare Afe Babalola, has confirmed to be behind the recent arrest of lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi ,who he claimed defamed him in a book published recently.

The accusation stems from a Supreme Court judgment involving a land dispute that spanned over two decades.

In a petition dated November 19  and addressed to the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Adeniran Akinwale, Babalola detailed how his law firm discovered Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System and the defamatory contents therein.

“I write to report the criminal defamation of myself, my law firm Afe Babalola & Co and my lawyers in person of Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro by one Dele Farotimi in his book titled ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM’ published by Dele Farotimi publishers in respect of Suit no: SC/146/2005: Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors V. H.R.H Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors,” the petition read.

He claimed the book contained several defamatory statements that questioned his integrity and accused his law firm of unethical practices, including corrupting the judiciary.

He added, “Sometime on 2/11/2024, one of our lawyers while travelling through Murtala Muhammed Airport bought a book by Dele Farotimi titled ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM’ published by Dele Farotimi publishers. He read the said book and immediately brought it to my attention. Many of my lawyers also bought the said book and read same.”

Babalola stated that the book accused him of “corrupting the Supreme Court from ages past and had led it to commit the most egregious acts of evil and wanting injustice.”

 

he petition noted, “The said defamatory statements are detailed below:

“That Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgement in the service of his client” See page IX.

“That Aare Afe Babalola, Olu Daramola, Olu Faro and the law offices of Afe Babalola & Co, (Emmanuel Chambers) compromised the Supreme Court and the remaining semblance of integrity it might have had when they went back to the Supreme Court and got the Court to swim in the sewer of corruption and shameful self-Abnegation”. See page X

“That Afe Babalola libeled me and the fact of the libel became known to me in a suit against Lawal Pedro SAN”. See page X.

“That I sued Afe Babalola SAN for libel and he leveraged his influence in the Judiciary to deny me justice”. See page X.”

Giving a background of the case, the petition stated that the case concerned 254 hectares of land in Lagos, which the Supreme Court awarded to his client in 2013.

He further alleged that Farotimi’s comments in the book suggested that he and his law firm compromised the judiciary, tarnishing the integrity of the apex court.

According to the petition, Farotimi’s statements, which were also highlighted in media interviews and widely circulated online, were designed to damage his reputation, discredit his law firm, and cause clients to lose trust in his professional ethics.

“All these statements are false and incorrect written deliberately to destroy my reputation. Dele Farotimi referred to me severally in his book as the Doyen of the legal profession,” Babalola said.

According to the petition, the controversy originated from the Supreme Court judgment on July 13, 2013, which ruled in favour of Babalola’s client, the Gbadamosi Eletu family.

The case involved land acquired by the Lagos State Government but later contested by the Ojomu family, who sold the land to Babalola’s client decades earlier.

Babalola’s legal team successfully argued that the Ojomu family acted in bad faith by attempting to reclaim the land after its sale.

However, the judgment sparked litigation from estates affected by the ruling, including Pinnock Estate, NICON Estate, and others.

Babalola said that Farotimi, as counsel to one of these estates, criticised the judgment in his book and accused Babalola of unethical conduct.

 

On Wednesday, Farotimi was remanded in prison custody by a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti following his arrest on a 16-count charge of criminal defamation.

He was apprehended by officers of the Ekiti police command in Lagos and transported to Ekiti for arraignment.

Babalola has called for an urgent investigation into Farotimi’s claims, the recovery of all copies of the book, and a halt to its further distribution.

He also urged authorities to address what he described as Farotimi’s admitted “disregard for the rule of law.”

Babalola, who described himself as a pillar of the Nigerian legal profession, emphasised his six-decade-long career marked by integrity, discipline, and professionalism.

 

 

Read full text below:

The Commissioner of Police,

Ado-Ekiti,

Ekiti State.

Dear Sir,

CRIMINAL DEFAMATION OF AARE AFE BABALOLA, AFE BABALOLA & CO AND HER LAWYERS BY DELE FAROTIMI

I write to report the criminal defamation of myself, my law firm Afe Babalola & Co and my lawyers in person of Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro by one Dele Farotimi in his book titled ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM’ published by Dele Farotimi publishers in respect of Suit no: SC/146/2005: Major Muritala Gbadamosi Eletu & Ors V. H.R.H Oba Tijani Akinloye & Ors.

SUIT NO: SC/146/2005: MAJOR MURITALA GBADAMOSI ELETU & ORS V. H.R.H OBA TIJANI AKINLOYE & ORS (2013) 15 NWLR PART 1378

The Appellants lost the case at the High Court and the Court of Appeal before briefing my law firm to represent them at the Supreme Court.

The Appellant in this suit were Defendants at the High Court. The subject matter of the suit was 254 hectares of land at Osapa Eti-Osa Local Government Lagos sold to the late Gbadamosi Bamidele Eletu in 1977 by the Ojomu family. The said parcel of land was later acquired by Lagos State Government after it was sold to the Gbadamosi Bamidele Eletu by the Ojomu family.

The Ojomu family contested the acquisition against Lagos State Government in Suit No: ID/1883/89 wherein the court set aside the acquisition by the Lagos State Government. The Ojomu family then instituted the suit at the High Court of Lagos State claiming that title to the land had reverted to the Ojomu family despite the earlier sale of the land to late Gbadamosi Bamidele Eletu.

We represented the Eletu family and Judgement was delivered by the Supreme Court on 13/7/2013 in favour of the Eletu family wherein the Supreme Court held that: “Where a party has fully divested himself of all interest in land, no right vests in him to deal with the same property by way of further alienation anymore. He is caught by the maxim, nemo dat quod non habet; that is, he cannot give that which he no longer has. In the instant case, it was unfortunate that the respondents claimed title to the whole of their family land compulsorily acquired by the Lagos State Government including the portion earlier sold to the father of the appellants and in which they were in effective possession. The claim so made without disclosing the truth and excluding the said portion so sold was clearly made in bad faith and smacked of insincerity. It was very unconscionable and consequently against the principles of equity and good conscience”.

The Supreme Court also held that: “A court of law should not allow itself to be used as an engine for the perpetration of fraud, in whatever guise”.

A copy of the judgment is hereby attached as annexure 1.

VARIATION OF JUDGEMENT

Honourable Justice Kumai Bayang AKA’ AHS JSC wrote the lead judgement. His Lordship erroneously limited the land of the Appellants to 10 hectares (24.17 acres) in respect to Suit no: M/779/93 whose subject matter was part of the 254 hectares owned by the Eletu family.

We immediately filed a motion for variation of the judgement of the Supreme Court pursuant to Order 8 Rule 16 of the Rules of Court. The said motion was heard and ruling delivered on 18/3/2014 granting statutory right of occupancy to the Appellants in respect to the entire 254 hectares sold to late Gbadamosi Bamidele Eletu by the Respondents.

A copy of the ruling is hereby attached as annexure 2.

ENFORCEMENT

Upon the delivery of the Judgement, our client surreptitiously employed the services of S.B Joseph & Co to enforce the judgement before we applied for variation of the judgement with the intention of not paying our professional fees.

The judgement was however varied on 18/3/2014 as earlier stated.

NEW SUIT BY ESTATES/PERSONS AFFECTED BY THE JUDGEMENT

Several residential estates were affected by the judgement of the Supreme Court among which were Pinnock Estate, Beach Resort, NICON Estate, Friends’ Colony Estate and Victory Park Estate etc. Dele Farotimi was lawyer to one of the Estates.

The affected estates and individuals immediately filed fresh suits against the Eletu family with the purpose of frustrating the judgement of the Supreme Court.

The Eletu family were lured by the affected estates to settle some of the suits behind our law firm despite being counsel on record by filing terms of settlement with the aim of denying us our professional fees. This was admitted by Dele Farotimi in page 73 of his book ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM’.

INTERVENTION BY LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT

The Lagos State Government issued a publication indicating their awareness of the Supreme Court judgement and the need for the State to intervene in order to maintain public peace and order. The Lagos State Government invited us for several meetings with respect to compromising the judgement of the Supreme Court.

The said judgement was eventually compromised and the Eletu family were compensated by the Lagos State Government so as to avoid a massive dislocation of persons and communities directly affected by the Judgement.

DEFAMATION BY DELE FAROTIMI

Sometime on 2/11/2024, one of our lawyers while travelling through Murtala Muhammed Airport bought a book by Dele Farotimi titled ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM’ published by Dele Farotimi publishers. He read the said book and immediately brought it to my attention. Many of my lawyers also bought the said book and read same.

We received several calls from professional colleagues, friends and family members who watched a program on Channel’s TV wherein Dele Farotimi was interviewed with respect to the said book where he made several defamatory statements against myself, my law firm Afe Babalola & Co (Emmanuel Chambers), Olu Daramola SAN and Ola Faro Esq.

We also received several calls from persons who saw excerpts of the book and interview on several social media platforms.

The said defamatory statements are detailed below:

“That Aare Afe Babalola corrupted the Supreme Court to procure a fraudulent judgement in the service of his client” See page IX.

“That Aare Afe Babalola, Olu Daramola, Olu Faro and the law offices of Afe Babalola & Co, (Emmanuel Chambers) compromised the Supreme Court and the remaining semblance of integrity it might have had when they went back to the Supreme Court and got the Court to swim in the sewer of corruption and shameful self-Abnegation”. See page X

“That Afe Babalola libeled me and the fact of the libel became known to me in a suit against Lawal Pedro SAN”. See page X.

“That I sued Afe Babalola SAN for libel and he leveraged his influence in the Judiciary to deny me justice”. See page X.

“That I have always been familiar with the fact of our perversion as a People and I have few illusions about equity and justice reigning in Nigeria but I had always assumed that there were lines that should never be crossed. I have however been slapped awake by the brazenness of the judicial brigandage unleashed on hapless citizens, corporate, and individuals by the Nigerian Supreme Court, acting under the direction of Aare Afe Babalola. At least five Justices of the Apex Court have been identified as guilty of odious corruption and or gross incompetence. Either is sufficient to have them removed from their office and this is my petition to the Nigerian people and most definitely to the NJC”. See pages 10 to 11.

“The first we knew of the magic been put together by Afe and his elves must have been around the middle of July”. See page 49.

“While all this was going on, we had a meeting in the law office of Afe Babalola in Magodo, where Olu Daramola SAN made himself unavailable, and had us meet with Olu Faro, a younger counsel……..but Olu Faro Esq was remarkably insolent and assured that we were made aware of just how powerful the law office he worked for believed itself to be and how much above the law and the practice of law they believed themselves to be”. See page 52.

“The judgement of the court was unanimous in giving judgement to the Eletus………But Justice Rhodes-Vivour laid a foundation for the fraud that was to come. He spoke of an unextinguished equitable interest in 254 hectares”. See page 52 to 53.

“We quickly realized that the law office of Afe Babalola & Co, Emmanuel Chambers had outsourced the judgement execution to another law office, the firm of S.B Joseph & Co the firm had fraudulently and deliberately concealed the judgement of AKA’AHS and had underlined the words of Justice Rhodes Vivour to deceive and perhaps mislead Atilade or as is more likely, Atilade was always a part of the original fraud”. See page 56.

“But even as Atilade J. played the contrition game, she was already part of the game plan being staged together by the grandmaster of judicial corruption in Nigeria, Afe Babalola. I have come to the conclusion that the required form of the application and her ruling were all part of the insidious plans of Afe Babalola, his band of crooked lawyers and coterie of crooked/incompetent justices of the Supreme Court”. See page 59.

“The battle to quash the warrant opened my eyes to the extent of the rot in the court system and I came to the knowledge of the sickening realities of the systemic putrefaction. The Supreme Court’s Judgement was doctored by the confederation of lawyers in Afe Babalola’s chambers and the law offices of S.B Joseph & Co and the end desired by the confederacy was sought with the active connivance of the head judge of the Lagos Division, Atilade J.”. See page 60.

“As the mountain of evidence in proof of the Eletus’ fraud began to pile up and in view of the order that Atilade had granted quashing the fraudulent warrant that she had issued and as Afe came to realize how useless the original judgement had become, Afe went back to the accomplices at the Supreme Court and this is the only logical explanation for the shameless and brazen review of the fraudulent judgement by the second seating of the court where the justices destroyed whatever doubt one might have harbored of either corruption and/ or incompetence”. See page 64.

“It was around this time we began to hear rumors of a return to the Supreme Court by Afe Babalola and his magical elves and the rumors became real when I got a call from Tokunbo Williams SAN, who informed me of the receipt of a motion on notice before the Supreme Court, seeking to correct an error in the judgement reproduced below”. See page 64.

“But apparently, we had underestimated the extent of the putrefaction of the Supreme Court and the extent of Chief Afe Babalola’s corrupt reaches into the innards of the Supreme Court”. See page 64.

“The quashed warrant of execution became the basis of Afe Babalola latest excursion to the Supreme Court and the error of my acceptance of the Corrupt offer of an exparte application to quash the warrant for “Documentary Irregularity” became obvious to me. I knew before the motion was heard, that the court was working to the conclusion desired by Aare Afe Babalola”. See page 67.

“The Lagos crowd had been snookered into a corner by the exertions of my chambers and we had demolished the original fraud that was hatched before Afe secured the first of the two judgements………..The Supreme Court cannot hide behind the incompetence of counsel as it has a duty to examine its own appalling intellectual indolence, corruption or incompetence”. See page 70.

“But the court as though enthralled by whatever Afe the Circus Master had Promised the Justices, acted with utmost carelessness about the integrity of the court, the interest of the citizens and the State that they had been sworn to protect. The conspiracy was always a step ahead of us because some of the clients mistook key members of the confederacy of friends and helpers”. See pages 70 to 71.

“The Attorney General had been dragged into the matter. The brutal attempt at enforcement of the original judgement against organized estates and corporate establishments had served to galvanize extremely critical and sensitive mass of the affected peoples and this was when Afe Babalola lost his influence on the Eletus and the Lagos Mafia whose original brief to procure enforcement of the judgement became the dominant force in the conspiracy muscling out the Afe gang. With Afe Babalola rendered impotent, Lawal Pedro muscled in on the queue”. See page 71.

“…… she knows more about the case that culminated in the Supreme Court Judgement and she also knew everything that I had known about the Eletus fraud and Afe Babalola’s shenanigans”. See page 76.

“But Afe knew that he could get the Supreme Court to do whatever he wanted and to rule however he asked. Pedro knew this too and he being the original Lagos boy, showed Afe a bit of Lagos magic. Afe Babalola and the Eletus might have killed the buffalo but had no way from feeding from the carcass. We have turned the corrupt triumph at the Supreme Court into a pyrrhic victory and it was at this point that Pedro craftily inserted himself into the plot”. See page 80.

“If Afe Babalola might be likened to the lion, Lawal Pedro and the Lagos gang are the originally Africa wild hyenas. They literally chased Afe Babalola off his skill. They repackaged the conspiracy, cut the losses and went for the lower hanging fruits”. See page 80.

“This was enough until “eedi” (karma) caught up with Afe Babalola; he dragged Lawal Pedro before the Lagos High Court and the Eletus before ICPC”. See page 81.

“Sometimes in 2016, I started hearing rumblings of some serious fight between Chief Afe Babalola and Lawal Pedro. I was told that Chief Afe Babalola had written a petition to the LPDC, alleging that Lawal Pedro had railroaded his client Gbadamosi Eletu, into an agreement that circumvents his own legal agreement with the Eletus. About same time, I also heard that the ICPC had been pressed into action against the Eletus, Lawal Pedro and S.B Joseph, which seemed quite incongruous, given the fact that the Eletus were not public officers this event stirred an interest in me. I got my popcorn at the ready and waited to be entertained by the squabbling thieves”. See page 81.

“When Amina Augie JSC railed against Chief Afe Babalola’s professional conduct, or misconduct in the Bayelsa case, she did so either as an ostrich or out of ignorance. Afe has been corrupting the Supreme Court from ages past and had led it to commit the most egregious acts of evil and wanting injustice. Afe knows what her ladyship does not know or pretend not to know: that justice does not live in the Nigerian court or you can get the court to do whatever you want, as long as you know who to speak with and who to pay”. See page 83.

“Afe’s letter to Tunde Phillips, then C.J of Lagos State showed how frustrated he had become about the inability to execute the fraudulent judgement. In spite of the fact that he asked the Supreme Court to do what it had never done before……. the Eletus had formed a new confederacy and had neither room or use for Afe Babalola, who had overestimated his own importance to the plot and failed to discern that he had defectively become unnecessary to the new plotters”. See page 84

“Afe is so enmeshed in his corruption that he has lost all sense of propriety and or fairness”. See page 84.

“I have absolutely no interest in taking Afe Babalola’s corrupt money but I was not going to allow a corrupt, amoral man, devoid of any integrity, to define me for posterity when none of us will be around to dispute the hagiographic account of the event”. See page 84

“Afe Babalola was imperial by the suit I filed in court it was designed to blow open the tawdry details of his dirty deals with the Supreme Court…….it was a thing to be having a quarrel among thieves, each knew how far they might push their claim but it is quite another thing to get into “roforofo” fight with a man seemingly incapable of walking way from a fight”. See page 85

“The perils that were been faced by all key members of the twin camps of conspirators………I must close with a caveat; I am not privy to what happened in the conclaves of crooks….” See page 85
“But there was a second incentive. This was the promise to get rid of the nuisance that my libel suit against Afe represented. I knew when I knew when I was filing the suit, that Afe was not in a position to ever defend the suit. He has no defense and he never anticipated that I will ever become aware of his libel and if he did, he wasn’t concerned about what a mere mortal like me could do to a god like him. Afe was offered assurances that he need not worry about the case. The conspirators had it in hand and would extinguish the fire.” See page 88.

“I sued Afe Babalola because I was always going to blow his dirty, tawdry secrets. I did not know how long any of us had to live and I did not want to be dealing with the idiotic arguments that I could envision, of Afe’s proteges, arguing that I was slandering the dead if the book was to be published after his demise. He is already well in his 80s. I have offered him the opportunity to defend himself. He went to extra ordinary lengths to deny me my day in court”. See page 93.

The book ‘NIGERIA AND ITS CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM’ is hereby attached as annexure 3.

All these statements are false and incorrect written deliberately to destroy my reputation. Dele Farotimi referred to me severally in his book as the Doyen of the legal profession.

The book has been circulated all over the country particularly in Ekiti State where so many persons who respect me as an elder state man has expressed their disdain as a result of the defamatory statement made by Dele Farotimi. The book has also been massively distributed online and has reached many persons globally who have expressed concern by Dele Farotimi’s intention to damage my hard-earned reputation. This is contrary to Section 374 of the Criminal Code.

These Statements are contrary to Section 373 and 375 of the Criminal Code which forbids any one from making defamatory statement which is likely to injure the reputation of any person by exposing him to hatred, contempt or ridicule or likely to damage any person in his profession or trade by an injury to his reputation.

The said statements are meant to lower myself, my law firm and my lawyer’s self-esteem in the eyes of members of the society and also to expose us to hatred, contempt or ridicule in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society. These statements were intended to cause right thinking persons in the society to shun and avoid me, my law firm and my lawyers.

The statements were made with the purpose of discrediting my law firm and ridicule us within the legal profession in order to injure our hard-earned reputation and financial credit.

The statements have caused many of our clients to stay away from us and seek the services of other law firms.

These defamatory statements have aroused the anger of right-thinking members of the society particularly members of the legal profession against me, my law firm and my lawyers.

These statements are likely to set the legal profession and the society at large ablaze in a way that can disturb public peace.

MY REPUTATION AND MY LAW FIRM

With every sense of modesty, I am one of the most distinguished legal luminaries of my generation, renowned both in Africa and globally for my profound contributions to the legal profession and the advancement of education. With over six decades of uninterrupted legal practice, my career is a testament to exceptional dedication, integrity, strategic advocacy, and visionary leadership.

I am a highly accomplished advocate, with some of the most celebrated cases in Nigerian legal history, representing high-profile clients, including government institutions, multinational corporations, and individuals. My advocacy spans domestic and international courts including contributions as a consultant to the Federal Government of Nigeria, World Bank, and various conglomerates. My extensive experience includes my role in arbitration, both locally and internationally, where I remain a respected authority. I appeared in numerous landmark cases, shaping Nigerian jurisprudence and establishing myself as one of the nation’s most formidable legal minds.

My influence goes beyond the courtroom. As the Founder of Afe Babalola & Co. (Emmanuel Chambers), one of Nigeria’s leading law firms, I have trained over 300 lawyers, including 14 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), judges, and attorneys-general, making my chambers one of the most significant contributors to the legal profession in Nigeria. My exceptional litigation skills and legal acumen earned me the prestigious title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1987, cementing his place at the pinnacle of legal practice in the country. I currently have 7 senior advocates in chambers.

I am a renowned scholar and author. I have authored several authoritative legal texts, including Injunctions and Enforcement of Orders and Law and Practice of Evidence in Nigeria. My contributions to legal education extend to teaching at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and delivering lectures at prestigious universities such as the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan. My popular column, YOU AND THE LAW, published in the Nigerian Tribune, reflects my commitment to educating the public on legal matters.

Beyond my legal practice, I have made extraordinary strides in education. My experience as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University of Lagos (2001-2007) spurred me to establish Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). ABUAD has quickly become a beacon of academic excellence, integrity, setting new standards in Nigeria’s educational system. My efforts in education has been recognized globally, with numerous honorary degrees from universities including the University of London, University of Lagos and Ekiti State University.

My leadership in academia and law has earned me numerous accolades, including the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), and international recognition such as the Queen Victoria Commemorative Award at the Socrates Awards in Oxford, UK. I was named Africa Man of the Year on Food Security and awarded an Honorary Doctor of Management by the Federal University of Technology, Akure. My groundbreaking achievements continue to inspire generations of lawyers and leaders across Africa and beyond.

In addition to my legal and educational contributions, I remain a committed philanthropist and advocate for reform in various sectors. My vast experience, unmatched expertise and unwavering commitment to excellence make me a trailblazer in the fight for truth, fairness and justice.

Key Achievements:

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), 1987.
Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).
Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON).
Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, University of Lagos (2001-2007).
Founder and Chancellor, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD).
Queen Victoria Commemorative Award winner, Oxford UK.
Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of London, Ekiti State University, University of Lagos, and more.
My law firm was established in 1965 and has been nurtured and sustained by the finest legal values including integrity, advocacy, fairness, discipline and justice.

DELE FAROTIMI’S ADMISSION OF CRIME

It is necessary to bring it to your notice that Dele Farotimi admitted to have unlawful access to and corrupted the judiciary when he wrote in page 58 of his book as follows:

“The original Motion prepared by my office was a Motion on Notice. We prepared this and readied our processes to be filed, and then word came to us vide the Ojomu’s palace. Atilade had asked that we filed the motion expatre; this was to avoid a lengthy delay she assured her messangers to me, as having the motion papers served on Afe Babalola & Co will only serve to prolong the resolution of the problems created either by her corruption and or incompetence. My reasoned arguments against the exparte motion were not countenanced by the clients. They all just wanted the mess over and done with. Multi billion naira investments were being undermined by the situation. And several lives were being disrupted they argued”.

DISREGARD FOR RULE OF LAW

It understandable why Dele Farotimi threw caution into the winds in writing his defamatory book. He stated in page 41 of the book, his uttermost disregard for the rule of law as follows:

“It was during one of our heated sessions that I declared my philosophy of law and I believe it was also the day that we began to understand the strength of our synergy and the value and efficiency of our then emergent partnership. I explained to him that I did not read law to follow the rules.”

CONCLUSION

We hereby humbly request that you use your good office to investigate the matter and stop Dele Farotimi from further damaging my reputation, the reputation of my law firm and that of my lawyers.

We also request that all existing hard copies of the said book should be recovered by the police while we take other necessary legal actions against Dele Farotimi.

In addition, his admission of corrupting the judiciary should also be investigated .

We request that this should be treated with utmost urgency in other to preserve the dignity of the temple of justice and the legal profession.

Yours faithfully

Aare Afe Babalola SAN

Founding Partner

Afe Babalola & Co

 

 

 

Simon Ekpa, self acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been arrested by law enforcement in Finland.

The BBC reports that Ekpa was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.

Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.

The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) also arrested four other men over alleged terrorist offences.

 

 

It is no more news that 17 of the 19 states in Northern Nigeria, have been grappling with a blackout that has lasted two weeks, following the vandalisation of the Shiroro-Kaduna lines by terrorists.

President  Bola Ahmed Tinubu expressed dismay over the widespread impact of the power disruptions on northern communities and businesses.

The President,has ordered Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu and all relevant agencies to expedite the restoration of electricity to affected states.

The order followed an emergency meeting he held with Adelabu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, over the prolonged blackout that has disrupted daily life and economic activities in the North.

A statement yesterday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said President Tinubu expressed concern over the situation.

 

 

After his meeting with Adelabu on the status of repairs to the damaged Shiroro-Kaduna transmission lines, the President emphasised the need for a sustainable, long-term solution.

He urged engineers at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to intensify work on the damaged facilities and bring cuccour to the affected communities.

President Tinubu also instructed Ribadu to collaborate with the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to provide security for TCN personnel and contractors working on the damaged lines, including providing aerial cover, to prevent any additional disruptions.

He urged traditional rulers, community leaders, and influential figures in the North to support security agencies in protecting public assets and infrastructure from further sabotage.

President Tinubu warned that his administration would no longer tolerate acts of sabotage against the nation’s power infrastructure.

Also, The Northern States’ Governors’ Forum (NSGF) yesterday met in Kaduna with the traditional rulers to address the challenges facing the region.

They said the North was worst hit by the current economic hardship in the country.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, who briefed the forum on security challenges in the region, among others attended the meeting.

NSGF Chairman and Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya urged fellow governors to adopt measures to alleviate the suffering of the masses through targeted social welfare programmes, support for small and medium enterprises, and policies that attract investment to the region.

“While security remains a top priority for the region, we must acknowledge the recent gains made against criminals, especially the elimination of bandits and terror leaders. However, we cannot afford complacency. We must sustain these gains in order to ensure lasting peace and stability,” he said.

Also, Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu has said the Federal Government is addressing the power supply challenge in the North with short-term and long-term solutions.

The minister spoke after a meeting with President Tinubu yesterday in Abuja.

He said: “We discussed the root cause of this, which was basically due to vandalisation of the transmission lines of Shiroro-Kaduna line, which is the major line that supplies electricity to the North, and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). They already set out to fix this line.

“What they have asked for, which has been provided to them now, is the security cover of the National Security Advisor (NSA) through the Chief of Army Staff and the Chief of Air Staff to enable them restore the damaged land. We are optimistic that very soon this will be fully restored.”

Also, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the prolonged blackout in the North.

The mouthpiece of the region warned that the persistent blackout posed a threat to the region’s security and economic well-being.

 

 

 

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has reappointed Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as its Director-General for a second term.

This was announced by the WTO in a post on X on Friday.

The General Council of the WTO stated that the reappointment will take effect on September 1, 2025.

The Council said it agreed by consensus to reappoint Okonjo-Iweala as DG for a second four-year term, stressing that the decision reflects broad recognition of her exceptional leadership and strategic vision for the future of the WTO.

It further explained that the reappointment process, initiated on October 8, 2024, was overseen by Ambassador Petter Ølberg of Norway, Chair of the General Council.

“With no additional nominations submitted by the November 8 deadline, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala stood as the sole candidate. The process was conducted in a fully open and transparent manner, adhering to the WTO’s ‘Procedures for the Appointment of Directors-General’ (WT/L/509).

 

Russia has said that Ukraine’s use of long-range ATACMS missiles against its territory marked a “new phase of the Western war” against Moscow, and has said it will react “accordingly”.

Ukraine used the US-made missiles to target a military facility in Russia’s Bryansk border region overnight, Moscow said on Tuesday, just days after Washington gave the green light for Kyiv to use the long-range weapons against Russian targets.

The reported use of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, came as Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, opening the door to a potential nuclear response by Moscow to even a conventional attack by any nation supported by a nuclear power.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said Ukraine had struck Russia’s Bryansk region with six missiles, and that air defence systems intercepted five and damaged one.

“This is, of course, a signal that they want to escalate,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking at a Group of 20 (G20) news conference in Brazil, said of the attack.

“We will be taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia. And we will react accordingly,” he added, accusing Washington of helping Kyiv operate the missiles.

Russia has long asserted that the ATACMS is programmed by United States specialists and requires guidance from US satellites.

Also on Tuesday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country was working with all partners to win their support for longer-range strikes.

When asked about the attack in the Russian Bryansk region, Zelenskyy said Kyiv now had US-ATACMS systems as well as its own long-range capabilities, and would use all of them.

Ukraine’s military did not publicly specify what weapons it had used, but a Ukrainian official source and a US official, both speaking anonymously, told the Reuters news agency that it has used the ATACMS.

 

New nuclear doctrine  

Lavrov also urged the West to read a decree signed by Putin that lowers the threshold for when Moscow can use nuclear weapons.

“I hope that they will read this doctrine … in its entirety,” Lavrov said.

Russia had been warning the West for months that if Washington allowed Ukraine to fire US, British and French missiles deep into Russia, Moscow would consider those NATO members to be directly involved in the war in Ukraine.

Washington permitted Ukraine to use the longer-range weapons on targets inside Russia after declaring that thousands of North Korean soldiers were deployed in the Russian region of Kursk to fight an incursion by Kyiv’s forces.

The updated Russian nuclear doctrine, establishing a framework for conditions under which Putin could order a strike from the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal, was approved by him on Tuesday, according to a published decree.

While the doctrine envisions a possible nuclear response by Russia to such a conventional strike, it is formulated broadly to avoid a firm commitment to use nuclear weapons and keep Putin’s options open.

 The approval of the document demonstrates Putin’s readiness to tap his nuclear arsenal to force the West to back down as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine as the war reaches its 1,000th day.

Asked on Tuesday if a Ukrainian attack with longer-range US missiles could potentially trigger a nuclear response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered affirmatively, saying the doctrine provides scope for such a response to a conventional strike that threatens the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Russia and its ally, Belarus.

The previous doctrine, contained in a 2020 decree, said Russia may use nuclear weapons in case of a nuclear attack by an enemy or a conventional attack that threatened the existence of the state.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Tuesday that the US was not surprised by Russia lowering its threshold for a nuclear strike and does not plan to adjust its own nuclear posture in response.

“I’m unfortunately not surprised by the comments the Kremlin has made around the publication of this new, revised document,” Miller said, adding that since the war began, Russia has sought to “coerce and intimidate both Ukraine and other countries around the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behaviour”.

He added that Washington has not seen any reason “to adjust our own nuclear posture, but we will continue to call on Russia to stop bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric”.

Meanwhile, the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell accused Russia of issuing “completely irresponsible” nuclear threats.

“It is not the first time that Putin plays the nuclear gamble,” the outgoing EU foreign policy chief told reporters following defence ministers’ talks in Brussels on Tuesday, saying “any call for nuclear warfare is an irresponsibility”.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also denounced the revised nuclear doctrine as the “latest example of irresponsibility” from “the depraved Russian government”, according to spokesperson Camilla Marshall.

“Russia’s the one that continues to escalate this war, and the use of North Korean troops is just one example of that,” Marshall said. “[Putin] could remove his troops, roll back his tanks and end the onslaught and needless bloodshed in both Ukraine and Russia.”

Dangote Refinery has said that there is no fresh case against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and other petroleum marketers over the import of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).

The spokesperson of Dangote Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

His statement served as a clarification of the report making the round that Dangote Refinery had dragged NNPCL and petroleum marketers to the Federal High Court to void the latter’s fuel import licences.

Reacting, the Dangote Group spokesperson said that the matter has been overtaken by events.

“This is an old issue that started in June and culminated in a matter being filed on September 6, 2024.

“Currently, the parties are in discussion since President Bola Tinubu’s directive on crude oil and refined products sales in naira initiative, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council, FEC.

“We have made tremendous progress in that regard and events have overtaken this development.

“No party has been served with court processes and there is no intention of doing so. We have agreed to put a halt to the proceedings.

“It is important to stress that no orders have been made and there are no adverse effects on any party. We understand that once the matter comes up in January 2025, we would be in a position to formally withdraw the matter in court,” he stated.

This comes as a report emerged on Monday that the Dangote Refinery dragged NNPCL and petroleum marketers to court over petrol imports.

Recall that upon NNPCL’s lifting of Dangote Petrol, the price of the product was increased across filling stations.

Similarly, on October 9, 2024, NNPCL and other petroleum marketers announced another petrol pump price hike to between N1030 and N1200 per litre nationwide.

  

Controversy has continued to trail a statement made by Wale Ajetunmobi, the suspended Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Ajetunmobi had claimed in a now-deleted post on Sunday that some arsonists who burnt down Television Continental during the #EndSARS protests in the state had been “hunted and executed.”

Following the comment, many Nigerians on social media interpreted the comment as an admission of state involvement in suspected extrajudicial killings during the 2020 protests against police brutality and the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The protests were followed by intense debates over the true number of casualties, with the Lagos State Government consistently maintaining that no extrajudicial killings took place.

In the tweet, Ajetunmobi claimed that one of the allegedly “executed” individuals was a young boy, whose name was not disclosed, and who worked as a cooking gas trader in the Ketu area of Lagos.

The deleted tweet read, “The full story of people who burnt down TVC in 2020 will be told one day, with gory clips and images. One thing to note: the majority of them have been hunted down and executed.

“One of them, a young boy trading in cooking gas around Ketu, was found with an AK-47 at the site. Even his neighbours were shocked. But the full gist is better saved for later.”

Since the emergence of His Royal Majesty Oba Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye Titiloye, as the new Oloro of Oro KIngdom,in Irepodun Local government of Kwara state.It has been a deluge of congratulatory messages for the new monarch,and gratitude to the Governor,Abdulrahman AbadulRasaq for the ratification of the appointment.Expectedly,among the early well wishers,paying obeisance to the new king,are the Oro Chiefs.According to the congratulatory message, 'Congratulations on Your Appointment  as Oloro of Oro Kingdom', signed on behalf of the honorable Chiefs of Oro Kingdom,by Otunba Abiodun Ajiboye,the Muwagun of Oro and Executivre Secretary/CEO National Institute for Cultural Orientation,NICO,dated November 1,2024.

The media mogul said the people of Oro are lucky to have such a young,vibrant and exposed son as king, in the 21st century and therefore implored chiefs and indigenes of the town and Local government area to support the new king.  

The letter reads in part “On behalf of all Chiefs, both Traditional, Hereditary and Honourary of Oro Kingdom, I hereby rejoice with all Oro indigenes on the selection and announcement of Oba Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye (Ilufemiloye) as the new Oloro of Oro by the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON)”.

“As we know, Oro is a congregation of a total number of eleven (11) towns called “EKU ORO”. We thank Olodumare, the King of all Kings; the Executive Governor of the State; The Chairman, Irepodun Local Government; the Council of Chiefs and Kingmakers (Afobaje); Coordinator of the selection process; the Olupo of Ajaise Ipo, all the Kabiesies in Irepedun Local Government and Oyun Offa, Ifelodun Local Government Areas of Kwara State”.

The Chiefs who wished the new Oloro of Oro Kingdom, Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye, whose announcement and installation were made on Saturday, October 26, 2024 and Sunday, October 27, 2024 respectively by the Governor of Kwara State, a very successful tenure as Kabiesi, Oloro of Oro, also prayed that Olodumare will grant him the wisdom and good health to transform the Kingdom.

His Royal Highness, Oba Joel Oyatoye, was born on January 27, 1984, to the family of Late Prince Titus Oyatoye Titiloye of the Olufayo Ruling House of Aafin-Oro, Irepodun local government area, Kwara State. He is appointed as 2nd Class Monarch in the Irepodun local government area of Kwara State.

As a member of a royal family, Oba Joel is passionate about Yoruba art and culture. His zeal for promoting his indigenous language, dressing, lifestyle, art, and culture globally began from childhood, inspired by his late father, Prince Titus Oyatoye Titiloye.

The Kwara State-born culture promoter recognizes the urgency of preserving Yoruba heritage, especially at a time its language and culture risk extinction if not promoted.

Notably, Oba Joel has partnered with the Federal Government of Nigeria and several South-West states on cultural initiatives in Canada.

That Nigerians are currently in pains over rising cost of living is no more news,the devastating effect of current reforms of the government of President Bola Tinubu,on Nigerians,can not be overstated.It has further depressed the people, into more poverty.The latest price adjustment, by  Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, means that in the less than 17 months of the current administration, the price of petrol has risen by over 430 per cent from May 29, when it took over the reins of power.

On Wednesday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL) raised the pump price of fuel from N897 per litre to N1, 030 in Abuja; from N855 to N998 in Lagos; N1, 070 in North-East; N1,025 in other South-West states; N1,045 in South-East and N1,075 in South-South. Nigerians,now had to grapple with higher prices while struggling to make ends meet.This had triggered reactions,as the people,are  asking the President ,to reverse the increment.Just like most Nigerians,the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Organised Private Sector have also called for the immediate reversal of the hike in the pump prices of petrol, by the NNPCL.

Joe Ajaero of NLC stated, “Even following the logic of market forces, we find it an aberration that a private company (NNPCL) is the one fixing prices and projecting itself as a hegemonic monopoly.

“We challenge the government to go to the drawing board and present us with a blueprint for inclusive economic growth and national development instead of this spasmodic ad holism and palliative policy.

“It needs no stating the fact that the latest wave of increase has grossly altered the calculations of Nigerians once again at a time they were reluctantly coming to terms with their new realities.

“It will further deepen poverty as production capacities dip, more jobs lost with multidimensional negative effects. In light of this, we urge the government to immediately reverse this rate hike as previous increases did not produce any good results. People only got poorer.

“But more fundamentally, the government should be bold enough to tell Nigerians in advance the destination it wants to take the country.”

. 

This development comes days after the NNPC decided to terminate its exclusive purchase agreement with Dangote Refinery, giving room for other players downstream to buy products directly from the Dangote Refinery.

The price reportedly  jumped to as high as N1,200/litre in some other stations in Abuja. For instance, customers bought petrol from one of the Eterna stations in the city centre at N1,200/litre. Mobil station at Arab junction sold to its customers at N990/litre while all NNPCL stations along with Berger didn’t display its pump price.The increase,has upwardly affect transport prices,One of our correspondents observed that a one-way trip from Lugbe to Wuse in Abuja had increased to N1,000 from N700 previously charged.

Also, transport cost moved as fuel price hit N1,250 per litre in Borno State.

Commercial fuel stations sold at N1,100 per litre with many stations also shut down, which caused artificial scarcity of the commodity in Katsina State. The pump price in Ilorin, Kwara State, as of Wednesday evening at NNPC stations was N1,045. At Orange Global filling station it was N1,300; Rainoil dispensed at N1210, while Total sold it at N1,210.

In Edo, most marketers sold for N1,250 per litre, it was in Delta for between N1,100 and N1,200 per litre and N1,200 to N1,250 per litre in Benue.

In Abia, fuel sold for N1,200 and N1,300, while in Yobe, NNPC sold for N1,098 and others between N1,150 and N1,170 per litre

Most stations in Ondo sold for between N970 and N1000 in the morning but changed to N1,115 in the evening.

The Organised Private Sector also condemned the development. The Director-General of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the hike it would further drive up the cost of production for manufacturers.

He said, “The second increase in one month will send high costs across the value chain for the manufacturer. In terms of the distribution of our products, it means that we are going to pay much higher for it and this will of course impact the prices at which our locally produced items will go.”

The MAN DG said the PMS price hike does not bode well for the average Nigerian whose disposable income shrinks daily, resulting in fewer purchases but faces increasing transportation costs.

“Together with the fact that the disposable income of the average Nigerian has dropped, we are likely to witness a further dip in our sales figures,” Ajayi-Kadir said. “For some small and medium scale enterprises that use diesel in their processes, it is going to be an increase in costs.

“Additionally, workers who make trips are likely to request another raise to allow them to transport themselves to work. Since people will spend more on transport, it reduces the money they spend on other goods, whereas we need more purchases to support more production.”

The MAN DG noted the NNPC’s new PMS price could lead to another low in the business environment, but hoped that over time there would be a moderation in PMS prices as he recommended the Federal Government incentivise petrol cost reduction.

He added, “We already have a huge advantage in Dangote Refinery coming on stream and doing the local supply. It is a welcome development and we are very proud of that as an indigenous producer in our history.

“We are looking forward to how the government would deliberately incentivise the reduction of the cost of petrol. When we subsidised imported petrol, we could say we were subsidising consumption.

“But if arrangements could be made so that Dangote, for instance, would get crude at reduced costs, it could be a way of giving subsidy to Nigerians, but you would be subsidising production, which would be for the overall well-being of Nigerians.

“So, I believe that kind of arrangement, particularly if we intentionally and diligently increase our oil production, would be something that may have to be considered as we continue to find solutions to the rising costs of petroleum products collectively.”

The Director, Centre for Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, described the latest increase in PMS price as regrettably ill-timed and failed to reckon with the prevailing difficult economic conditions.

 “There is always a place for political economy in the interest of the vulnerable segments of society,” Yusuf said. “The Nigerian economy is not ripe for full-blown deregulation and market principles on all fronts.”

Yusuf recommended policy sequencing as a better path, noting it would have been better if the Economic Stabilisation Bill expected to bring relief to the citizens and businesses through its proposed mitigating measures was activated and gained traction before a petrol price hike.

He added, “What the economy needs at this time are measures to ease the current economic and social challenges; not policies that would aggravate them. It is desirable to urgently cut import duties and taxes by a minimum of 25 per cent on all industrial raw materials, 18-seater passenger buses and above and cars of 2,000cc engine capacity and below.”

He also recommended customs duty exchange rate be fixed at a maximum of N1,000/$ to reduce the current prohibitive cost of imports with relevant legislation amended to that effect without prejudice to the fiscal policy measures in the Economic Stabilisation  Plan.

Yusuf remarked, “The government must be ready to trade off some revenue in the current situation. There is a need to seek to achieve the maximisation of the welfare function for citizens and the productivity function for businesses. The government should not be too fixated on revenue maximisation.”

Reacting to the latest hike, the National President of the Association of Small Business Owners of Nigeria, Dr Femi Egbesola, said the association was troubled by the lack of prior notice.

He said, “While we understand the complex factors that can influence fuel prices, such as global oil market dynamics and exchange rate fluctuations, we are troubled by the lack of prior notice and clear explanations provided by the government and the NNPCL regarding this development.

 “The timing of this price hike is particularly concerning, as it has the potential to further exacerbate the impact on businesses and consumers, especially the vulnerable segments of the population and those on fixed incomes, who are still adjusting to the recent increase in the national minimum wage.”

He noted that the current administration should realise that a steep price hike was bound to trigger widespread price increases, potentially reversing the recent easing in inflation.

He posited, “The immediate impact of the hike in petrol price on businesses will be severe, with fuel prices affecting supply and logistics, power generation, transportation, and factory operations.

 “The cost of doing business will skyrocket, prices of goods will rise, and some firms may shut down due to low demand in the face of weakening consumer purchasing power. Of course, this will be followed by job losses.”

In a similar vein, the National Vice President, Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, Segun Kuti-George, said it was shocking to see pump prices go up again.

 “What we’re expecting, to be honest, is a possible drop in the price of PMS due to the expectation that PMS will now be sourcing from Dangote, who would be receiving crude in naira from NNPC. It was, therefore, a surprise to see prices going up again,” he said.

“Well, there is nothing that the government or people will not have explanations for, but I believe that courtesy demands either NNPC as an agent of the government or the government itself should take the time to explain these things to the people. They should give us information on what’s about to happen so that we can have a correct understanding and prepare ourselves for it, but you won’t hear anything.

 “All you see is an upward review in prices, and they leave you guessing what exactly is happening. For instance, the information I gathered was that NNPC had been acting as a go-between for Dangote and marketers and paying some amount of subsidy, which accounts for the price difference between what NNPC sells and what other marketers sell. Now, NNPC has withdrawn, and it’s like everyone has to buy and sell what they buy, whether they are buying locally or importing.

 “Even if that’s the case, someone should have taken the time to explain it to us, so we have a clear understanding and aren’t just guessing. Of course, this increase translates to higher costs for micro, small, and medium enterprises. It leads to an increase in prices, reduced sales, reduced profits, and ultimately, it can lead to job losses and increased unemployment. Well, we can only hope that this action will bring an end to sporadic fuel price increases and engender some level of stability.”

Additionally, an economist and investment specialist, Vincent Nwani, noted the frequency of fuel price increases this year, emphasizing its nationwide repercussion.

“This is the third time fuel prices have increased this year, which I believe is a nationwide problem. In some parts of the country, prices are above N1,500. Inflation will rise, not just the one reported by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Costs continue to climb, and I’m uncertain about the figures from the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics. Electricity costs are also unfavourable, and recently, it was announced that the price of driving licenses will increase.”

Dangote denies price hike

Contrary to reports that the new petrol price hike must have been triggered by an increase in the ex-depot price of the product at the Dangote refinery, officials of the refinery have denied the claim.

There were online reports on Wednesday indicating that Dangote refinery had raised the price of petrol to N977/litre, prompting NNPC to also push up its rate.

However, senior officials at Dangote refinery described the report as “fake news.”

 “The NNPC should be in a position to tell you why it increased the price of petrol, go and ask them. I don’t know where you got N977 from,” an official told our correspondent.

With the new price hike, petroleum marketers said they would need more money to top up their existing orders with the NNPC.

The President of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gilly-Harry, told one of our correspondents on Wednesday that marketers would only receive the products they had bidded for after completing the differential to make up for the new price.

 “We have been communicated that this is the new price the NNPC will be selling to us. The factors as to why the price change has not been told. But don’t forget that we are entering into a fully deregulated segment of the business. It means quite a lot to us because we need to go and look for more money to add to the product we have already paid for. That is why we are crying. The challenges we have as retailers are more than meets the eye. We also don’t have consistent sales because the purchasing power of the masses has been eroded. We are hoping that things will change for the future,” he said.Meanwhile,the Federal Government has said it is not responsible for the hike in the pump price of petrol.

The National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the government should not be held responsible for the latest hike in petrol price.

The minister explained that the NNPCL made the decision in response to prevailing circumstances in the energy industry, emphasising that it did not act on any instruction from the federal government, as the government can no longer fix prices of petroleum products,  in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

He said with the subsidy regime ending since May 2023, the NNPCL had only been paying differential to keep the price within the range it had been, but the company said it could no longer absorb the losses.The minister urged Nigerians to continue to show understanding with the NNPCL and the government, assuring that in the long run the prices would ultimately come down.

 He said the government would continue to invest the savings from removal of subsidy to improve other critical sectors like healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security.

He added that the initial investments of the government in CNG would also ameliorate the impact even as more operators invest.