Two persons were said to have lost their lives in a fire outbreak which occurred at Nine Energies filling station, Asero, Abeokuta. It was gathered that the fire outbreak occurred when a medium tanker was offloading diesel into another tanker. An eyewitness, who spoke under the condition of anonymity Vanguard that those who were feared dead were said to be the driver of the tanker that came to receive the diesel and his assistant. The eyewitness said “the fire started around 10am and we all just saw the thick smoke coming from the filling station. Nobody could go near the filling station because of the intensity of the fire. The fire fighters from Ogun State Fire Service later came around to put out the fire. “We later got to know that the fire started when a tanker that brought diesel was transferring it into another tanker. It was the tanker that was receiving the diesel that went up in flames while the one that brought the diesel hurriedly left the place to avoid being caught up. The two occupants of the tanker that was receiving the fuel were however badly burnt, they were rushed to the hospital by some people”. Our Correspondent who visited the filling station, saw the burnt tanker as well as the fire fighters from Ogun State Fire Service who came to put off the fire. Police officers and officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC) were also on ground to ensure orderliness. The Director of Ogun State Fire Service, Engr Fatai Adefala while confirming the incident however said that those involved in the fire incident only sustained minor injuries and were rushed to Ogun State Hospital, Ijaye for medical treatment. Adefala also explained that only one tanker was involved in the incident. He said “I was there, only one tanker is involved and the fire started when the tanker was about to dispense the diesel into the underground tank, it was the pumping machine that ignited the fire and the two people injured only suffered minor injuries and were rushed to the state hospital”. The Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, SP Omolola Odutola also confirmed the fire incident, but said that she could not confirm whether there were casualties or not.

  The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced tracking of 82 constituency projects valued at N8 billion in Imo. Mr Victor Onakpoberuo, the Team Lead of the ICPC’s projects monitoring team, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Owerri on Wednesday. The exercise is part of the tracking of 1,932 constituency projects valued at N500 billion across 26 states of the federation, as announced by the ICPC’s Spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, on Wednesday. Onakpoberuo, Principal Superintendent of the commission said the exercise was the 6th phase of its Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Initiative (CEPTI). According to him, this is in line with ICPC’s mandate to rid Nigeria of all forms of corruption and corrupt practices. He added that the exercise was aimed at investigating fraudulent procurement practices in public contract awards for proper service delivery to the people. He also said the monitoring team would ensure the full execution of all publicly funded projects, enforce compliance with regulatory requirements and ensure that government gets value for money spent on projects. “The project will see the commission tracking 82 projects in various communities in Imo valued at N8,213,772,862.16. “The initiative is aimed at accelerating development at the community levels, to empower local communities to take ownership of constituency projects and to ensure value for money in government expenditures,” he said. He however said that the monitoring team would visit all constituency projects in all 27 council areas of Imo to ensure their completion and compliance with acceptable standards. (NAN)

  The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on Wednesday said that the Federal Government (FG) paid a total of N135.23 billion to subsidise electricity consumption in the second quarter of 2023. This was made known in the commission’s Q2, 2023 report pasted on its website in Abuja. NERC said that the N135.2 billion was spent by the Federal Government to plug revenue generation shortfall in the power sector in the period under review. It said that this indicated an increase of N99.21 billion, representing 275 per cent compared to the N36 billion it paid in the quarter I of 2023, The report stated that the government incurred a subsidy obligation of N135.23 billion in 2023/Q2, which is substantially higher than the N36.02 billion it incurred in 2023/Q1. ”The government incurred a subsidy obligation of N135.23 billion in 2023/Q2, which is an increase of N99.21 billion 275 per cent compared to the N36.02 billion incurred in 2023/Q1, ”it said. The commission stated that the subsidy was due to the absence of cost-reflective tariffs across all distribution companies. It said that the increase recorded in the period was a result of the government’s policy to harmonise exchange rate. The report said that on the average, subsidy obligation incurred by the government per month was N45.08 billion in Q2 2023.(NAN)

  There was laughter in the Senate on Wednesday when the Senate President Godswill Akpabio told acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, not to use him as an example in anti-corruption fight. Olukoyede, who appeared before the Senate for screening on Wednesday, had cited Akpabio’s name as an example in his presentation on investigating a graft case but suddenly stopped when he realised the mood of lawmakers in the Chamber. If we are investigating the Senate President for example…” Olukoyede said, prompting lawmakers to burst into laughter. The laughter became louder when Akpabio told the EFCC nominee not to cite his name as an example in the investigation of a corruption case Akpabio said, “I’m very glad that the nominee wants to use the Senate President as an example. But Mr nominee, leave the Senate President for now, look at this direction (pointing at the seats of opposition lawmakers).” Mr Olukoyede, after the loud laughter, continued his speech without mentioning anyone’s name, saying “If you are fighting corruption, you become the enemy of everybody.” Akpabio has a N108.1 billion alleged theft of funds case before the anti-graft agency. The commission commenced investigation of the former Akwa Ibom governor after a petition by an Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Leo Ekpenyong. The EFCC had detained Akpabio over alleged fraud, but he has consistently maintained innocence.

  The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on Wednesday, October 18, debunked reports making the rounds that his administration in Abuja was promoting policies that are against Islamic religious Alignments. Wike disclosed that those trying to whip religious sentiment were mischievously doing so in order to score some cheap political points. The minister said this when he received on a courtesy visit, members of the Abuja National Mosque Management Committee, led by its chairman, the Etsu of Nupe, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar. Wike noted that he has no reason to instigate hate speech against any religious groups but to support any that has a genuine cause. While assuring that FCT would not hesitate to support the maintenance of the National Mosque, or the National Ecumenical Centre, having been declared as a national monument, he also called on religious leaders to preach National unity and peaceful coexistence. He said: “No government will hesitate to support the maintenance of a National Monument, be it for Christians or Moslems.” Earlier in his remarks, the Etsu Nupe urged the Minister to support the maintenance project of the National Mosque, which he disclosed had been stalled for some time now. He also pleaded with the Minister to grant the Committee more time to develop plots of land allocated to it by FCTA. Details shortly…

  Borno state police command has confirmed the gruesome killing of 21-year-old Fatima Alhaji Bukar. Confirming the incident, the state police public relations, ASP Sani Muhammed, revealed that their forces are currently engaged in a relentless pursuit of the individuals responsible, whose identities remain shrouded in darkness. He said: “We have swiftly mobilized our resources to untangle the web of circumstances surrounding this tragic loss. However, we have yet to make any breakthroughs in terms of apprehending the culprits. Rest assured, our resolve remains unyielding.” When asked about the safety of the area where this grim incident occurred, the PPRO clarified: “To the best of our knowledge, this area has not been a hotbed of criminal activity. This unfortunate occurrence seems to be an isolated incident. We are steadfast in our commitment to the victim’s family and the community at large. We are determined to identify and bring to justice those responsible for this heinous crime.” It was gathered that the distressing incident occurred when Fatima Alhaji Bukar, daughter of Bukar Abacha, a member of the Borno State House of Assembly representing Ngala, was found lifeless at her residence in Gidan Dembe, Maiduguri, on October 17, 2023. In the wake of this grim discovery, the Gwange Police Division swiftly took action, moving the deceased’s body to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for a comprehensive autopsy and a thorough investigation. This tragic event has plunged the community into mourning, emphasizing the pressing necessity to ensure the safety and security of all citizens in the region. Reiterating their commitment, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) affirmed that seeking justice for Fatima Alhaji Bukar remains a paramount objective for the police authorities.

  August 18, 1973, the date Vice President Atiku Abubakar claimed to have signed an affidavit in court claiming to be the same person as Sadiq Abubakar has turned out to be a Saturday. From time immemorial, courts in Nigeria do not open for business on Saturdays and Sundays, being work-free days in the country. In the said affidavit, Atiku had sworn to an oath that he sat for the West African School Certificate Examination (WAEC) in 1965 as Sadiq Abubakar but that he later changed his name to Atiku Abubakar. The revelation may have confirmed accusations that the said Sadiq Abubakar might be an entirely different person from Atiku Abubakar. Atiku had, in a public statement on Sunday, October 10, 2023, insisted that he was the same person as Sadiq Abubakar who sat for WAEC in 1965. Atiku’s Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe in a statement, said among others, that: “It is on record that the change of name of the former Vice President reverting to Atiku Abubakar from Siddiq Abubakar is well documented in an affidavit dated 18th of August 1973, spanning over a period of 50 years.” Credit: TheNation

  Nigeria has the highest number of homeless people in the world. According to data from World Population Review, 24 million people in the country do not have a place to live. The report opens by stating that Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, resulting in the epidemic of homelessness throughout the nation. It stated: “Over 24 million people are considered homeless, with many more not having appropriate access to a proper dwelling that has access to some of the most basic services. With this being said, Nigeria’s level of poverty is not as severe as some may perceive. The nation possesses abundant resources; however, challenges primarily stem from limited access to wealth, often exploited by foreign nations or even internal The review further stated: “Furthermore, because of its large size, Nigerians experience a huge influx of both immigration and emigration, which changes the ownership of houses frequently. This could be a good thing, in theory, but usually, this also means that natural gentrification occurs, as investors are looking to build more elaborate and expensive houses to procure a higher rental income or to flip into a more profitable business venture. With this being said, Nigeria also has a lot of land for sale, so philanthropic and charitable organizations could take advantage of this to create a more acceptable situation.” In an estimate of the top ten out of 85 nations ranked on homelessness, Nigeria came out on top with 26.70 percent. Nigeria ranked first among the top 10 countries with 24,400,000 followed by Pakistan, 20,000,000; Egypt, 12,000,000; Syria, 6,568,000; DR Congo, 5,332,000. Bangladesh occupied the sixth position with 5,000,000 while Colombia came next with 4,943,000. Others on the list are Afghanistan, 4,660,000; Philippines, 4,500,000; and Yemen, 3,858,000.