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Group alleges plot to sabotage reforms at NNPC

Published

1 year ago

August 1, 2025

Group alleges plot to sabotage reforms at NNPC

A Civil Society Organisation, Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiatives (CGGCI), in conjunction with Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), has raised alarm over an alleged plot to sabotage what it described as ongoing reforms in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) under its Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari.

The duo of Comrades Okpokwu Ogenyi and Emmanuel Onwubiko, National Coordinator of CGGCI, and the President of HURIWA, respectively, declared that they would resist every attempt to blackmail the leadership of the NNPC.

Saturday Tribune checks revealed that a coalition of OilWatch Nigeria, Workers’ Rights Alliance, and Concerned Citizens Watch had on Thursday staged a huge rally outside the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja, demanding the prosecution of the GCEO of the NNPC over an alleged financial scandal to the tune of $21 21million.

The CSO forum, however, claimed that forces behind the protests were being used to oust Bayo Ojulari from the NNPC and reverse the gains of the ongoing reforms in the national oil corporation.

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“We respectfully urge His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to remain vigilant and discerning regarding the motives of those peddling unfounded allegations and character assassinations against the GMD. These blackmailers seek to reverse the progress made and reinstall individuals who will continue the cycles of corruption that Mr. Ojulari is dismantling.

“The President’s choice of Mr. Bayo Ojulari was based on proven competence, credibility, and industry expertise. We must not allow deceptive lobbying to taint the integrity of that decision or disrupt the much-needed reforms currently taking root, as Mr Bayo Ojulari is clearly committed to Mr President Renewed Hope Agenda.”

The Forum further claimed that aside from the NNPC, those behind the smear campaign against the GCEO, NNPC, have also targeted other revenue-generating agencies of the Federal Government for smear media blackmail.

“There has been a deliberate gang-up against Mr. President and his people-oriented programmes for the country. The enemies of the country have infiltrated all segments of the economy, with a deliberate act of sabotaging Mr. President by blackmailing key agencies of the administration.

“Mr. Ojulari initiated a sweeping audit of long-standing, opaque contracts, particularly those involving crude lifting and infrastructure projects. This has exposed inflated costs and revenue leakages, many of which are now under internal review.

“Under his directive, the NNPC now operates a real-time reporting dashboard for critical operations—ensuring better monitoring of crude production, refining activities, and fuel distribution nationwide.

“Mr. Ojulari has ended several shady deals with unqualified intermediaries and shell entities used to siphon national resources. This alone has saved billions in prospective losses to the nation.

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“For the first time in years, whistleblowing and internal accountability are being actively encouraged at NNPC. Dozens of staff have been reassigned, and internal oversight units strengthened.

“The GMD has opened up collaboration with transparency-focused global institutions, signaling Nigeria’s renewed seriousness in cleaning up its oil sector image.

Despite all these and other pro-Nigerian policies, some corrupt individuals within the system are not comfortable with the ongoing reforms.

“We observe that some of them are in hand with major opposition leaders at night to sabotage this government through institutions like NNPC, but they appear as friends of the government during the day.”

It further applauded what it called the restoration of sanity in the downstream sector through the stable availability of petroleum products.

“The era of long queue at the filling stations is gone. The era of fuel scarcity is gone. The era of Nigerian sleeping at filling stations or buying adulterated black market fuel is far gone but these enemies of Nigeria are not comfortable and they are coming out as saints to cause crisis and majorly discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, their major target, by sponsoring protest and media attacks on the leadership of the NNPC. Nigerians must reject these individuals.”

Comrade Ogenyi said the smear campaign must be seen as a last-ditch effort by compromised forces desperate to hold on to influence and illicit benefits, saying Nigerians will stand with reformers—” and Mr. Bayo Ojulari is clearly one of them.

“We therefore call on all patriotic Nigerians, civil society actors, and media professionals to defend the truth, expose malicious intent, and support the genuine transformation of the NNPC.

“Under this leadership, Nigerians continue to have a reduction in the prices of petroleum products as pump prices of premium motor spirits have been slashed down.

“We wish to encourage Mr. President to continue with his reforms and not be intimidated by anyone trying to discredit his administration or appointees because Mr President has blocked leakages where corruption resides in the NNPC through Mr Ojulari’s credible leadership. We urged Mr President to continue to believe in the performing team across agencies of government.”

Group alleges plot to sabotage reforms at NNPC

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Terrorists Kill Five Police Officers in Deadly Convoy Ambush on Sokoto-Zamfara Highway

Published

2 minutes ago

November 3, 2026

Trends Admin

Terrorists Kill Five Police Officers in Deadly Convoy Ambush on Sokoto-Zamfara Highway

Five police officers have been killed after suspected terrorists ambushed a convoy conveying security personnel from Sokoto State to Zamfara State for a special duty assignment.

The attack occurred on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when the officers, travelling in a three-vehicle convoy, came under heavy gunfire from armed assailants.

The attackers reportedly opened fire on the vehicle bringing up the rear of the convoy, killing five officers in the process.

A police officer who was part of the team but survived the attack confirmed the incident, saying the assailants struck suddenly and targeted the vehicle behind the other two.

“We were travelling in three vehicles when they suddenly opened fire on the third vehicle behind us. Five of our members were killed in the process,” the officer said.

The personnel were reportedly travelling to Zamfara State for a special assignment when the incident occurred.

Further reports by Anadolu Agency indicated that the officers were deployed to provide security during the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.

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The convoy was reportedly travelling along the Sokoto-Gusau highway when the assailants intercepted the vehicle conveying the officers.

Confirming the deaths, the spokesperson for the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 10, Sokoto, DSP Abdullahi Faruk, said the remains of the five officers had been deposited at the morgue of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.

He confirmed the incident during a telephone interview but promised to provide further details later.

Videos and photographs circulating on social media after the attack reportedly showed the bodies of some of the slain officers inside a vehicle, with their hands and legs tied.

The footage also showed personal belongings scattered around the scene and bloodstains inside the vehicle conveying the personnel.

The circumstances surrounding the reported tying of the victims’ hands and legs have not been independently established.

The latest killings add to growing security concerns in Nigeria’s North-West, particularly in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Kebbi states, where armed groups have continued to attack communities, abduct residents and target security personnel.

The attack has again highlighted the dangers confronting security operatives deployed to tackle armed groups across the region.

Terrorists Kill Five Police Officers in Deadly Convoy Ambush on Sokoto-Zamfara Highway

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Three Homeless Men Shot Dead in Midnight Attack at Lagos Bus Stop

Published

42 minutes ago

November 3, 2026

Trends Admin

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police Abimbola Adebisi

Three Homeless Men Shot Dead in Midnight Attack at Lagos Bus Stop

Three homeless men have been shot dead by unidentified assailants while sleeping at the Post Office Bus Stop on Adeola Odeku Street in the Victoria Island area of Lagos State.

The victims were reportedly among about 10 homeless persons who regularly sleep at the bus stop when two unidentified men riding power bikes arrived and attacked them.

The incident occurred on Sunday morning, November 1, 2026, triggering police investigations after a concerned resident alerted security operatives to the discovery of the bodies.

According to a report by PUNCH, a police source in the community said an anti-crime patrol team was immediately deployed to the scene following the report.

The officers reportedly found the three men lying lifeless in pools of blood and commenced preliminary investigations, including enquiries among residents and other members of the public.

A second source familiar with the incident disclosed that closed-circuit television footage from the area allegedly captured the attackers arriving on two power bikes, each carrying a white delivery-style box.

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The suspects reportedly parked across the road before crossing to the bus stop, where the homeless persons were sleeping.

The CCTV footage allegedly showed the attackers inspecting the faces of some of the people at the location before approaching the victims and opening fire.

The assailants were also said to have inflicted machete wounds on different parts of the victims’ bodies during the attack.

One of the victims reportedly pleaded with the attackers to spare his life, appealing to them to resolve whatever differences they might have had peacefully. However, the assailants allegedly shot him dead.

The three victims were said to be relatively new faces at the location, having recently joined other homeless persons who regularly spend the night at the bus stop.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said the bodies had been evacuated and deposited at the Lagos State Government’s Mainland Hospital, Yaba, for autopsy.

She added that preliminary investigations were ongoing to identify the deceased and trace their families, as well as establish the circumstances surrounding the killings.

The police spokesperson did not disclose whether any arrests had been made or establish a possible motive for the attack.

The incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety of vulnerable people sleeping in public spaces, particularly those without access to secure accommodation.

Three Homeless Men Shot Dead in Midnight Attack at Lagos Bus Stop

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Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

Published

14 hours ago

November 2, 2026

Trends Admin

Court Orders 18-Year-Old Fraudster To Pay ₦1.2m Over $800 Lottery Scam

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has convicted an 18-year-old man, Hassan Usman Olamilekan, for money laundering after he admitted obtaining $800 from a United States citizen through a fake $250 million lottery scheme.

Justice Dipeolu convicted Olamilekan on October 30, 2026, after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court imposed a fine of ₦200,000 and ordered him to pay an additional ₦1 million to the Federal Government, bringing his total financial obligation to ₦1.2 million. He is to remain in a correctional centre pending payment of the fine and the ordered amount.

The judge also directed the forfeiture of two mobile phones recovered in connection with the offence: an iPhone 11 Pro and a Poco C71.

According to the EFCC, Olamilekan defrauded an American citizen, identified as Gary Brewer, through the Zangi messaging application, where he allegedly impersonated a woman named Julie Leach.

Investigators said the 18-year-old told Brewer that he had won a $250 million lottery prize but needed money to activate the winnings before he could collect the supposed prize.

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The fabricated lottery story reportedly persuaded the American to send gift cards worth $800 through the messaging platform.

The EFCC said Olamilekan admitted selling the gift cards through the Cardsonic application, converting the proceeds into naira and transferring the money into his grandmother’s OPay account. He also admitted benefiting from the $800 obtained through the transaction.

The commission said the defendant operated several social media and messaging accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Zangi and iMessage, which investigators linked to his fraudulent activities.

The charge against him accused him of indirectly disguising the origin of $800 in gift cards, which represented proceeds of unlawful activity. The offence was brought under Section 18(2)(a) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Following his guilty plea, an EFCC operative, Ebuka Abanga, presented the facts of the case before the court. Justice Dipeolu subsequently found him guilty and convicted him.

Olamilekan was among 21 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by EFCC operatives during a sting operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, Lekki, Lagos State, on October 26, 2026.

The arrest was carried out by operatives of the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, four days before his conviction.

The EFCC disclosed the conviction in a statement issued on Monday through its Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, as part of its ongoing efforts to prosecute financial and cyber-related crimes.