Author: Drum Africa Correspondent
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revoked the ownership of 762 plots of land in the Maitama 1 District of Abuja due to the non-payment of statutory fees. This revocation by the minister comes months after he made several pleas to residents of the FCT, particularly those residing in hybrid areas of the nation’s capital, to pay outstanding fees owed to the FCTA or risk revocation of their lands. “The Federal Capital Territory Administration wishes to inform the allottee(s)/title holder(s) of plots of land in Maitama 1 who have failed to make payment for their…
The Ekiti State Government has called on residents to dismiss circulating claims about a N25,000 Christmas cash grant allegedly being distributed by Governor Biodun Oyebanji. In a statement released on Thursday, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, described the information as baseless and cautioned the public against falling prey to fraudulent schemes. The statement read: “This is to inform the general public that the information circulating regarding a ₦25,000 Christmas cash grant from the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, is false and should be disregarded. “The governor does not engage in any form of cash grant…
In a bid to offer Nigerians some relief as the holiday season approaches, Dangote Refinery has announced a reduction in the price of Premium Motor Spirit to N899.50 per litre. This was contained in a statement issued by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, on Thursday. The latest reduction aims to ease transportation costs during the festive period, a time when Nigerians often face increased travel expenses. Announcing the special purchase offer, Chiejina said consumers can now buy an additional litre of fuel on credit for every litre purchased in cash, provided they secure…
The National Assembly has extended the implementation of the 2024 Budget by six months, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said on Wednesday during the 2025 Budget presentation by President Bola Tinubu. “We shall continue on the part of nationalism and service to our country,” Akpabio said before a joint sitting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. “Your Excellency, we have noted the 2024 Budget performance. “Given this great achievement, we have deemed it necessary to extend the life span of the 2024 Budget to June 30th, 2025. “The enabling law for this extension will soon be placed before you…
President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Lagos State to spend the Christmas and New Year holidays. Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the deputy governor, Obafemi Hamzat, and cabinet members received the President at the Presidential Wing of Murtala Mohammed International Airport. Before his departure to Lagos, President Tinubu presented the 2025 budget, totalling N47.9trn, before a joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja.
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Tuesday, expressed doubt that the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, would bring an end to the insecurity challenges in the South-East. Speaking during a press briefing at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia on Tuesday, Soludo said that criminals are now exploiting the Biafran struggle. He noted that under the guise of agitation, these individuals had turned to “lucrative criminality,” engaging in armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and idolatry. He insisted that their activities have nothing to do with the genuine liberation struggle, stating that…
Nigerians shelled out a staggering ₦2.23 trillion in ransom payments to kidnappers over a 12-month period, from May 2023 to April 2024. This alarming figure comes from the National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) latest Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey report. What’s even more concerning is that 65% of households affected by kidnapping opted to pay ransom to secure the release of their loved ones, highlighting the desperation and fear that grips families in these situations. “The average amount paid as ransom was ₦2,670,693, with an estimated total ransom of ₦2,231,772,563,507 paid within the reference period,” the NBS report read.…
The family of David Ogbonnaya, the missing student of Kingdom College, Ozu Abam, Arochukwu LGA of Abia State has appealed to Governors Alex Otti and Francis Nwifuru to help them in locating the whereabouts of their missing son, David who was abducted on March 5, 2024 during a land dispute inside Kingdom College farm. David, from Amagu Ishiagu, Ikwo LGA of Ebonyi State, according to his family, was allegedly kidnapped by some youths of Ndi Okorie community who invaded Kingdom College’s farm to attack the students of the institution who were working in their school farm, abducting 8 of the…
Pope Francis escaped two attempts on his life during his historic trip to Iraq in March 2021, according to excerpts from his forthcoming autobiography published Tuesday by Italian media. The pontiff’s Vatican security detail received an urgent warning from the British secret services, Francis wrote. “A woman packed with explosives, a young suicide bomber, was heading towards Mosul to blow herself up during the papal visit,” he wrote in “Hope”, which goes on sale in over 80 countries in January. “And a van had also set off at great speed with the same intention,” he added, according to excerpts from…
The Edo State House of Assembly has passed a resolution suspending all chairmen and vice chairmen of the 18 local government councils of the state for two months. The house also mandated leaders of the legislative arms to take over leadership of their respective councils. The suspension of the council’s chairmen and their deputies followed a motion moved by the member representing Esan North East one, Isibor Adeh and seconded by the member representing Akoko-Edo two, Donald Okogbe. The governor of the state, Senator Monday Okpebholo had written a petition to the House over the refusal of the chairmen to…