Headlines

Four people were injured on Monday after a residential building collapsed in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred following a heavy downpour that started on Sunday evening and lasted into the early hours of Monday.

According to residents, the building, located near Government College in Riyom, collapsed while the occupants were asleep.

A local resident, Dusu Judith, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Jos, stating that the four injured individuals were mostly children.

Judith explained that the occupants were sleeping when the building caved in, but fortunately, no lives were lost.

However, four people were injured and are currently receiving treatment in a hospital. “The people were just sleeping in their house last night when the building caved in.

Luckily, no death was recorded but four persons were injured. Those injured are currently receiving treatment in a hospital,” Judith said.

Another resident, Bot Rwang, expressed shock over the collapse, praising the survival of the family members inside. Rwang said, “It is God that saved them because it is shocking how they escaped, looking at the structure which collapsed completely with debris on the ground.”

This incident comes amid a spate of building collapses in Plateau State. In July 2024, a tragic collapse at a school in Busa Buji, Jos North Local Government Area, claimed the lives of 22 schoolchildren and injured 132 others. Stakeholders have attributed such incidents to poor workmanship, substandard building materials, and corruption.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) demand to redeploy Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Anugbum Onuoha, stating that it will not give in to the party’s request.

Mr Onuoha has been a subject of controversy over his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike.

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Wike have not been in good terms after Wike supported his second term bid when he defected to the PDP.

The governor and the national leadership of the PDP have expressed fears that Onuoha would influence the election to favour the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The PDP chairman in Edo State, Anthony Aziegbemhin, had submitted a formal protest letter to INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, demanding Onuoha’s immediate redeployment.

The letter read in part, “The ties between these two are too close to ignore as they share familiarities and are also close associates.

The said Edo REC is a cousin to the Minister of the FCT, Mr. Wike. He also served as a former Commissioner and Special Adviser for Lands, Survey, and Housing to Mr Wike during his tenure as Rivers governor.”

Responding, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, emphatically said that the REC would not be redeployed, urging the PDP to focus on the process of the election rather than Onuoha.

“The REC for Edo State will not be redeployed. The governorship election will be conducted on September 21, 2024 in 4,519 polling units, not in the REC’s office.

In the same manner, polling unit results will be declared by the respective Presiding Officers after the voting, ballot sorting and counting processes, in the presence of accredited party agents and other stakeholders.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has donated 50 tons of humanitarian aid to Nigeria to support victims of recent floods.

The donation is part of the UAE’s commitment to aiding nations affected by natural disasters.

UAE Ambassador Salem Alshami handed over the relief materials to the federal government on behalf of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Al Nahyan.

The donation reinforces the UAE’s long-standing assistance to disaster-stricken countries.

Manzo Ezekiel, Head of the Press Unit at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), confirmed the donation on Monday. Senior officials from NEMA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) received the aid on behalf of the flood victims.

Dr. Ahmed Dunoma, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed appreciation on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.

He praised the UAE for its timely intervention and noted the strong diplomatic relations between the two nations.

NEMA Director-General Mrs. Zubaida Umar thanked the UAE, emphasizing the donation’s potential to complement the Federal Government’s relief efforts.

She stated that the aid will assist those affected by the floods to recover from the devastation.

The donation is expected to provide much-needed relief to thousands of displaced persons across Nigeria’s flood-ravaged regions.

Leaders from the Ogoni and Oyigbo zones have withdrawn their support for Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Instead, they have thrown their weight behind Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.

The leaders made this decision at the “Ogoni, Oyigbo People’s Assembly” held on Saturday in Nonwa, Tai Local Government Area.

The assembly aimed to foster unity between the two ethnic zones and was attended by politicians loyal to Wike.

Prominent personalities, including Senators Barinada Mpigi and Magnus Abe, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, and Chief Victor Giadom, attended the meeting. The group emphasized that after years of marginalization, it was time for Ogoni and Oyigbo to produce the next governor of Rivers State.

Speaking on behalf of the assembly, Senator Mpigi declared that the Ogoni and Oyigbo Peoples Assembly had reaffirmed their support for the President Bola Tinubu-led administration and pledged total loyalty to Wike.

They also reiterated that the senatorial district’s upland is due for a governor and should produce the next governor of Rivers State come 2027.

Tensions between Wike and Governor Fubara have been mounting, with Wike publicly withdrawing his support for his former ally.

Wike has accused Fubara of straying from their shared vision for the state. Wike’s loyalists have now aligned themselves with the push for an Ogoni or Oyigbo candidate, further isolating Fubara politically.

Former US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he is safe after a second assassination attempt on his life on Sunday.

The incident occurred less than two months after he was hit by a bullet in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July .

According to Trump’s campaign team, gunshots were heard near the former president’s vicinity at Palm Beach Golf Club, Florida.

Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, released a statement saying, “President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity.

No additional details are available at this time”.

Trump also issued a statement saying he is well and safe, and vowed never to surrender, which appears to be a message directed at his detractors ahead of the US presidential election in November.

Trump is contesting the election against incumbent US Vice President Kamala Harris of the Democratic party.

In July, a 20-year-old, Matthew Crooks, from Pennsylvania, shot a bullet during a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania, which the former president narrowly escaped.

Trump’s ear was grazed by the bullet during the incident, which tragically led to the death of one rally attendee, Corey Comperatore, and injuries to two others.

Fortunately, Secret Service agents subdued the shooter after he opened fire at the former president.

The suspect of the shooting has been identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, who has been arrested by officials and the attack is under investigation.

Routh reportedly dropped his weapon and fled in an SUV and was later taken into custody in a neighbouring county, authorities told AP, His motive is unclear.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has revealed that it purchased petrol at N898 per litre from the Dangote Refinery, contradicting earlier claims of a lower price.

In a statement issued to Daily Trust on Sunday, the Chief Spokesperson of the NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye, clarified that the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, was significantly higher than previously reported figures.

“We successfully loaded PMS at the Dangote Refinery today. The claim that we purchased it at ₦760 per litre is incorrect. For this initial loading, the price from the refinery was ₦898 per litre,” Soneye stated.

The NNPCL had mobilized approximately 300 trucks to the Dangote Refinery’s 650,000 barrels per day capacity in Lagos. Loading operations commenced on Sunday, with over 70 trucks having been loaded by the time of the report.

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, had announced that NNPCL would be the sole off-taker of refined petrol from Dangote Refinery.

At the Technical Sub-Committee meeting on the sale of crude oil to local refineries in Naira, on Friday, the Finance Minister who was represented by Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), had said diesel from the Dangote Refinery would be sold in Naira to any interested off-taker, while PMS would only be sold to NNPCL, which will then sell to various marketers.

He announced the completion of all agreements and modalities for the implementation of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval on the sale of crude to local refineries in Naira and corresponding purchase of petroleum products in Naira.

Since then, the implementation committee chaired by the Hon. Minister of Finance and the technical committee have worked intensely with NNPCL and Dangote Refinery to fashion out the details of the modalities for the implementation of the FEC approval.

“I am glad to announce that all agreements have been completed and loading of the first batch of PMS from the Dangote Refinery will commence on Sunday 15th September. From 1st October, NNPC will commence the supply of about 385kbpd of crude oil to the Dangote Refinery to be paid for in Naira.

“In return, the Dangote Refinery will supply PMS and diesel of equivalent value to the domestic market to be paid for in Naira. Diesel will be sold in Naira by the Dangote Refinery to any interested offtaker. PMS will only be sold to NNPC, NNPC will then sell to various marketers for now,” he said.

He added that all associated regulatory costs (NPA, NIMASA, etc.) will also be paid for in Naira.