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The party stated that the purported endorsement was allegedly being master-minded by sacked officials of the NDC in the state.

Speaking to newsmen on Friday, in Abakaliki, the chairman of NDC in Ebonyi State, Hon. Enyinnaya Udensi Alum, said the party had no intention to endorse any politician other than its gubernatorial candidate.

He called on all NDC faithful in the state and supporters to steer clear from the purported endorsement, adding that the move was antithetical to the tenets and principles of the party.

He said, “Information reaching me, Hon. Prince Alum Enyinnaya Udensi, the Ebonyi State Chairman of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) is that a few former members of the party, who were sacked over financial impropriety and anti-party activities are purportedly going to endorse one of the factional governorship candidates of the PDP on behalf of the NDC tomorrow or soon after.

“Ebonyians, NDC members and other teaming supporters of the NDC in the state should note that the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Ebonyi State has its governorship candidate, and that the party has not and will at no time endorse any other candidate of any party other than the NDC governorship candidate.

“NDC members are hereby requested not to attend any such gathering as it amounts to anti-party activities, while the general public is asked to desist from dealing with the above named individuals as they are no longer NDC members and do not represent the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”

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‎The call was contained in a communiqué issued on Friday at the end of the union’s congress held at Dr. Sam Egwu Press Centre, Abakaliki, and presided over by the State Council Chairman, Comrade Samson Nwafor.

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‎The congress urged political actors to comply with electoral guidelines and focus on policies, programmes, and ideas that would promote peace and democratic development in the state.

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‎On agriculture, the union expressed concern over delays in the distribution of government farm inputs and appealed to the state government to ensure timely delivery to genuine farmers to boost food production and food security.

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‎The congress also advised residents of flood-prone communities to adhere strictly to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities and avoid blocking drainage channels to reduce the risk of flooding during the peak rainy season.

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‎The NUJ appealed to Goverror Francis Nwifuru to allocate an alternative parcel of land to enable it realize its proposed journalists’ housing estate project following the revocation of its earlier allocation at the EBSU Pocket Layout.

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‎The journalists reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace, responsible journalism, and sustainable development in Ebonyi State.

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In a statement issued on Friday by the University’s Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji, the institution acknowledged the Army’s decision to establish a Board of Inquiry but expressed reservations over the expectation that alleged victims should report directly to the same institution whose personnel are the subject of the allegations.

The University said such an approach failed to recognise the trauma, fear, intimidation and psychological barriers that often discourage survivors of sexual violence from reporting directly to institutions they may associate with the alleged perpetrators.

It also rejected any suggestion that it should disclose the identities of affected students or compel them to appear before military authorities.

“Osun State University owes every student a duty of care, confidentiality and protection. The University will not compromise the privacy, dignity or safety of any student by disclosing identities without their informed consent or in contravention of applicable laws,” the statement said.

The University reaffirmed that the welfare and safety of its students remain its highest priority, adding that the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, would continue to support students who report harassment, assault or abuse.

According to the statement, “the Vice-Chancellor’s earlier comments were not intended to prejudge the outcome of any investigation or sensationalise the matter but were made in fulfilment of the University’s responsibility to address concerns affecting the safety and well-being of its students.

UNIOSUN maintained that investigations into allegations of sexual assault should be victim-centred, independent, transparent and capable of inspiring public confidence.

“The University believes that survivors of sexual violence should never be placed in circumstances where they may reasonably fear intimidation or victimisation by being required to report directly to those connected with the subject of an investigation,” the statement added.

The institution also disagreed with the Depot Nigerian Army’s description of the Vice-Chancellor’s comments as unconfirmed or potentially misleading, insisting that the remarks were made responsibly, in good faith and in fulfilment of the University’s statutory and moral obligation to safeguard its students.

It stated that universities do not make careless statements and announced that it had instructed its legal advisers to commence appropriate legal proceedings to protect the integrity of the institution, the reputation of the Vice-Chancellor and the interests of its students.

“The appropriate judicial process provides the proper forum for resolving the issues arising from this unfortunate development,” the statement said.

the Depot Nigerian Army, Osogbo, had appealed to victims and witnesses of the soldier’s assault on the UNIOSUN hostels to provide evidence to assist the ongoing investigation into allegations of misconduct involving some recently passed-out military personnel.

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The move followed a motion presented during Friday’s plenary by the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and member representing Madara/Chinade Constituency, Hon. Dr. Nasiru Ahmed Ala.

Ala argued that the current law identifies the institution simply as “Sa’adu Zungur University” without indicating its location, a development he said differs from the naming convention adopted by many universities in Nigeria and across the world.

According to him, several universities, including those in the North-East and North-West regions, retain references to their host communities or locations in their official names.

He cited institutions such as Taraba State University, Jalingo; Adamawa State University, Mubi; and Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, among others.

The lawmaker also referenced internationally recognised institutions such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, the University of Melbourne and the University of California, noting that their names reflect their geographical locations.

Ala expressed concern that the removal of “Gadau” from the university’s name had generated controversy among residents, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other stakeholders in the education sector.

Members of the Assembly unanimously supported the proposed amendment.

Speaking during the debate, the Majority Leader, Hon. Saleh Hodi Jibir, said restoring Gadau to the university’s name would recognise the community’s contribution to the institution’s development.

Another lawmaker, Hon. Habibu Umar, described the proposal as timely, arguing that a university’s identity is strengthened when its location is reflected in its name.

Hon. Auwal Hassan also backed the amendment and urged the Assembly to expedite action on the matter.

Following deliberations presided over by Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Jamilu Umar Dahiru, the House referred the proposal to the Committee on Education and directed it to submit its report within one week.

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The agency’s spokesperson, Shakiru Amodu, had earlier confirmed the incident in a brief statement issued on Friday.

Providing further details, the Controller General of the LSFRS, Margaret Adeseye, disclosed that the blaze was successfully brought under control at about 2 p.m.

According to her, the fire involved a five-million-litre Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, storage tank that erupted in flames around noon.

Adeseye explained that emergency responders were immediately mobilised to the scene following the distress alert, adding that the coordinated operation prevented the incident from escalating and no casualty was recorded.

“The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service successfully contained and extinguished a fire outbreak involving a storage tank at the Bono Energy Terminal situated within the Ibru Jetty Complex along the Apapa–Oworonshoki Expressway near Coconut Bus Stop, Olodi Apapa,” she said.

She added that the emergency was reported at approximately 12:04 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026, after which firefighters from the Ajegunle, Sari Iganmu and Isolo fire stations were deployed to the location, arriving at about 12:16 p.m.

“The incident involved a five-million-litre AGO storage tank which had been engulfed by fire,” she stated.

Adeseye noted that the swift response by firefighters, in collaboration with emergency teams from neighbouring oil and gas facilities, ensured that the fire was completely extinguished by 1:54 p.m.

She stressed that the timely intervention stopped the flames from spreading to nearby storage tanks and critical infrastructure within the facility.

“Through coordinated and professional firefighting operations, the fire was successfully curtailed, thereby preventing a larger industrial disaster and reducing the scale of potential losses. Fortunately, no casualty was recorded,” she added.

The LSFRS boss further disclosed that the exact cause of the fire had not yet been established, noting that investigations were ongoing.

The incident came hours after another emergency situation involving a leaking Liquefied Petroleum Gas tanker was successfully contained at Owode Elede inward Onirin along Ikorodu Road.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, had earlier confirmed that the gas tanker developed a mechanical fault in the early hours of Friday, prompting emergency responders to intervene and avert a possible disaster without any casualty.

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The report showed that the three international bilateral customers collectively paid $4.82m out of the $17.48m invoiced by the Market Operator, leaving an outstanding debt of $12.66m, equivalent to about N17.45bn at an exchange rate of N1,378 to the dollar.

The development came despite Nigeria’s continued electricity exports to neighbouring West African countries under bilateral power supply agreements with generation companies operating in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry.

The debts recur every quarter, contributing to the liquidity crisis in the power sector. According to the commission, the international customers recorded significantly weaker payment performance than domestic bilateral customers, who remitted 95 per cent of their invoices during the same period.

“The three international bilateral customers being supplied by GenCos in the NESI made a payment of $4.82m against the cumulative invoice of $17.48m issued by the Market Operator for services rendered in 2026/Q1, translating to a remittance performance of 27.57 per cent,” the NERC quarterly report stated.

A breakdown of the payments showed that Paras-SBEE, which supplies electricity to the Benin Republic, failed to make any payment against its $1.94m invoice, recording a zero per cent remittance performance.

Another bilateral customer, Paras-CEET, supplying electricity to Togo, also paid nothing despite receiving an invoice of $1.67m for electricity supplied during the quarter. Transcorp-SBEE (Ughelli), another supplier to the Benin Republic, remitted only $0.90m out of its $4.20m invoice, representing a payment performance of 21.43 per cent.

Similarly, Transcorp-SBEE (Afam 3) paid $1.13m against its invoice of $2.90m, translating to a remittance performance of 38.97 per cent.

Mainstream-NIGELEC, which exports electricity to the Niger Republic, emerged as the best-performing international customer, remitting $2.79m out of its $4.45m invoice, representing a payment performance of 62.70 per cent.

However, Odukpani-CEET, another supplier to Togo, did not remit any payment against its $2.29m invoice, maintaining a zero per cent remittance record for the period.

Although the remittance performance for current invoices remained poor, the commission disclosed that some international customers made payments towards debts accumulated in previous quarters.

“It is noteworthy that, during Q1 2026, three international and nine domestic bilateral customers made payments of $6.64m and N2.59bn, respectively, towards outstanding MO invoices from previous quarters.

“Specifically, the MO received a total of $4.05m from Société Béninoise d’Energie Electrique, comprising payments for Ughelli ($3.28m) and Paras ($0.77m). In addition, $1.87m was received from Mainstream-Société Nigérienne d’Électricité (NIGELEC) and $0.72m from Paras-Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo (CEET),” the report stated.

In contrast, domestic bilateral customers posted stronger payment performance during the review period. According to the commission, they paid N5.82bn out of the N6.12bn invoiced by the Market Operator, representing a remittance performance of 95 per cent.

“The domestic bilateral customers made a cumulative payment of N5.82bn against the invoice of N6.12bn issued to them by the MO for services rendered in 2026/Q1, translating to a 95.00 per cent remittance performance,” NERC said.

The report further showed that Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and its host community continued their longstanding failure to pay electricity bills.

The commission disclosed that the special customer made no payment against the N676.88m invoice issued by the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc and the N189.38m invoice issued by the Market Operator during the first quarter.

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The incubation model allows Nigeria’s capital market regulator to test these operators in real market conditions before deciding on full authorisation, the digital asset watchdog said on its website on Friday.

The commission revealed that the firms had been granted approval in principle, enabling them to operate within defined limits while undergoing assessment for compliance with regulatory, governance and risk management standards.

The companies admitted into the programme are Bitbarter Technologies Limited, Luno Fintech Nigeria Limited, GetEquity Limited, Koinkoin Global Network Limited, Wrapped CBDC Ltd, Trovotech Ltd and Blockvault Custodian Ltd.

The SEC said the incubation scheme forms part of its broader effort to formalise Nigeria’s fast-growing digital asset sector, which has expanded despite periods of regulatory uncertainty and previous restrictions on financial institutions’ exposure to cryptocurrencies.

Under ARIP, participating firms are allowed to operate in a supervised environment while the regulator evaluates their operations, including asset custody practices and safeguards against fraud, market abuse and operational failures.

“These entities would receive the Commission’s approval-in-principle, permitting them to operate within the defined scope of the Programme and subject to conditions stipulated by the Commission. An approval-in-principle confirms that an entity has satisfied the Commission’s admission requirements for the Programme,” the regulator said.

The commission stressed that approval-in-principle does not constitute a full licence and should not be interpreted as regulatory endorsement. Final authorisation will depend on firms meeting additional conditions during the incubation process.

The latest admissions build on the SEC’s earlier inclusion of Quidax and Busha in August 2024, signalling a continued push to establish a structured licensing pathway for digital asset service providers in Nigeria.

The regulator said it remains committed to supporting innovation that enhances efficiency, transparency, financial inclusion and sustainable growth in the capital market.

“Through initiatives such as ARIP, the SEC continues to encourage responsible technological advancement alongside investor protection guardrails and market discipline,” it said. “Members of the investing public are strongly advised to verify the regulatory status of anyone promoting investment products or services through the Commission’s official channels before engaging.”

Nigeria’s tightening of oversight in the crypto sector follows the exit of Binance from the country, a development widely seen as a turning point in enforcement actions against digital asset platforms. Authorities had previously accused Binance of contributing to pressure on the naira, allegations that intensified scrutiny of crypto trading activity and accelerated regulatory reforms.

Since then, regulators have moved to strengthen oversight through stricter registration requirements, re-registration of operators, and tighter licensing conditions aimed at bringing all market participants under formal supervision.

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The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd, Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this in a post on his official X handle on Friday, amid growing calls from petroleum marketers and operators for the Federal Government to fast-track discussions to finally restore the country’s troubled state-owned refineries to full operation.

Ojulari said reviving Nigeria’s refineries required more than simply replacing equipment and carrying out repairs. “Fixing a refinery takes more than pipes and pumps. It takes the right partners. That’s the thinking behind the MoU recently signed for the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, now moving into a rigorous evaluation phase,” he stated.

The NNPC boss said the company was pursuing a strategic shift towards a performance-based business partnership model that would guarantee long-term sustainability rather than temporary fixes.

According to him, the new approach is “built for profitable and self-sustaining refineries.” He clarified that the memorandum signed with the prospective partners should not be mistaken for a final agreement.

“A strategic shift towards lasting results. Introducing a performance-based business partnership model, built for profitable and self-sustaining refineries. Evaluation, not commitment. The MoU is an agreement to explore working together, not a binding contract,” Ojulari said.

He explained that the prospective partners would bear the cost of carrying out the due diligence process, a move that would ensure decisions are based on commercial realities and technical assessments. “Prospective partners are covering the full cost, which keeps the process data-driven,” he added.

Beyond refining, Ojulari said the partnership discussions were also expected to unlock investments across the broader energy value chain. “The vision includes expanding the petrochemicals value chain and investing in gas-based industries, including new methanol plants. Real change isn’t announced once. It’s built through discipline applied consistently, at every stage, until it becomes how things are done,” he stated.

The comments came weeks after NNPC signed a memorandum of understanding with a consortium of Chinese companies to explore the rehabilitation and potential co-management of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries under a new business model.

On April 30, 2026, NNPC Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding with two Chinese firms—Sanjiang Chemical Company Limited and Xinganchen (Fuzhou) Industrial Park Operation and Management Co. Ltd.

The arrangement is expected to bring in technical expertise, financing support, and operational efficiency in a bid to halt years of losses and repeated shutdowns at the facilities.

The Port Harcourt Refining Company consists of two plants with a combined installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day, while the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company has a nameplate capacity of 125,000 barrels per day. The facilities, alongside the 110,000-barrels-per-day Kaduna refinery, have consumed billions of dollars in rehabilitation expenses over the years but have struggled to operate sustainably.

The Federal Government approved massive rehabilitation programmes for the refineries in recent years. The Port Harcourt refinery briefly resumed operations before suffering operational setbacks, while the Warri refinery also experienced repeated shutdowns after attempts to restart production.

The latest push by NNPC also comes as petroleum marketers have intensified calls for the government to conclude negotiations with competent international partners capable of transforming the refineries into commercially viable businesses.

The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, recently urged the Federal Government and NNPC to expedite discussions with the Chinese firms, saying Nigeria could no longer afford to keep spending huge sums on refinery rehabilitation without achieving sustainable production.

According to marketers, bringing in experienced technical partners could significantly reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products and strengthen the country’s energy security.

Operators also believe the success of the initiative could complement supplies from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and other modular refineries, creating a more competitive domestic refining market and reducing pressure on foreign exchange used for fuel imports.

The outcome of the ongoing evaluation process could determine whether Nigeria’s long-running efforts to revive its state-owned refineries finally yield results or become another chapter in the country’s troubled refining history.

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