The President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has revealed that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery currently has over 500 million litres of petrol in its reservoir.

He also said the refinery now produces enough fuel for local consumption and export. Dangote spoke during a tour of the $20bn Lekki-based facility with the Zambia Minister for Energy, Makozo Chikote on Saturday.

The Zambian official visited the Dangote refinery in Lekki, Lagos State, seeking collaboration with the founder to help solve the country’s energy security issue.

In his address during the tour, Dangote said the refinery currently has N600bn worth of stocks in its tank farm. He said the plant will reach its 650,000 barrels per day full production capacity next month, adding that Nigeria cannot consume up to 50 per cent of its refined products.

“We can satisfy more than the local needs of Nigeria. As we speak, we have more than half a billion litres (of petrol). We have more than N600bn worth of stocks here today in the refinery. We have more than enough. The refinery is producing enough refined products, like gasoline, diesel, and kerosene, to meet 100 per cent of Nigeria’s requirements,” he stated.

Dangote disclosed that arrangements were being made to get enough crude to aid the refinery’s ramp-up plans.

“Now we are ramping up production. We must be at our full capacity by next month. But we have to do quite a lot of arrangements in terms of crude supply,” he stated.

Speaking about fuel quality, Africa’s richest man disclosed that refineries across the world are shutting down because of the Dangote refinery. He said no refinery in Africa and across Europe can produce the kind of quality fuel his refinery produces.

He said the sulphur content of his fuel could be as low as zero parts per million while the octane number can be 95.

“In terms of quality, there is actually no refinery in Africa, even in Europe that can produce our type of quality. We want to be flexible, you know the laws keep changing.”

Today, they will say 150 parts per million; tomorrow it’s 50 ppm, but we can produce up to zero ppm. This means we can do winter diesel, we can do Euro-5. No refinery around here can do that. When you read the news, you see that a lot of refineries now, especially in Europe, shutting down because of our own refinery. Our refinery is a percentage of the world’s production.

“Obviously, if we pump a lot, some of them will not be able to sell, that’s why in some countries, they will offer them money to just keep dumping. But then, we have to weather that storm up to the time that we will be able to be on our feet,” he added.

Dangote maintained that the local fuel consumption in Nigeria is 40 per cent of the refinery’s total production, stating that the remaining 60 per cent is for export to other countries, especially Africa.

He revealed that arrangements were being made with Afreximbank to resolve the challenges of letters of credit and financing.

“The maximum local consumption is around 40 per cent, but 60 per cent will be exported. We are making a lot of arrangements with some banks to make sure most of the products are sold within Africa; so that it can be a real African refinery, not done just for us to come and process raw materials and ship the products outside Africa. The problem has always been letters of credit; we are working with Afreximbank to resolve that financing issue,“ he said.

On the types of fuel being produced and the one the refinery has a competitive advantage on, he posited, “We have competitive advantages over PMS, diesel, aviation fuel, and others. The consumption of aviation fuel in Africa is very low because we don’t have too many aircraft flying around. PMS is what people use a lot. Here in Nigeria, most discussions are on PMS. You know we just deregulated, and everybody is trying to find his feet. Now that the subsidy is gone, things are ramping up.”

The Vice President of the Dangote Group, Davakumar Edwin, stated that the refinery has a strategic location advantage because it is close to the sea. He also reiterated that the refinery can meet all local requirements.

Analysing the refinery’s production data during a presentation, he stressed that the facility can produce 104 million litres of different petroleum products per day.

“57 million litres of petrol every day, 20 million litres of jet fuel, 37 million litres of diesel is our daily production. The local consumption is just 46 million litres. The rest, 58 million litres, will be exported on a daily basis,” Edwin explained.

In the presentation, it was disclosed that the refinery supplies 33 million litres of PMS for daily local consumption; diesel is 10 million litres per day and aviation fuel is 3 million litres. Data from the tank farm shows that the refinery has reservoirs to store fuel for days.

It has 12 tanks to store up to 600 million litres of petrol which can serve the country for 18 days. It has 17 tanks for 408 million litres of aviation fuel for 136 days, and 14 tanks to store 340 million litres of diesel for 34 days. Similarly, 20 tanks are in place for 2.4 billion litres of crude oil for 20 days.

In all, there are 177 tanks of 4.742 billion litres capacity. At the control room, it was learnt that the refinery is currently at 550,000 barrels per day, which is about 85 per cent of its full capacity.

Last week, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory said local refineries could not produce up to 50 per cent of Nigeria’s daily PMS consumption of about 50 million litres per day, stressing that this necessitated the importation of more PMS to cover the shortfall.

Zambia seeks support

During the visit, the Zambia Minister for Energy, Chikote informed Dangote that the Zambian government is mandated to safeguard the supply of fuel.

According to him, the nation needs energy security and the Dangote refinery will be important to make that happen.

The energy minister said the country is looking at Dangote as a company to come on board for competitive fuel pricing and to ensure sufficient, reliable, and affordable petroleum products for Zambia.

He explained that the country is creating an enabling environment for private participation in the energy sector.

He revealed that the country depends majorly on a facility in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for its fuel needs, saying other neighbouring countries also depend on this same source.

“The first thing I want to say is that, as the Zambian government, we are mandated to safeguard the supply of our fuels, the security has to be given to the nation. At the same time, due to reforms, the government disengaged itself from participating in the procurement of this product, and we created an environment for private players to participate. Our policy formulation is to make sure that private players can participate in the energy sector. That is our goal.

“Currently, 100 per cent of importation of our petroleum products is being done by the private sector. We are going through some challenges as a country. This is also arising from some of the points that you raised, climate change, and others. Zambia is not a landlocked country. We are land-linked.

“We depend on our good neighbours that surround us. This is why you see us depending on Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Burundi is looking at the same facility. Malawi is looking at the same facility. The Democratic Republic of Congo is also looking towards the same facility. This results in too high congestion, delays, and all those challenges,” Chikote stated.

He pointed out that Zambia was hit by a drought, affecting power generation because the country was 85 per cent dependent on hydropower generation.

“This seriously affected our economic growth. Our economic growth was shaken or is still being shaken, even though we are putting in a lot of mitigation measures to address the challenge. As a country, we are targeting to increase productivity in the minings. We are targeting to increase productivity in agriculture, but through what? It is through having sufficient reliable energy sector to address these challenges. So, now, the reason why we find ourselves here is to start exploring opportunities that will start addressing the difficulties,” he told Dangote and his team.

He stated further, “We are trying to promote competition among our private players. We are looking at Dangote coming on board, which would lead to efficient, reliable, quality, and competitive products, and we want these done like yesterday. Coming to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, we have learned so many advantages of bringing many players for competition, which has improved the lives of the citizens.”

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 38-year-old man, Samuel Alfred, for allegedly defiling his 14-year-old stepdaughter in the Okokomaiko area of Lagos State.

The suspect was said to have been arrested alongside his friend, Ikechukwu, whom he allegedly conspired with to have canal knowledge of the teenager.

A police source who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Sunday said the duo were apprehended on Friday after the victim’s mother, Deborah, discovered she was nine months pregnant.

“The mother came to lodge a complaint that her daughter was impregnated by her husband, who is a stepfather to the victim. We went straight to arrest the man and it was during interrogation that we discovered that he was not alone in the act.

“That led to the arrest of a younger friend of his whom they both defiled the victim and had since then been forcefully having intercourse with her.”

The police source further disclosed that the case was transferred to the Gender Unit at Ikeja for further investigation. 

When contacted, the command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development, adding that the investigation was ongoing.

He said, “One Deborah, aged 32 years, reported that her daughter (name withheld), aged 14, was defiled by her husband, Samuel Alfred, (her stepfather) aged 38, and his friend Ikechukwu Obi, aged 30. The survivor is about 9 months pregnant. The case will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”

PUNCH Metro reported that a Magistrate Court sitting in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos State ordered the remand of a carpenter at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl in the Ipaja area of the state.

PUNCH Metro learnt from a statement by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency that the suspect was arrested following an escalation of the matter by a popular comedienne known as Princess.

Princess had in a social media post alleged that a man raped a nine-year-old girl while urging her followers within the area to visit the scene to save the victim.

The Lagos DSVA said that upon receipt of the incident, they contacted the police who swung into action, arrested the suspect and rescued the victim

The Qadi of the Shari’ah Court of Appeal, Kwara State, Justice Abdurraheem Sayi, has stated that approval of state authorities or traditional rulers is not needed for Muslims to establish and operate Shari’ah arbitration panels in the South-West.

He described the objections to Shari’ah arbitration panels in the South-West as “legally baseless, an embarrassment to legal minds, and a mere expression of Islamophobia syndrome” that had been deliberately ignored by the affected states.

Justice Sayi made the assertion while delivering a lecture on “Shari’ah in South-West Nigeria” at the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni 30th Pre-Ramadan Lecture, themed “The Transformative Power of Ramadan,” which was held at the J.F. Ade Ajayi Auditorium, UNILAG, on Sunday,

The lecture, attended by Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, Ogun Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako, and other dignitaries, aimed to dispel misconceptions about Shari’ah law and arbitration in the region.

Justice Sayi emphasised that arbitration is a contractual matter that does not require government approval, stating, “There’s no confusion in the Nigerian Constitution. Arbitration is by contract.

“Nobody needs the approval of the Federal Government to operate it. As powerful as the President is, his authority does not extend to approving the Constitution of an arbitration panel. It is purely contractual.”

He further asserted that Muslims do not need permission from religious bodies or traditional rulers to operate Shari’ah panels, as the law grants private citizens the right to do so.

He said, “We don’t need the approval of any state authority, let alone a monarch. Associations, including political parties, can establish small committees to resolve disputes involving their members.

“All the Muslim panels that I know of always hold their sittings inside mosques. What business do pastors or monarchs have in this matter? Somebody should tell the monarchs to know their boundaries.”

Citing the Arbitration and Mediation Act of 2023, the judge explained that the law not only allows private citizens to form arbitral panels but also grants them the authority to determine the legal framework governing such panels.

Justice Sayi highlighted the effectiveness of Shari’ah arbitration in Lagos, revealing that “there have been multiple instances where High Court judges informed litigants that they were helpless and, as a result, referred cases to the Independent Shari’ah panel.”

He questioned why Muslims in Lagos, Osun, and Ogun—where they form a significant part of the population—are denied legal structures such as Shari’ah courts that address their personal and family matters.

Clarifying the role of Shari’ah panels, the judge stated that they are “not substitutes for courts but function by contract, where attendance is voluntary; however, once a person participates in the proceedings, the decision becomes binding.”

Addressing the broader legal framework, Justice Sayi argued that while the law mandates inclusivity and national unity over sectional loyalties, Muslims in the South-West Nigeria remain excluded from the region’s family law system.

He urged the South-West governments to allow the establishment of Shari’ah courts to give Muslims a sense of belonging and provide a legal framework for resolving matters such as child custody, marriage dissolution, and others.

He said, “There is no single provision for Muslims in the family laws of the South-West. It’s as if we are second-class citizens or do not belong to these states.

“There is no single court in the region competent to dissolve an Islamic marriage or handle child custody cases following Islamic law. Shari’ah is a fundamental right of Muslims.”

Also speaking at the event, Professor Mashood Baderin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, delivered a lecture on “Islam at the Intersection of Humanity and Religion,” urging Muslims to manifest their faith in ways that positively impact society, including the observance of their five daily prayers. 

The Edo State Police Command on Sunday confirmed the arrest of one Kelvin Izekor over the murder of his wife, Success Izekor, aged 38, on Saturday.

In a viral video, police and residents of the area were seen taking the deceased who had matchet wounds on the head from her apartment into the police Hilux truck.

The couple were said to be newly married and residents were at a loss as to what could have happened between them that led to the killing of Success.

A resident, who pleaded anonymity said what happened was unexpected and that the two just got married. She stated that it was unbelievable to see that the deceased had to suffer such a fate.

The resident said, “I can’t believe what I saw. Imagine being killed by your husband. They are a new couple and nobody would have expected the woman to suffer that fate.”

The spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Moses Yamu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the husband was about to be lynched by a mob before the police arrived, pacified them and arrested the suspect.

Yamu said, “On Saturday 22, 2025, at about 10 pm, information was received that one Kelvin Izekor of No. 50 Upper Mission extension, Benin-City has killed his wife named Success Izekor, aged 38 years, and was about to be lynched by a mob.

“Operatives of the Aduwawa Police Division swiftly responded to the report and met the lifeless body of the woman lying in the pool of her own blood with deep cuts on her head.

“It took serious efforts by the police operatives to pacify the mob, rescue, and take the suspect into custody for investigation. The victim was removed and rushed to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.”

Yamu said the state Commissioner of Police, Betty Otimenyin, decried the recent cases of spouses being violent against each other while assuring the public of diligent investigation into the death of the woman. He noted that whoever was found culpable would be dealt with according to the law.

The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the tragic death of 31-year-old Sunday Jimoh, a resident of Laditan in Oja-Odan, who drowned in a well on February 22, 2025, at about 10:00 am.

The spokesperson for the state police command, CSP Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday.

Odutola said the incident was reported by Kabiru Aladeshayi Ayigbere, a resident of the Junction Area, Oja-Odan, who stated that he witnessed the deceased attempting to enter a well beside his shop.

She explained: “Jimoh reportedly insisted on retrieving a phone that had accidentally fallen into the well, despite warnings against the dangerous act.

“Regrettably, while Aladeshayi was away, Jimoh entered the well and drowned.

“Upon receiving the report, detectives swiftly responded to the scene, and rescue experts were contacted to recover the body. A preliminary investigation found no signs of violence, confirming that the incident was an unfortunate accident.

“The family of the deceased has been notified, and they requested to bury the remains in accordance with Muslim rites.

“The Ogun State Police Command expresses its deep condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased and urges the public to exercise caution when dealing with such hazardous situations.”

Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the rescue of six abandoned children in a residential apartment in an estate in the Ejigbo area of Lagos.

The state Police Command’s spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to newsmen yesterday in Lagos.

He remarked that, “On 18/2 /2025 at about 1200hrs, the case was transferred from Ejigbo police station to the Gender Unit Ikeja in which there was information received that six children were staying alone in a residential house, within an estate in the Ejigbo axis of Lagos.

“The children aged 7-13 years have been rescued and are currently in protective shelters through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development.

“Information so far revealed their mother is currently abroad for medical treatment and left them in the care of a caregiver.”

He added that effort was in top gear to reach out to their mother while investigation is ongoing to get more facts about the matter.

He, however, affirmed that a case of conspiracy and defilement was transferred from Okokomaiko Police Division to the Gender Unit desk in Ikeja.

He narrated that a woman simply identified as Deborah aged 32 years reported that her daughter (name withheld) aged 14 was defiled by her husband, Samuel Alfred (her stepfather) aged 38, and his friend Ikechukwu Obi aged 30.

Meanwhile, he stated that the survivor is about nine months pregnant.

Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has disclosed that he was not an ‘A’ class student in his secondary school years.

He said in Chapter 2 of his new book, “Journey of Service”, while recalling events at his secondary school days at Provincial School Bida, now Government College, Bida.

He said, “Looking back now, some 62 years after we left school, it is evident that we enjoyed ourselves at Bida. We studied hard but also enjoyed ourselves. I was far from being an ‘A’ student. At best, I was a good average student! Even at that time, I had no illusions about my capabilities. I knew what I thought my strengths and weaknesses were.

“But I also knew that collectively, the class of ’62 made the best of its years at Bida, partly because, as I said earlier, our teachers compelled us to soar even beyond heights that seemed hitherto unattainable.”

IBB said his classmates would remember him for different reasons.

They include, “The so-called ‘rebellion’ I led, I believe, in 1959 when we were in Form 3 (or was it Form 4). At that time, Bida was unbearably hot.

“Whenever that happened, senior students would camp their beds outdoors at night to escape the heat, abandoning us, junior students, in our steaming hot rooms.

So, one day, in defiance of the seemingly unfair established rule, I led the junior students to move their beds outside to enable them enjoy the cool air too. Suddenly, all hell broke loose.”

The former military president recalled  that the head boy, Garba Paiko (Dada), the son of his  primary school Arithmetic teacher, Yakubu Paiko, confronted him.

“The head boy had known me from Minna, and his father had put me under his care. But that

didn’t stop him from taking umbrage at me for ‘leading’ the protest and breaking an established school convention,” he said.

General Babangida said after they  deliberated on the matter, he gave in to his  point of view and allowed the  junior students to stay outside whenever it was unbearably hot, saying the incident probably earned him the respect of a handful of students.

An on-air personality, Chinedu Ani Emmanuel, also known as Nedu Wazobia, has denied recent allegations of fraud and financial misconduct regarding the Nedu Scholarship Foundation (NDSCHF).

At a press conference held in Lagos, Nedu reaffirmed his unwavering dedication to education, philanthropy and social impact, while announcing decisive legal action against false claims aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

Allegations against Nedu began after a reality TV star and comedian, Aderombi Adedayo Martin, better known as Deeone, alleged on a podcast that social media critic, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, was gay.

Subsequently, several accusations surfaced online claiming that Nedu had misappropriated donations meant for the scholarship initiative.

Nedu, while addressing the allegations through the agency that manages his brand, Tokindrumz, emphasised that all funds for the NDSCHF initiative were managed by a globally recognised social enterprise, ensuring full accountability and at no point did Nedu personally handle or control donations.

Chief operations officer of Tokindrumz, Sarah Williams said, “For the sake of clarity, I’d like to state that I don’t know where they got this information from. But I’d like to state that Mr Nedu did not commit any form of fraud or mismanagement of funds.

“Mr Nedu did not handle any of the funds that were made available for this project. It wasn’t paid to him; he did not see the money. He made it clear that he did not want any donations sent to his personal account to maintain transparency and build his legacy,” Williams emphasised.

The Special Adviser to Ekiti State Governor on Political and Inter-party Affairs, Chief Jide Awe, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would serve out his two terms of eight years, saying serving eight years of two terms have since become a norm in the country.

He also said that all Nigerian systems and institutions will be rid of corrupt practices when there are stiffer penalties and sanctions for those found wanting.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, Awe posited that it has become a sort of norm for anybody who emerged as president from any of the six geo-political zones to against all odds rule the country for eight years.

The special adviser to the governor who was reacting to the opposition from some quarters to the call by the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje that the North should support President Tinubu’s reelection bid in 2027 said the continuity would stabilise the country’s democracy.

He said, “It is becoming a norm that each of the geo-political zones in this country will spend two terms, and that of Bola Tinubu will not be an exception. If he is able to clear all the ugly tables within a very short time, which I believe he is doing, the second term is sure for him. And if we are doing that in this country, it will make our democracy stable. Whoever is there will try as much as possible to do his best possible so that when he comes out again seeking people’s votes, willingly they will render it.”

The APC chieftain added that there will always be opposition in any democratic setting which makes democracy to flourish.

“When there is opposition, that will keep the government in power on its toes and move forward. Opposition will have their say but the majority of the people will have their way.

“So, if people are opposing and criticising the government of the day, it is a good radiance and it is welcomed and that will keep whoever is in the position of authority abreast of all the activities.

So, I think our democracy is okay with whatever level of opposition that we have. All we need is that the opposition will not get to the level of destruction.”

Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, conducted an inspection of the agency’s Enforcement Office in Apapa, Lagos, on Saturday, focusing on illicit pharmaceuticals seized from the Idumota Open Drug Market.

During the visit, Adeyeye noted that the NAFDAC warehouse had reached full capacity, with the overflow of confiscated drugs spilling into the director’s office due to the sheer volume of seized items.

Speaking to journalists after the inspection, she highlighted that the agency’s primary mission is to protect public health.

“We are not disturbing trade; we are protecting lives. We cannot, because of trade, let people continue to die needlessly. What NAFDAC is doing is exactly what it is mandated to do. There is no politics in this operation!” she asserted.

Adeyeye also revealed that many shops within these markets operate illegally, lacking proper registration with the Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria.

Justifying the agency’s heightened enforcement activities in Onitsha, Aba, and Idumota, she disclosed that over 1,000 personnel are actively engaged in removing counterfeit, expired and unregistered medicines from circulation.