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The Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, has paraded two suspects who specialised in the printing of fake documents to facilitate the sale of stolen crude oil in the Niger Delta region.
JTF Commander John Okeke, told journalists on Saturday at the command headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, that Magaji Musa and Umar Musa were arrested when troops stormed their Port Harcourt residence early on Tuesday.
Okeke said, “This syndicate specialised in printing fake documents for stolen crude oil in the Operation Delta Safe Joint Operation Area. This syndicate is responsible for procuring fake documents to provide free passage for oil thieves’ activities in the Joint Operation Area.
“Such act has made it possible for oil thieves to evade arrest, which has indeed contributed largely to the reported illegal oil bunkering operations in the oil-producing region.
“However, acting on intelligence on the activities of the syndicate, troops of Operation Delta Safe stormed the Port Harcourt residence of the ring leader, one Mr Magaji Musa and Umar Musa, in the early hours of Tuesday, August 20, 2024, and apprehended him.
“Subsequently, documents were recovered from his house bearing fake stamps of some associations and waybills and forged identity cards were recovered from his house.
“The suspects had confessed to procuring fake waybills, illegal sales of crude and diversion of stolen crude oil from pipelines.
“Presently, the culprits are in the custody of the Joint Task Force, South-South Operation Delta Safe, and they will be paraded before the media and subsequently face prosecution in due course.”
Okeke assured all that no stone would be left unturned until criminality is eradicated or reduced to the barest minimum in the oil-producing region.
He also reiterated the commitment of the Joint Task Force towards stamping out illegal oil refining and oil facility vandalism in the region.
Musa, who is said to be the ring leader of the syndicate, revealed to journalists that he has been in the stolen crude oil business since 2011.
How we get fuel from Nigerian smugglers – Niger petrol dealer
Petrol hits N850/litre at depots, filling stations raise prices
While many Nigerians are keeping vigil at filling stations to fuel their vehicles, motorists in the neighbouring countries of Benin Republic and Niger are enjoying fuel smuggled from Nigeria, a Saturday PUNCH investigation has shown.
Our correspondents, who visited the two countries discovered that the smuggled petrol was being sold by black marketers, whose rates were cheaper than those operating in filling stations.
Findings show that drivers often patronise the black marketers because their rates are cheaper than those who buy from the filling stations.
Saturday PUNCH gathered the higher value of cefas (CFA) to naira made the Nigerian smuggled fuel attractive to citizens of the two countries.
Nigeria is witnessing the fifth major fuel crisis since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, following his removal of the fuel subsidy.
The removal led to a sharp rise in fuel prices, causing panic buying, widespread fuel scarcity, and a subsequent hike in the cost of living. Petrol pump prices jumped from around N200 to over N500/litre.
A second fuel scarcity unfolded around September 2023 as a result of another surge in petroleum pump prices, leading to queues in major cities, including Lagos.
In January 2024, Nigeria experienced another scarcity due to distribution challenges and rising global oil prices.
Just before Tinubu’s one-year anniversary, the country witnessed the fourth fuel crisis, which brought about high transportation costs and disruptions in daily activities across the country.
The ongoing August fuel scarcity is the fifth in the petroleum crisis.
Fuel surplus in Benin
In stark contrast to the persistent petrol scarcity in Nigeria, findings by one of our correspondents showed that Benin Republic has stable fuel supply from smugglers and government-authorised dealers.
One of our correspondents, who visited the country, discovered that petrol was priced at 700CFA per litre, which converts to approximately N1,850.
During a visit to Cotonou and Calavi, two prominent cities in the West African country, Saturday PUNCH observed a well-functioning fuel supply system.
At various filling stations in the cities, there were no long queues.
For instance, at the Benin Petro Filling Station located at Saint Michelle Roundabout in Cotonou, the scene was notably calm.
When our reporter arrived, only one car and two motorcycles were seen refuelling at the two available pumps.
Similarly, at the Oryx Filling Station in Dantokpa, absence of customer activity was striking as attendants sat idly.
During a 30-minute observation, only three cars and one motorcycle were seen driving into the station. The situation at Jehova Nissi Petroleum Filling Station in the Vedoko area was the same. Although the station was open and had fuel, there were no customers present at the time of the visit.
A similar scene was observed at the MRS Filling Station and the Ewell Filling Station in the Agontinkon area, where fuel was available; but the customer turnout was low. At the SCB and Sylfrec filling stations in Calavi, fuel was also available, but the number of vehicles being attended to was limited.
Philip Umo, an attendant at the Sylfrec Filling Station, who spoke in French, said while fuel was consistently available, the challenge was finding buyers.
Despite the stable fuel supply at the filling stations, black market sellers were prevalent on the streets of both Cotonou and Calavi.
The vendors were seen selling fuel in jerrycans at 600CFA, which is lower than the official price of 700CFA. This discrepancy made many motorists opt for the black market.
A motorcyclist, Justin Asoba, described the situation as a “surplus,” explaining that the abundance of fuel led individuals to enter the black market trade.
A Nigerian trader based in Benin, Wasiu Olawale, said, “There is enough fuel, and everyone knows that much of it comes from Nigeria, but it is cheaper here.”
One black market trader, Kabiru Usman, indicated that he received regular supplies of fuel and offered to provide insights into the business for a fee.
Yusuf Bala, another motorcyclist, revealed that a significant portion of the fuel sold on the black market is smuggled from Badagry, Lagos State, into Benin Republic.
He said, “It is a booming business. The fuel is smuggled into Benin. Since their currency is stronger than the naira, they make substantial profits.”
How we get smuggled fuel – Niger dealer
Boisterous Illela town, the headquarters of illela Local Government Area in Sokoto State, is a border town between Nigeria and Niger Republic, which is about 120 kilometers away from Sokoto town.
One of our correspondents, however, discovered that while a litre of petrol was around N1,000 in Illela, the border town, a litre of the product was sold for between N1,250 and N1,300 in Konni, Niger Republic.
It was also observed that Niger Republic did not experience any scarcity.
A commercial motorcycle rider in illela, Mallam Abubakar Bello, while narrating his experience said the cost of fuel in Sokoto and Illela is the same.
He said, “We are buying the product here at N1,000 per litre and it’s about same price in Sokoto. Here at Illela, most of us don’t patronise filling stations because there is no difference between their price and black market.”
A motorist in Konni, Niger Republic, Mahmoud Sanusi, said there was not much difference in the cost of fuel in both countries.
He said the removal of subsidy by the government of Nigeria hit them in Niger Republic than even people of Nigeria.
“Though we have our fuel here, our filling stations are largely patronised by government officials, who have the purchasing power. We all prefer to get fuel brought from Nigeria, which used to be more cheaper than our own here,” he added.
More findings by our correspondent in Konni revealed that smuggled fuel was mostly sold by the roadside by black marketers. It was sold for 1,250 per litre equivalent to their currency. But the fuel supplied by the Niger Republic government to registered oil marketers in the country sold for N1,300.
A manager of one of the filling stations in Konni, Kaseem Sani, said the registered oil marketers in the country could only access the product through the government.
He said none of the filling stations in the country could be caught selling smuggled fuel from Nigeria.
“Yes, we know it’s cheaper to sell Nigerian fuel even after the removal of subsidy; Nigerian fuel is cheaper than our own,” he added.
Sani said the Niger government had outlawed fuel smuggling from Nigeria, adding that the black marketers usually found a way to beat security.
Corroborating the story, Hassan Muhammad, a black marketer in Konni, said they got their products through smugglers in Nigeria.
“We get our supply from Nigeria but not through legal means; most of the people that supply us are Nigerians who make the fuel available to us here.
“They use the bush path and atimes, through the waterways but not through the legal land border.
“It is a smuggled product and their prices differs. Some sell for us like 1,100 naira per liter, or less sometimes.
“It all depends on your relationship and bargaining power with the smugglers.”
He further confessed that the smuggle fuel used to be concealed in jerrycans and not tankers.
“They don’t use any tanker for the supply, but one thing I can also add is that there are some vehicles with an additional bigger tanker which can contain close to 200 litres of fuel at a go.
“I am not supposed to be telling you this and that is why I would not allow you to take my picture, to prevent a possible attack by my people.
“We have a lot of ways and the only reason we can attract customers is to sell a bit less than the government price and that is why you see those differences in the price between us and those that source their supply from the government of Niger Republic.”
Meanwhile, a source from Tawa, another major city in the Republic of Niger confirmed to our correspondent that majority of private car owners in the country patronised the black markets for fuel while only companies and government officials bought fuel from the filling stations.
The source added that some of the smugglers of Nigerian fuel also took it beyond Niger Republic up to Mali on some occasions.
Petrol hits N850 at private depots
Meanwhile, the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, aka petrol, at Nigerian private depots has increased to N850/litre.
Oil marketers said the ex-depot price was about N780/litre last week, but the cost increased to between N840/litre and N850/litre on Friday due to low petrol imports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
The high petrol price by the private depots has led to increased pump prices at filling stations operated by independent oil marketers, as some outlets dispense the commodity for as high as N1,000 per litre, particularly stations in the North.
This came as the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, vowed to shut down filling stations caught dispensing petrol at exorbitant rates.
Also, the queues for petrol by motorists at filling stations were still visible on Friday in parts of Lagos, Abuja, Niger, and Nasarawa, among others.
Marketers said while the petrol price at NNPC depots was less than N600/litre, the cost at private depots had increased to about N850/litre.
“Independent marketers are not getting much from the products imported by NNPC. So, we scout for products with the DAPPMAN (Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria) members that have been allocated the product,” the National Operations Controller of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mustapha Zarma, stated.
IPMAN controls more than 80 per cent of the filling stations nationwide and has its members operating the bulk of retail outlets across the country.
Zarma added, “They (depots) sell the product to us above N800; it is N850 today. So, the product is now about N850 at the depots in Lagos. The private depot owners, that’s how they sell. And they are collecting the product from NNPC at less than N600.”
On whether the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has been informed of this, the IPMAN official said, “If you ask them, they will say bring the receipt.”
He explained that such receipts were not readily available most of the time, as payments were usually not made directly to the accounts of the private depots due to certain arrangements.
He stressed that many dealers need products to dispense to keep their businesses running, and since they can’t get it from NNPC, they have no choice but to buy from private depots despite the high cost.
“Today, the price is about N840, N850. It has been high since last week. That is why you see the product selling for N900 and N950 in Lagos. It may increase to about N1,000,” Zarma stated.
The Executive Secretary of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, Olufemi Adewole, had yet to respond to an enquiry on the matter till this report was filed.
The spokesperson of the NMDPRA, George Ene-Ita, however, argued that the petrol price reports that the regulator gets from its officials at the depots were different.
“Our depot people see a different price because we ask them to publish the prices at the depots every day and it is not N850/litre. Our field agents at the depots give us a different figure,” he said.
When told that some filling stations operated by independent marketers in Lagos and many other states dispense their products for as high as N900 and N1,000/litre, the NMDPRA official said such outlets would be brought to book if apprehended.
“If we get these outlets, all we do is to try and shut them down, because NNPC is the company that brings in the product and they tell us how much they sell as their ex-depot prices to off-takers. And we sit down together and work out the margins and there is no way it should be that high,” Ene-Ita stated.
Queues persist
Fuel queues have persisted across the country, Saturday PUNCH observed.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the situation has remained the same for over two months, driven by the lingering fuel scarcity.
In Kuje Area Council of the FCT, Baka sold fuel for N950/litre on Friday, while AA Rano sold it for N720/litre.
A motorcyclist, Nura Dauda, noted that he bought fuel at a BOVAS station in the area council for N670/litre, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation sold it to him at N617/litre.
In Lugbe, Abuja Municipal Area Council, fuel stations like Rain Oil had heavy queues, with numerous commuters waiting to access the station.
Heavy queues were also observed at NNPC and Shafa stations in Bwari Area Council.
A resident, Obaje Samson, lamented the poor circulation of fuel within the FCT, stating, “I wonder why we still experience fuel scarcity in the FCT despite several promises by the government to circulate enough fuel.”
Lagos residents keep vigil
At the Total Energies Filling Station on Ikosi Road in the Ketu area of Lagos State, Saturday PUNCH observed motorists keeping vigil at the gate on Thursday night.
Our correspondents gathered that many car owners slept in their cars, while others arrived as early as 2am or 3am the next day to buy petrol.
A commercial bus driver, Mr Sammy Okechukwu, who spoke to our correspondent at 11.15pm on Thursday, noted that he always came to the station at night so he would be among the first to buy when it opened the next day.
“This is my routine. Once I close by 10pm or so, I drive down here and wait for them to open,” he said.
He further lamented that he had not spent one night at home in the last six days since he began the routine.
“It was one of my colleagues who gave me this new strategy, and it has been working for me. By 8am or so when they open, I’ll be among the first five or six to buy,” he said.
Another commercial driver, who gave his name only as Mr Okere, said he had already spent two nights at that filling station before Thursday.
“That is what we go through to get fuel o. We sleep here at night and by morning, as they open, we will just buy so we can work,” he said.
Another driver who refused to give his name lamented that he was not going to leave because the fuel he had would not take him to his home in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“I am supposed to be driving to Ibadan, but no way. I will just sleep here,” the source said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday night around 10.49pm, our correspondent observed drivers and petrol customers laying siege to the NNPC Filling Station in the Obalende area of the state.
One of the customers, Toluwalope Olaseinde, who came with four kegs, said, “I will sleep here. I don’t have a choice.”
A motorist, Emem Osung, said if she did not get fuel before the station closed, she would sleep at the station.
“I am ready to sleep here. It won’t be my first. This is what the government wants – to make us suffer,” she said.
On Monday, NNPC attributed the current fuel scarcity in the country to evacuation challenges from Apapa, Lagos, assuring that the issue would be resolved.
The NNPC’s spokesperson Olufemi Soneye, had said, “It’s just an evacuation challenge out of Apapa from the vessel. But we are working on it; it should be resolved.”
Soneye, who sought to reassure Nigerians at the time he spoke on Monday, stated, “I’m very sure that it (queues) will be cleared out by Wednesday.”
But despite the national oil firm’s assurances, the queues for petrol have failed to disappear.
Wife of Anambra State Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, on Saturday, called on women in the state to shun spending money on “bleaching creams”, but should rather spend more on “regular health checks and eating balanced diets.”
This is as she decried the low uptake of immunisation in the state, urging mothers to prioritise the health and future of their children.
Soludo made the call at the 2nd Anambra State Women Health Summit organised under her Healthy Living Initiative in collaboration with the World Health Organisation in Awka.
She said that immunisation was important to protect children from life-long illness.
“I’m not happy to hear that our state is recording low in immunisation uptake. Mothers need to create time and take their children to health facilities to get them vaccinated.
“These childhood vaccines are free, safe and effective. Mothers should see immunisation as a top priority because when your child is healthy, you are free from stress and expenses experienced when a child is ill.
“Since Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration started the free antenatal and delivery policy, Anambra state is now one of the states with the lowest maternal mortality. We want to record the same in the area of immunisation too,” she said.
Soludo urged women to appreciate their God-given skin colour and shun spending so much on bleaching creams.
“Instead of spending so much on bleaching creams, women should spend more on regular health checks, eating balanced diets and engaging in regular exercises to stay fit and healthy,” she said.
Also speaking, Dr Uju Obiagwu of the WHO, lamented that immunisation coverage was gradually reducing in Anambra.
“The state government is doing so much in partnership with WHO to ensure availability of all the childhood vaccines across the health facilities but we are not happy that the uptake is low.
“These vaccines help to prevent acute paralysis, measles, polio, meningitis, Lassa fever, yellow fever, cholera and neonatal tetanus.
“We recorded several outbreaks of Measles at Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru and Ayamelum, because they do not take their children to the hospital for immunisation.
“Our mothers have a huge role to play in ensuring that children in Anambra are vaccinated. So, spread the message in your various communities to help our children live healthier and longer lives,” she said.
Also, Anambra Coordinator, WHO, Dr Mohamed Bonos, appreciated the state government for providing the enabling environment and partnership that promoted the health of residents.
In his presentation, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Brian Adinma, urged women to prioritise their reproductive health.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health in Anambra, Dr Afam Obidike, said the health summit was a demonstration that the state government recognised the health and welfare of women and children in the state.
NAN.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, disclosed, on Friday, that over 22, 500 Nigerians are parading fake certificates obtained from Benin Republic and Togo between 2019 and 2023.
He said that over 21, 600 obtained the certificates from unaccredited universities in Benin Republic within the time frame, while about 1,105 also obtained theirs at some unaccredited Universities in Togo.
The Minister disclosed the information at a press conference in Abuja, to mark his first anniversary, adding that some of the numbers were harvested from records from the National Youth Service Corp and other sources.
He said, “From all indications, the figure is higher than what we have already. This is because some of the people choose not to participate in the mandatory NYSC scheme and other engagements that would have enabled us to harvest their data.
“Sadly, these people have used the fake certificates to apply and secure job opportunities in government and private organizations with the mindset that they schooled abroad, while people who studied day and night are out there looking for job opportunities.
“Even within the countries, Benin and Togo, these universities are not accredited to offer degree programmes. I don’t know how Nigerians chose to go to unaccredited institutions abroad to ‘study’. Our investigations also indicated that many of the people never even attended the school physically. ”
The Minister, however, confirmed that a circular is being prepared from the Office of Head of Service of the Federation that would enable the fish out of these people for due prosecution.
“Private sector operators are also encouraged to carry out further investigations on their staff who are parading foreign certificates and ensure that anyone parading a certificate obtained from these countries between 2019 and 2023 is fished out and handed over to the Federal Ministry of Education for prosecution. Because the circular from the Head of Service will also be binding on private sector operators.”
Nevertheless, he confirmed that only five Universities in Benin and three in Togo were accredited to offer degree programmes, and people who passed through those schools were exempted from the punitive measures.
Meanwhile, the Minister disclosed that about four million out-of-school children have been pulled off the streets back to the classrooms through several of its programmes majorly championed by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-school Children.
He added, “Our target is the see about 3 to 4 million children leave the streets and return the school annually, and if that is successfully achieved, then by the end of the administration, significant achievements would have been made as regards the out-of-school children.
The PUNCH reports that the activities of degree mills once again came to the centre of discussions in Nigeria, following an investigative report by a reporter, Umar Audu, with the Daily Nigerian newspaper on the activities of degree mills in Benin Republic and Togo.
The reporter revealed how he obtained a degree within six weeks and even proceeded to embark on mandatory youth service under the National Youth Service Corps scheme.
Audu, who reached out to the syndicate that specialises in selling degree certificates in December 2022, graduated in February 2023 and was issued a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication certificate from the Ecole Superieure de Gestion et de Technologies, Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The report which exposed the illegalities perpetrated by some tertiary institutions in the West African states led to the Nigerian government placing a ban on the accreditation and evaluation of degrees from Benin Republic and Togo.
The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman having received the report of the Committee, noted that holders of fake degrees from Nigerian and foreign universities will be flushed out of the system.
Some of the recommendations of the committee stressed the need for universities in the country to conduct their admissions via the Central Admissions Processing System popularly known as CAPS and the mandatory submission of matriculation list.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum has thrown its weight behind Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, urging the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to accord the governor his “rightful” position as the leader of the party in the state.
The group in a communique issued on Friday at the end of its meeting in Jalingo, Taraba State urged the national leadership of the party to allow Mr Fubara to take his position as the rightful leader of the party in the state.
“The PDP Governors’ Forum restates its stand with the Governor of Rivers State, and will engage the NWC of our great party to revisit the congress with a view to correcting the anomaly and allowing Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to take his rightful leadership position of the party in the State.”
The communique was read by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, the chairperson of the forum.
This is contained in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIME on Friday by Governor Fubara’s spokesperson, Nelson Chukwudi.
The communique is against the backdrop of the prolonged political rifts between Mr Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the minister of FCT over the control of the political structure in the state.
The political feud between Messrs Fubara and Wike, which has defied interventions has split both the Rivers House of Assembly and the ruling PDP in the state into two factions with each faction loyal to either of the leaders.
The national leadership of the party which appears to be in support of Mr Wike recently conducted party congresses in the state despite a court order secured by allies of Governor Fubara against the exercise.
With the conduct of the exercise, it indicates that loyalists of Mr Wike are still in control of the party at the state level.
The PDP Governors in the communique promised to engage the party’s NWC to revisit the congresses with a view to “correct the anomaly.”
The political crisis in the oil-rich Rivers snowballed into street violence in June, leading to the death of two persons, including a police officer after Governor Fubara dissolved Wike-backed elected council officials following the expiration of their three-year tenure.
[Premium Times]
Nollywood actress, Beverly Osu has started a hunt for a romantic partner, revealing that she is ready to leave her single life behind.
In a recent interview, the successful actress expressed her desire for companionship, saying that she is eager to meet someone special.
Osu described herself as a blessing to her future husband, joking stating that she’s in a relationship with Jesus, whom she believes will never let her down.
“I’m in a relationship with Jesus, he can never disappoint me. Any man that bags me has bagged something great. Dear future husband, wherever you’re, your blessing is waiting for you”, she said partly.
[ThisNigeria]
In Nigeria, small business owners are facing unprecedented challenges. The harsh economic realities of the past year have put immense strain on entrepreneurs, from boutique owners to domestic appliance sellers.
For Mrs. Nkiru, who owns a boutique in Ago Okota, Lagos, patronage of her beautiful dresses has seen little grace in recent times; as customers’ attentions dwindle beneath the lashings of economic strife.
Once upon a time, customers flocked to her fashionable abode in satisfactory numbers to admire and ultimately buy from her dazzling collections. Now far removed is their interest as their wallets cannot meet the challenge of current prices.
“A gown of N5,000 before is now twice the amount,” Nkiru lamented.
Now the era of “buying on credit “ is what she clings to in hopes of maintaining the patronage and loyalty of her trusted customers.
This trend has inspired brow-beaten reactions from tired entrepreneurs who yearn for nothing more than a sliver of relief, as hardship continues to beat at the door of their endurance.
The boutique owner’s plight
Nkiru vividly illustrates the difficulties faced by fashion retailers. “When you compare last year to this year, things are much worse,” she explains.
Prices of clothing have surged due to the depreciating value of the Naira against the dollar, leading to a significant drop in consumer purchasing power.
“Last year, you could buy a variety of clothes for a set amount, but now that same amount only gets you a fraction of what it used to,” Nkiru says.
She recalls a recent experience where N300,000, which would have purchased around 100 gowns last year, now only buys about 30.
Nkiru’s situation is exacerbated by rising costs across the board. “The cost of living has gone up, so people prioritize food and basic necessities over fashion. The result is that customers buy less and ask for credit more often,” she laments.
She reports that her weekly sales have dropped considerably. “Where I used to have customers buying several items in one visit, now they often only purchase one or ask to pay later,” Nkiru says.
This shift has led to delayed payments, with customers taking weeks or even months to settle their debts.
The cost of goods has also risen sharply. A gown that once cost N5,000 now goes for N15,000, leaving little room for profit. “Everyone is struggling to make ends meet,” she says, noting that even landlords are raising rents, forcing some small businesses to close.
Domestic Appliance Retailer’s Woes
Mrs. Mariam, who sells kitchen utensils and home appliances, is equally disheartened. “It has been tough,” she admits. Sales have dwindled as people focus on basic needs rather than discretionary purchases.
“The prices of appliances have tripled,” Mariam explains. “A mop that was N900 last year now costs N1,800. A set of pots that was N16,500 is now N12,000 for just one piece.” Such price hikes have made customers hesitant to buy new items, preferring to make do with what they have.
Mariam also notes a dramatic drop in patronage. “Last year, we could make between N20,000 and N30,000 a day. Now, some days we make nothing at all,” she says.
The contrast is stark: where a customer might have spent N40,000 in one visit, now they only spend a fraction of that amount.
The increased cost of living affects her business’s profitability. “Even if you make a sale, you might end up using the money just to cover daily expenses,” she laments. “The situation is dire, and saving is almost impossible.”
Provision Store Owner’s Struggles
Mrs. Okoye, who runs a provision store, echoes similar sentiments. She describes how the cost of staples has soared.
“Last year, a small pack of noodles was N5000. Now it’s N7,677,” she says. The rise in prices has squeezed profit margins and made it difficult for businesses to thrive.
Rent is another significant burden. “My rent has increased from N180,000 to N240,000 over the past two years,” Okoye says.
To cope, she has diversified her offerings, including selling alcoholic beverages to attract more customers.
Despite these efforts, the challenges persist. “The small gain you make from selling products isn’t enough to cover costs and generate profit,” she explains.
Hairdresser’s Decline
Lady P, a hairdresser, notes a dramatic change in customer flow. “Weekends used to be our busiest times, but now we see fewer customers,” she observes. The reduction in clientele has forced her to close on Saturdays, a day that was previously a steady source of income.
“Last year, we bought a bag of honey beans for N70,000. Now it’s N147,000,” she reports. Prices for other staples have similarly increased. “Rice prices fluctuate, but you’re still paying more. A carton of spaghetti, which was about N18,500, now costs N18,800.”
Lady P also mentions that some goods, like beans, have become so expensive that customers are buying less. “People aren’t buying beans as much as they used to,” she says, noting that some products have been sitting unsold for weeks.
Laundry Service Challenges
B-Smart Laundry Service is also feeling the pinch.
“We used to get about 10 customers a day, but now it’s down to five,” the owner explains. The cost of materials like Lylon and soaps has increased, leading to higher prices for customers.
“People are choosing to wash their clothes at home because they can’t afford our services,” she says. The cost of cleaning a suit, which was N700, has now risen to N1,500. Such price increases are driving customers away, affecting the business’s bottom line.
The Bigger Picture
The experiences of these small business owners paint a grim picture of Nigeria’s current economic landscape. The percentage difference in prices from last year to this year reveals a stark reality:
- Clothing: N5,000 last year to N15,000 this year – a 200% increase.
- Mops: N900 last year to N1,800 this year – a 100% increase.
- Pot: N16,500 for a set (which is four in one) last year to N12,000 for just one piece this year.
- Noodles: N5,000 last year to N7,677 this year – a 53% increase.
- Beans: N70,000 last year to N147,000 this year – a 110% increase.
- Rice: N70,000 last year to N70,000+ this year (fluctuating but not below last year’s price).
- Spaghetti: N18,500 day before to N18,800 recently – a 1.6% increase.
- Laundry (suit): N700 last year to N1,500 this year – a 114% increase.
These figures highlight the severe impact of inflation and economic instability on small businesses. Entrepreneurs are not only grappling with higher costs but also with reduced consumer spending.
As they navigate this challenging environment, the resilience of Nigeria’s small business sector is tested like never before.
The road ahead remains uncertain, but the stories of these small business owners reveal a critical need for systemic changes to alleviate the economic strain and support local enterprises.
[Nairametrics]
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State has commenced payment of the N70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
President Bola Tinubu had signed the new Minimum Wage bill into law a few weeks ago.
This was after back and forth with the organised labour.
However, many governors have said they can not pay N70,000 minimum wage as a result of economic reality.
But the Adamawa governor initiated the payment of the new minimum wage for state workers, starting from August 2024, with a promise that local government workers will begin receiving the increased salary in September.
This has sparked widespread celebration among civil servants in the state.
Multiple sources, including state workers who received their salaries, confirmed the development to Daily Trust.
Some workers expressed appreciation to the governor for fulfilling his promise while describing him as a “man of his word.”
The implementation of the new minimum wage has been hailed as a significant achievement for the Fintiri administration, which has been nicknamed the “Fresh Air Government” by its supporters.
[DailyTrust]
Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has bemoaned the continuous persecution of Christians in the North, saying perpetrators are allowed to move freely without facing punishment.
He said regardless of the ill-treatment experienced by the church in the North in recent years, not a single individual had been charged to court for those incidents.
The bishop stated this virtually during the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the Order of the Knights of St Mulumba Nigeria, Eko Subordinate Council, themed: ‘Christian Martyrdom in Nigeria…a Building Block or Stumbling Block to Salvation or Patriotism,’ held in Lagos.
He also decried the ethnic colouration that was being given to the Christian faith in Nigeria, stressing that such attitude must be jettisoned.
“If you look at our country – Nigeria, the issue is that, in Northern Nigeria, Christians constitute some of the groups that you can kill without consequences. You can ask yourself has anybody ever been charged for burning churches or for destroying Christian properties.
“A pastor was slaughtered openly in Adamawa. People, priests were killed in Benue. Priests have been killed in Kaduna.
“It seems as if killing Christians is the only thing the world can do without consequences. That means that if you are serious as Christians, Catholics, what happens to the church in Ikwerre, what happens to the church in Sokoto, what happens to the church in Onitsha, what happens to the church everywhere in this country should affect us.
“Tragically, you know, Christianity has become largely subordinated to ethnicity.
“Many people today still have a caliphate mentality that those who are not part of us must be against us. And this is the fate of Christians and Christianity in many parts of Northern Nigeria today, where Christianity is being tolerated.
“Christians are being denied lands to build churches, and it is not seen as a problem. In a place like Kenya, I have a problem of that nature right now as we talk.”
Speaking on, Bishop Kukah said they must preach the gospel, whether welcome or unwelcome, adding that it has no political and ethnic boundaries.
“It is not about friendship. If it is about friendship, Jesus would have said to Peter, get behind me. When we are confronted, martyrdom is not just about being killed. Because, of course, in the end, you are killed for speaking the truth.
“I remember in the days of Abacha, many times people used to say to me, oh Bishop, if you don’t keep quiet, you will be killed for nothing.
“I am saying so because we now need to come to terms with the essence that every day of our lives as Christians, we are challenged to martyrdom. Martyrdom because a sword is dangling before us,” he said.
[DailyPost]
The Police said no ransom was paid to secure the release of the 20 medical students kidnapped in Benue.
A statement by the Force Police Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said: “Contrary to some tweets and unconfirmed stories that some money was paid, no kobo was paid to release them. They were actually rescued tactically and professionally.”
THE NATION reported the kidnap of the medical students on 15 August and their eventual release on Friday.
The police are yet to provide details of the rescue, including whether any of the kidnappers were arrested or killed.
A colleague of the kidnapped students told our correspondent the kidnappers demanded N50 million ransom.
[TheNation]
More...
Despite the public aversion some Nigerians have towards pornography, it has become an addictive pastime for many married men. This habit not only heightens their obsessive appetite for sexual exploration but also fosters unrealistic fantasies that can lead to extramarital affairs or cause physical and psychological problems, writes Victor Ayeni
On a restless night in 2019, Nicholas Onyeabor tossed and turned in bed, his mind flooded with intrusive thoughts as he struggled to find even a moment of sleep.
That night was just one of many for the 41-year-old, self-described former pornography addict, as he grappled with insomnia on his thorny path toward recovery.
On that night, his wife, Adaobi, slept peacefully beside him, unaware of the tangled psychological battles her husband faced as he fought to overcome his porn addiction.
Now a father of three, Onyeabor traced his addiction to Internet porn back to 2008, during his final year at one of the federal universities in the South-West.
The native of Abiriba, Abia State, who was raised in a strict, conservative Christian background, admitted that while he was hooked on porn, he firmly believed that his cravings would diminish as soon as he got married.
Alas, to his chagrin, Onyeabor soon found out that he was wrong.
“It all started one night in February 2008, when I was 25,” he told Saturday PUNCH with his brow furrowed.
“That Friday, I went to an overnight browsing session at one of the cyber cafés on campus to work on my final year project. After a couple of hours, I was done gathering the materials I needed for my research, but I came across a website that we now call a hookup site.
“When I clicked on one of the links, it took me straight to a porn site. Due to my upbringing, I was afraid and quickly closed the window. But an hour later, I returned there and began to view the images on the site. By the end of that night, I was entering certain sex-themed words into Google, which led me to different websites where I viewed explicit photos.”
As cyber cafés—once common across Nigerian cities—gradually disappeared, the rise of internet-enabled mobile phones provided many users with unrestricted access to explicit content that was previously more difficult to obtain.
This was the situation Onyeabor found himself in because accessing those sites was just at his fingertips.
“As of the time I got married in 2014, I was so addicted to porn that my phone and laptop had files dedicated to all kinds of adult material I saved from the internet, and I would pleasure myself almost daily.
“My wife knew nothing about this. I mean, how do you tell your loving wife that you get off to hardcore material online? It was a shameful thing to divulge. You see, we were a dedicated church-going couple, and things looked good on the surface,” he blurted.
Descent into addiction
Onyeabor revealed that his pornography addiction drastically altered the dynamics of his marriage, leading to a decline in his physical attraction to his wife.
He explained that for him, sexual intercourse became a dull routine—a mere obligation—that no longer excited him.
“I just went along with it, my mind was elsewhere,” he admitted to our correspondent. “I had cultivated an imagination of what ‘real sex’ was supposed to be like, and Ada wasn’t close to it.”
The 41-year-old said what made him start looking for a way to quit was when he realised he was having issues maintaining an erection, adding that he was in his late 30s at the time.
He said, “I tried a few suggestions someone gave me, but I soon found out that I could only get my ‘little man’ up if I looked at porn shortly before playing with madam.
“I think it was an article I read or a video that made me realise that I was addicted to porn and had to quit it. It took me more than a year of going ‘cold turkey’ on porn.
“I began to have sleepless nights, and sometimes, I had relapses too, but I finally kicked the habit. The other issue later resolved itself.”
Porn fuelling erectile dysfunction
The Addiction Centre, an online guide for addiction and recovery, defines pornography addiction as “a compulsion to watch porn and not being able to stop” and identifies one of its chief symptoms as having “cravings if you have gone without porn for any amount of time.”
A research work presented on July 16, 2020, at the European Association of Urology Virtual Congress, found that excessive pornography consumption was associated with a higher incidence of erectile dysfunction, a condition where males struggle to achieve and maintain an erection.
Some experts opined that while quitting pornography was not the easiest approach to take, they described it as a fast way for addicts to retake control of their lives and start feeling better.
Recounting how he became hooked on Internet porn, a married father of two, Kolapo Adigun, told Saturday PUNCH that a friend introduced him to a sexually explicit DVD collection in 2011.
Adigun said, “Back then in the early 2000s, when I was in secondary school, the only porn we knew were the ones in booklets with photos of nude models or the ones we snuck into cyber cafés to look at.
“I wouldn’t say I was addicted to those, though. It was when I saw all those multiple porn flicks burned on a DVD at a friend’s place that I got interested.
“From there, I began to download adult videos from different sites just to get off. At the time, I thought it was better than having multiple sex partners.”
When Adigun tied the knot with his wife in 2012, his cravings for explicit material continued unabated, and he eventually resorted to the very act he thought he would be safe from—having extramarital affairs.
“After we got married, I frequently indulged in it at the office where there was a free internet connection. On some evenings, I would be so charged that I would rush home to make love. After a time, I just got bored with the thing and had fun with hook-up girls who could spice things up. On some nights, I was still sneaking out of bed to indulge in porn.
“I will never forget the day my wife caught me touching myself in the bathroom while I looked at porn. She felt bad. It caused problems in our marriage. She no longer trusted me. For months after that day, whenever she saw me smiling alone at my phone or laptop, she would ask, ‘Are you watching your blue film again?”
‘I fell into porn after being sex-starved’ Our correspondent spoke to another married man, who disclosed that his descent into pornography and masturbation started after being sex-starved by his wife of four years.
The Ogun State indigene said, “I battled with pornography as a young boy in secondary school.
However, I stopped after I got married. At the initial stage of the marriage, I enjoyed sex with my wife and it was always fun.
“But suddenly, I discovered that she lost the desire for it, even though we don’t even any child yet. When I demand for sex, she tells me that she is tired. It really got me pissed off and before I knew it, I relapsed into porn and masturbation again just to relieve the urge. Now, I am hooked on it and I don’t even care whether she gives me sex or not. I just go to the bathroom and jerk off.”When our correspondent asked him if his wife was aware of the situation, he said no.
“She has no idea of it. I am also hoping to break off from it, but it has been difficult,” he added.
From soft to hardcore
Investigations by our correspondent showed that both the nature of pornography and its public accessibility in Nigeria have evolved significantly over the past two decades.
In the 90s, visual pornography entered the mainstream with soft-sell local and international magazines. Still, their circulation was often confined to certain social strata, and users had to contend with static erotica (sexually explicit content in a non-moving, still image format, such as photographs, drawings, illustrations etc).
While some of these materials were pictorial, others came in the form of lewd stories, which aided the user’s repertoire of fantasies about specific individuals, whom they considered objects of erotic desire.
At the time, X-rated movies were available to Nigerians only in the form of foreign home video cassettes and late-night cable channels, which were readily subscribed to by upper and middle-class citizens.
For the majority of other citizens, however, porn was inaccessible due to strict home video censorship.
But x-rated video cassettes were often rented at affordable prices from video clubs, which adorned virtually every street corner at the time.
In the early 2000s, the era of video cassettes rapidly gave way to the use of VCDs and DVDs, which provided porn users with upgraded and arguably more deviant forms of explicit content.
Unlike static porn, explicit media were more stimulating, and users quickly got bored viewing the same clip repeatedly.
To attract more customers, DVD marketers began selling dozens of explicit content packed in a single disc to cater to a growing demand for variety.
While their Western counterparts dug greedily for sexually explicit clips in adult bookstores, many Nigerian fans of hardcore porn would often patronise those VCD/DVDs hawkers in stalls and carts in public venues across cities.
During this time, cyber cafés flourished in Nigeria, with many patrons addicted to pornography booking overnight browsing sessions to fully satisfy their cravings.
Although much of this explicit online content was video stills and soft porn, many users resorted to sex webcams in chat rooms and slow video uploads, which in most cases, introduced viruses to the computers used by cyber cafés.
This changed in the late 2000s with the advent of high-speed internet, which introduced a new phenomenon: galleries of short porn clips.
These provided users with an endless stream of explicit videos, offering a few minutes of stimulation at a time, all accessible through a monthly subscription.
Starting in 2009, as more Nigerians gained access to internet-enabled mobile phones, porn tube sites became the go-to destination for many.
These sites allowed users to freely download hardcore content without the constraints of censorship or the fear of public disapproval.
Now, with the ubiquity of high-speed internet, smartphones, online photo-sharing services, social media sites such as X (formerly Twitter), and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, porn users have a wide variety of access to materials that invariably fuel their addiction.
Caught after the act
A banker and father of three, Peter Durojaiye, told our correspondent that he changed his mode of viewing porn after his wife found an explicit video on his phone.
He said, “That night, I had downloaded some porn videos and got off with them before hitting the bed. But I didn’t remember to cancel the last video I watched before sleeping.
“To cut a long story short, my wife took my phone, maybe to check something, and saw that video. It was our pastor that settled that matter.”
When our correspondent inquired if he had quit porn since then, he responded, “No. I only stopped downloading such videos on my phone. Now, I view them only via the X app so that it doesn’t show on my browsing history.”
‘My view of women changed’
A computer engineer, Wole Daudu, who described himself as a porn user rather than an addict, pointed out that the explicit content he often viewed online changed his general perception of women.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, he said, “I first came across porn when it popped up while working on my laptop, and out of curiosity, I clicked on it. For me, it opened a kind of window to sex in a way I didn’t see before. The way I talked and looked at women changed, my thoughts became focused on sex, hot girls, buttocks, breasts, and getting off. I began to see women as mere tools for pleasure.
“I tried to introduce some of the styles I was seeing to my wife and she was okay with them at first. It was one day when I was choking her as we were in bed and she shoved my hands away that I knew she wasn’t enjoying it. It made me feel some kind of guilt.
“If you look at porn, you will see the way the women are treated by men. They are slapped, punched, choked and spat upon. The temptation is for the viewer to emulate these with their partner or wife. That, for me, was where I drew the line.”
A married woman who gave her name as Efe, in a message published by The Cable in September 2016 complained that after she got married, she found out that her husband was addicted to pornography.
She added that the results of medical tests conducted to unravel the cause of their infertility revealed that her husband also had low sperm counts.
“Even when we try to exercise our conjugal rights, it is always frustrating, because he can hardly maintain an erection. I have been hiding this shameful secret and I have also tried justifying his action by thinking that all men are into pornography. He has stopped sharing our matrimonial bed with me altogether,” she wrote.
According to research published by the Utah State University and the Journal of Sexual Research, some of the negative effects of porn addiction include a loss of interest in real partners, decreased intimacy, a loss of erection, delayed ejaculation or complete inability to orgasm during sex, and alarming new sexual tastes due to porn fetishes.
Daily masturbation, extreme content
In a Facebook support private group named Sex, Porn and Masturbation, which our correspondent joined, a member, Richard (surname withheld) wrote, “I struggle with porn and masturbate every day. I watch porn even after sleeping with my wife.
“I don’t know what to do and I don’t even want to pray because I feel guilty inside. I confessed to her and now she is saying she wants to leave me, please help.”
Another member and father of one, who preferred to be known as Godson told our correspondent in a private message that he had viewed extremely explicit content.
“When you start you will think, ‘Okay this is enough, it’s time to stop,’ but it’s not that easy because your brain keeps demanding more of it. It’s like a drug that you keep returning to. I have seen terrible things on the internet while searching for something new to excite my fantasy.
“I have seen little girls being defiled by big men. I have seen bestiality videos and even rape porn. This thing messes up the mind. It’s better not to start it than pulling out of it,” Godson wrote.
Most visited websites
Although the Nigerian public spaces are largely conservative and pornography is openly frowned upon by religious and traditional leaders, there are indications that there is a high demand for sexually explicit material among citizens online.
Data shared by StatiSense in a post on X on July 25, revealed that two porn popular sites, ranked third and sixth, respectively, among the most visited websites by Nigerians via mobile devices.
In another data posted on the same day by StatiSense, a porn website (name witheld) was the 12th most visited website by Nigerians.
The data for February 2024, also indicated that three popular porn pages are among 10 most visited porn sites in Nigeria.
Similarly, StatiSense data from 2019 showed that Xvideos and Xnxx were among the 10 most visited websites in Nigeria.
However, Saturday PUNCH could neither independently verify if the users, visited the sites more than once nor confirm the demography of the site visitors.
A review of one of the sites reveals a vast collection of both short and long videos, organised into 60 major categories to cater to a diverse audience with various fetishes.
Some of these categories seen by our correspondent include solo, anal, teen, teacher, doctor, office, missionary, virgin, brunette and blonde.
Other categories which users were expected to select from were Asian, Black, Arab, Indian, African, Nigerian, Naija, cam porn, lesbian, gay, AI, hardcore, and incest.
The site also features hundreds of registered users from around the world who upload amateur explicit videos and photos to attract views and hookups.
Conversely, the site appears to integrate literary, visual and graphic porn to appeal to its visitors.
The site has a genre section, which includes diary, essay, fantasy, fiction, news, poems, sex jokes and a plethora of explicit videos with over 140 themes.
Some of the listed themes on the site indicate extreme and violent content such as horror, domination, bestiality, rape, torture, monster, prostitution, aliens and slavery.
The dark web
Findings by our correspondent revealed that many internet users, both single and married, usually access extreme porn and sexually deviant content through what has been called ‘the dark web.’
It was gathered that links to the dark web are placed at reputable sites or they might be targeted at users of an age through spam emails, fake notifications, or misleading ads, who through a click are redirected to a site they never intended to visit.
Shedding more light on how the underground web operates, an SEO and AI for business tech expert, Ndubuisi Ubani, explained that the dark web is sustained by blackmailers who use sex video leaks, sexual content creators and cybersex enthusiasts.
He said, “Cybersex enthusiasts are those who request and are willing to pay for or fund sexual content online including child porn, bizarre and customised sex content, sex parties and orgies.
“You also have on the dark web people with alternative sex needs – people in relationships (including married folks) who engage in threesomes, partner swapping, polyamorous relationships, swingers, etc. The darker corner of the web contains porn sites, child pornography sites, human and drug trafficking sites, dark markets for illicit/counterfeit goods, community forums, etc.
“Though the dark web was once hidden, it’s now easily accessible through mainstream social and communication platforms due to mobile dominance, private and untracked communication as opposed to messing around in real life, where users can be caught in action or mocked by others.”
Explaining further, Ubani revealed that dark web contents like porn are not only consumed on mainstream porn sites but also on social and private messaging apps like Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, MonkeyApp, dating apps, video sharing and streaming sites, and AI apps capable of turning photos/videos into porn.
He pointed out that the porn ecosystem on the dark web is animated by people’s curiosity, escape from pressures of daily life such as marital problems, and exploration.
“Overall, the perceived discretion when using the dark web can be intoxicating, creating a false sense of safety. Over time, the hidden nature of these activities fuels addiction, making it harder to break free.”
Continuing, he said, “The more users indulge, the deeper they sink, isolating themselves in a shadowy world that promises pleasure but ultimately leaves them disconnected, vulnerable, and trapped in their private darkness.
“In the end, addiction to the dark web (porn) is a choice and a personal battle. While we can’t force anyone to change their habits, we can offer guidance and support. Ultimately, a combination of education, prevention, and treatment is essential in addressing this complex issue.”
‘Porn desensitises the brain’
The President, Association of Resident Doctors at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Calabar, Cross River State, Dr Victor Essien, in a phone interview with Saturday PUNCH, highlighted the importance of recognising the complex interplay between watching pornography and its impact on the brain and behaviours of married men.
He said, “Recent studies suggest that excessive consumption of pornography can alter the brain’s reward circuitry, affecting emotional and relational well-being. One of the most significant effects of pornography on the brain is its ability to hijack the dopamine reward system.
“Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation, is released during the viewing of sexually explicit material. Over time, the brain adapts to this heightened stimulation by desensitising, leading to a need for increasingly graphic or novel content to achieve the same level of arousal.
“This cycle can result in a diminished capacity for experiencing pleasure from everyday activities and can negatively affect a married man’s emotional and sexual connection with his spouse.”
Essien further explained that frequent pornography use could foster unrealistic expectations about sex and intimacy.
“The scripted and exaggerated nature of pornographic content often fails to align with the realities of a committed relationship, potentially leading to dissatisfaction and unrealistic comparisons. This can create a barrier to genuine intimacy and communication, as a man might find himself less present or engaged with his partner.
“Additionally, some men may experience guilt, shame, or anxiety related to their pornography consumption, which can strain marital relationships. Addressing these feelings through open communication and seeking professional help can be crucial in mitigating its adverse effects on marriage.
“While not all men will experience negative consequences from watching pornography, its potential impact on the brain and marital relationship warrants thoughtful consideration. By promoting open dialogue and understanding, couples can navigate these challenges together,” he added.
Divorces, incest linked to porn addiction
Speaking with our correspondent, a cyber-safety advocate and publisher of Internet Safety Magazine, Rotimi Onadipe, noted some of the negative consequences of porn addiction, which he said include divorce, irresponsibility, sexual abuse and incest within the family.
He said, “Porn addiction can destroy marriages because the man no longer enjoys sex with his wife. When a married man is addicted to porn, he will also be addicted to masturbation and this will prevent him from enjoying the marriage again, because he doesn’t need to persuade the wife again. He’ll just lock himself up in a room or a private place to get sexually satisfied.
“Now, this repeats itself each time he has a sexual desire and if there’s no place for him to do this, he could sexually abuse someone around him, even if it’s his daughter. Such an addiction also makes men irresponsible in the home because they spend most of their time, energy, data subscription and money invested in porn and masturbation, leaving the major things they ought to do at home undone.
“In some homes, this addiction in fathers also affects the children. There have been cases of married men exposing their children to porn, either knowingly or unknowingly and this is where incest starts within the home because the children too begin to practice it within themselves.”
Onadipe advised that husbands and fathers addicted to porn should not keep silent due to shame but opt for professional counselling to be helped.
‘Porn addicts need therapy’
An addiction counsellor and founder of the David Folaranmi Foundation, David Folaranmi, in an interview with our correspondent, faulted the widely believed notion that marriage was the escape route from pornography addiction.
He said, “I once felt that way too but having counselled several married men who opened up to me about their continuous struggles with porn, I can categorically tell you that marriage isn’t the solution.”
Folaranmi explained that research had shown that frequent consumption of pornography could alter expectations about sex and intimacy, leading to dissatisfaction, strained relationships, decreased sexual satisfaction and emotional distance between spouses.
He added, “Men who use pornography as a coping mechanism might become less likely to engage in meaningful conversations about their sexual needs or concerns. Pornography can lead to infidelity. Often, men who consume pornographic content, tend to have multiple sexual partners.
“If you are struggling with pornography and you want to come out of it, then you must acknowledge the impact of pornography on your life. Reach out for professional support from therapists specialised in addiction.
“Study educational resources on pornography addiction; be accountable to your spouse; build an inner circle of people who understand what you are going through and be accountable to them; avoid being alone or in lonely places; and address any underlying issues – emotional or psychological. Understand your triggers and come up with coping mechanisms to break the craving cycle, and finally, pray about it.”
[Punch]
PDP’s candidate in last year’s Kogi governorship election, Dino Melaye has accused the party’s leadership of destroying it beyond redemption.
Specifically, he accused acting national chairman, Umar Iliya Damagum, national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and national organising secretary, Umar Bature, of being behind the bad fortunes of the party.
Melaye who was also a member of the National Assembly has kept a low profile since his loss and refused to challenge the outcome in court.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he wrote, “End of the road for PDP as Damagun, Bature, and Anyanwu irredeemably destroyed the party. We will talk about the commercialisation and privatisation of PDP. PDP is now once upon a time.”
Melaye’s comment follows an allegation by PDP lawmakers in the House of Representatives against Damagum and Anyanwu.
The spokesperson and member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato Federal Constituency, Ikenga Ugochinyere, had listed some events which he said were a calculated attempt by Damagum and Anyanwu to weaken the PDP.
The lawmakers alleged that the party leaders were plotting to sabotage the PDP by aiding defected former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly with legal backing.
According to them, this was an attempt to impeach the Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara out of office.
Damagum replied to the allegation, warning that nobody could intimidate him into resigning from his position.
[Vanguard]
Bolanle Austen-Peters, the Nigerian movie producer, has unveiled her film village in Epe, Lagos state.
In a recent post on X, the filmmaker revealed that House of GA’A, her latest movie, was shot at the BAP Film Village; which is 10,000 acres of land.
Austen-Peters also announced that the film village is open for commercial purposes — including recreation and movie productions.
“So many have asked where we shot House of GA’A. This is it! BAP Productions Film Village in Epe. Over 10,000 acres of land, rolling hills, huts, and other facilities. Open for biz to film makers and excursions,” she said.
“This what we started with, greenery, dense forestation, when we went the first time. Everything was just this large expanse of land and then I called Bisola. I wanted to give woman a chance. She had never done anything like this before. But I saw the fire in her eyes.
“She moved in, cleared the place, and started construction. Before we knew it, in a couple of months, we have all the buildings that you see now in place. And this is where took all these beautiful shots that you see in the movie. This is the BAP film village.”
She joins the list of filmmakers like Kunle Afolayan and Ibrahim Chatta who own film villages.
Afolayan unveiled his Kunle Afolayan Productions (KAP) film village and resort at Igbojaye, Oke Ogun, Oyo state, in 2022.
In 2023, Chatta announced the opening of his Africhatta film village in Oyo town.
The filmmaker said the production site is built on over 70 acres of land with facilities like horse riding and other recreational activities made available to the public.
[TheCable]
A court has ordered another Nigerian asset to be seized over the country’s ongoing legal tussle with Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., a Chinese firm.
In January 2023, the superior court of Quebec in Canada ordered the seizure of Bombardier 6000 Jet (type BD-700-1A10) belonging to Nigeria.
The Canadian court ordered “Mise-en-cause (Tibit Limited) and/or the Custodians (Aviation Etcetera SEC and/or Starlink Aviation Inc.) or any of their parent, subsidiary or affiliated entities” to hand over the jet.
The order was made by David Collier, the judge.
The Chinese firm approached the Canadian court for the seizure in a bid to enforce a $70 million arbitral award against Nigeria.
NIGERIA’S DELAYED RESPONSE
After the seizure order in January 2023, Nigeria was summoned to the Quebec court.
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According to court documents, Nigeria had been notified of the legal action by the Chinese on April 19, 2023, through diplomatic channels.
Nigeria did not file its response within the timeframe as stipulated in the Code of Civil Procedures.
Although the deadline is not mandatory, the Canadian court reserves the right to determine whether a party filed within the timeframe.
After receiving the diplomatic notification of the request to enforce the arbitral award in Canada, Nigeria filed a response on January 11, 2024.
On February 15, 2024, Nigeria filed a request to be absolved of its failure to respond within the stipulated time.
Nigeria had told the court that it could not respond expeditiously because there was a delay while comparing notes with the Ogun state government — the subnational entity responsible for the arbitral award.
Nigeria said Ogun held a governorship election in March 2023 and that an attorney-general for the state was not appointed until October 2023.
Nigeria added that it was unable to brief its Quebec lawyers before January 11, 2024.
In his ruling in March 2024, Chantal Corriveau, a judge at the superior court of Quebec, dismissed Nigeria’s argument as “unreasonable”.
HOW NIGERIA GOT THE SEIZED JET
In May 2020, a court in the province of Quebec granted the seizure order of the jet in favour of the federal government.
The government told the court that the jet was originally acquired by Dan Etete, a former minister of petroleum.
Nigeria said the jet was procured from the controversial oil prospecting licence (OPL) 245 deal.
It was also alleged that the jet was acquired in the name of Tibit Limited, a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.
The sum of $57 million was said to have been used to purchase the jet in 2011.
The OPL 245 deal involves the $1.3 billion purchase of an oil block by Royal Dutch Shell and Eni from Malabu Oil and Gas, a company in which Etete had major shares.
THE CHINESE FIRM’S CASE
In 2010, Zhongshan, through Zhuhai Zhongfu Industrial Group Co. Ltd. (Zhuhai), its Chinese parent company, acquired rights to develop a free trade zone in Ogun state.
A year later, Zhongshan set up Zhongfu International Investment (NIG) FZE (Zhongfu) to manage the project, with the permission of the Ogun state government.
However, things took a different turn in July 2016 when the investor accused the state government of abruptly moving to terminate its contract, while attempting to install a new manager for the free trade zone.
Subsequently, Zhongfu initiated an investment treaty arbitration against Nigeria under the bilateral investment treaty between the People’s Republic of China and Nigeria (the China-Nigeria BIT).
The arbitrators had ruled that Nigeria was in breach of its obligations under the China-Nigeria BIT and awarded Zhongshan a compensation of about $70 million.
Recently, a French court ordered the seizure of three presidential jets belonging to the Nigerian government over the contract dispute.
A court of appeal in the United States also ruled that Nigeria’s claim of sovereign immunity cannot stand in a commercial venture.
A commercial court in London had also granted the Chinese firm permission to seize two residential properties owned by Nigeria in the UK — over the arbitral award.