Former Green Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Fregene, has passed away.

Naija News reports that sad news was announced by his longtime friend and ex-international, Segun Odegbami, on Sunday.

Odegbami revealed that Fregene died peacefully after a prolonged illness, with his wife, Tina, and two of his children by his side.

The football legend, who had been on life support for the past week, finally succumbed to his health challenges, marking the end of an era for Nigerian football.

Earlier this year, Odegbami had publicly sought financial assistance for Fregene’s medical care.

In a statement issued in March, he shared that the former goalkeeper was hospitalized in Sapele, Delta State, and required urgent medical attention.

Although some support was provided, including an ambulance covered by Tony Ojesina, more funds were still needed for further treatment at a teaching hospital.

Odegbami also used the opportunity to highlight the absence of a functional welfare system for retired athletes in Nigeria, lamenting the hardships many face in their later years.

In his update on Sunday, Odegbami expressed his grief, writing, “A few minutes ago, Peter ‘Apo’ Fregene, OLY, former goalkeeper for Nigeria’s Green Eagles, who has been on life support for the past one week, passed on to meet his creator. He died quietly in the presence of his two children and his devoted wife, Tina.”

Fregene’s legacy is well remembered, especially his standout performances for Nigeria’s national team in the 1960s and 70s, including his participation in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.

Known for his incredible reflexes and shot-stopping ability, Fregene earned the nicknames ‘Apo’ and ‘Flying Cat,’ a testament to his agility and skill between the posts.

Tributes have since poured in from across the sports community, honoring his contributions to Nigerian football and his impact on the generations that followed.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria is poised for talks with Dangote Petroleum Refinery between Tuesday and Wednesday to finalise agreements on the cost and lifting of petrol from the plant.

It was learnt on Sunday that the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria had been asked by the $20bn Lekki-based refinery to resend its request for petrol lifting.

This came as PETROAN expressed optimism that the cost of petrol might reduce in the coming days once the competition in the downstream oil sector sets in fully, as marketers load the commodity from the refinery.

Meanwhile, IPMAN described the planned agreement with the Dangote refinery as a crucial step in the association’s ongoing efforts to facilitate the lifting of petroleum products, thereby contributing to the stability and efficiency of the country’s fuel supply chain.

Last week, the Federal Government granted permission to petroleum marketers to lift petrol directly from the Dangote refinery without going through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

The Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Naira-crude sale implementation committee, Wale Edun, had in a statement, said, “Moving forward, petroleum product marketers are now able to purchase PMS (petrol) directly from local refineries without the intermediary role of NNPC.

“Marketers are encouraged to initiate direct purchases from refineries on mutually negotiated commercial terms, which will promote competition and improve market efficiency.”

Providing an update on Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike, said the association hoped to meet with officials of the Dangote refinery for discussion as it is ready to commence a healthy business relationship with the refinery.

Ukadike, who spoke during an interview monitored by our correspondents on Arise TV, said the association had acquired tank farms to enhance its storage facilities, thus addressing a challenge that had previously hindered operations.

He said, “We hope to sit down with Dangote maybe Tuesday or Wednesday and if they give us a template or price, we will move to Dangote. I want to reassure you that we have all it takes to off-take whatever Dangote will give to us. I don’t know why they are dragging their legs to discuss with marketers, maybe it is politics.

“The more we take action in terms of distribution lines, the price will come down, we are not afraid of this competition, we have organised ourselves and are ready to compete because this is the survival of the fittest.

“The issue of not having tank farms is gone because we have addressed the issue and now have farm tanks and anywhere Dangote says they will give us our products, we will distribute them to our marketers.”

On his part, President PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, told The PUNCH his group had been asked to resend their request to lift petrol from the plant.

“We have written to them (Dangote) several times and they are fully aware of what PETROAN has been doing. One of the executive directors there called me to say that they are going to set up a meeting with us, so we are waiting for that to happen. Hopefully, we can do that this week.

“We are willing to take products from all of them, NNPC, traders, importers, Dangote refinery, modular refineries, etc. So, we are in that pursuit. We have not received confirmation of the meeting with Dangote yet, but we have been told to resend our request, which we have done.

“And I think that is a positive response compared to before when they were just keeping quiet. So, any moment from now PETROAN members should start lifting products from the Dangote refinery and it is good news for us and everyone,” Gillis-Harry stated.

On whether the price of petrol would drop in the future, the PETROAN president added, “The price can be knocked down to N700/litre; it depends on the volatility of the market and this does not always mean upward prices, it could also mean prices coming down.

“If we have massive supply and there is a lot of products in Nigeria, obviously everybody will be looking for just minimal profit. Our business is focused on turnover, so people may cut prices down.”

Meanwhile, Ukadike, the IPMAN spokesperson, stated that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority had issued a bulk purchase license for independent marketers so that they could off-take from Dangote refinery.

“The NMDPRA has issued a bulk purchase license for independent marketers so that we can offtake from the Dangote refinery. We want this to take effect immediately. We have also been promised an import license so that we can import. These are the factors of deregulation.

“When you implement it, you have put all the stakeholders in the same line so that the competition will be healthy. It is not putting some people before others. How can we buy products at N1,040 and say there is competition? It is designed to edge us out and make us dependent on NNPC and its sources.

“The NMDPRA boss told our national president that we would be issued an import license on Friday. But you know all these processes have bureaucratic procedures. Before we didn’t have this chance but today, the situation has improved,” he noted.

On the debt owed to oil dealers by the NNPC, Ukadike said, “The NNPC boss has agreed to load out all our tickets that are in their system and unlock the money. Sometimes we get these monies from bank loans and when it is locked up, we incur bank charges which also affect the price of fuel.

“They haven’t loaded us out as I speak to you now; they have also not revealed the new price. It is only when they do that, that we will look at the remittance we are going to pay but our president insisted that since this money has been locked up with them, they should give us at the old price so that we can use it to cushion the bank charges and other expenses we have incurred so far.

“By Monday or Tuesday, the new price will be out and I will announce it. We don’t want that impression that independent marketers are selling higher than NNPC.”

Continuing, IPMAN sought the government’s assistance in financing by creating an energy bank to assist marketers following the huge cost of interest rates affecting price increases.

“We are working with security agencies to ensure that products are not stolen out of this country, and products meant for independent marketers go to their stations. Also, we are working to ensure there is nothing like adulteration.”

He said independent marketers were on the verge of collapsing because of the huge amount invested in buying one truck of 45,000 litres of petrol.

“Before the subsidy removal, we bought products at N8.1m, but now we are buying it close to N50m. How many people can survive that?”

Super Eagles media team on Sunday night confirmed that players and officials of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team were held hostage by Libyan authorities upon their arrival at Al Abaq Airport in Al Abaq, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

In a video posted by the Eagles media team, the players and officials, along with their luggage, were left stranded at the airport, with the Libyan airport officials indifferent to their plight and conversing in Arabic.

The Eagles departed for Libya on Sunday morning, ahead of their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday 4 clash against the Mediterranean Knights. Initially scheduled to fly into Tripoli and travel by road to Benghazi, the team altered their plans to avoid unnecessary strain. Instead, they chartered a flight with a brief stopover in Kano before continuing to Benghazi. Libya will host the three-time African champions at the 10,000-capacity Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benina, located just 10 kilometres from Benghazi, but reports emerged that they were diverted to another city.

“About an hour to landing, the Nigerian aircraft approaching its destination, Benghazi, was diverted to another city more than a two-hour drive from the original destination,” the Eagles media team said.

“Libya authorities hold Super Eagles and officials hostage at the Al Abaq airport in Al Abaq.”

Nigeria secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Libya at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday courtesy of a late Fisayo Dele-Bashiru strike. The second leg between the two countries will take place on Tuesday, October 15, with the Eagles hoping to maintain their unbeaten runs.

The Confederation of African Football has appointed Cape Verdean official Delgado Santos Rocha Lenine to referee the match.

He will be assisted by his compatriots Djêry Gomes Lopes and Jorge Santos Fonseca Aritson as assistant referees. Burkina Faso’s Hamidou Diero will serve as the fourth official. Somalian Amir Abdi Hassan has been named match commissioner, while Malian Dramane Dante will act as the referee assessor. The security of the event will be overseen by Algerian official Rachid Medjiba.

…125 still in detention —Deji Adeyanju

The Department of State Service, DSS, this weekend, released two #EndBadGovernance protesters, who have been in detention in Kaduna.

At press time, there are no fewer than 125 protesters still in detention, including 38 remanded by Justice Emeka Nwite, in Abuja.

Vanguard gathered, yesterday, that the 38 detained protesters would appear before Justice Nwite for further hearing on their bail.

The 125 detained protesters have been in custody for over 62 days.

Meanwhile, Mr. Deji Adeyanju, counsel to the protesters, in an exclusive chat with Vanguard, yesterday, expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in the judicial process.

According to Adeyanju, authorities claimed to have filed charges, “but our team has yet to receive any documents.”

He stated that the development highlights the inconsistencies in the handling of protest-related cases nationwide, though most of the 873 protesters arrested in Kano have been released, due to collaborative efforts by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.

Adeyanju added that efforts are ongoing in Sokoto, as two protesters have been released in the North-West region, recently.

Nationwide, over 1,000 protesters were arrested.

Considering the releases in Kano (873) and Sokoto, as well as Kaduna (two), about 125 protesters are likely still in custody, including the 38 in Abuja and 10 facing treason charges.

Adeyanju said: “We are currently working on the cases of about 38 or 39 #EndBadGovernance protesters, who have been remanded by Justice Nwite in Abuja for 62 days.

“Their remand is set to end today (Monday). The authorities claim to have filed charges against many others, but we have not been served any documents up to this point. That’s the main challenge we have.
“In Kano, most of the 873 protesters have been released because we have been collaborating with the NBA on this matter. In Sokoto, we have made some progress as well.

“However, I am not entirely sure about the situation in other states, but I can look into it and provide you with an update in the next few days.”

The #EndBadGovernance protests were staged by Nigerians over the worsening economic hardship and growing hunger across the land.

The protests, however, turned violent in some states, resulting in casualties and arrests across the country.

Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, says insufficient aircraft in Nigeria is the primary reason for frequent flight cancellations and high ticket prices for local and international flights.

In an interview with the BBC Pidgin on Saturday, Keyamo expressed concern over the challenges, including flight delays without prior notice to passengers, assuring that they would soon be resolved.

He said the government has initiated a process to empower Nigerian airline operators to partner with foreign companies that manufacture airplanes.

“I met with the people on the ground and asked them, and they told me that the money they pay to hire (rent) airplanes is too high,” Keyamo said.

“They call it wet lease, and the kind of airplanes they get are not the ones they can pay for in installments, why? It’s because the people who bring airplanes to Nigeria for business are afraid of Nigeria.

“They said Nigeria is full of dishonest people, and anytime they bring their planes to Nigeria, if the people cannot pay, they cannot recover their planes.

“I met with them around the world, and they told us to change our law called the Cape Town Convention, when you sign it, it means you are serious.

“The law we signed states that if anyone brings an airplane into Nigeria, if there’s a problem, the government will allow them to take their airplane back, we cannot hold it.”

Keyamo said after Nigeria signed the law and agreement, the country’s aviation rating improved significantly — rising from 49 percent to 70.5 percent.

He expressed optimism that as more planes become available, ticket prices will decrease.

On September 12, the federal government signed the Cape Town Convention (CTC) practice direction to enable domestic airline operators to access aircraft on dry lease.

The Cape Town accord aims to enhance asset-based financing and leasing of aviation equipment, including aircraft, thereby expanding funding opportunities and reducing costs for airlines.

With the agreement, Nigerian airline operators are expected to gain access to aircraft on dry lease, which could lead to lower flight rates for passengers.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors Forum has called for an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss various concerns regarding the party’s crisis.

Recalls that since Umar Damagum became the acting National Chairman following Senator Iyorchia Ayu’s court removal, he has faced increasing criticism from party leaders over the ongoing crisis in the PDP, resulting in calls for his resignation.

Damagum’s indecisiveness has contributed to the tense political situation in Rivers State between Governor Sim Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.

On Friday, in a surprising turn of events, Damagum’s faction of the NWC, through the party’s National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, announced the suspension of National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba and National Legal Adviser Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN) for alleged insubordination and anti-party.

Shortly after, a statement signed by Ologunagba indicated that the NWC had suspended Damagum and National Secretary Sen. Samuel Anyanwu for alleged disloyalty to the PDP, appointing National Treasurer Yayari Ahmed Mohammed as the acting National Chairman.

As the crisis rocking the party persists, the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has charged the factional acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagum, to revert to the status quo.

In an interview with PUNCH, a senior party member revealed that PDP stakeholders were considering the establishment of a caretaker committee to guide the party toward a National Convention to elect a new National Working Committee.

The source, who was in the meeting between the Bauchi Governor and Damagum’s faction of the NWC, said that the chairman of the PDP Governors forum urged for calm and called for an emergency meeting to tackle concerns in the party.

He said, “Governor Bala Mohammed is worried about the situation. During his meeting with Damagum’s team on Friday, he welcomed them and called for calm. The governor urged them to restore the status quo to keep the NWC unified and allow the NEC to address the issues at its next meeting.

“To tackle these concerns, I understand that the governors have called an emergency meeting for Monday. Some stakeholders are discussing the possibility of appointing a new caretaker committee to manage the party’s affairs and organize an elective national convention in 2025 to usher in new NWC.

“These stakeholders believe that reconciliation efforts will not lead to the current NWC members collaborating for the party’s benefit. However, they are also cautious due to the ongoing litigation surrounding the Damagum and NWC situation. Therefore, the governors will convene to consider all these issues.”

Vice-President Kashim Shettima says the federal government is working to reverse Nigeria’s growing unemployment rate.

Shettima said this on Saturday at the launch of the Nasarawa state human capital development strategy document and gender transformative human capital development policy framework in Lafia.

He said the government is committed to empowering Nigerians with globally competitive skills which would enable them excel anywhere in the world.

Shettima said the human capital development (HCD) programme is designed to help Nigeria achieve a productive workforce.

“Enough of the distressing data on our education system—whether it is the mean years of schooling, the high pupil-to-teacher ratios, or the staggering number of youths not in employment, education, or training,” he said.

“The unemployment rates, the growing informal sector, and low labour force participation must be reversed. This is the dystopia our Human Capital Development Programme is designed to avert, under the mandate of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“For so long, at the National Economic Council, we have debated the ideal nation we wish to build and the pathways to achieve it.

“Our partnerships with the private sector are critical in achieving this. By facilitating access to resources, expertise, and innovation, we aim to make human capital development the cornerstone of a more prosperous and competitive Nigeria.”

He added that the unveiling of a blueprint for Nasarawa’s human capital challenges reaffirms the administration’s commitment to tackle the unique realities of each state.

“Nasarawa state’s commitment to the Human Capital Development (HCD) Programme, a lifeline for our nation, is built on the collective realisation that enough is enough,” he said.

“Enough of the cycles that have held us back. Enough of the legacies of unplanned high fertility rates and alarming maternal and under-five mortality rates. Enough of our vulnerable populations facing low life expectancy.

“Rather, it is an invitation for every country, and indeed sub-national entities, to rise to the challenge. Every child must have access to quality education, equitable healthcare, even as the nation’s workforce must be equipped with the skills necessary to thrive in the 21st-century economy.”

Dangote Group is preparing to begin crude oil production to support its $20 billion refinery. For this purpose, the company is seeking a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel with a capacity of 650,000 barrels.

Production is expected to begin at its two Nigerian oil assets, Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 71 and 72, in the fourth quarter of 2024, following initial challenges in securing crude oil supply from International Oil Companies (IoCs).

According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, the FPSO will be essential for producing and storing crude oil, enhancing the operations of the Dangote refinery.

Dangote holds an 85% stake in West African E&P Venture, which has a 45% working interest in OMLs 71 and 72, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) holds the remaining 55%.

First E&P, a Nigerian upstream company, is also involved as the operator of the blocks. The oil licenses are situated in shallow waters in the Niger Delta, near the Bonny terminal.

The Kalaekule and Koronama oilfields, located within the blocks, were discovered in 1966. Shell started production two decades later. Output peaked at 21,000 barrels per day in 1999 but declined by 2003.

The fields are estimated to hold recoverable resources of nearly 300 million barrels of oil and 2.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Production is anticipated to begin in 2026, with a potential output of 43,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2036.

The planned startup of production from OMLs 71 and 72 is expected to help Dangote resolve crude oil supply issues and provide a steady feedstock for its refinery operations.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed the United Kingdom for Paris, France, where he is expected to attend an “important engagement” after spending over a week in the UK.

The Senior Special Assistant on Political and other matters to the president, Ibrahim Kabir Masari disclosed this on Friday through his X account.

“Today, I had the honor of visiting President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR at his private residence in the United Kingdom, where we engaged in productive discussions.

“We then departed for Paris, France, for another important engagement”, Masari said.

Meanwhile, details of the engagement were not made public.

DAILY POST recalls that President Tinubu departed Nigeria on Wednesday, October 2, for a two-week working vacation in the UK, as part of his annual leave.

The President’s vacation comes despite the pervasive economic hardship Nigerians are facing.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited had increased the price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to N1,030 per litre, further worsening the hardship on Nigerians.

The former Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has condemned the recent increase in fuel price, calling on the Federal Government to reverse the sudden petrol price hike.

The former Anambra State Governor stated this in a post on his X handle on Saturday morning.

Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) announced a 14.8% hike in the price of petrol raising it to ₦1,030 per litre from ₦897.

This marks the second petrol price increase within the past month, following a previous rise in September when the price surged from ₦615 to ₦897 per litre.

Reacting, Peter Obi described the latest increase as unfortunate and insensitive.

He called on President Bola Tinubu, who doubles as the Minister of Petroleum, to provide full explanation, offer alternative options, and most importantly, reverse the sudden price hike.

Peter Obi wrote: “As Nigerians continue to groan under extremely difficult economic conditions, largely caused by the Federal Government’s wrong policy choices, the NNPCL has once again raised the price of fuel (PMS) without providing any explanation.

“This is both unfortunate and insensitive, considering the wide-ranging negative consequences for our economic survival and well-being.

“This is neither how an economy’s resources should be managed nor how a nation should be governed. In this new measure, there is neither sound economics nor necessary compassion.

“We are told that the NNPCL is now a limited liability company, regulated by agencies such as the NUPRC and NMDPRA, yet there seems to be growing confusion about the roles and responsibilities of the NNPCL and these regulating bodies.

“Interestingly, both the NNPCL and the regulatory agencies are supposed to be under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria serving as the substantive Minister. Who, in this arrangement, is regulating who?

“With the unprecedented but avoidable hardship that Nigerians are enduring, the responsibility for providing a full explanation, offering alternative options, and most importantly, reversing the sudden price hike falls squarely on the Honorable Minister of Petroleum Resources/President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We hope and pray that he acts in the best interest of the majority of Nigerians, who are living under unnecessarily precarious conditions, and that he does so before his return from his working vacation.

“To casually inflict such a draconian measure on the populace from the comfort of an annual vacation amounts to taking the people’s welfare lightly and for granted.

“A New and more compassionate Nigeria is indeed Possible!”