Category: 📈Trends

Lagos-based National Youth Service Corps (corper) member, Ushie Uguamaye, has raised concerns over alleged threats following her viral video criticising President Bola Tinubu’s government over inflation and economic hardship.

In a video shared on her TikTok account #talktoraye on Saturday, Uguamaye expressed frustration over Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions, lamenting that hard work seems futile amid financial struggles.

She openly criticised Tinubu, calling him a “terrible leader,” and questioned the government’s efforts to alleviate citizens’ suffering.

Additionally, she described Lagos State as a “smelling state,” complaining about its odour and poor living conditions.

Shortly after her video gained traction, Uguamaye alleged that she began receiving threats, reportedly from NYSC officials, pressuring her to take down the content.

Frustrated by the backlash, she took to Instagram #iamraye__ to express her disappointment at what she described as attempts to silence her, insisting that she only spoke the truth about Nigeria’s realities.

She wrote, “Dear Nigerians, I am already getting threatened by the NYSC board to stop speaking on this issue. Less than 24 hours, I’m already getting threatened by the government starting with the NYSC board!.

“Dear Nigerians, they have my address. In case you guys don’t see me online, please you know who to hold accountable. I didn’t do anything wrong I just asked that they work on the inflation.

“Why can’t I speak up? Being an NYSC corper doesn’t mean I signed up my right to complain.

“Why can’t the government listen to the critics of its citizens? They believe they have a chain on me, which is NYSC, and they are using it to hold me. #officialasiwajubat I didn’t do anything wrong. I criticised your government and I demand that we are being heard.”

She added, “Deleting this content is of no use: because they already know me. However, deleting it means whatever they do to me, nobody would know. If they decide to give me a hefty punishment, nobody would know because I used my own hands to cover it by deleting what I started.

“She’s asking people to Identify me? I’m not a criminal. Reading the NYSC rules, I didn’t commit any crime. Ask the NYSC lady to stop asking people to point me out, ATP she’s acting scary.

“All I did was lament, all I did was complain. I’m getting tons of messages like this from my fellow corpers. What is wrong with just one person complaining? Why are they looking for me like I’m a criminal? I’m not dumb.

“I made sure to not accuse the government of anything maliciously! I questioned them. I asked questions. As an NYSC Corper, I didn’t sign off my freedom of speech.

“Leave me alone bruh. they keep calling me and I’ve switched of my phones now they are texting me my personal details on WhatsApp to inform me they know me well.

“Dear NYSC if you say a corper has faulted, you wouldn’t treat them like this and scare them! You are scaring me for my dear life. Please, leave me alone. You told me to report to the office on Monday. Okay! What else? Why are you looking for me? I just exercised my right to using the ‘Freedom of Speech’
this is the right of every citizen. Except they tell me being an NYSC Corper removes me from being a citizen.”

Her allegations have sparked widespread debate on social media, with many Nigerians questioning whether the NYSC is suppressing free speech among corps members.

Click the link below to watch the video:

https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1901231015365857441

Popular Fuel marketers decry closure of stations at border towns, citizens demand more Nigerian goods

Less than two years after President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy in Nigeria, the effect of the decision is now being felt deeply by neighbouring Niger Republic.

Also, findings by THE PUNCH on Sunday from fresh data sourced from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that trade between Nigeria and Niger Republic surged by 82 per cent in 2024 despite ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

This came as oil dealers raised concern about the closure of filling stations at border towns, stressing that marketers were losing so much revenue due to the development.

Since the start of March, Niger Republic has been grappling with an unprecedented shortage of the most widely used petrol in the West African country.

Economic activities were brought to a halt as filling stations in Niamey, the capital, and those in other towns ran out of petrol recently.

For several years, the country depended majorly on Nigeria for about 50 per cent of its local fuel consumption, industry players and experts confirmed. Petrol was usually smuggled into the neighbouring country through illegal routes.

However, since President Bola Tinubu’s administration removed the fuel subsidy in 2023, the price of petrol skyrocketed, making the smuggling of the product unattractive to illegal traders in border areas.

Aside from Niger, countries like Benin Republic and Togo were also beneficiaries of Nigeria’s petrol subsidy which stopped immediately after Tinubu took over on May 29, 2023.

The removal of subsidy and the attendant rise in the price of petrol has mounted pressure on Niger’s refinery, which can only produce a few tankers of fuel per day.

The Commercial Director of the state-owned Nigerien Company for Oil Products (Sonidep), Maazou Oumani Aboubacar, confirmed that half of the country’s consumption used to come from Nigeria until this was halted by the current administration.

Aboubacar told AFP that the Soraz refinery in Zinder is the only one in the country, saying it “can no longer satisfy domestic demand,” which has surged for more than a year now.

The reason is principally down to the drying up of the flourishing black market supplied from neighbouring Nigeria, a major global producer. It was learnt that the country’s refinery only provides Sonidep with “25 tanker trucks of petrol a day” when the daily national requirement is up to twice that.

Domestic consumption was said to have been boosted by a cut in fuel prices introduced by the military regime that seized power in Niger in 2023. The official stated that two years ago, prices tripled after the Nigerian President ended costly fuel subsidies.

“The fuel that came into Niger illegally from Nigeria represented up to half of the market. It supplied the large regions near the border between the two countries,” Aboubacar was quoted as having said.

With Nigerian smugglers supplying up to 50 per cent of the country’s daily petrol consumption up till 2023, the country’s refinery was producing a little to augment the supply from Nigeria.

However, the country faced the reality after Tinubu declared that “the fuel subsidy is gone” and tightened up the borders.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chinedu Ukadike, said the removal of subsidy, as well as the Operation Whirlwind of the Nigeria Customs Service going on across the borders, is taking its toll on Niger and other neighbouring countries.

Ukadike told our correspondent that when petrol was subsidised in Nigeria, neighbouring countries benefitted through illegal merchants who smuggled the product out of the country.

The marketer disclosed that the high cost of petrol reduced illegal bunkering, forcing Niger and others to either refine or import their petroleum products directly at the right price.

“It is true that when Nigeria was subsiding fuel, other neighbouring countries were enjoying subsidies too. As it is now, the rise in the price of fuel in Nigeria has reduced smuggling. The ongoing Operation Whirlwind has also reduced smuggling. The option available to the Niger Republic and other neighbouring countries enjoying our subsidy is to import PMS directly if they cannot refine it.

“When we subsidised our fuel, they were benefitting, and smuggling was thriving. Now that we have deregulated the downstream, smuggling has been reduced; security agencies are all over the borders through Operation Whirlwind. This has stopped illegal fuel export to Niger and it is one of the major reasons for their current fuel crisis,” Ukadike explained.

The PUNCH gathered that the fuel crisis in Niger reached alarming proportions last week after a litre of petrol sold for as high as N8,000 in some parts of the country.

Findings by our correspondents in Sokoto State, which shares a border with Niger, showed that the price of petrol varied depending on the distance from Nigeria.

A transborder businessman from Nigeria, Abubakar Usman, was quoted as saying, “There is a serious scarcity of fuel in the country. It depends on where one is getting the fuel.

“In Konni, the border town between Nigeria and Niger, you can get a litre at 1,200 CFA, which is about N2,500. If you go to Agadez, the same litre of fuel is 3,000 CFA, equivalent to N7,500 per litre. In Arilit, a local government under Agadez, which is the border town between Niger and Algeria, it is 3,500 CFA, which is about N8,750 when converted to our currency.”

To solve its fuel crisis, Niger Republic turned to Nigeria despite months of diplomatic tensions and a hostile relationship, as reported by Sunday PUNCH.

The report stated that a delegation of senior officials of the military junta travelled down to Abuja to meet Federal Government representatives behind closed doors.

At the end of the deliberation, 300 trucks of PMS were reportedly approved for delivery to the country as Nigeria, once again, played the ‘big brother’ role.

Sunday PUNCH also reported that a senior government official aware of the development said Nigeria approved the deal with the hope of using it as a “strategic bargaining tool” in ongoing negotiations with Niger.

According to the official, the delegation explained that Niger had been reliant on fuel from a Chinese refinery. However, due to issues with the supplier, the refinery was shut down, leaving the country with limited options.

“We do not want to blow our trumpet. Rather, we want to use it as a bargaining chip for negotiation as we continue to engage with them to bring them back to ECOWAS.

“Let them get more from us. I am confident that gradually they will come back to ECOWAS because they do not have enough resources to import food to sustain their citizens,” the source added.

Reacting, oil marketers said although they were not aware of the deal, the export of 300 tankers to Niger Republic would amount to about 13.5 million litres of petrol. It was calculated that 300 of 45,000-litre capacity trucks are about 13.5 million litres of petrol to be exported to the Niger Republic.

The dealers, however, stated that Nigeria had enough to save the junta-led country from the current fuel crisis rocking it. According to marketers, Nigeria may have passed the days of fuel scarcity as it now has the Dangote refinery, the Port Harcourt refinery, and others producing fuel locally even as importers bring more from other countries.

The National Vice President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Hammed Fashola, said he was aware of the fuel crisis in Niger Republic, adding that Nigeria had enough to bail out the country.

“I will not say we don’t have that capacity with the refineries we have in the country. I think we have enough to supply Niger Republic,” the IPMAN Vice President said

Similarly, the National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, agreed that the country had enough PMS to help its neighbours without running into any crisis. “If we have a diplomatic reason for that, it is doable,” Gillis-Harry asserted.

It was further gathered that the fuel crisis in Niger may have also been self-inflicted after a confrontation between the ruling junta and Chinese oil companies which had long dominated the country’s petroleum sector.

A security analyst, Zagazola Makama, in an article he published on X, revealed that trouble began in March 2024 when the China National Petroleum Corporation granted the Nigerien government a $400m advance, using future crude oil deliveries as collateral.

The deal was to help Niger cope with crippling economic sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States following the July 2023 coup in the country. However, when it was time to repay the debt, the junta was cash-strapped.

Instead of negotiating, the military rulers were said to have decided to strong-arm China, slapping an $80bn tax demand on Soraz (Zinder Refinery Company) despite the state-owned oil company, Sonidep already owing Soraz a staggering $250bn.

According to Makama, when China refused to provide additional loans, the junta retaliated by expelling Chinese oil executives from the country and seizing Soraz’s bank accounts. The decision was said to have backfired and led to the collapse of Niger’s petroleum sector, which is heavily reliant on Chinese expertise and investment.

Exports surge

Meanwhile, further findings by The PUNCH showed that trade between Nigeria and Niger rose by 82 per cent in 2024 despite ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that the total trade volume between the two West African neighbours climbed to N91.92bn in 2024, up from N50.48bn recorded in 2023.

The sharp rise was largely driven by Nigerian exports to Niger, which nearly doubled from N46.51bn in 2023 to N82.38bn in 2024. The PUNCH observed that exports to Niger account for 89.62 per cent of total trade between the two countries.

Imports from Niger also rebounded from N3.97bn in 2023 to N9.53bn in 2024, indicating a recovery in economic exchanges despite strained relations between the two countries.

Trade between Nigeria and Niger has been volatile in recent years. In 2020, total trade was valued at just N6.69bn, before surging to N88.60bn in 2021 as Nigerian exports to Niger jumped to N78.40bn.

The momentum continued in 2022, with total trade reaching N95.76bn. However, economic activity between the two countries nosedived in 2023, dropping by 47.28 per cent to N50.48bn, following the fallout from the political crisis in Niger.

The coup in Niger in July 2023, which led to the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum, triggered a diplomatic standoff between the country and Nigeria, which spearheaded ECOWAS’ sanctions against the military-led government.

The sanctions included border closures, financial restrictions, and the suspension of the electricity supply, all of which disrupted trade and economic activities between the two nations.

Despite the tensions, trade rebounded strongly in 2024. The 82 per cent surge suggests that demand for Nigerian goods in Niger remains robust, while the recovery in imports indicates a gradual resumption of economic ties.

Nigeria and Niger share deep economic and cultural ties, with trade spanning across agricultural products, manufactured goods, petroleum products, and livestock. Nigerian traders have historically supplied Niger with essential goods, while Niger’s exports to Nigeria include livestock, food products, and raw materials.

In August 2024, Nigeria and Niger signed a security cooperation agreement aimed at tackling insurgency, smuggling, and other security threats along their shared borders. The agreement was seen as a step towards rebuilding relations, even though full diplomatic ties between the two countries remain fragile.

The resurgence of trade between the two nations signals a pragmatic approach to economic engagement despite unresolved political differences.

Niger is a major trading partner to Nigeria as noted in the recently released NBS’ foreign trade statistics report for the fourth quarter of 2024, which read in part, “In the same vein, Nigeria’s major trading import partner within ECOWAS was Ivory Coast (N41.40bn), followed by Ghana (N22.96bn), Liberia (N4.04bn), Niger Republic (N2.62bn) and Togo of (N2.21bn) representing (90.45 per cent) of total imports from the ECOWAS region.”

The PUNCH further observed that about N9.34bn worth of cigarettes were imported from Nigeria into Niger Republic. It was also observed that Nigeria’s imports from Niger Republic in Q4 2024 were led by agricultural and raw materials, with fresh or dried dates topping the list, according to data from the NBS.

The report shows that Nigeria imported N956.68m worth of dates, making it the highest-valued import from Niger during the period. The second most imported commodity was cement, excluding white cement, with a total value of N919.07m.

This indicates a growing demand for cement products from Niger, potentially driven by infrastructure development and construction activities in Nigeria.

Fresh strawberries were another notable import, valued at N255.97m. While not a major staple, the increase in strawberry imports suggests rising consumer demand for fresh fruits, possibly linked to Nigeria’s expanding food processing and retail sectors.

Raw materials also featured among the top imports, with whole hides and skins (weighing more than 16kg) accounting for N125.65m in imports. The leather and tanning industry in Nigeria continues to rely on imports of raw hides, especially from neighbouring countries, to sustain production.

Also, Nigeria imported N80.66m worth of shelled pine nuts from Niger. These nuts are often used in food processing and are valued for their nutritional benefits.

The PUNCH further observed that Trade between Nigeria and the Sahel nations of Burkina Faso and Mali experienced significant fluctuations over the past five years, with a notable surge in 2024.

Fresh data from the NBS show a sharp increase in Nigeria’s total trade with both countries, driven by rising exports and a dramatic spike in imports from Mali. Nigeria’s trade with Burkina Faso rose from N12.92bn in 2023 to N18.26bn in 2024, marking a 41.4 per cent increase.

This growth was largely fuelled by higher exports, which climbed from N12.92bn to N18.20bn. Imports from Burkina Faso, though much smaller in volume, also recorded a sharp rise from N4.41bn to N59.16bn within the same period.

Similarly, Nigeria’s trade with Mali saw an unprecedented jump, with total trade reaching N199.21bn in 2024, a massive leap from N12.57bn in the previous year. The most striking change was in Nigeria’s imports from Mali, which surged from just N269.87m in 2023 to N183.79bn in 2024.

This marked a significant shift in trade dynamics, raising questions about the factors driving such an increase.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s exports to Mali also grew from N12.30bn in 2023 to N15.42bn in 2024, maintaining a steady upward trend.

The rise in trade with Burkina Faso and Mali comes amid the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States, a new regional bloc created by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in September 2023.

The alliance, established through the Liptako-Gourma Charter, aims to enhance security cooperation among the three military-led governments, following their deteriorating relations with the Economic Community of West African States.

The AES was formed as a response to ECOWAS sanctions imposed after the military takeovers in the three countries, leading them to seek alternative economic and security partnerships.

Despite political tensions, economic ties between Nigeria and the three Sahel nations appear to be strengthening.

However, the long-term sustainability of this trade surge remains uncertain, especially as ECOWAS continues to push for a resolution to the political crisis in the region.

The Economic Community of West African States recently activated its standby force to combat terrorism in the sub-region.

The regional body had, in October last year, hinted at the establishment of a 5,000-man kinetic force to tackle terrorism in the region.

Speaking at the 43rd ordinary meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, said the activation of the standby force underscored the collective determination of member countries to confront the threat of terrorism.

The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah, also said that despite the recent withdrawal of three African countries from the regional body, ECOWAS would maintain the free movement of persons and goods for their citizens.

He also said plans were in place to mitigate the unforeseen consequences of the withdrawal of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.

Popular Dangote oil refinery will lose up to N32.5bn from 500 million litres stock of premium motor spirit following the recent price cut, The PUNCH reports.

A few days before the refinery announced a price slash, the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, had told newsmen that the refinery had over 500 million litres of petrol in its tanks.

This revelation was made at a period the refinery was selling a litre of petrol at N890.

Our correspondent reports that the 500 million litres of petrol will amount to N445bn if sold at the old rate of N890 per litre.

In a statement last month, the Dangote refinery announced a reduction in the ex-depot price of petrol by N65, from N890 to N825 per litre, effective from February 27, being the second price reduction in the new year.

“It is important to note that Dangote Petroleum Refinery has consistently lowered the prices of petrol and other refined petroleum products to the benefit of Nigerians. This marks the second price reduction of PMS in February 2025, following a previous decrease of N60 earlier in the month.

“Additionally, in December 2024, during the yuletide period, the refinery reduced the price of PMS by N70.50, from N970 to N899.50 per litre, as part of its commitment to easing the cost of living and providing relief to Nigerians during the holiday season. This reduction has positively impacted the overall cost of living, benefiting various sectors of the economy, and has also ensured that Nigerians did not experience the perennial fuel scarcity and price hikes typically associated with the yuletide season,” the company stated.

It was calculated that selling the 500 million litres of PMS at N825 per litre following the reduction will lower the company’s expected income from the stock to N412.5bn, probably ridding it of its margin.

This means the company must have sold the 500 million litres at N32.5bn below its original value of N445bn.

However, experts have suggested that the crash in crude prices and the marginal strength the naira gained lately against the dollar would help the refinery recover its losses.

Earlier, fuel importers and marketers lamented the consistent price reduction by the Dangote refinery, stating that they were losing billions of naira.

As Nigerians rejoiced over the price slash, fuel importers counted their losses as they were compelled to sell below the landing cost.

According to some of them, the Dangote refinery is gradually making importation less attractive with the manner in which it has dropped the prices of petrol and diesel lately.

The importers said they have been managing to sell the imported products with little or no margin due to the need to compete well in the market.

The PUNCH estimates that importers may lose an average of N2.5bn daily and N75bn monthly following the latest PMS price reduction announced by the Dangote refinery.

Marketers with old stocks also lamented that they had incurred heavy losses with the latest price reduction.

But they were not the only ones affected by the development; even the refinery will have to sacrifice billions of naira.

Our correspondent confirmed that many filling stations had lowered their pump prices below N900 per litre following the reduction by the Dangote refinery.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited retail stations dropped prices to N860 per litre in Lagos.

Meanwhile, Nigerians have appealed to Dangote to increase the number of filling stations selling its petroleum products across Nigeria.

However, marketers have projected that petrol prices may drop to N800 as the landing cost now stands at N783.66 per litre, according to the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria

 

 

The presidential aspirant of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, on Thursday, arrived in Bauchi State for a meeting with Governor Bala Mohammed.

The purpose of the visit remains unclear as both politicians are currently holding a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Bauchi.

Mohammed, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, is expected to brief journalists alongside Obi after the meeting.

The 2023 presidential election saw former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, clinch victory after securing the highest number of votes across the country.

Tinubu won in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and amassed a total of 8,794,726 votes, nearly two million more than his closest challenger, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 6,984,520 votes.

Labour Party’s Peter Obi, whose candidacy attracted an unprecedented wave of support, particularly among young voters, finished third with 6,101,533 votes.

Despite being a first-time presidential contender, Obi won in 11 states, including Lagos—Tinubu’s stronghold—and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Atiku, like Tinubu, secured victory in 12 states.

Following the election, opposition parties have intensified discussions about forming a coalition to challenge the APC in 2027.

Atiku has been seen in political meetings with Obi, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and other key figures across the country as strategizing for the next presidential contest gains momentum.

Wife seeks divorce from husband 5 months after her husband borrowed money to throw a lavish wedding.

The incident was narrated by a content creator known as Nasco.

According to his narration, the couple had gotten married in July, but had broken apart in December.

He stated that the wife told the husband that she didn’t feel like she belongs in the marriage and wanted a divorce.

Three months after, the woman had moved on with another man.

He said …

“My guy wey marry July last year, December na him him wife tell am say I don feel like I belong here. I don’t feel like continuing this. Na him the woman tell am, na him the woman move. The guy think say na wetin them fit settle. Na him the woman tell am. Na him the woman move. Like joke like okay. January pass, February pass, na March we dey so. Yesterday I see the lady for shoprite. She don dey with another guy.

“Meanwhile this girl pressure this boy say she need big wedding. This boy borrow money take do the big wedding. Now this guy never pay debt finish….”

Suspended Kogi Central lawmaker, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has filed a contempt charge against Senate President Godswill Akpabio for allegedly defying a court order regarding her suspension.

Alongside Akpabio, the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuem, were also cited as contemnors in the Form 48 filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Akpoti-Uduaghan argues that her six-month suspension was a direct violation of a subsisting court order issued on March 4, 2025. The court had previously restrained the Senate from investigating her alleged misconduct following an incident at the February 20 plenary session.

A notice of disobedience, signed by the court’s registrar pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2004, warned Akpabio, Imasuem, and the Clerk that their actions could result in imprisonment for contempt of court.

According to the court, despite being duly served with an interim injunction on March 5, the defendants “deliberately and contumaciously disregarded” the court’s directive and went ahead with their actions in “flagrant defiance of the authority of the court.”

Justice Obiora Egwuatu had earlier ruled that any action taken against Akpoti-Uduaghan while the case was pending would be “null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.” The court also permitted her to serve the legal processes on the defendants through alternative means, such as pasting them at the National Assembly or publishing them in national newspapers.

In response to the suit, Akpabio has challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the judiciary has no authority to interfere in Senate affairs.

The case has been adjourned until March 25 for further proceedings.

Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has opened up on a life-threatening incident that nearly claimed his life seven years ago.Speaking during the ongoing Special Holy Ghost Service, themed Joy Unspeakable, Pastor Adeboye, who marked his 83rd birthday on Sunday, shared the harrowing experience to express his gratitude for God’s grace.

The revered pastor revealed that while attending the church’s Let’s-Go-A-Fishing evangelism program, he fell critically ill due to severe road conditions.

His health deteriorated so rapidly that he spent Christmas Day in bed, an experience he described as “the first time in my life.”

As his condition worsened, Pastor Adeboye collapsed in Ilesha, necessitating an emergency airlift to the church camp, as he was too weak to travel by road.

“Seven years ago, during this same program, I collapsed in Ilesha. My body gave way, and for the first time in my life, I spent Christmas Day in bed. The devil was certain he had finally got me.

“To bring me back to camp, we had to charter a helicopter because I was too weak to travel by road—if I had, I wouldn’t have made it,” he said.

However, just as the helicopter was about to take off, some local miscreants attempted to prevent the rescue, even damaging one of the helicopter’s windows in the process.

Despite these challenges, the pastor made it to the camp, where he experienced a miraculous recovery.

“They clung to the helicopter, and in the process, one of the windows got torn. But by God’s grace, I made it to the camp. I was certain that if I could just get there, I would recover.

Reflecting on the event, he urged the congregation to thank God for sparing his life and the continued success of the ministry.

“Seven years later, I am still here! Please, praise God for me—give Him glory, honor, and adoration!”

In his address, Pastor Adeboye also cautioned the congregation against living a double life, urging them to remain consistent in their faith both in church and outside.

“This is my advice to you: do not sell your salvation, he warned. “Stop living a double life—one way in church and another way outside. Be consistent in your faith.” 

The four-day event, which marks the 39th anniversary of the Special Holy Ghost Service, has had a lasting impact on millions.

Pastor Adeboye, born on March 2, 1942, in Ifewara, Osun State, joined RCCG in 1973 as an interpreter for the church’s founder, Pa Josiah Akindayomi.

After Akindayomi’s death in 1981, Adeboye succeeded him as General Overseer, leading the church to unprecedented growth and global reach.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, have continued  exchanging words over the crisis at the Senate triggered by the suspension of the Kogi lawmaker.

While Akpabio accused Akpoti-Uduaghan of traumatising others with unfounded allegations, the Kogi lawmaker said she was not the first to accuse the Senate President of sexual harassment, urging him to submit to an investigation.

The disagreement between the two lawmakers became a public spectacle two weeks ago when, during plenary, Akpoti-Uduaghan rejected the relocation of her seat.

She also told the Senate President that she was not scared of him.

Although Akpabio tried to downplay the severity of the matter, the Kogi lawmaker featured in a live television programme the next morning where she accused him of sexual harassment.

Last week, the Senate suspended Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months following a recommendation by its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.

She was suspended for six months as many rights groups and activists condemned the decision and called for fair hearing.

Natasha fond of traumatic, “useless” allegations – Akpabio

Akpabio, at an event to commemorate the International Women’s Day, claimed to be Akpoti-Uduaghan’s victim.

He noted that previous allegations of sexual harassment levelled against others by the senator had turned out to be false.

He said, “It was only yesterday I realised that what we are talking about only happened when there was a change of seat. That was when all hell was let loose and all sorts of allegations came up. Only after the change of seat and change of committee, which my senators know happen from time to time.

“This was said to have happened on the 8th of December, a day before my birthday, which was celebrated in the stadium in 2023. So, from the 8th of December 2023, I never heard, my wife never heard, no Nigerian ever heard, even the husband never heard any issue of sexual harassment until her committee was changed, and her seat was changed.

“Have you ever wondered about the trauma caused by that same woman on the other people she has accused in the past? None has been proved so far. Do you even wonder the trauma this caused to the 10th Senate and the image of the Senate with all these useless allegations? I have refrained from making a statement.

“Look at these beautiful women. They have come across me so many times. Have I ever harassed any one of you? Or is the person thinking that you are not beautiful?”

Akpoti-Uduaghan fires back

Akpoti-Uduaghan dismissed the claims by the Senate President, insisting that a formal investigation was necessary to establish the truth.

The senator, while speaking through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, also pointed out that a similar allegation of sexual harassment was made against Akpabio by a former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Joy Nunieh.

“If Akpabio makes such a statement, the question anybody will ask is why are there two allegations of sexual harassment against him? Joy Nunieh made the same allegation, and now it is Natasha. Akpabio should subject himself to investigation,” he stated.

Giwa said Akpabio was attempting to manipulate Senate proceedings to avoid scrutiny.

He further alleged that Akpabio was using his position to victimise the lawmaker following her refusal to yield to his advances.

“Is it true that Natasha has been prevented from participating in international engagements involving senators? Is it true that she has been forced to use her funds for official trips while others have their expenses covered? These are hard facts that need to be addressed,” he said.

Giwa also maintained that his client would not back down from her legal battle against the Senate President despite efforts from various stakeholders, including the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Imaan Suleiman.

“She welcomes the involvement of the Women Affairs Minister and others who are trying to mediate. A meeting between them is scheduled for next week,” he said.

Why we suspended Kogi lawmaker – Senate

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, on Saturday, clarified that Akpoti-Uduaghan was suspended for gross misconduct and not for the sexual harassment allegation she levelled against Akpabio.

Bamidele, in a statement, said there were deliberate false narratives being circulated by some media organisations on the matter.

He said, “If Senator Uduaghan had strictly followed our guiding principles, the Senate would have treated her petition based on merit in line with its practice. But she never obeyed the established practices of the institution where she was serving.”

He further said the Kogi lawmaker’s suspension was a decision of the committee of the whole Senate following the submission of a report by the chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Senator Neda Imaseun.

“The report found her guilty of violating sections 6.1 and 6.2 of the Senate Rules and recommended her immediate suspension.

“The disciplinary action was a response to her repeated violations of legislative decorum, including: One, for refusing to sit in her assigned seat during plenary on 25th February 2025, despite multiple pleas from the Minority Leader and other ranking Senators—an act of open defiance and disorderly conduct.

“Two, for speaking without being recognised by the presiding officer in clear violation of parliamentary practices and procedures on 25th February 2025.

“Three, for engaging in unruly and disruptive behaviour, obstructing the orderly conduct of Senate proceedings.

“For making abusive and disrespectful remarks against the leadership of the Senate.

“Five, defying and refusing to comply with the summons of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges mandated to investigate cases of misconduct.”

Bamidele urged the public and the media to disregard false reports suggesting otherwise and to always seek the truth before spreading politically motivated narratives.

Falana threatens senators

In a related development, the Director of Women Empowerment and Legal Aid, Mrs Funmi Falana SAN, described the suspension of the senator as a “disgraceful display of power”.

Falana, in a statement on Saturday, threatened to drag members of the Senate who are lawyers before the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee if the suspension was not reversed.

The wife of human rights activist, Femi Falana, SAN, argued that the Senate exhibited gross impunity by suspending Akpoti-Uduaghan without fair hearing.

Mrs Falana said, “By suspending Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan without affording her the opportunity to substantiate the allegation of sexual abuse levelled against the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senate violated her fundamental right to fair hearing guaranteed by section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999.

“Having sworn to comply with the provisions of the Constitution without fear or favour, the gross impunity exhibited by the senators cannot be justified. The suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan by the Senate is a disgraceful display of power.

“On two occasions the Senate had suspended two of its members – Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and Senator Ali Ndume. On both occasions, the Federal High Court declared the suspensions illegal and unconstitutional.

“In the case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, the Federal High Court had restrained the Senate Committee from hearing the complaint against her pending the determination of the motion on notice.

“Since the suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan cannot be justified under the Constitution and the Rules of the Senate, the Senate is advised to lift the suspension without any delay. Otherwise, the members of the Senate who are lawyers will be dragged to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee by the Women Empowerment and Legal Aid.”

Reps seek review of suspension process

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is considering a bill to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide a review of the processes for suspending federal lawmakers.

According to a member of the House of Representatives, Mansur Soro, the Senate Standing Rules are not superior to the 1999 constitution.

Soro, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party representing Darazo/Gnajuwa Federal Constituency, Bauchi State, is the sponsor of a bill for an Act to alter the 1999 constitution to “Regulate the process of suspending a member of the National Assembly from legislative duties and for a related matter,” currently before the Committee on Constitution Review.

A copy of the bill, obtained by Sunday PUNCH, showed that the proposed legislation seeks an alternation of Section 60 of the Constitution with the introduction of sub-section 2.

Section 60 of the Principal Act is altered to introduce a new sub-section 2 which shall read thus, “Nothing in this section shall be construed as authorising the Senate or the House of Representatives to suspend its member(s) except through a recommendation by its committee responsible for ethics and privileges and approved by signatures of two-fourth majority of the members of that House.”

Speaking with our correspondent, the federal lawmaker said, “This bill seeks to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to regulate the process of suspending a member of the National Assembly.

“This is to mitigate abuse of regulations and procedures in suspending a duly elected member of the National Assembly, to ensure that the representation and voice of all senatorial districts and federal constituencies are sustained in both houses of the National Assembly.”

Asked what the Red Chamber should do in the light of the controversy generated by the Natasha/Akpabio feud, the Bauchi lawmaker said, “The Senate should obey the court, recall Senator Natasha and allow the court to decide the matter. The Constitution created the office. Rules can’t take precedence over a constitutional provision, adding that, “The people of Kogi Central Senatorial District should not be punished for the fight of two senators. Their voice and representation at the senate chamber should be restored.”

In light of the tension generated by the development, Soro called for a review of the process of the appointment of the chairman and members of the Ethics and Privileges Committee in both chambers of the National Assembly, saying, “You don’t expect the chairmen to do much against the person who appointed them.”