Security operatives suspected to be personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, said Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja as he was about to board a flight to the UK.

“The assault on Nigerian workers continues. President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, was arrested and abducted by men of the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport Abuja this morning on his way to attend an official engagement of TUC United Kingdom and he is now detained at the office of the NSA,” the NLC said in a statement.

“This intimidation and assault must stop!!!”

BACKGROUND

On August 19, the police invited Ajaero for questioning over “a case of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime”.

The letter signed by Adamu Mu’azu, assistant commissioner of police, indicated that Ajaero was expected at the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) complex on August 20.

Mu’azu said an arrest warrant would be issued on Ajaero if he did not honour the invitation.

Ajaero declined the invitation, demanding details of the allegations levelled against him.

On August 7, police had raided the NLC building in the Central Business District of Abuja.

The NLC said operatives who raided the building “claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance protests”.

Subsequently, Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police (IGP), said one of the masterminds of the Sudan conflict was traced to the NLC headquarters.

The IGP added that police detectives traced the foreigner to a shop within the Labour House, and that operatives did not raid the entire secretariat.

Nigerians took to the streets from August 1-10 to protest against economic hardship and soaring inflation with #EndBadGovernance as the theme.

On August 29, some members of affiliate unions and labour leaders across states, converged on the Labour House ahead of Ajaero’s visit to the IRT.

Afterwards, Ajaero and Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, alongside other activists, left the building for the police headquarters.

The Cable

Operatives of the Department of the State Services (DSS) have laid siege to the office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Abuja.

This comes hours after DSS personnel arrested Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Details of the operation at SERAP’s office are still sketchy, but according to a post via X, the legal and advocacy organisation said the operatives demanded to see its directors.

“Officers from Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors.

“President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians,” the post read.

On Sunday, SERAP gave President Tinubu 48 days to reverse the recent hike in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS).

It asked the President to use his “leadership position and good offices to direct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to immediately reverse the apparently illegal and unconstitutional increase in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, across its retail outlets”.

In the open letter dated 7 September 2024 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “The increase in petrol price constitutes a fundamental breach of constitutional guarantees and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

Daily Trust

Oil marketers may begin the importation of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, following the recent declaration by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited that it would only fully offtake the product from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery if the market prices of the commodity were higher than the pump prices in Nigeria.

NNPC also declared that Dangote and other domestic refineries were free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, adding that it had no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment.

This is, however, contrary to what the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, stated last week. The owner of the $20bn refinery had stated that the refinery was waiting for NNPC, adding that the national oil company would be the only off-taker of its petrol domestically.

Reacting to the slowdown in discussions between Dangote and NNPC, oil marketers stated that they would only source the product from wherever they found it cheaper, as this could be through importation.

Commenting on the price of Dangote petrol, the National Operations Controller, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mustapha Zarma, said, “We have not contacted Dangote for now, but we may contact the refinery’s sales department this week to find out the price.

“If the price is competitive enough for one to buy and get his return on investment and the required margin, then we wouldn’t mind purchasing directly from him to complement what NNPC is bringing in or what NNPC would buy from Dangote.”

Zarma confirmed that since the Federal Government and NNPC had said the Dangote refinery would sell its product at the market price, this implied that the government would not intervene in the pricing of the commodity from the plant through subsidy.

Based on this, he noted that other dealers now had the opportunity to source the product from any producer at a cheaper price, whether locally or internationally.

He noted that some oil marketers currently imported diesel, while others bought the product from Dangote, adding that a similar situation would play out in the purchase of petrol, going by NNPC’s recent position on Dangote petrol.

“I believe that we are going to analyse the price of Dangote petrol and see the advantages of buying from Dangote viz-a-viz importation. Whichever we see is cheaper will automatically attract everybody, especially if importation is cheaper.

“That will bring about competition and I don’t think the government will allow price monopoly. They would want a competitive market where the laws of demand and supply would determine the local price of refined petroleum products, just like diesel is right now.

“And with that, there is going to be some kind of equilibrium in the pricing and there is going to be guaranteed sustainability of supply,” the IPMAN official stated.

Industry observers say the Federal Government seems not ready to stop fuel importation following the refusal of NNPC to be the off-taker of Dangote’s petrol.

They, however, noted that with the recent hike in the pump prices of petrol, the government was systematically stopping subsidies on the commodity, following the recent revelation by NNPC that it spent over N7.8tn subsidising petrol.

At the presentation of the audited report and accounts of NNPC for the 2023 business year in Abuja last month, NNPC’s Chief Financial Officer, Umar Ajiya, admitted that the oil firm was shouldering a heavy subsidy burden on petrol imports.

He said the government directed NNPC to sell the petrol it imported at a price that is half the landing price.  According to him, at times the Federal Government paid the money and it could as well net off for it.

While the official pump price of petrol was about N600/litre, the average landing cost was about N1,200/litre. Ajiya said the company covered about N7.8tn in “shortfall” in the first seven months of this year.

“What has been happening is that we have been importing PMS, landing at a certain price, and the government is telling us to sell it at half price. So, that gap between that landed price and the half price is what we call shortfall or we call it a subsidy,” the CFO had stated.

Foreign producers

Also speaking on the development, the National Publicity Secretary of IPMAN, Ukadike Chinedu, said though marketers were ready to buy from Dangote, the revelation from NNPC showed that dealers were free to source their products from any cheaper source.

“From what is happening now, it means that the Petroleum Industry Act is being implemented, the removal of subsidies has come to stay and the price of petrol is to be determined by the economics of demand and supply.

“Now that NNPC has said they are not the sole off-taker of Dangote petrol, it then means that the price of the product would determine where we are going to buy it. If NNPC imports the product and its price is cheaper than that of Dangote, we will buy from NNPC. If Dangote’s price is cheaper than that of NNPC, then we will buy from Dangote. So, right now, competition will set in. Remember that diesel price rose as high as N1,600/litre and Dangote came in with his own at N1,200/litre, and the importers reduced their price to N1,100/litre.

“It further dropped to about N950 and now revolves between N950 and N1,100 for both the imported ones and the ones produced locally. By the time competition sets in, the product will sell cheaper,” Ukadike stated.

On whether marketers had started making plans to import if the imported product would be cheaper, he replied, “Our National President, Abubakar Maigandi, has commenced discussions with some investors who are now in the process of securing funds going by the current trend in the business.

“So, we are talking with some foreign partners because you need to understand that independent marketers are the highest buyers of diesel from Dangote refinery because we control about 80 per cent of the filling stations nationwide. So, if Dangote PMS is cheaper we will buy it, but if importation is cheaper, we will go for it.”

President Bola Tinubu recently directed that NNPC should sell crude to Dangote and other domestic refineries in naira.

The President’s Special Adviser on Revenue, Zacch Adedeji, who also serves as Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, explained that the move would mitigate Nigeria’s heavy reliance on foreign exchange for crude oil imports, accounting for roughly 30 to 40 per cent of its forex expenditure.

The revenue chief said that by denominating crude oil transactions in naira, the government expected to significantly lighten its forex burden, with estimated annual savings of $7.3bn. It is also expected to reduce monthly forex expenditure on petroleum products to $50m from approximately $660m.

“Monthly, we spend roughly $660m in these exercises, and if you analyse that, that will give us $7.92bn savings annually,” he stated.

Earlier, the President stated that Nigeria spent N2tn monthly on fuel importation.

Punch

At least 48 people were killed on Sunday in a fuel tanker truck explosion following a collision with another vehicle in north-central state of Niger, the state's disaster management agency said.

The State Emergency Management Agency in Niger state said the fuel truck collided with a truck carrying travellers and cattle. Several other vehicles were also caught up in the accident, it said.

The agency's spokesperson Hussaini Ibrahim put the death toll at 48 and officials were still trying to clear the scene of the incident.

Nigeria's state-owned firm NNPC Ltd last week hiked the price of gasoline by at least 39%, the second major increase in more than a year but shortages have continued, forcing motorists to queue for hours in the country's major cities and towns.

Reuters

In a shocking display of authoritarian overreach, the federal government has initiated mass trials of #EndBadGovernance protesters, marking a dark chapter in the nation's democratic history. This egregious act not only tramples on the fundamental rights of citizens but also exposes the government's blatant disregard for the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

The charges of treason leveled against these protesters for their alleged attempt to overthrow President Bola Tinubu's government are nothing short of farcical. Let us be clear: peaceful protest is not treason; it is a cornerstone of democracy. By criminalizing dissent, the government is committing the real act of treason against the country’s constitutional order and the sovereignty of the Nigerian people.

The irony is palpable. While the government busies itself with persecuting its critics, the very issues that sparked these protests - hunger, poverty, and economic hardship - continue to ravage the nation unchecked. Instead of addressing these pressing concerns, the administration has doubled down on its misguided policies, as evidenced by the recent 30% hike in petrol prices. This tone-deaf response only serves to pour gasoline on the flames of public discontent.

The mass arrests and detentions reported by Amnesty International are deeply troubling. Over 1,000 protesters, including minors, have been denied access to legal representation and subjected to inhumane treatment. This is not justice; it is a mockery of it. The planned mass trials are nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to silence dissent and punish those who dare to speak out against the government's failures.

We call on the federal government to immediately and unconditionally release all detained protesters. Furthermore, we demand a thorough investigation into the reported killings of protesters in Kano, Katsina, Suleja/Tafa, Jigawa, and Maiduguri. The use of excessive force and tear gas against peaceful demonstrators is a gross violation of human rights and must not go unpunished.

It is high time for the government to realign its priorities. Instead of wasting resources on suppressing dissent, focus should be placed on rescuing millions of Nigerians from the brink of starvation. Address the rampant insecurity, corruption, and mismanagement that plague the country. Listen to the voices of the people, for they are not your enemies but your constituents, deserving of respect and good governance.

To President Tinubu and his administration: your legacy is at stake. Will you be remembered as the government that crushed democratic freedoms, or as one that listened to its people and worked tirelessly to improve their lives? The choice is yours, but know this - the eyes of the world are upon you, and history will judge your actions.

The right to peaceful protest is non-negotiable in a democratic society. It is not a privilege granted by the government, but a fundamental right of the people. Any attempt to suppress this right is an attack on the very foundation of the country’s democracy.

We stand in solidarity with the protesters and all those who peacefully exercise their right to demand better governance. To the Nigerian people: do not be silenced. Your voices matter, and together, we can build the Nigeria we deserve - a nation of justice, prosperity, and true democracy.

The government must act now. Release the protesters, drop all charges, and address the root causes of discontent. Anything less is a betrayal of the very democratic principles that enthroned this government and legitimize it.

Gunman crossing from Jordan kills three Israelis at border

A gunman from Jordan killed three Israeli civilians at the Allenby Bridge border crossing in the occupied West Bank before security forces shot him dead on Sunday, Israeli authorities said.

It was the first attack of its kind along the border with Jordan since Oct. 7, when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas carried out an assault on southern Israel, sparking the war in Gaza that has escalated throughout the region.

The attack took place in a commercial cargo area under Israeli control where Jordanian trucks offload cargo entering the West Bank, officials said. The crossing, also known as the King Hussein Bridge, lies about midway between Amman and Jerusalem just north of the Dead Sea.

The assailant was a 39-year-old truck driver who came from the influential Huwaitat tribe in southern Jordan, according to family members. He was later identified by the Jordanian interior ministry as Maher Ziab Hussein al-Jazi, a resident of the Husseiniya area in Jordan's southern Ma'an governorate.

"A terrorist approached the area of the Allenby Bridge from Jordan in a truck, exited the truck, and opened fire at the Israeli security forces operating at the bridge," the Israeli military said.

"The terrorist was eliminated by the security forces, three Israeli civilians were pronounced dead as a result of the attack."

Jordan was investigating the shooting. The Allenby Bridge, a crucial crossing for trade between Jordan and Israel and one of five land border crossings between the two countries, has been closed, Jordan's interior ministry added. The crossing mostly serves the more than 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank.

The Israeli manager of the crossing said three workers were shot dead at close range by the driver crossing from Jordan.

Anti-Israeli sentiment runs high in Jordan, and hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital Amman to celebrate the attack, saying the gunman had avenged the deaths of thousands of Palestinians in the war in Gaza.

Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994 and have close security ties. Dozens of trucks cross daily from Jordan, with goods from Jordan and the Gulf that supply both the West Bank and Israeli markets.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, urged all parties to investigate the incident to prevent repeat attacks.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia takes Ukrainian town in advance on Pokrovsk

Russia said on Sunday its forces had taken full control of a town in eastern Ukraine as Moscow's forces advance on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk and seek to pierce the Ukrainian defensive front lines.

Russian forces, which control about a fifth of Ukraine since invading in February 2022, are advancing in eastern Ukraine in an attempt to take the whole of the Donbas, which is about half the size of the U.S. state of Ohio.

Russia's defence ministry said its forces had taken the town of Novohrodivka, which lies 12 km (7 miles) from Pokrovsk, an important rail and road hub for Ukrainian forces in the area. The town had a population of 14,000 before the war.

Yuri Podolyaka, an influential Ukrainian-born, pro-Russian military blogger, published maps showing Russian forces attacking beyond Novohrodivka in at least two places less than 7 km (4 miles) from Pokrovsk.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian military, in a report issued on Sunday evening, gave details of fighting throughout the Pokrovsk sector, including Novohrodivka.

It said 29 attempted Russian advances had been repelled, with seven skirmishes continuing. "Our troops are taking measures to maintain designated positions," it said.

But an interview with a Ukrainian officer broadcast last week by U.S.-funded Radio Liberty said Ukrainian forces had abandoned Novohrodivka on grounds that the positions there were not favourable for defending it.

Popular Ukrainian war blog DeepState said Russian forces had captured the village of Nevelske, to the southeast.

Reuters was unable to immediately verify battlefield reports from either side due to restrictions on reporting in the war.

President Vladimir Putin said last week that a Ukrainian incursion into the Russian region of Kursk had failed to slow Russia's own advance in eastern Ukraine and had weakened Kyiv's defences along the front line in a boost to Moscow.

Ukraine's top military commander said on Thursday that Kyiv's incursion into the Kursk region was working. Russian forces, he said, had made no progress in their advance on Pokrovsk for the previous six days.

He said that one of the objectives of the Kursk incursion was to divert Russian forces from other areas, primarily Pokrovsk and Kurakhove. Russia had diverted large numbers to Kursk, but was also strengthening the Pokrovsk front, he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the Kursk operation was also to prevent Russian forces from crossing the border in the opposite direction.

Russia currently controls about 80% of Donbas. Given the speed of recent Russian advances in the east, some Russian war bloggers have raised concern about the army overreaching itself.

Putin ordered tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine more than two and a half years ago in what he calls a special military operation. Ukraine and its Western backers have vowed to defeat Russian forces and expel all Russian troops.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian forces liberate DPR’s Novogrodovka

Russia’s battlegroup Center has liberated the settlement of Novogrodovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Defense Ministry said.

"The settlement of Novogrodovka in the Donetsk People's Republic has been liberated by the battlegroup Center. Russian servicemen defeated the manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian 47th mechanized brigade, 144th infantry brigade, the 49th assault battalion and the 109th territorial defense brigade near Dzerzhinsk, Shcherbinovka, Kleban-Byk, Mikhailovka, Krasnoarmeysk, Grodovka, Galitsynovka and Dimitrov of the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.

It added that Russian forces also repelled eight counterattacks by the Ukrainian 32nd, 100th mechanized, 59th motorized infantry, 142nd infantry, 25th airborne brigades and 14th National Guard brigade. According to the ministry, the enemy losses amounted to up to 560 servicemen, a tank, a US-made MaxxPro and two Kozak armored fighting vehicles, two cars, a 152 mm Msta-B howitzer, a 152 mm D-20 gun and three 122mm D-30 howitzers.

Also the Defense Ministry said that Russian servicemen have hit a temporary deployment site of Ukraine’s Special Operations Center South.

"Over the past day, Russian forces hit the temporary deployment site of Ukraine’s Special Operations Center South, workshops of production, assembly and equipment of drones, accumulations of enemy manpower and military equipment in 127 areas," the ministry said.

Russian air defenses have shot down four Hammer aerial bombs and 23 Ukrainian drones over the past day, the ministry added.

"Air defenses shot down four French-made Hammer guided bombs, four US-made HIMARS rockets and 23 drones," it said.

Russia’s battlegroup Dnepr has eliminated up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the ministry added.

"The battlegroup Dnepr defeated the manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian 39th coastal defense, the 37th marine, and the 121st, 124th territorial defense brigades near Gavrilovka, Veseloye, Otradokamenka, Novokairy, Antonovka and Dneprovskoye in the Kherson Region. The Ukrainian losses amounted to up to 50 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle and five vehicles," the statement said.

Russia’s battlegroup South has eliminated up to 625 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the ministry said.

"The battlegroup South continued advancing deep into the enemy's defense and defeated the Ukrainian 24th, 54th mechanized, 10th airborne assault brigades, as well as the 12th National Guard brigade near Chasov Yar, Zaliznyanskoye, Grigorovka, Seversk and Katerinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.

According to it, the Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 625 servicemen, a Kozak armored fighting vehicle, eight cars, a Strela-10 launcher, two UK-made 155 mm FH-70 howitzers, a US-made 155-mm M777 howitzer, a 152 mm D-20 gun, two 122 mm D-30 howitzers, a UK-made 105 mm L-119 howitzer, an electronic warfare station, as well as six field ammunition depots.

Russia’s battlegroup East has eliminated up to 130 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the ministry noted.

"The battlegroup East took more favorable lines and positions, defeated the Ukrainian 58th motorized infantry and 72nd mechanized brigades, as well as the 102nd and 105th territorial defense brigades near Velikaya Novoselka, Zolotaya Niva and Dobrovolye in the Donetsk People's Republic. The enemy lost up to 130 servicemen," the ministry said, adding that Ukraine has also lost four cars and a UK-made 155 mm howitzer.

Russia’s battlegroup West has eliminated up to 550 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the Defense Ministry said.

"The battlegroup West has improved its tactical positions, defeating the manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian 14th, 53rd, 54th mechanized, 77th airmobile, 3rd assault brigades, as well as the 114th territorial defense brigade near Kovsharovka, Petropavlovka, Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, Kruglyakovka, Borovaya, Lozovaya in the Kharkov Region and Serebryanka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said.

According to the it, the enemy lost up to 550 servicemen, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, a Kozak armored fighting vehicle, six cars, a Polish-made Krab 155 mm howitzer, two 122 mm D-30 howitzers, and a US-made 105 mm M119 gun. Anklav-N and Quertus electronic warfare stations, as well as six field ammunition depots were also destroyed, the ministry added.

Russia’s battlegroup North has eliminated up to 160 Ukrainian servicemen over the past 24 hours, the ministry said.

"In the Bryansk, Liptsov and Volchansk areas, the battlegroup North defeated the manpower and equipment of the 57th motorized infantry brigade, 82nd airborne assault brigade, 34th marine brigade, the 113th territorial defense brigade, the 3rd National Guard brigade, and the 4th Ukrainian Border Guard Service detachment near Goptovka, Okhrimovka, Sosnovka, and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region. The Ukrainian military lost up to 160 servicemen and a 122 mm D-30 howitzer," the ministry said.

Reuters/Tass

Around 26 May 2020, the Police in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) announced that Raphael Yanyi, a senior judge, “had suffered a suspected heart attack” leading to his death. The Ministry of Justice quickly clarified, however, that the remains of the judge “did not exhibit any toxic substances.” Following an autopsy, Justice minister, Celestin Tunda Ya Kasende, disclosed that Yanyi had died from “blows of sharp points or knife-like objects, which were thrust into his head.”

Contrary to the claim by the police, the judge did not die of a heart attack. Instead, he was murdered. At the time of his killing, Yanyi was presiding over the high profile corruption trial of Vital Kamerhe, chief of staff to President Felix Tshisekedi.

The killers of Yanyi are yet to be unmasked and it is impossible presently to say whether they were state or non-state actors.

Zimbabwean advocate, Justice Mavedzenge, makes the distinctionbetween attacks on the independence of judges on the one hand and the persecution of judges on the other. While the former are usually institutional, the latter seek to harm the lives, persons or wellbeing of judges and their families. This goes beyond the weaponisation of judicial ethics or the targeting of judges for political reasons. It is not exactly new in Africa.

On 21 September 1972, for instance, elements in the army of Uganda’s Field Marshall Idi Amin Dada, abducted Chief Justice, Benedicto Kiwanuka from his chambers in the Supreme Court of Uganda. Four days later, Marshall Amin shot and killed his captive, Chief Justice Kiwanuka, at the State Lodge in Nakasero, Kampala, Uganda’s capital.

Nearly 10 years later, on 30 June 1982, unknown persons abducted three serving judges of the High Court of Ghana: Cecilia Koranteng-Addow, Frederick Poku Sarkodee, and Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong. They transported the judges to the Bundase Military Firing Range near Accra where they were shot and killed. To cover up the act, the perpetrators set fire on their bodies. Their charred remains were located the following morning. Joachim Amartey Quaye, a senior member of the ruling Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), was one of the people found guilty of the judges’ murder. He was subsequently executed by firing squad on 18 August 1983.

Elective government found in most of Africa today is supposedly more subtle. The predominant contemporary arc of the judicial trajectory around the continent reflects intersecting trends of both “regime capture of the courts” and willing abdication of independence by the highest levels of judicial leadership. However, there remain many examples of judges possessed of both integrity and courage. To bring such judges into line, they are increasingly targets of persecution and harm.

The assumption that the state, government or ruling political parties have a monopoly over these kinds of malefaction appears to be supported by both experience and evidence. It is also the state or ruling parties that are best placed to weaponise mechanisms of judicial ethics in order to terrorise upright judges into submission. However, in many African countries these days, the presumed monopolies of the state are contested by sundry entities. In Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan – to cite a few examples – there exist belligerents, insurgents, or armed movements, who exercise quasi-state capacities, enabling them to target judicial officers or other public officials at will or to harm them.

In the face of a slow build-up of this reality in Nigeria, for instance, there has been a concerted effort to deny it or avoid conferring upon it the stamp of official acknowledgement.

At the beginning of January 2012, for instance, an unknown gunman entered the house of Baba Loskurima, registrar of the High Court of Borno State in North-East Nigeria and “fired several shots into Baba’s head and chest with a Kalashnikov rifle in front of his wife and children.” He stood no chance of survival.

Nine months later, in September of the same year, Zanna Mallam Gana, the attorney-general of Borno State was also assassinated. The killings of both Loskurima and Gana were suspected to have been the handiwork of assassins from the Islamist insurgent group, Boko Haram.

These were not the first attacks by suspected non-state actors in Nigeria designed to bring judges to harm. In 2009, Florence Duroha-Igwe, a judge of the Imo State High Court in South-East Nigeria suffered an attack in which both her driver and police orderly sustained severe gunshot injuries.

The following year, the judge-president of the state’s Customary Court of Appeal, Ambrose Egu and senior Magistrate, Pauline Njemanze, were abducted near the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport near Owerri on official duties.

In March 2011, high court judges in the state embarked on a strike to protest the abduction of one their colleagues, Theophilus Nzekwe.

Emboldened by the incapacity of the Nigerian state to exact accountability, the perpetrators of these attacks grew in both audacity and intensity and started trading judges for ransom. In October 2019, a senior Justice of Appeal from the Imo State, Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, was abducted in Benin City, while on duty presiding over election disputes. She spent a fortnight in captivity.

In September, 2021, former Chief Judge of Abia State, Nnenna Oti, was abducted in Orlu, Imo State. Seven months earlier, Presiding Justice of Appeal in Owerri, Rita Pemu, needed an extra supply of native wiles to survive the perils of abduction.

The non-state perpetrators of the most recent attacks on the safety of Nigeria’s judges are no longer keen to hide their provenance. Janet Gimba, a judge of the Upper Customary Court of Kaduna State in North-West Nigeria, was abducted with four of her children on 24 June by reputed bandits, who brutally killed one of the children in order to drive home their bargain for both money and prisoners. The children were released after 15 days in captivity.

On the date in June on which Gimba and her children were abducted, in the Borno-Yobe borderlands in North-East Nigeria, elements suspected to be from the Islamic State, West Africa Province (ISWAP), abducted Haruna Mshelia, a senior judge of the High Court Borno State together with his wife, Binta (who was nursing a fracture), their driver and an orderly. For two years until 2010, before his appointment as a judge, Mshelia was the chairman was the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Maiduguri.

While the fate of the judge, his spouse and their staff remain uncertain, it is prudent to prioritise their safe return. As such, it may be premature to dwell too closely on their case. It is not difficult, however, to speculate as to why a senior judge who is deeply respected for his integrity could be the target abduction by an armed quasi-state actor like ISWAP.

The real question that must be addressed is how legitimate institutions of the state and of organised civics should respond to this kind of situation. 77 days since the abduction of this senior judge and his wife, very little official or public information exists about their plight or about efforts to free them. That could, of course, be because public authorities have decided that this is the best guarantee for their safe return.

The good news in that is that this suggests that government trusts that the judge, his wife and other abductees with him are alive. The risk, however, is that this could also enable government to demobilise pressure for their safe return. That could guarantee their erasure from public consciousness and, even worse, bring closer the day when the abduction by non-state actors of conscientious judges will become normalised in Africa’s most populous country.

** Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a professor of law, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Financial stability often seems elusive for many in the lower middle class. Despite working hard and having steady incomes, numerous individuals are caught in a cycle of economic struggle.

This article explores ten everyday habits frequently hindering financial progress and offers practical advice on overcoming them.

1. Living Beyond Your Means

One of the most detrimental habits is spending more than you earn. This often manifests through excessive credit card use and taking out personal loans for non-essential purchases. When you consistently outspend your income, you deplete your current resources and mortgage your future financial stability.

For instance, using a credit card to fund a lavish vacation or buy the latest smartphone model might provide immediate gratification but can lead to long-term financial stress. The interest on these purchases can accumulate rapidly, making paying off the principal amount increasingly tricky.

To break this habit, start by tracking your expenses meticulously. Compare your spending to your income and identify areas where you can cut back. Consider adopting a cash-only policy for discretionary spending to make your purchases more tangible and help you stay within your means.

2. Neglecting to Create and Follow a Budget

Many people view budgeting as restrictive or time-consuming, but it’s an essential tool for financial health. Without a budget, it’s challenging to understand where your money is going and identify areas for improvement.

Creating a realistic budget involves listing all sources of income and categorizing expenses. Start with fixed costs like rent or mortgage payments, utilities, and insurance premiums. Then, allocate funds for variable costs such as groceries, entertainment, and savings.

Numerous budgeting apps and tools are available to simplify this process. These digital aids can help you track expenses in real time and provide insights into your spending patterns. The key is to review your budget regularly and adjust it as needed to ensure it remains relevant and achievable.

3. Failing to Build an Emergency Fund

Life is unpredictable, and financial emergencies can arise at any time. Without an emergency fund, unexpected expenses like car repairs, medical bills, or job loss can quickly lead to debt accumulation.

An ideal emergency fund should cover three to six months of living expenses. While this might seem challenging, start small. Setting aside $20 or $50 per paycheck can grow your savings over time. Consider automating your savings to make the process effortless and consistent.

Treat your emergency fund as a non-negotiable expense in your budget. As your fund grows, you’ll find peace of mind knowing you have a financial cushion for life’s uncertainties.

4. Inadequate Retirement Planning

Many in the lower middle class postpone retirement planning, believing they can’t afford to save or have plenty of time. However, the power of compounding gains makes early saving crucial for a comfortable retirement.

Start by understanding retirement savings options, such as 401(k)s or IRAs. If your employer offers a 401(k) match, contribute enough to take full advantage of this “free money.” This is the 100% return many employees are missing.

Even small contributions can grow significantly over time. For example, saving just $100 per month starting at age 25 could grow to over $247,000 by age 65, assuming a 7% annual return. The key is to start early and be consistent with your contributions.

5. Missing Out on Investment Opportunities

Many people keep their savings in low-yield accounts, missing out on potential growth opportunities. While it’s important to have easily accessible savings, consider investing a portion of your money for long-term growth.

Investing doesn’t have to be complex or high-risk. Index funds and ETFs offer diversified exposure to the stock market at low costs. Over the long term, these options can provide higher potential returns than savings accounts.

Start by educating yourself about basic investment concepts like diversification and risk tolerance. Many online platforms offer user-friendly interfaces and educational resources to help beginners start investing with small amounts.

6. Succumbing to Impulse Purchases

Impulse buying can quickly derail even the most carefully planned budget. These unplanned purchases, often triggered by emotions or clever marketing, can add up significantly over time.

Implement a “waiting period” before making non-essential purchases to curb impulse buying. For example, wait 24 hours before buying items over a certain amount. This pause lets you evaluate whether the purchase aligns with your financial goals.

Another effective strategy is to unsubscribe from promotional emails and avoid window shopping or browsing online stores when you don’t intend to buy. By reducing exposure to temptations, you can make more mindful spending decisions.

7. Falling Victim to Lifestyle Inflation

As income increases, there’s often a tendency to increase spending proportionally. This habit, known as lifestyle inflation, can prevent you from improving your financial situation despite earning more.

When you receive a raise or bonus, resist the urge to upgrade your lifestyle immediately. Instead, consider allocating a significant portion of the increase to savings or debt repayment. This approach allows you to improve your financial health while enjoying some of the fruit of your labor.

For example, if you receive a 5% raise, consider increasing your lifestyle spending by only 2% and directing the remaining 3% towards savings or investments. This balanced approach can lead to substantial long-term financial improvements.

8. Mismanaging Credit and Debt

Poor credit management can have far-reaching consequences on your financial health. High credit card balances and missed payments can lower your credit score, leading to higher interest rates on future loans and limiting your financial options.

To improve credit management, start by paying all bills on time. If possible, set up automatic payments to avoid late fees. Then, work on reducing credit card balances, focusing on the highest-interest debt first.

Regularly check your credit report for errors and dispute any inaccuracies. Good credit management opens doors to better financial products and terms, potentially saving you thousands of dollars over your lifetime.

9. Lacking Financial Literacy

A lack of financial knowledge can lead to poor decision-making in various aspects of personal finance. Many people feel overwhelmed by economic concepts and avoid learning about them, perpetuating a cycle of uninformed choices.

Improving your financial literacy doesn’t require a degree in economics. Start with free online resources, personal finance books, or community classes. Focus on understanding basic concepts like compound interest, inflation, and diversification.

As you become more financially literate, you’ll feel more confident in making savings, investments, and debt management decisions. This knowledge empowers you to take control of your financial future.

10. Prioritizing Short-Term Gratification Over Long-Term Goals

The desire for immediate rewards often overshadows the importance of long-term financial planning. While enjoying life in the present is natural, consistently prioritizing short-term wants over long-term needs can lead to economic instability.

Develop a balance between present enjoyment and future security. Set achievable long-term financial goals, such as saving for a home down payment or building a retirement nest egg. Break these goals down into smaller, manageable steps.

Celebrate small victories along the way to stay motivated. For instance, reward yourself with a small treat when you reach a savingsmilestone. This approach allows you to enjoy life while working towards a more secure financial future.

Conclusion

Breaking free from these habits requires conscious effort and discipline, but the rewards are substantial. By addressing these common financial pitfalls, members of the lower middle class can achieve greater financial stability and prosperity.

Start by tackling one or two habits at a time. Small, consistent changes can lead to significant improvements over time. With patience, perseverance, and the right strategies, you can overcome these bad habitsand build a stronger financial foundation for yourself and your family.

Remember, financial improvement is a journey, not a destination. Embrace the process of learning and growing, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks. No matter how small, each step forward is progress towards a more secure financial future.

New Trader U

The Dangote refinery may resort to exporting its Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) following the refusal of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to be the sole buyer of its product.

The NNPC, in a statement by its spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, said on Saturday that it would not buy Dangote fuel unless it was cheaper than that of the international market.

This is contrary to claims by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, that the refinery was waiting for the NNPC to roll out its product.

On Saturday, the NNPC stated that it would only fully offtake petrol from the refinery if the market prices of PMS were higher than the pump prices in Nigeria.

The NNPC also declared that Dangote and other domestic refineries were free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, adding that it had no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment.

The company was reacting to a press release by the Muslim Rights Concern, which claimed that the Dangote refinery was being undermined by the NNPC.

MURIC stated that recent changes to the pump price of petrol by the NNPC would prevent the refinery from offering lower prices, and that the corporation had become the sole offtaker of all products from the refinery.

Responding, the NNPC said, “The pricing of petroleum products from any refinery, including Dangote Refinery Limited, is determined by global market forces.

“The recent changes in PMS prices have no impact on DRL or any other domestic refinery’s access to the Nigerian market. In fact, if current prices are perceived as high, it presents an ideal opportunity for the refinery to sell its products at lower prices in the Nigerian market.

“Furthermore, we emphasise that there is no guarantee of lower prices associated with domestic refining compared to any global parity pricing framework, as confirmed by the DRL. The NNPC Ltd will only fully offtake PMS from the DRL if the market prices of PMS are higher than the pump prices in Nigeria. The DRL and any other domestic refinery are free to sell directly to any marketer on a willing buyer, willing seller basis, which is the current practice for all fully deregulated products. NNPC Ltd has no desire or intention to become the distributor for any entity in a free market environment, and therefore, the notion of becoming a sole off-taker does not arise.”

Soneye added that the NNPC could not undermine a business in which it held a billion-dollar investment.

Dangote’s wait

While unveiling the 650,000-capacity refinery on Tuesday, Dangote had stated that the facility would roll out petrol whenever the NNPC was ready.

Dangote disclosed that petrol would get to the filling stations in the next 48 hours (from Tuesday) after all arrangements with the NNPC were concluded, adding that the queues would soon be over.

“Our PMS can be in filling stations within the next 48 hours, depending on NNPCL,” he said.

He spoke further, “We are ready. I pray that within the next few days, you won’t see any petroleum queues as soon as we finalise with NNPC. We are ready, we are waiting for them (NNPC) and I hope they will be ready like yesterday.”

Dangote told newsmen that he could not disclose the price of the petrol because the NNPC was in a position to control it.

“On the pricing, I can’t say anything because we don’t control the pricing. At the moment, it is controlled by NNPC, not Dangote. We will wait for them. But, our own for now is to make sure that the product is available and round-tripping is stopped,” he noted.

The businessman emphasised that the NNPC was the company that would sell and distribute the product under the current naira crude sale arrangement.

“Once the NNPC is ready, we roll. We are even ready to load a ship this week,” he added.

Product export

But it seems the talk between the two companies have collapsed, which may result in the company selling its petrol abroad.

The NNPC has issued several statements denying that it will fix the price for Dangote or be its sole off-taker, even as the refinery has yet to roll out its product.

Nigerians have wondered why the NNPC decided to hike the pump price of petrol the same day Dangote refinery unveiled its petrol, after several months of implicit subsidy payment.

The masses, who were hopeful that the Dangote fuel would crash the price of petrol, may be losing hope.

Speaking on the Brekete Family live show on Monday, the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, said Dangote petrol would be exported if the NNPC and other petroleum dealers in the country refused to patronise it.

Asked if the petrol would be sold locally, Edwin replied, “There has been a kind of a blockade from lifting our products within the country. The traders have been trying to blockade, and so now, we have been exporting our petroleum products. We are ready to pump in PMS as much as possible to the country.

“But if the traders or NNPC are not buying the product, obviously we will end up exporting the PMS as we are doing with the aviation jet and diesel,” he declared.

Edwin expressed surprise that the company started facing challenges it never expected when the refinery was set to commence operations.

He recalled that the philosophy initially was to add value to the raw materials available in the country, regretting that Nigeria was still exporting crude and importing refined petroleum products after over three decades.

Despite having a gantry that can load 2,900 tankers per day, Edwin disclosed that the refinery had not loaded up to five per cent of the gantry’s capacity owing to low local patronage.

In an interview with our correspondent, a professor of Economics at the University of Ibadan and President of the Nigerian Economics Society, Adeola Adenikinju, advised that the government and the NNPC should buy PMS from the Dangote refinery instead of importing from another country.

“Dangote refinery is a private business; he will export to where he can make money. He cannot be subsidising our economy. It is still going to be cheaper for the NNPC to buy from Dangote than to import from Europe. Dangote has to run the business and pay his debts, he can’t subsidise us,” Adenikinju noted.

IPMAN ready to buy fuel

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria on Saturday said it would buy PMS from Dangote at any price, even if the NNPC refused to buy.

The National President of the association, Abubakar Maigandi, told our correspondent that the independent marketers were ready to patronise Dangote.

“Whatever the case, if Dangote starts selling his product, we are going to patronise him; if at all he wants to do business with us.

“We are ready to buy at any price because the NNPC is saying that they don’t want to involve themselves in fixing prices. So, at any price that he wants to sell, we are ready to buy and discharge and sell at a good price,” Maigandi stated.

Members of IPMAN own about 80 per cent of the filling stations in Nigeria, especially in rural communities.

On Thursday, the NNPC also said it was waiting for a September 15 timeline given to it by the refinery.

However, the latest comments from the NNPC indicate all is not well with the negotiations between the two companies.

The spokesman for the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, did not answer calls or reply messages sent to him by our correspondent on Saturday.

Black marketers sell fuel N1,400 in Benue

Meanwhile, black marketers are making brisk business as most filling stations in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, closed for business.

Since the hike in the price of the petroleum product, many filling stations have been shut down while the black market has resurfaced.

Our correspondent, who monitored the situation in Makurdi on Saturday, observed that several filling stations were not operating while black marketers were using their frontage to sell the product to motorists.

The product was sold between N1,300 and N1,400 per litre.

This development resulted in few vehicles plying the roads, while transport fares skyrocketed and  people resorted to trekking.

Motorists crowd NNPC stations for fuel

Despite the promise made by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, that fuel would be available in filling stations by the weekend, the situation in Ondo State has not improved.

A visit to some filling stations in Akure, the state capital, showed that many petrol stations were still under lock and key following unavailability of the product, while NNPC stations with the product had long queues.

Also, some stations of the independent marketers were selling for between N950 and N1,100 per litre.

In Ekiti State, many petrol stations dispensed petrol to customers, while a few did not have the product.

But the price was between N950 and N1,200 per litre at the stations dispensing petrol.

Long queues of vehicles were at the few stations selling the product at between N950 and N960 per litre.

A self-employed man, Mr Abel Olode, who said he bought some litres of petrol for N960 per litre on Friday, said, “I parked the car at home and boarded a motorcycle to my place of work today. Using it daily will drain my finances.”

Filling stations belonging to major marketers in Ogun State sold fuel for between N868 and N890 per litre, while independent marketers sold for between N950 and N1,200 per litre.

The NNPC outlets, however, sold at N865 per litre.

A motorist, Adeolu Bashir, said, “Nothing has changed with the fuel situation. The independent marketers are selling the fuel for N1,200; meanwhile, not many of the filling stations are selling the product.”

As of September 7, 2024, independent marketers in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were dispensing fuel at N1,100 and N1,200 per litre. There were no long queues in most of the filling stations in the city

Long queues still persisted in most of the filling stations in Zamfara State, despite the hike in fuel price.

Most of the filling stations, controlled by IPMAN in Gusau town and other parts of the state, were selling a litre of fuel between N1,100 and N1,150.

There was no fuel in all the mega stations visited by Sunday PUNCH as of the time of filing this report.

Despite the scarcity of PMS in some states, the product seemed to be available in most filling stations across the 13 LGAs of Nasarawa State.

When our correspondent visited some of the stations in Lafia, the state capital, on Saturday, it was observed that there were no queues.

The prices of PMS in Obi, Awe, Keana, Doma, Toto and Nassarawa Eggon LGAs had skyrocketed to N1,100 per litre.

Filling stations such as Sandaji, Hayattu, Alh Dauda Muhammadu, Nagoda, Rainoil among others, all sold at N990 per litre.

Meanwhile, the product is currently being sold between N1,200 and 1,400 by the black market dealers in several locations across the state.

In an interview with our correspondent, one of the black marketers, Musa Inusa, said getting the product had become “extremely difficult” for him because of the strict restrictions and increase in price.

Punch