Day: March 16, 2026

King of Darkness, Kábíyèsí Olókùnkùn By Lasisi Olagunju

Emporium Reporters

Our power minister, Adebayo Adelabu, is now mocked as the King of Darkness—Kábíyèsi Olókùnkùn. I laugh at his traducers. They are crowning the wrong monarch. The true emperor of darkness sits higher. For more than three years, the president has wandered luxuriantly through the bush of politics while abandoning the hard road of policy that might confront Nigeria’s federalist tragedy.   Kábíyèsi Olókùnkùn Birimù Birimù. Whoever coined that mouthful title deserves a GCFR in seditious satire. Political nicknames, whether in London, Paris, or Ibadan, are never innocent. They are instruments…

NUJ FCT Correspondents Chapel Seeks Partnership with NIS to Boost Grassroots Sports

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT has sought a strategic partnership with the National Institute for Sports (NIS) to promote grassroots sports development, talent discovery, and institutional collaboration across Nigeria. The delegation, led by NUJ FCT Chapel Chairman Comrade Felix Ojo, paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of NIS and former Deputy Governor of Edo State, RT. Hon. Philip Shaibu, in Abuja. Speaking during the visit, Ojo commended Shaibu for the visible transformation within the institute since assuming office. “Journalists have closely followed…

Apapa Customs Strikes Again, busts ₦3.398bn Codeine Shipment

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has intercepted two containers loaded with codeine-containing syrup valued at ₦3.398 billion at the Apapa Port. The seizure was carried out in a joint operation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday, March 15, 2026. According to the command, the containers contained a total of 3,398 cartons equivalent to 339,800 bottles of codeine-containing syrup carefully concealed inside household utensils. The interception was coming barely five days after the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, visited the port and warned…

Group Slams ADC Over Criticism of 2025 Capital Budget Rollover

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been accused of displaying ignorance of public budgeting and accounting procedures following its criticism of the Federal Government’s decision to roll over a significant portion of the 2025 capital budget. The The Democratic Front (TDF) made the claim in a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, expressed surprise at the position taken by leaders of the opposition party despite what it described as their experience in public administration. The group specifically faulted the ADC’s description of the rollover of…

Tinubu’s National Single Window Reform to Transform Nigeria’s Trade Ecosystem – TSF

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Tinubu Stakeholders Forum (TSF) has welcomed the Federal Government’s planned launch of Nigeria’s National Single Window (NSW) trade platform, describing it as one of the most significant economic reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Ahmad Sajoh, and Secretary, Danjuma Sada, the forum said the initiative would mark a major turning point in the country’s trade system and position Nigeria as a globally competitive trading economy. The group explained that the National Single Window would replace Nigeria’s long-standing fragmented and paper-based trade…

Nigeria’s Rising Non-Oil Exports Show Deliberate Push to Reduce Oil Dependence — TMSG

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described Nigeria’s improving non-oil export earnings as clear evidence of deliberate efforts by the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reduce the country’s long-standing dependence on crude oil revenue. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group said the latest non-oil export figure of ₦12.36 trillion released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reflects the administration’s commitment to diversifying the Nigerian economy. According to TMSG, the steady rise in export earnings from sectors outside crude…

NELFUND’s 1.16m Beneficiaries in 23 Months a Major Milestone – TMSG

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) has described the achievement of over one million beneficiaries by the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) within 23 months as a major milestone and a game changer in Nigeria’s education sector. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Emeka Nwankpa, and Secretary, Dapo Okubanjo, the group said the student loan scheme had already transformed access to tertiary education for many Nigerians who might otherwise have been unable to afford it. According to the group, NELFUND has recorded 1,164,222 beneficiaries and disbursed ₦206.29 billion in…

Tinubu’s Incentives for $20bn Bonga Deepwater Project Signal Nigeria’s Readiness for Strategic Investments – TMV

Lukman Laleye Babalola

A pro-government group, Tinubu Media Volunteers (TMV), has described the approval of incentives by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the $20 billion Bonga Southwest Deepwater project as a strong signal that Nigeria is ready to attract and sustain large-scale investments in its oil and gas sector. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Chukwudi Enekwechi, and Secretary, Segun Ogedengbe, the group said the presidential approval would help unlock the long-awaited Final Investment Decision by Shell for the Bonga Southwest Aparo Deepwater Project. According to TMV, the move followed a recent…

Group Knocks Peter Obi Over Fuel Price Comment, Labels Position “Ignorant”

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Democratic Front (TDF) has criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent comments on rising fuel prices in Nigeria, describing his position as a reflection of “crass ignorance” of the global energy situation. In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the group said Obi’s remarks on the impact of the Middle East crisis on fuel prices were misleading and showed a poor understanding of global petroleum market dynamics. TDF said it was not surprised that the former…

Alleged Bandit Threat Letter in Kungaboku Community Work of Mischief Makers – FCT Police

Lukman Laleye Babalola

The Nigeria Police Force Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command has dismissed reports of an alleged bandit threat against Kungaboku Community, describing a letter circulating in the area as the handiwork of mischief makers attempting to create panic among residents. In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, Josephine Adeh, said the Command became aware of publications by Vanguard Newspaper and Daily Trust on March 15 and 16, 2026, claiming that suspected bandits had sent a letter through a student of a private school…