Author: Vardiafrica

A Mobil fuel station located near the Airport Hotel on Obaferni Awolowo Way, Ikeja, Lagos had exploded on Thursday, leaving two people critically injured, six vehicles burnt, and segments of a nearby building destroyed. It was believed that the fire incident was caused by the explosion of a 12-tonne gas truck at the filling station. However, reacting to the incident, NNPCL said, “The NNPC Ltd wishes to state that the reported explosion at a filling station in Ikeja, Lagos, has nothing to do with the recently commissioned NNPC Gas Marketing Ltd (NGML)/NIPCO Compressed Natural Gas Stations, which are currently functioning…

The federal government has halted the plan to the sell subsidized 50-kilogram (kg) bags of rice to public servants priced at N40,000. This is contained in a circular titled, “Withdrawal of internal circular on sale of subsidized rice to public servants”, and signed by the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Human Resources Management Department. The circular which was directed to the Directors and Heads of Departments, said the initial circular ordering the sales of the N40,000 bag of rice is hereby withdrawn. There was no reason given in the circular for halting the plan. “I…

The Department of States Service (DSS) has refuted reports claiming that its officers had raided the headquarters of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja. The denial comes following Wednesday’s allegations by NLC, that the Service had sent armed men to its office, and that they had carted away some documents. According to the union, the operatives stormed the Labour House around 8:30 pm. “They broke in and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor carting away hundreds of books and other publications,” said a statement by the NLC’s head of Media and Public Relations, Benson Upah. “The invading troop…

Chidimma, the model of Nigerian heritage, was recently subject to controversies over her eligibility to contest for this year’s Miss South Africa. The 23-year-old was born in Soweto, South Africa. She is believed to be of Nigerian (dad) and Mozambican (mum) heritage. On Wednesday, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for South Africa alleged that preliminary evidence suggests Adetshina’s mother may have committed fraud and identity theft. The Home Affairs, however, said Chidimma, a minor at the time of the alleged actions in 2001, was not involved in the fraudulent activities. In a statement via her Instagram page on Thursday, Chidimma said she was pulling out from…

Fire engulfed the Mobil Filling Station opposite Airport Hotel at Allen Junction in Lagos following an explosion involving a gas truck. Two people sustained burns, and property worth millions of naira was damaged. Eyewitnesses reported that the explosion occurred around 11 a.m., destroying at least seven vehicles. No fatalities were reported. Initial investigations revealed that the explosion involved a 12-ton gas truck, registration number unknown, which impacted several cars and part of a nearby building. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. The affected vehicles included both commercial and private cars. Additionally, the second floor of a nearby two-story…

Heavily armed security personnel stormed and raided the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja on Thursday, the union has said. According to the union, the operatives stormed the Labour House, as its headquarters is called, around 8:30 pm “They broke in and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor carting away hundreds of books and other publications,” said a statement by the NLC’s head of Media and Public Relations, Benson Upah. “The invading troop claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGoveranance Protests.” The NLC is not immediately able to ascertain all the…

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday announced the approval for a pivotal financial accommodation to support the proposed merger between Unity Bank Plc and the Providus Bank Limited. The apex bank, in a statement by its acting Director of Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali, said the move is designed to bolster the stability of the nation’s financial system and avert potential systemic risks. “The merger is contingent upon the financial support from the CBN. The fund will be instrumental in addressing Unity Bank’s total obligations to the Central Bank and other stakeholders,” the statement read. “It is unequivocal to…

Former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume has apologised to the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) for not consulting the party before publicly accusing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of maladministration. Ndume who represents Borno South in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, however, said that he stands by his words, insisting that whatever he said or did was out of patriotism. “Yesterday I was invited by the party and here I am to discuss family matters with what has happened which you are all aware, actually the national chairman is not just a…

Nigeria’s service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police have vowed to resist any unlawful change of government amid the #EndBadGovernance protests rocking the nation. Thousands of Nigerians had trooped into the streets owing to the rising cost of living. Days into the demonstrations, some of the protesters in the northern region were spotted waving the Russian flag, a development that has caused concern among stakeholders. “I want to, on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, state unequivocally that the Nigerian Army stands assured in defense of our democracy, peace, and harmony and we are not…

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap, has revealed that Nigerians in diaspora who are responsible for sponsoring the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests are being watched, and will be apprehended if they make any attempts to get into the country. Nandap said this in a press briefing forum set up by the Armed Forces of Nigeria to address the protests, as a spokesperson for the Department of State Services (DSS), Peter Afunanya, said that the service is beginning to arrest sponsors of the unrest which resulted from unruly protests in the Northern part of Nigeria. The NIS Boss…