The Vanguard reports that an average of 13 persons were abducted daily in Nigeria in the first half of 2021, according to a report by SBM Intelligence, bringing to 2,371 the number of persons kidnapped in the country within the first six months of the year.SBM Intelligence is a leading research consultancy group, versatile in the area of primary data gathering, and analyses of data that provides clarity relating to political, economic and social issues in Nigeria and West Africa.
This came as the former senator representing Kaduna central, Shehu Sani, said yesterday that the north-west would be a better place, if the Federal Government could deal with bandits with the same vigour used against secessionists.This is even as the abductors of the Emir of Kajuru, Alhassan Adamu, yesterday released the monarch but held on to his family members.
Similarly, Gombe State government said yesterday it had deployed local security in all institutions in the state to compliment the efforts of the police and other security agencies in efforts to ward off bandits.
On the number of people kidnapped in the last six months, the SBM report covered abductions from January to June.It indicated that a total of 2,371 persons were abducted across 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The Guardian says that President Mohammadu Buhari has charged Team Nigeria to replicate the performances of past Nigerian Olympians, noting, ‘you stand on the shoulders of giants.’
Speaking while officially unveiling Team Nigeria’s outfit to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Buhari recalled the exploits of past Nigerian teams, telling the athletes, ‘you will also carry with you the encouragement of the great exploits of Nigerian Olympians before you.’
The President was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the event, which also served as the send forth ceremony for Team Nigeria. The event, which held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also marked the formal handover of the contingent to the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).
Specifically, Nigeria will be represented by 58 athletes at the Olympic Games, while 22 athletes will feature in the Paralympic Games.
The team, in all, has 23 coaches, including nine sports athletics – 18 (six men and 12 ladies), basketball – 24 (12 men and 12 women), badminton – three (one man and two ladies), canoeing – one (a lady) and gymnastics – one (a man).
Others are rowing – one (a lady), table tennis – four (two men and two ladies), taekwondo – one (one lady) and wrestling – five (a man, four ladies).
President Buhari reminded the team of exploits of legends like ‘Chioma Ajunwa, who won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics for the long jump and became the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal in a field event.
The Punch reports that assent of the Petroleum Industry Bill by President Muhammadu Buhari will put an end to petrol subsidy in Nigeria, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, announced on Monday.
Sylva announced this while speaking at the Nigeria/Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries: 50 Years of Partnership press conference in Abuja.
He insisted that it was best for Nigeria that the Federal Government discontinued subsidy on petrol, stressing that the recently passed PIB had no provision for subsidy.
The minister said, “This (subsidy removal) is desirable for the interest and growth of Nigeria. Of course, everybody will have their perspectives, but from where I sit, I believe that subsidy removal is the best thing for Nigeria, not just the industry.
The petroleum minister further noted that the government would begin the rehabilitation of the Warri and Kaduna refineries soon in order to increase domestic refining of petrol and to cushion the impact of subsidy removal.
The Sun says that efforts by the Nigerian Government to deepen the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), popularly called cooking gas through the National LPG Expansion and Implementation (NLEIP) appears to have suffered a major setback as the price of the commodity has risen by 22.2 per cent.
This was even as stakeholders expressed concern that the price of 12.5 kilogramme (KG) may hit N10,000 by December. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, had last June, expressed concern that over 900,000 people are negatively impacted annually from the use of kerosene, firewood and charcoal in cooking across Nigeria.
Daily Sun findings across cooking gas plants within the Lagos metropolis revealed a sharp increase of about N1, 000 within the last one week. A 12.5 kilogramme cylinder of cooking gas which costs about N4,500 as at last week is now being sold for N5, 500, representing a rise of 22.2 percent.
Some of the consumers who spoke to Daily Sun in separate interviews expressed frustration over the development, saying the average man on the street will be the most impacted. They said a situation where the price of cooking gas increased by N1,000 within one week calls for concern, saying they are not sure of what the price would be by next week.
ThisDay reports that the Nigerian government yesterday pledged its renewed commitment to full compliance with the country’s crude oil production quota, which it pegged at 1.554 million barrels per day in June.
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipre Sylva, said during a briefing in Abuja to mark the country’s 50th anniversary as a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), that rationing production was the right thing to do at the moment.
The minister stated that apportioning quotas did not hurt the country’s production, adding that if not because of the cartel’s intervention, the price of crude oil would still fall below.
Sylva said the 1.554 million barrels per day which was allocated to Nigeria for June, excluded condensates, stressing that as of today Nigeria has fully complied without exceeding the total allocated to the country since the OPEC member countries agreed to cut production.
According to him, although there has been a stalemate in the OPEC discussions which has now been postponed indefinitely, there is no crack in the carte. He stated that it is the way things work in OPEC wherein every member has to agree on every issue before it can be resolved.
GIK/APA
