General
Group Laments Destruction of Electrical Equipment in Kwara
By Chile Nwaorgu
A Kwara-based Civil Society Organisation (CSO) known as Elites Network for Sustainable Development (ENetSuD) has lamented the incessant vandalisation of electrical equipment across various parts of the state.
In a statement made available to newsmen yesterday, ENetSuD noted that government properties have been poorly maintained, vandalised, and often sabotaged by men of the underworld.
According to Mr Sideeq Bola Mustapha, the organisation’s Deputy Coordinator for Special Duties, who signed the press statement, “In addition to series of press statement previously released by ENetSuD on the pitiable state of government infrastructure in Patigi local government in Kwara state, we are also reporting that this local government is now a hotspot for criminality and all forms of vandalisation of electrical installations.”
Mr Mustapha stressed that these acts have deprived many residents in the community of the very little share of their electricity supply.
“In one of their nefarious activities, it was also reported that the industrial oil of various transformers in Patigi Township was drained by miscreants about a year ago.
“In addition, the armoured cable of another transformer at Ragada village was also vandalised several months ago.
“Furthermore, the armoured cables of the transformers at ECWA Church junction and General Hospital road were equally stolen by unknown persons- this happened some weeks ago.”
“It might not be surprising to learn that the vandalisation and theft of Electical facilities across the state might be a sabotage that are not without the collaboration of some bad eggs in the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in those aforementioned communities,” ENetSuD added.
The statement reads: “This claim could be substantiated with the report that the recent culprits of some electrical equipment were in the same commercial bus with Patigi PHCN manager from Patigi to Ilorin. The bus driver, on noticing the concealed large quantity of stolen PHCN armoured cables in a sack when he wanted to alight passengers in Ilorin, immediately alerted the Patigi PHCN Manager who occupied the front seat of the same bus. The driver reported the Manager to have unexpectedly taken the matter lightly and waved it off by saying “I don’t know where they could have gotten it from.”
“Patigi residents, who have reported the matter to the NSCDC office in Patigi for investigation, condemned this act of indifference exhibited by the Manager, as he was expected to have at least questioned those culprits, seized the armoured cables and immediately alert the security agencies if they have no reasonable explanation for being in possession of the P.H.C.N materials.
“The Patigi branch of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has also commendably taken proactive measures to forestall the reoccurrence of this theft by enforcing proper checks of passengers’ luggage at the garage before departure.
“A few weeks ago, we were also aware of the theft of armoured cables of another transformer at Wambai Compound area by unknown criminals. Usually, every household in any area affected by unfortunate incidents of vandalism and theft of electrical facilities go through the excruciating pain of compulsorily contributing particular amounts from their hard earned income. We are lauding the intervention of the Executive Chairman of Patigi LGA, Alhaji Jibril Salihu Gabi, who provided the required quantity of armoured cables from the store at Patigi LGA secretariat for immediate reconnection to the transformers of the concerned areas, a gesture that had made the residents of the affected areas to be enjoying the very little share of epileptic power supply along with other residents in unaffected areas in Patigi LGA.
“We hereby call on local authorities, security agencies, and government to collaborate on the protection and maintenance of government properties for the enjoyment of the citizens.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has explained why it initiated a move to freeze the bank account of the Osun State government.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Governor of Osun State, Mr Ademola Adeleke, claimed that the anti-money laundering agency asked one of its bankers, First Bank, not to release funds to the state government.
According to the Governor, this was part of the strategies to frustrate his administration ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the issue on Wednesday night, the EFCC, in a statement, said it has been investigating the state government since March 2026 over an alleged “fraudulent handling of Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) account to the tune of N11.0 billion.
The organisation noted that some officials of the state government, especially the Accountant General of the State, have had interview sessions with investigators of the EFCC.
“These ongoing investigations of the state government would not have warranted any placement of Post No Debit order on its account but for the precipitate and unwarranted movement of funds from the accounts to different suspicious accounts since August 2, 2026.
“The commission noticed huge transfers of funds into different corporate entities and had to swiftly halt the trend by freezing the accounts from which such heavy funds are being moved,” parts of the statement said.
In the disclosure, the agency noted that its preventive mandate is a public-inclined framework of safeguarding public funds, assets and resources, stressing that it cannot “watch idly while a state government’s account is being pillaged.”
“While the commission is fully aware of the impending governorship election in Osun State, it has a responsibility to act in defence of the sanctity of the funds of the state. It will be uncharitable for the commission to allow an excuse of an upcoming election to fold its arms to perform its legally-assigned functions,” it pointed out.
The EFCC disclosed that it is “keeping watch over the finances of other states like Osun State. Many of these states are on the investigative radar of the commission to ensure accountability and probity. The commission has always pointed out that it is non-partisan and non-sectarian but always working in the overall interests of Nigerians. The Osun State government account was frozen to save public funds from being looted.”
The organisation urged the public “to ignore false narratives and deliberate demonisation of the works of the EFCC. The interests of all Nigerians are greater and will always be protected by the commission.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has launched a mobile application designed to monitor fuel consumption patterns in real time across retail outlets nationwide.
The NMDPRA, established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, is responsible for the technical and commercial regulation of Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations. The deployment of the mobile application aligns with the authority’s broader efforts to leverage technology to improve regulatory compliance and strengthen accountability.
The pilot phase of the project began on August 1 in Abuja and its six Area Councils, the authority said in a statement published on X.
As part of the rollout, the Executive Director for Distribution Systems, Storage and Retailing Infrastructure (DSSRI), Mr Ogbugo Ukoha, led a team alongside officials from the Abuja Regional Office to assess the readiness and operational performance of the digital platform at participating retail outlets.
According to the NMDPRA, the application captures inventory and compliance data in real time, enabling regulators to monitor fuel distribution more effectively while improving operational efficiency across the sector.
The authority said the platform would generate reliable, data-driven insights to support evidence-based decision-making, strengthen national energy security planning and enhance transparency in the downstream petroleum industry.
It added that the initiative is expected to provide significant value to government, investors, operators and other stakeholders by improving access to accurate fuel consumption and compliance data.
Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector has undergone significant changes since the deregulation of the petrol market and the removal of fuel subsidies, with regulators placing greater emphasis on data-driven supervision to ensure product availability, prevent supply disruptions and discourage sharp regional disparities in distribution.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
No doubt, moving money among African markets remains a slow, fragmented process that relies on multiple intermediaries and prolonged settlement cycles.
To solve this issue and drive the development of stablecoin-enabled payment services for businesses across the continent, Onafriq has joined forces with a leading stablecoin infrastructure provider, Privy.
The collaboration will enable Onafriq to create and manage embedded digital asset solutions for its partners and, in time, institutional clients where regulation allows. The initial phase focuses on cross-chain stablecoin transfers and treasury and settlement workflows, creating the foundation for future cross-border payment and liquidity solutions.
Integrating Privy’s secure infrastructure enables Onafriq to build the capabilities required to support a new generation of efficient digital payment services for banks, fintechs, and mobile money operators.
This partnership is a key component of Onafriq’s broader strategy to modernise pan-African payment infrastructure, enabling secure multi-modal wallets and more efficient movement of value across the continent.
The outcome will support a range of future institutional use cases, including stablecoin-enabled settlement, treasury management and liquidity services, as it reflects Onafriq’s commitment to driving Africa’s digital transformation agenda by investing in technologies that make financial services more efficient, connected and accessible.
It was gathered that Onafriq selected Privy for its enterprise-grade infrastructure to enable the seamless integration of digital asset wallet capabilities into its products, subject to regulatory approval, and deliver a simple user experience while abstracting the complexity of blockchain technology.
“At Onafriq, we keep investing in technology that makes payments faster and more accessible. Privy gives us a building block for faster settlement and better liquidity management. As demand for digital asset services grows, our goal is to ensure Africa’s payment ecosystem benefits securely and in line with regulatory frameworks,” the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq,” Mr Luke Kyohere, said.
The chief executive of Privy, Mr Henri Stern, said, “Stablecoins will play an increasingly important role in the future of global payments, but real-world adoption depends on infrastructure that is secure, scalable and simple to implement. Working with Onafriq allows us to help build that foundation across Africa and beyond.”
