General
Freight Agents, Wine Shop Owner in Trouble for Bottled Cannabis Juice
By Adedapo Adesanya
Four freight agents and a wine shop owner have been apprehended by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the importation of smuggled bottled Cannabis juice into the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesman of the agency, Mr Femi Babafemi, stated that the suspects were arrested at the SAHCO import shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
He disclosed that Cannabis juice, with a gross weight of 16.50kgs on Wednesday, December 23, was discovered during a search of consolidated cargo from South Africa.
Investigations by anti-narcotics officers subsequently led to the arrest of the four freight agents: Mr Soremekun Olalekan Wasiu; Mr Olufisayo Dayo; Mr Moruf Olusegun Bashir, and Mr Imole Moses Ajayi, whose statements eventually led to the arrest of the consignee, a wine shop business owner, Mr Emebede Chuka, the following day Thursday, December 22.
Also, the NDLEA has seized consignments of Colorado concealed in vehicles imported from Montreal, Canada and packs of cannabis juice flown in from South Africa, meant for distribution ahead of the Christmas festive season.
This was intercepted at the Tincan seaport, Apapa and the MMIA.
Mr Babafemi further revealed that the NDLEA also recovered 152 kilograms of skunk from two dealers in Kano; 100,000 pills of Tramadol in Imo state and 520kgs of cannabis hidden in soft drinks crates loaded in a truck coming to Abuja, the nation’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Also, an attempt to export quantities of cannabis and ecstasy pills known as MDMA concealed in the beverage drink, Bournvita, containers to Dubai, UAE, through the NAHCO export shed on Friday, December 23, was frustrated while a vulcanizer given the assignment for a fee of N4,000, and Mr Iyanda Ogunleye Yaya has been arrested.
In the same vein, a consignment of 185 parcels of cannabis Indica, popularly called Colorado, weighing 61.3kgs, have been seized during a joint examination of a container at the Tincan seaport, Lagos.
The container marked MSCU5206726 from Montreal, Canada, was declared as containing three units of used vehicles, but upon a 100 per cent examination, it was found to contain two vehicles; a 2009 Toyota Corolla car and a 2009 Ford Econoline bus as well as used car engines, bicycles, shoes and other items including the drugs. Two dock workers: Mr Abdulquadri Abdulazeez and Mr Ogbuji Kenneth, are already in NDLEA custody in connection with the seizure following their initial arrest by Port Security and the Police.
Meanwhile, in Kano, two suspects, Mr Nura Zakariya’u and Mr Alkasim Abubakar, were arrested along Zaria-Kano road, Kwanar Dangora, with 161 blocks of cannabis weighing 152kgs and various quantities of Exol and Codeine-based syrup, while a total of 100,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a suspect, Mr Amaechi Johnson in Imo state on his way to Onitsha, Anambra state.
Similarly, a total of 708 kilograms of cannabis were recovered by operatives from a bus at Ehinogbe, Owo area of Ondo state on Tuesday, December 20.
General
Dangote Refinery Commences Free Delivery of PMS January 2026
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The free delivery of premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, across the country by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will finally begin in January 2026. This was earlier scheduled for August 2025
This move, according to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), will bring down the price of the product in Nigeria.
The group has, therefore, urged all its members nationwide to patronise the Lagos-based private oil facility because it offers the best affordable price for all marketers.
Dangote Refinery has agreed to directly supply PMS to registered members of IPMAN, according to a statement signed and issued by the organisation’s president, Mr Abubakar Maigandi Shettima.
At a press conference held in Abuja yesterday on recent happenings in the oil and gas sector, IPMAN also applauded the support of the Chairman of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Mr Aliko Dangote towards the federal government, which it noted has become evident in the regular reduction of the petroleum pump price.
“The association has the highest percentage of the supply chain of the PMS downstream sector, controlling over 80 per cent of the petrol retail market. We therefore declare that there will be no gap or scarcity in PMS supply to Nigerians.
“We are also excited at the recent agreement by the Dangote Refinery to begin the supply of PMS products directly to registered IPMAN members, and its free delivery to our filling stations anywhere and everywhere in Nigeria which will commence in January 2026.
“This will again, certainly lead to further decrease in the pump price of the products at our filing stations.
“Therefore, I am calling on all IPMAN members nationwide to prioritise patronising the Dangote Refinery in their purchase of PMS products, as they already offer the best affordable prize for all marketers today,” the group stated.
“At IPMAN we have no doubt as to the viability of the oil and gas policies being initiated by the federal government, and we have ceaselessly called and sought for enhanced cooperation across all levels of governance in the oil and gas sector. Hence, our repeated persuasion to always partner the Dangote refinery, to ensure the steady availability of PMS products.
“The focus of the Dangote & IPMAN partnership, has always been geared towards making life better for Nigerians. And of course, this blooming partnership would never have been possible without the pragmatic leadership of President Bola Tinubu, and his sound judgment in readjusting the leadership of the NMDPRA and the NUPRC.
“Our position has always been to deepen domestic refining in order to eradicate imports of petroleum products. Continuous import is NOT an acceptable parallel business model, because issuing import licenses recklessly distorts market dynamics, drains foreign exchange, enthrones poverty, destroys jobs, and scares potential investors away,” Mr Shettima was quoted as saying in the statement.
General
Swedfund Puts Down $20m for Green Business Growth in Africa
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About $20 million has been put down by Swedfund to support efforts that limit climate change in Africa and help communities adapt to its effects.
The funds would be deployed by the Helios Climate, Energy, Adaptation and Resilience (CLEAR) Fund to back African companies that reduce emissions, strengthen resilience and create green jobs.
Swedfund’s investment is expected to contribute to significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and to help businesses and small farmers adapt to a changing climate.
The investment strengthens Swedfund’s work to drive a sustainable and inclusive green transition in Africa.
Africa contributes less than 3 per cent of global carbon emissions but faces some of the most severe climate impacts. At the same time, the continent’s energy demand is expected to triple by 2050.
Swedfund’s investment in Helios CLEAR will help channel capital to businesses that drive low-carbon growth in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable transport, climate-smart farming, efficient use of resources and digital climate solutions.
“By investing in this sector, we can reduce emissions, build resilience and create green jobs, all vital for sustainable growth that benefits more people.
“Africa currently receives only a small share of global climate investment, yet the potential for climate-smart business is enormous.
“Through Helios CLEAR we help build the next generation of African climate-focused businesses,” the Investment Director for Energy and Climate at Swedfund, Ms Gunilla Nilsson, stated.
Helios CLEAR Fund is a Pan African growth equity fund managed by Helios Investment Partners, one of Africa’s leading private equity firms.
The fund targets investments that deliver measurable climate mitigation and adaptation outcomes. The fund is supported by multiple development finance institutions.
General
Lawmaker Alleges Alterations in Gazetted Tax Laws
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Abdussamad Dasuki, has alleged that the gazetted tax laws are different from the ones passed by the National Assembly.
Speaking on Wednesday during plenary at the green chamber, the opposition lawmaker the emphasised that content of the tax laws as gazetted was not what members of the parliament debated, voted on and passed.
In June 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed the four tax reform bills into law, becoming an act. The new laws are the Nigeria Tax Act (NTA), 2025, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA), 2025, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act (NRSEA), 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act (JRBEA), 2025.
In September, they were gazetted by the federal government.
On the floor of the House yesterday, presided over by the Speaker, Mr Tajudeed Abbas, Mr Dasuki, while raising a matter of privilege, after reviewing the gazetted law and what was passed, he found out some discrepancies, appealing to the Speaker to ensure that all relevant documents, including the harmonised versions, the votes and proceedings of both chambers, and the gazetted copies currently in circulation, are brought before the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.
He warned that allowing laws different from those duly passed by the National Assembly to be presented to Nigerians would undermine the integrity of the legislature and violate constitutional provisions.
“Mr. Speaker, I will be pleading that all the documents should be brought before the Committee of the Whole.
“The whole members should see what is in the gazetted copy and see what they passed on the floor so that we can make the relevant amendment. Mr Speaker, this is the breach of the Constitution.
“This is the breach of our laws, and this should not be taken by this House,” Mr Dasuki said when rising under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules on a Point of Privilege.
In his remarks, Mr Abbas promised that the parliament would look into the matter.
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