General
NNPC Gets Approval to Revamp 21 Roads With N621.2bn Tax Liabilities
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is set to deploy some of its tax liabilities to 21 road projects across the six geo-political zones following the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, after Wednesday’s virtual FEC meeting, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that the NNPC tax deployment would not be a one-off payment but periodic and gave the projected commitment to the road projects as N621.2 billion.
The Minister said that the roads would cover a total distance of 1,804.6 kilometres, stating that there was an Executive Order 7, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, allowing private sector operators to identify infrastructure such as roads for which they would deploy in advance the taxes that they should have paid.
“You recall that I had briefed you here about the use of that policy by the Dangote Group on the Obajana to Kabba and Apapa to Oworonshoki.
“Earlier this year, there were five other roads, the Kaduna Western Bye-pass, the Lekki Port Road, the road from Sagamu through Papalanto and a couple of others like that.
“So, today we have another player; we have other interested players who are showing interest but we haven’t concluded.
“But we have another player who has shown interest and committed to deploying taxes and it is the NNPC.
“So, NNPC has identified 21 roads that it wants to deploy some of its tax liabilities to,’’ he said.
The Minister said that the instructive thing about the initiative was that it would help the government to achieve many things, including Ministerial Mandates Three and Four, which were discussed at the recent retreat.
He said that the Ministerial Mandate Three was energy sufficiency in electric power and petroleum energy distribution across the country.
According to him, the petroleum energy distribution is being impacted positively and negatively by the transport infrastructure, which is the Ministerial Mandate Four.
“So, NNPC has sought and the council has approved today that NNPC deploys tax resources to 21 routes covering a total distance of 180.6km across the six geopolitical zones.
“Out of those 21 roads, nine are in the North-Central, particularly Niger State; and the reason is that Niger State is a major storage centre for NNPC,” he said.
He said that NNPC’s gesture would facilitate petroleum distribution across the country as Niger experiences gridlock every year.
Mr Fashola said that the Niger governor had been complaining that his roads were being damaged by trucks.
He said that drivers, after damaging the roads with their overloaded trucks, would turn round to protest against the damage they had caused.
“So, they are nine like that in the North-Central; three in the North-East, two in the North-West, two in the South-East, three routes- the entire Odukpani-Itu-Ikot-Ekpene road in lots one, two and three now, fully covered.
“Then, in the South-West, you have the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Agbara junction, and you also have Ibadan to Ilorin, the Oyo-Ogbomosho section.
“In the South-East, you have the Aba-Ikot-Ekpene in Abia and Akwa Ibom; so that is a major link; then you have Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot-Ekpene road again and so on so forth.
“So, in the North-West, it is Gadar Zaima-Zuru-Ganji road and also Zaria- Funtua-Gusau to Sokoto Road.
“In the North-East, it is the Cham-Numan, Bali-Serti and Gombe-Biu Roads.
“The road impacted in the North-Central, include Ilorin-Jeda-Mokwa-Bokani sections one and two; Suleja-Minna sections one and two.
“Bida-Lambata Agaie-katcha-Baro road and Mokwa-Makera-Tagina-Kaduna border in Niger State, Minna-Zungeru-Tegina road, and Bida-Minna road-all in Niger State; as I said, a total of 21 roads.”
The Minister said that the move by the NNPC would resolve the financing problems regarding the execution of the road projects.
He said, for instance, that the Aba-Iko-Ekpene road had an estimate of about N30.3 billion in it while the provision in the budget was N200 million.
“If you look at the Suleja-Minna road, Section 2, it has N25.76 billion to complete it; the provision in the budget this year, is just N100 million.
“So, with these interventions, all those roads will be fully funded; you don’t have budgetary challenges and financing challenges anymore.
“So, the council approved this as strategic funding for this road network.’’
Mr Fashola said that another memorandum related to the road was also presented to the council, with regard to a section of the Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja Road, the section linking Akpet Central.
He said there was a problem with the steel-reinforced drains on the road.
“Those drains were put there about 42 years ago and 86 of them have failed.
“We need to replace them now with concrete ring drains to allow water to flow; otherwise, the retention of water badly impacts the road.
“As a result of that, we had to revise the scope of works from rehabilitation to construction in order to remove all the old steel drains that are corroded and replace them with concrete drains, over 75 km of the road network.
“That required an augmentation of the contract by an additional sum of N12 billion; that memo was approved,” he said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ebonyi State Police Command has insisted on conducting a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death of Miss Mary Habila, a physiotherapist who died at the residence of the Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The demise of the deceased, which occurred in late June, recently became public and has sparked calls for a probe from many quarters.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased has approached the court to stop the autopsy, but experts tell Business Post that the family has no authority to file an affidavit, as this is a case of suspected murder against the state and not the family.
Mr Umahi has also called for a probe.
The Ebonyi Police Command said the autopsy was necessary to establish the cause of death and support its ongoing investigation, despite objections from the deceased’s family.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, stating that the police had commenced a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms Habila’s death.
Mr Ukandu said preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased and a colleague were members of the medical team attached to the Minister of Works and had accompanied him to his hometown in Uburu, where she later died in a room within the compound of his residence.
According to him, detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) have visited the scene, documented relevant evidence and obtained statements from persons connected to the incident.
He added that the command had concluded arrangements to engage a qualified pathologist to carry out a post-mortem examination, which it considers crucial to determining the actual cause of death.
Mr Ukandu explained that the police became involved in the matter after receiving a distress call on June 27, 2026, from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ohaozara Division, informing the command of a medical emergency involving Habila and requesting his presence at the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu.
“On arrival, the DPO was informed by hospital authorities that Miss Mary Habila had been brought in dead.
He immediately briefed the Commissioner of Police, who directed that the matter be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for thorough investigation,” the statement read.
The police spokesperson disclosed that while the family of the deceased had opposed the conduct of an autopsy, the command considered the procedure necessary in view of the circumstances surrounding the death.
“The Command therefore awaits the attendance of the family or their duly appointed representative, as their presence is essential to the conduct of the post-mortem examination,” Mr Ukandu said, assuring the public that the investigation would be conducted professionally, transparently and without bias, stressing that every necessary step would be taken to uncover the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death.
Mr Ukandu further assured that the command would continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses.
Family Seeks to Stop Autopsy
The family of the deceased, who is a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences and was seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works, formally requested the withdrawal of further investigation into her death and declined an autopsy.
In an affidavit titled Affidavit of Withdrawal of Case filed before the High Court of Justice of Ebonyi State, her father, Tanko Habila Wisdom, said the family was not alleging any foul play in her death and wished to proceed with her burial.
According to the affidavit, Mary Habila died on June 27, 2026, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The deponent stated that before her death, Habila was a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences and had been seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works in Mabushi, Abuja, where she served in the Office of the Minister of Works for about three years.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A Federal High Court in Apo, Abuja, has ordered the final forfeiture of billions of Naira worth of assets linked to businesswoman and socialite, Ms Aisha Achimugu, to the federal government.
Justice Jude Onwugbuzie granted the order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), directing the permanent forfeiture of jewellery valued at N4.645 billion, 11 exotic vehicles worth N4.293 billion, $50,000 and N30 million in cash.
The ruling followed the EFCC’s request for the final forfeiture of the assets, which the commission said were linked to Ms Achimugu.
The forfeited assets include: Jewellery valued at N4,645,170,294.90; 11 exotic vehicles worth N4,293,000,000; $50,000 in cash; and N30,000,000 in cash.
The court’s judgment vests ownership of the assets in the federal government, bringing the forfeiture proceedings to a close.
In March, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to the Lagos socialite. However, in an interview in April, she denied that $13 million was discovered by the EFCC in her residence, describing the claim as inaccurate and misleading.
Justice Nwite had, on August 22, 2025, granted the anti-graft agency’s motion ex parte for an interim order forfeiting the sum of $13 million linked to Oceangate Ltd to the federal government over allegations that the fund was proceeds of unlawful activity.
The judge had then directed the commission to publish the order in a national daily for interested people to show cause within 14 days why the fund should not be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
In 2024, the businesswoman gained significant media attention for a seven-day birthday celebration in Grenada, which was attended by high-profile guests, reportedly including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The socialite also defended her widely publicised birthday celebration, noting that it had been “planned for 10 years” and was not funded with any money under investigation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
To boost fertiliser production, strengthen food security and advance Nigeria’s domestic gas utilisation agenda, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited has signed a 16-year Gas Sale Agreement (GSA) with Indorama Fertiliser FZE for the supply of up to 60 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day from the Assa North Ohaji South (ANOH) Gas Processing Facility.
The agreement was signed by the chief executive of Renaissance, Mr Tony Attah, and Indorama’s counterpart, Mr Manish Mundra, with both executives describing the deal as a significant milestone in advancing Nigeria’s domestic gas utilisation agenda, industrial development, and agricultural growth aspirations.
“This agreement reflects our commitment to unlocking the value of Nigeria’s abundant gas resources through partnerships that create real and lasting impact,” Mr Attah said, adding: “By supplying natural gas to a major fertiliser producer such as Indorama, we are supporting a value chain that is critical to food security, agricultural productivity, industrial growth, and economic development.”
The agreement will provide Indorama Fertiliser with a secure and reliable source of natural gas to support uninterrupted production and enable the company to meet growing domestic and regional demand for fertiliser products.
The resulting increase in fertiliser availability is expected to contribute to improved crop yields, enhanced agricultural productivity, and strengthened food security across Nigeria and Africa.
Commenting on the agreement, Mr Mundra said the deal was an important milestone for the company in its ambition of supporting Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda.
“Reliable access to natural gas is fundamental to fertiliser production, and this long-term arrangement provides a strong foundation for sustainable operations and future growth,” Mr Mundra said. “We appreciate the partnership with Renaissance and look forward to leveraging this collaboration.”
The transaction aligns closely with Nigeria’s Decade of Gas initiative and further demonstrates the strategic role of natural gas in driving industrialisation, supporting manufacturing, enhancing energy security, and enabling economic diversification.
