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Witness Says Iba Monarch Abductors Got N15.1m As Ransom

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By Dipo Olowookere

“My abductors demanded N500m ransom but my family paid N15.1m to free me” the traditional ruler of Iba Town, Oba Goriola Oseni, told a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere.

Oseni said this on Friday while giving evidence at the commencement of trial of the four men accused of kidnapping him.

The accused are Duba Furejo, Ododowo Isaiah, Reuben Anthony and Yerin Fresh, who were first arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo on October 24.

They are standing trial on an eight-count bordering on conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, robbery, armed robbery, stealing and kidnapping preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.

At the commencement of hearing, the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Adeniji Kazeem (SAN), who led a team of lawyers for the state, obtained the leave of court to exclude the public from the trial.

In an oral application, Kazeem told the court that the accused were part of a criminal enterprise, therefore, it would be in the interest of justice and the safety of the witnesses for the case to be closed to the public.

The court granted his request despite the objections of all the three counsel for the accused.

Mr Selowei Baidi was for the first and second accused, Mr. J. O. Egwuaroje for the third accused while Anthony Onwueze represented the fourth accused.

Justice Taiwo, in her ruling, said that there was nothing prejudicial about Kazeem’s application and assured the defence counsel of fair hearing.

She ordered all journalists in court to identify themselves with their official identification card in order to be allowed to cover the proceedings.

Led in evidence by Kazeem, Oseni, 73, testified as first prosecution witness and narrated how at about 8:00pm on July 16, he was kidnapped while watching TV in his palace.

Oseni told the court that he was held in captivity for three weeks in an unknown camp.

He described his abductors, about nine, as shirtless, heavily armed men wearing only black trousers.

He said, “This is the king, the gunmen said. I asked them, ‘what can I do for you?’ Then they grabbed me. I was in only a boxer because I was preparing to take a bath.

“My Olori (Queens) came in and asked them where they were taking me to but they fled when the gunmen released some bullets in the decking of the room.”

He said the gunmen dragged him out of the palace and shot sporadically, in the process, killed his security guard and a motorcyclist.

He said they demanded N500m ransom but his family paid N12m and then another N3.1m to another group of the kidnappers, totalling N15.1m, following which he was released.

The Oba’s son, Prince Kazeem, who testified as the second prosecution witness, said he delivered both ransom money of N12m and N3.1m to the abductors at a canal near Igbehinadun in Iba.

He said they negotiated the ransom from N500m to N40m but they couldn’t raise that amount, especially after the government refused to pay any ransom.

The militants, he added, gave him directions to the drop off point on phone after warning him not to tell anyone.

Justice Taiwo adjourned the case till November 18, following a request by the prosecution for time to present more witnesses.

Dipo Olowookere is a journalist based in Nigeria that has passion for reporting business news stories. At his leisure time, he watches football and supports 3SC of Ibadan. Mr Olowookere can be reached via [email protected]

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Power Outage in Nigeria as National Grid Collapses

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By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Nigeria is currently experience a cut in power supply after the national grid collapsed for the 11th time in 2024.

This is the first time in over a month as the last time the nation witnessed a nationwide shut down in electricity supply was on November 7, 2024.

Before then, the country was experiencing an incessant collapse of the grid, which prompted the federal government to set up a team to address the issue.

However, just when Nigerians were thinking they will not witnessed another national grid collapse in the year, it issue reared its ugly head again.

On Wednesday afternoon, most of the energy distribution companies suffered power outage, prompting them to inform their customers of the situation.

One of the DisCos, Ikeja Electric Plc, in a message to electricity consumers under its franchise area, said, “Please be informed that we experienced a system outage today, December 11, 2024, at about 13:32 hours affecting supply within our network.

“Restoration of supply is ongoing in collaboration with our critical stakeholders. Kindly bear with us.”

Recall that on Tuesday, in a report, Google listed national grid as one of the top trending searches by Nigerians this year.

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NLNG to Replace Vessels in Move Towards Decarbonisation, Sustainability

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerian LNG Limited (NLNG), which produces Nigeria’s Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and natural gas liquids (NGLs) for export, is planning to replace all its vessels with modern ships within the next decade.

This was disclosed by Mr Nnamdi Anowi, the General Manager of Production, NLNG, during the World Leaders’ Panel session on Tuesday in Berlin, Germany, as part of the 2024 World LNG Summit and Awards.

Speaking at the event themed “Achieving the Balance Between Energy Security and Decarbonisation,” he said the company which was incorporated in 1989 was making plans to boost its vessels to ensure proper transportation of gas for export.

“We are making significant strides in our shipping operations. Over the next 10 years, we aim to transition from our current steam-powered vessels to modern ships.

“Earlier this year, we took a major step by entering into a long-term chapter of our first modern ship Aktoras, and we are already planning to acquire a second ship next year,” he said.

On the critical issue of net zero emissions, Mr Anowi said that NLNG aspires to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

According to him, this goal is attainable through implementing a combination of solutions that include operational efficiency, natural sinks/offset projects, carbon capture and storage (CCS), net zero expansion, digital solutions and shipping efficiency.

“Our pathway to net zero aligns with Nigeria’s target of reaching net zero by 2060, while many major players in the industry are aiming for 2050.

“We are actively expanding our initiatives in this area, including several low-carbon projects,” he explained.

Regarding Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Anowi noted that the company had committed 100 per cent of its LPG production (propane and butane) to the Nigerian market.

He pointed out the urgent need for cleaner energy, citing a report that revealed that not less than 100,000 Nigerians died yearly from smoke inhalation caused by cooking with firewood, predominantly affecting women and children.

“This underscores our commitment to sustainability. It’s important to recognise that about 80 per cent of Africans lack access to cleaner energy.

“When discussing sustainability, we can not overlook the necessity of providing energy to these communities,” he added.

He further elaborated on NLNG’s strategy, stating, “Our objective at Nigeria LNG is to maintain safety, enhance capacity, foster growth, and future-proof our business.

“The recent transformation programme includes a rebranding initiative, evidenced by the unveiling of a new logo and the company’s renewed purpose: providing energy for life’s sustainability.

Mr Anowi also noted that NLNG was working diligently to improve its production capacity from 23 million tons to 30 million tons through its Train 7 Project.

“We are actively engaging with stakeholders and the government to ensure our LNG trains are filled by the end of next year,” he said.

On sustainability, Mr Anowi explained that 75 per cent of NLNG’s emissions result from its operations, with the remaining 25 per cent coming from its shipping activities.

He emphasised the importance of measurement, reduction, avoidance and mitigation strategies in their sustainability efforts.

He said that the company was also exploring CCS opportunities through partnerships with the government and other international oil companies.

“We are in the early stages of CCS implementation, assessing potential reservoirs for this purpose,” he said.

In terms of renewable energy, Anowi said that NLNG was investigating solar power projects at its offices in Abuja and Port Harcourt as part of its broader sustainability initiatives.

“We are committed to abatement efforts and are collaborating with experienced private companies to explore carbon credit opportunities.

“We must balance sustainability with affordability and reliability in energy supply.

“The African region must progress at its own pace, prioritising immediate energy needs before addressing long-term sustainability goals,” he explained.

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National Grid, Mr Ibu Among Top Trending Searches by Nigerians in 2024

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By Dipo Olowookere

Many events happened in 2024 in Nigeria but a few shook the nation because of their impact on residents of the country.

According to a report released by Google, the incessant collapse of the national grip, which plunged the nation into darkness, was among trending searches on its platform.

In the report made available to Business Post on Tuesday, the tech giant said this year’s results show a continued interest in the political and economic landscape, with searches related to the US elections, the new national anthem.

“The 2024 Year in Search offers a unique lens into the questions, interests, and conversations that shaped the lives of Nigerians this year.

“From cultural milestones to pressing concerns, these insights reflect how Search continues to be a valuable tool for users to navigate and better understand their world,” the Communications and Public Affairs Manager for Google West Africa, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, stated.

Google’s 2024 Year in Search for Nigeria showcased the most popular searches, notable individuals, actors, musicians, topics, questions, and other subjects that captured Nigerians’ attention in the year.

Google’s Year in Search is an annual analysis that reveals the top trending lists and also spotlights what the world searches to see, learn, and do.

The music scene in 2024 was marked by a surge in popularity for artists like Shallipopi and Khaid, who also featured prominently in the overall personalities list. The top trending song was “”I Don’t Care” by Boy Spyce”, followed closely by “Ozeba” and “Commas” by Ayra”. Nigerians also showed a keen interest in understanding the lyrics of various songs, with “Ogechi lyrics”, “Ozeba lyrics”, and “Omemma by Chandler Moore lyrics” leading the searches in the lyrics category.

This year, Nigerians continued to demonstrate a strong interest in entertainment with movies like “A Tribe Called Judah”, “Treasure In The Sky”, and “Damsel” topping the movie charts. The top TV series that captured the interest of Nigerian netizens included “Supacell”, “My Demon”, and “Queen of Tears”. In the culinary world, Nigerians explored diverse recipes with “Pornstar Martini recipe” leading the searches.

Concerns about personal well-being and global events were also reflected in search trends. Questions like “How much is dollar to naira today?”, “How to get perfectly defined curls for African hair?”, and “Who won the US presidential election?” topped the list of queries. Nigerians were curious about the meaning of words like “demure,” “steeze,” and “pet peeves,” turning to Search for answers.

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