The operatives also intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker fitted with a concealed compartment for illicit drugs, and recovered several other consignments of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine and other psychotropic substances in Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states.

Following the interception of a 1.2kg cocaine consignment concealed in phone chargers and destined for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at a courier company in Lagos on 31st July 2026, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in NDLEA have successfully tracked the mastermind through painstaking intelligence-led operations.

The suspect, arrested in a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market, Ojo area of Lagos, on Friday 4th September 2026 while posing as a herbal tea businessman, was identified as 34-year-old Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu.

In his statement, he admitted being the mastermind of some illicit drug shipments in the past while stating that he discarded his telephone SIM card once he learnt his latest consignment had been intercepted by the NDLEA.

Further investigation revealed the suspect is no stranger to the agency: he was first arrested in 2011 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, after ingesting 900grams of cocaine and 130grams of heroin in an attempt to fly to Austria under the name Dunu Chukwuyenre Enoch.

He was prosecuted for the crime, convicted and sentenced to five years in jail.

He thereafter changed his name to Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu and returned to the criminal trade.

A search of his residence located at 6 Yemishola Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, on Friday 4th September led to the recovery of phone chargers similar to those used to conceal the intercepted cocaine, with their internal components removed to create space for drugs.

At the Lagos airport, operatives recovered 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg worth over N1.1 billion concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment from Pakistan, and 57.80kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, worth over N173 million in street value, hidden inside cartons of disposable hand gloves in a shipment from Singapore that had lain unclaimed for weeks before a joint examination by NDLEA officers, Customs and other security agencies was conducted on Thursday 3rd September.

In one of the week’s most brazen discoveries, a 20,000-litre fuel tanker marked MKA 960 XC, and notorious for evading arrest in the past was chased down by NDLEA officers along the Akoko/Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State on Friday 4th September after its driver refused to stop.

The driver later abandoned the vehicle at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko, and fled into the bush.

A search of the tanker revealed a false compartment concealing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg alongside its legitimate fuel cargo destined for Jos, Plateau State.

Barely a month after three suspects – Yashim Dauji, Larry Ifeanyi, and Joseph Moji – were arrested at Tincan Port in Lagos over the seizure of 842.54kg of cannabis-laced cookies, another 598.08kg (890 packets) of similarly infused cookies and gummies were on Wednesday 2nd September intercepted in a 40-foot container at the port and linked to the suspects already in custody.

In Adamawa State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Damilu and Jambutu axis in Jimeta, Yola North local government area, on Friday 4th September recovered 864,000 pills of opioids especially tramadol from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect, Patrick KC Frank, whose Honda Civic car rammed an NDLEA patrol vehicle before he escaped. In another interdiction operation in Michika area of the state, a major methamphetamine supplier from Lagos to Mubi and Michika axis, Calistus Ebubechukwu, 35, was arrested on Friday 4th September with a total of 2kg of the dangerous substance, while Attahiru Hussaini was intercepted with 750,027,530 pills of tramadol and other opioids concealed in a soap-laden Ford Galaxy bus marked JJM-953XD at Namtari check point in Mubi on Monday 31st August.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 4th September recovered 2,386.9kg of cannabis, 350grams of cocaine, over 100kg of assorted tramadol grades, 9.7 litres of codeine syrup and 4kg of rohypnol at Gbaji area of the state, while two suspects – Damilare Francis and Emeh Emmanuel – were arrested with 720kg of cannabis at Agbara area.

Three suspects – Saidu Mustapha, 35; Zaharadeen Salisu, 29; and AbdulSalam Abdullahi, 25 – were nabbed with 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Owo, Ondo state to Jos, Plateau State along Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State.

In Taraba, 58-year-old Kelechi Unachukwu, was arrested along Zaki-Biam road, Wukari local government area with a cocktail of over 109kg of tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, exol-5, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin being conveyed in his Toyota Corolla car marked KUJ-333BT from Onitsha, Anambra State to Yola, Adamawa State.

A truck loaded with bags of cement was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along the Zaria-Kano Expressway, Kaduna with 1,179kg of skunk recovered while a suspect Hamza Dahiru, 25, was arrested by NDLEA operatives in Bauchi in a follow up operation following the seizure of 322.5kg of cannabis at Deba town, Gombe state on Tuesday 1st September.

In Ekiti State, two suspects – Chuks Alex, 50, and Asafa Adekunle, 35 – were arrested after NDLEA operatives uncovered and destroyed a 4-hectare cannabis farm in Efon-Alaaye forest, recovering 117kg of already-harvested skunk, just as a 20-year-old Obinna David, was arrested at Ugbema Junction, Enugu with 40,590 capsules of tramadol on Saturday 5th September.

With the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include WADA enlightenment lecture to nursing mothers and nurses at Iberekodo Primary Health Centre, Abeokuta North, Ogun State; youths of Umouji/Okwo community at Olokoro, Umuahia South local government area, Abia, and NLNG staff and concessionaires at Saipem-Daewoo, NLNG terminal, Bonny local government area, Rivers State, among others.

While commending the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, Ondo, Tincan, Lagos, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.

He reiterated that traffickers who believed they could reinvent themselves under new identities or legitimate business fronts will continue to be tracked down.

READ ALSO: 

Obasanjo: The ex-president who refused to leave office

Revisiting 1951 Western Regional House of Assembly cross-carpeting saga

Death be not proud: Publisher Dotun Oladipo and the tolling bell

Ekiti: Oyebanji concludes annual leave, resumes work Monday

EXTRA: Wetin person dey do with penile enlargement?

FRSC announces traffic diversion on Kaduna-Zaria Highway

Anambra: Police detain new suspect over nursing student’s murder

Three killed, 20 injured in Osun road crash

Shooting stars edge CS Sfaxien 1-0 in CAF confederation cup

LJLA graduates 2025/2026 cohort, inducts 30 new fellows

Former I-G Adamu emerges SDP guber candidate in Nasarawa

The post Herbal tea businessman arrested over cocaine shipments to S’Arabia appeared first on Frontpageng.

This is in line with its established policy on the participation of candidates below the prescribed admission age.

The announcement was made on Saturday in a statement by the spokesman of the board, Dr. Fabian Benjamin.

For clarity, an underage candidate, for the purpose of the 2026 admission exercise, is any candidate who will be less than 16 years old as at 30 September 2026.

The board, however, clarified that the release of the results for viewing does not confer eligibility for admission on all underage candidates, as admission into tertiary institutions remains subject to the conditions stipulated by the board and other relevant regulatory requirements.

To check the underage result, candidates are to send RESULT to 55019 or 66019 to view the result using same SIM (phone) used in registering for the UTME.

The results have been made available primarily to enable the candidates and their parents or guardians to know how they performed in the examination.

Such results cannot be used for admission or any other official purpose, except in respect of candidates who satisfy the stringent requirements prescribed for exceptionally performing underage candidates.

The board had earlier established that only exceptionally performing underage candidates who satisfy the prescribed conditions would be considered for admission.

Consequently, candidates who do not meet the requirements for exceptional consideration should not present their viewed results to any institution or individual for the purpose of securing admission.

The board reiterated that the exceptional admission process is deliberately rigorous and involves multiple stages of assessment to ensure that only candidates who demonstrate the required academic maturity and exceptional ability are considered.

Among the requirements for consideration is a minimum UTME score of 320, alongside a minimum of 80 per cent performance in the relevant Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, SSCE, subjects, where applicable.

Such candidates are also required to meet the relevant Post-UTME requirements of their chosen institutions and undergo the prescribed final assessment by experts.

The board explained that the process was intended to distinguish genuinely exceptional underage candidates from those who might have merely performed well in the UTME.

Accordingly, the admission process for exceptionally performing underage candidates is ongoing, and the process has not yet been exhausted as all the necessary stages of assessment and verification have not been concluded.

The board noted that it would be unreasonable to conclude the process without allowing candidates who were awaiting their National Examinations Council, NECO, results to present and have their results verified.

The NECO results are yet to be released, and the board would therefore await their release before proceeding to the final stage of the assessment process.

As soon as the NECO results are released, the board will fix and announce a date for the final stage of the assessment of the exceptionally performing underage candidates.

JAMB stressed that the ongoing process was not merely a matter of UTME performance, but a comprehensive assessment designed to ensure that only candidates who genuinely satisfied all the prescribed requirements were considered for admission.

The board therefore urged parents, guardians, candidates and members of the public to exercise caution and avoid patronising individuals who might aim to have the capacity to secure admission for underage candidates outside the prescribed process.

The board reiterated that participation in the UTME and the release of a candidate’s result do not, in themselves, guarantee admission, particularly for candidates who have not attained the prescribed admission age.

JAMB assured the public that the process for exceptionally performing underage candidates would remain transparent, rigorous and merit-based, in keeping with its commitment to protecting the integrity of the admission process and ensuring that only candidates who satisfied the established requirements were admitted.

READ ALSO:

Segun Oni at 72: Thank you for your service to Ekiti –Gov Oyebanji

Lagos agency nabs 130 suspected hoodlums

Agency seals 12 Islamic medicine stores, one clinic

Removal of posters: Who is afraid of Iyabo Obasanjo?

Truck crushes six to death in Adamawa

Human trafficking: NSCDC rescues 15 minors sold for N2m each

FG announces 14-day closure of Niger Bridge for maintenance 

Lagos begins 2027 budget consultation Monday

The post JAMB releases results of underage candidates appeared first on Frontpageng.

Marwa gave the charge on Wednesday 2nd September 2026 while declaring open an Advanced Capacity Building Programme on Financial Investigations, Asset Tracing, Forfeiture, Recovery and Management of the Proceeds and Instrumentalities of Narcotics Trafficking and Related Organised Crime, organised by the Agency in Abuja.

In his welcome remarks, the NDLEA boss noted that the depth of participation at the programme reflected a shared commitment to the understanding that drug trafficking was fundamentally an economic enterprise, sustained by financiers, facilitators, money launderers and professional enablers operating behind every drug shipment.

“If we arrest the courier but leave the financier untouched, seize the drugs but allow the proceeds to remain with the criminal enterprise, or secure a conviction without recovering the illicit wealth, we have addressed only part of the problem,” he stated.

He observed that criminal organisations were increasingly exploiting technology, cryptocurrencies, complex corporate structures and legitimate businesses to conceal the ownership and origin of illicit wealth.

He stressed that the agency’s response must evolve with equal sophistication.

According to him, NDLEA investigators and prosecutors must be equipped to analyse complex transactions, trace assets across borders, establish beneficial ownership, exploit digital evidence and build financial cases capable of supporting forfeiture and recovery.

Marwa disclosed that the NDLEA’s next imperative, having made significant progress in seizing narcotics and prosecuting traffickers, was to dismantle the economic foundations of the drug trade and make narcotics trafficking a high-risk, low-profit enterprise.

“The sophistication of organised crime demands a corresponding sophistication in our response. We must move from crime detection to crime disruption; from arresting offenders to dismantling criminal enterprises; and from confiscating drugs to depriving traffickers of the wealth that motivates and sustains their activities. The drug trafficking ecosystem intersects with money laundering, corruption, cybercrime, human trafficking, illicit arms trafficking and other forms of organised crime. These intersections make sustained cooperation, within the NDLEA and among our partner institutions, not merely desirable, but indispensable,” he stated.

He called for stronger synergy among the agency’s directorates: intelligence, investigation, prosecution, forensics, asset and financial investigation, describing them as interconnected links in one enforcement chain that must work as one agency rather than in isolation.

He extended the same call to inter-agency collaboration, noting that no single institution possesses all the information, expertise or capacity required to confront sophisticated criminal networks.

The NDLEA chairman commended the calibre of resource persons at the programme, including Hon. Judge Michael Hopmeier, recently retired Circuit Judge at Southwark Crown Court, UK; Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, former Chairman of the ICPC; Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation; Calvin Wilson, Global MLCFT advisor; Jason Sandoval, Head of European Operations at Asset Reality, and his colleague, Nick Francis; Fernandez Marcus-Obiene, cryptocurrency expert and Special Assistant to the President on Justice Sector Reform; and Chioma Chikelu, a crypto-police specialist, among other resource persons drawn from sister agencies.

He also welcomed the participation of representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), as well as Judges of the Federal High Court, describing their presence as strengthening the link between investigation, prosecution and adjudication.

READ ALSO: 

Retired General’s wife rescued, two kidnappers apprehended

Rivers: Police dismiss four officers over fatal shooting of student

PMO at LSFVCB, commends board for outstanding performance

Troops neutralise terrorists, rescue 30 kidnap victims

Response must outpace spread of Ebola -UN relief chief

Why does a politician’s joy never last till evening?

Where do you belong in the social media arc?

Sanwo-Olu inaugurates 44 sports association chairmen

APC unveils Tinubu’s roadmap to $1tn Nigerian economy

The post Marwa to NDLEA men: Dismantle financial structures of drug cartels appeared first on Frontpageng.

The reaffirmation came with the national chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, declaring that the foundation for the ambitious target is being laid through economic reforms, infrastructure development, investment in human capital and the expansion of Nigeria’s productive capacity.

Yilwatda stated this on Tuesday while representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Special Guest of Honour at the Second Edition of the Asiwaju Scorecard Series/Asiwaju Policy Roundtable organised by the APC Professional Forum.

He conveyed the president’s appreciation to the organisers and participants for creating a platform for constructive engagement on the policies, programmes and achievements of the administration.

According to him, President Tinubu assumed office at a time Nigeria was confronted with a difficult economic inheritance characterised by fuel subsidy distortions, multiple foreign-exchange windows, weak revenue mobilisation, foreign-exchange shortages, rising debt-service pressures and years of inadequate investment in critical infrastructure.

He said the president recognised that the country could no longer continue on that trajectory and therefore took difficult but necessary decisions, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy and the reform of the foreign-exchange market.

Prof. Yilwatda noted that available economic indicators increasingly demonstrated that the foundation of the Nigerian economy was strengthening, citing the rise in Nigeria’s gross external reserves to about $52.7 billion by August 2026, growth in consolidated non-oil revenue from approximately N13.63 trillion in 2023 to N16.4 trillion in the first two quarters of 2026, and a significant improvement in the country’s merchandise trade position.

He further cited real GDP growth of 4.43 per cent in the second quarter of 2026 and the decline in inflation to about 15.4 per cent from its earlier peak.

“These figures do not mean that our economic challenges have disappeared, but they demonstrate that the direction of travel has changed,” he said.

The APC national chairman, however, stressed that macroeconomic stability was not the ultimate destination of the Renewed Hope Agenda but the foundation upon which Nigerians must experience tangible improvements in their daily lives.

“The ultimate test is when stability translates into cheaper food, more jobs, affordable credit, reliable electricity and greater purchasing power for Nigerians,” he said.

Yilwatda explained that the President’s $1 trillion economy ambition should not be viewed merely as a numerical target but as a national development mission aimed at building a Nigeria that produces more, exports more, attracts greater investment, creates more jobs and gives its young population a greater stake in the nation’s future.

He said achieving the target would require Nigeria to fundamentally rethink its economic geography and take full advantage of its strategic location, maritime resources, population, natural resources and expanding consumer market.

According to him, the country must move beyond the traditional concept of infrastructure as isolated projects and develop an integrated national economic and transportation architecture capable of connecting production centres, ports, markets and neighbouring countries.

Yilwatda proposed an integrated five-port maritime and logistics corridor connecting major deep-sea ports in Lagos, Ondo, Ibom, Port Harcourt and Calabar through modern rail and road infrastructure.

He said the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Super Highway could serve as a principal coastal road spine, while major rail and road corridors would connect the maritime gateways to Nigeria’s interior and ultimately to the wider markets of West, Central and North Africa.

The Western Corridor, he explained, would connect the maritime gateways to the interior through the Lagos–Abuja–Kaduna–Kano rail corridor, complemented by the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, thereby creating a major trade route from Nigeria’s Atlantic coast to markets in the Northwest and the Sahel.

Similarly, the Eastern Corridor would connect eastern maritime gateways through the Port Harcourt–Abuja–Kaduna–Kano rail corridor, complemented by the proposed Calabar–Maiduguri Trans-Sahara Super Highway.

He said such an integrated network could ultimately connect Nigeria’s maritime gateways to landlocked markets in Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Sudan and the Central African Republic.

“This is how Nigeria can move beyond being simply a coastal trading nation to becoming the maritime gateway and logistics hub of West and Central Africa, capturing a much larger share of the continent’s trade, logistics, manufacturing and distribution value chain,” he said.

Yilwatda stressed that the infrastructure plan represented far more than transportation development. “It is a trade architecture,” he declared.

He explained that the corridors would create opportunities in logistics, warehousing, freight forwarding, customs, banking, insurance, manufacturing, distribution and agro-processing, while generating employment, foreign exchange and greater economic activity.

He urged the development of industrial parks, export-processing zones, logistics parks, agro-processing clusters and manufacturing centres along the corridors.

“Where rail reaches an agricultural region, processing industries should follow. Where it reaches mineral resources, processing and manufacturing should follow. Where dry ports are established, logistics and distribution businesses should develop around them. This is how infrastructure becomes an engine of economic growth,” he said.

The APC national chairman further highlighted the strategic importance of expanding rail connectivity towards Maradi and the wider Sahel, stressing that the project could fundamentally reposition Nigeria as a regional trading and logistics powerhouse.

He explained that improved connectivity would give Nigerian businesses easier access to neighbouring markets while ensuring that significant economic activities associated with trade—including customs, banking, insurance, logistics, manufacturing and distribution—are increasingly domiciled in Nigeria.

“If you are a businessman in Nigeria, the rail to Maradi will ensure that you can trade with all the neighbouring countries,” he said.

According to him, the corridor would also create enormous opportunities for Nigerian manufacturers to produce goods for export across the sub-region, while industrial parks and logistics centres could spring up along the route.

He urged governors in the northern states to see the emerging corridors as platforms for economic transformation rather than merely transportation projects.

“These corridors can become pathways to the development of a billion-dollar economy,” he said.

Yilwatda maintained that no industrial transformation could succeed without reliable and affordable energy, stressing that Nigeria’s abundant natural gas resources provided an opportunity to power a new phase of industrialisation.

He specifically cited the strategic importance of the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano, AKK, gas pipeline project in connecting gas resources to major population and industrial centres in Northern Nigeria.

According to him, the project is not simply about transporting gas but about enabling electricity generation, fertiliser production, manufacturing, transportation, household energy supply and broader industrialisation.

He said the government must deliberately encourage fertiliser plants, manufacturing facilities and other energy-intensive industries to locate along the emerging infrastructure corridors, thereby transforming transportation and energy investments into productive economic clusters.

The APC national chairman also highlighted the administration’s investments in education, skills development and access to productive credit, describing them as strategic investments in Nigeria’s economic future.

He said the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, was designed to ensure that financial circumstances would no longer prevent qualified Nigerian youths from accessing higher education.

Drawing from his experience as a former university lecturer, Yilwatda said he had personally witnessed brilliant students discontinue their education because they could not afford school fees.

“Even if you don’t like President Tinubu, your children can access the fund and access higher education,” he said, stressing that the programme should be viewed beyond partisan politics.

He explained that by easing the financial burden of education on families, resources that would otherwise have gone into school fees could be deployed into other productive activities, thereby stimulating economic activity.

He also highlighted skills-development programmes and digital training initiatives aimed at preparing Nigerian youths for the global digital economy.

Similarly, he cited the administration’s credit initiatives, including access to loans for small and medium-scale enterprises, as part of efforts to empower Nigerians to establish businesses, expand existing enterprises and create jobs.

He described the programmes as investments in the productive capacity of Nigerians rather than mere welfare interventions.

Yilwatda said the administration’s economic vision extended beyond roads, railways and trade to critical sectors such as healthcare and solid minerals.

He highlighted investments in cancer treatment infrastructure, noting that additional cancer centres were being developed to address the challenges faced by Nigerians who previously had limited access to specialised treatment.

He also referenced investments aimed at improving maternal healthcare and expanding access to facilities capable of addressing complications associated with pregnancy and childbirth.

According to him, the development of the solid minerals sector represents another major opportunity for Nigeria to diversify its economy, attract investment, create jobs and develop local processing capacity.

He emphasised that the objective of the Renewed Hope Agenda was to build an economy in which Nigeria did not merely extract and export raw materials but increasingly processes its resources domestically and captures greater value from its production.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the APC Professional Forum, Alhaji Isa Yuguda, welcomed participants to the second edition of the Asiwaju Scorecard Series and described the forum as an important platform for APC members, policymakers and public officials to explain their contributions to the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He urged members of the party to take advantage of the platform to catalogue and communicate the achievements recorded in the various sectors to which they have been assigned.

Yuguda identified the removal of fuel subsidy as one of the most consequential decisions of the Tinubu administration, acknowledging that the policy was controversial but arguing that its long-term benefits would outweigh the immediate difficulties.

He recalled that the issue of fuel subsidy removal had been debated for many years, saying successive administrations had struggled to address what he described as a system characterised by leakages, opacity and abuse.

According to him, the subsidy regime created opportunities for fraud and diverted resources that could have been used for national development.

He commended President Tinubu for demonstrating the political will to end the regime and argued that the resulting savings have increased the resources available to federal and state governments for infrastructure and development.

Yuguda said the removal of subsidy had therefore expanded the fiscal capacity of governments and created opportunities for greater investment in education, infrastructure and other development priorities.

He warned against any attempt to return Nigeria to the old subsidy regime, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.

According to him, political parties and candidates must be judged by the sustainability and credibility of their economic proposals rather than by promises that could reverse difficult but necessary reforms.

He specifically cautioned against proposals to restore the old subsidy system, arguing that such a move could return Nigeria to the financial and governance challenges associated with the previous regime.

READ ALSO: 

Lassa fever cases rise to 1,035, deaths hit 252

Falconets draw S’Korea 1-1 in U-20 Women’s World Cup friendly

Land dispute: Farmers raise the alarm over alleged defiance of court order

Former British PM Starmer steps down as MP

VDM-NBA conference controversy and Ayonrinde’s perspective

Family confirms Orbih’s death, seeks prayers for deceased

Ogun: Govt issues fresh flood alert, advises residents

Adewale Ayuba to release new five-track album, ‘Arise’

EFCC now freezing suspicious funds in 72 hours, targets crypto wallets

Growth in GDP excites Tinubu, assures of stronger performance

EPL: Saka on target as Arsenal edge Aston Villa 1-0

The post APC unveils Tinubu’s roadmap to $1tn Nigerian economy appeared first on Frontpageng.

Specifically, his subsidy claim will return Nigerians to fuel queues, removal of the current minimum wage, cancellation of the education grants to Nigerian students among other negative consequences for the masses, he said.

Professor Yilwatda made the call in Abuja while receiving a delegation of critical economic stakeholders who visited him to discuss the state of the Nigerian economy, ongoing reforms and the prospects for sustainable economic growth.

He said the debate over fuel subsidy should not be reduced to political rhetoric, but must be assessed against the experiences of the country under the previous regimes, particularly the enormous fiscal burden imposed on government and the consequences for states, workers, education and infrastructure development.

According to him, the former vice president’s proposal to restore fuel subsidy raises fundamental questions about how such a policy would be financed and sustained without returning Nigeria to the cycle of fiscal pressures that characterised the previous arrangement.

“Subsidy may appear attractive because it promises cheaper petrol, but Nigerians must also ask the bigger question: who pays for the subsidy and what happens to the resources that government must divert to finance it?

“A policy cannot be judged only by its immediate benefit at the pump. We must examine its impact on government revenues, salaries, pensions, education, healthcare, infrastructure and the overall capacity of government to meet its obligations to citizens.”

Yilwatda, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media amd Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, noted that before the current administration, several state governments faced serious difficulties meeting their salary obligations, with some unable to pay workers regularly and others resorting to partial salary payments.

He said the removal of the subsidy and the resulting increase in federal allocations to states had significantly improved the fiscal position of many sub-national governments, enabling them to meet salary and pension obligations while also undertaking development projects.

He therefore cautioned that any attempt to reintroduce subsidy must be subjected to rigorous economic scrutiny to ensure that the country did not recreate the fiscal pressures of the past.

The APC chairman also drew attention to the education sector, recalling the prolonged disruption of academic activities in Nigerian universities under the previous administration.

He said Nigerians should be concerned about policies that could weaken the capacity of governments to finance education and other essential public services.

“A return to a fiscally unsustainable subsidy regime could have consequences far beyond the price of petrol. When government revenue is squeezed, the first victims are often the critical sectors that directly affect the welfare and future of our people,” he said.

On the new minimum wage, Yilwatda said the sustainability of improved workers’ wages must also be considered in the subsidy debate.

He explained that wage increases require a corresponding improvement in the capacity of both federal and state governments to meet their recurrent obligations.

According to him, the challenge is not merely to announce higher wages but to create an economic environment in which governments can consistently pay them without sacrificing investment in infrastructure, education, healthcare and other essential services.

He added that the current reform agenda was also opening up opportunities in areas that were previously constrained by Nigeria’s weak foreign-exchange and payment infrastructure.

Yilwatda cited the growing ability of Nigerians to use their locally issued bank cards for legitimate transactions abroad and the expansion of digital payment opportunities as examples of changes that are improving the country’s participation in the global digital economy.

He said that was particularly important for young Nigerians, content creators, freelancers and other digital entrepreneurs whose livelihoods increasingly depend on the ability to receive and make international payments.

“Our young people are no longer limited by geographical boundaries. A Nigerian content creator, software developer, consultant or freelancer can provide services to clients anywhere in the world. But that opportunity requires a financial and payment system capable of supporting the global digital economy.

“We must therefore be careful about policies that could undermine the progress being made in strengthening Nigeria’s financial and digital ecosystem.”

The APC national chairman also highlighted the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, describing it as an important intervention that had expanded access to tertiary education financing and reduced the immediate financial burden on many families.

He said sustainable financing for education was critical to ensuring that young Nigerians were not forced to abandon their studies because their parents cannot afford tuition and other educational expenses.

Yilwatda stressed that the central issue in the subsidy debate should be how to build an economy capable of producing sustainable prosperity rather than one dependent on expensive government intervention.

He acknowledged the hardship that followed the removal of fuel subsidy and said the government must continue to strengthen measures that cushion the impact of reforms on vulnerable Nigerians.

“The hardship Nigerians have experienced is real, and government must continue to respond to it. But the answer cannot simply be to return to a system whose long-term fiscal implications created serious distortions in our economy.

“What Nigerians deserve is an economy that can sustainably finance good wages, quality education, healthcare, infrastructure and social protection without depending on an opaque and expensive subsidy system.”

The APC chairman said Nigerians were entitled to a robust debate on economic policy, but such debate must be anchored on facts, sustainability and the lessons of recent history.

He urged political leaders proposing a return to subsidy to provide Nigerians with clear answers on the cost, funding mechanism, duration and long-term sustainability of such a policy.

“Whenever anybody proposes a return to subsidy, Nigerians should ask: how much will it cost? Where will the money come from? What programmes will be sacrificed to finance it? And for how long can the government sustain it?

“These are legitimate questions that must be answered before the country embarks on another expensive policy experiment.”

Yilwatda said the APC-led federal government remained committed to reforms aimed at building a more productive, competitive and sustainable Nigerian economy.

He called on economic stakeholders, professional bodies, labour organisations, businesses and citizens to continue engaging government constructively on how to make the reforms work better and ensure that their benefits are more widely shared.

He added that Nigeria’s economic future should not be determined by short-term political calculations, but by policies capable of delivering sustainable growth, employment, investment and improved living standards for present and future generations.

READ ALSO: 

Guild of Sports Editors demands credible NFF reforms committee

Dotun Oladipo: Adieu my boss and a part of my story

Troops ​‌‌‍⁠⁠‍⁠⁠‌‍​‍‍​⁠⁠‌‌​intensify pressure on ISWAP, nab 15 suspects, kill many

The grim reaper snatched Dotun Oladipo

Dotun Oladipo’s death, a great loss to the media, Nigeria -NRC MD

Africa’s investment future’ll be won or lost in its cities –Sanwo-Olu

Still on FCCPC and the cement monsters…, By Bolanle Bolawole

From Abuja to Hangzhou (2): Thrills, frills and the Chinese ‘Smart Life’

NDLEA intercepts N6.2bn worth of ‘Jihadi drug’ in soap, opioids

Ajaokuta: Minister identifies causes of Nigeria’s lack of steel devt

BREAKING: Tinubu begins three-week leave

The post Yilwatda: Atiku’s subsidy claim is a return to fuel queues, reversal of minimum wage appeared first on Frontpageng.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted consignments of captagon, widely known as ‘Jihadi drug’ and millions of opioid pills worth over N6.2 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.

The captagon shipment was seized at the Lagos airport on Saturday 22nd August 2026 following the arrest of a 49-year-old cross-border kingpin Akinbile Kazeem Aikins, who arrived from Accra Ghana aboard an African World Airlines flight.

A search of his carton of local bathing soap, popularly called “Ghana Soap,” led to the recovery of 47,200 pills of the illicit amphetamine drug worth over N1.5 billion concealed within blocks of soap.

Captagon, which is notoriously dubbed the ‘Jihadi drug’ for its use in funding extremist activities in conflict zones, was first intercepted in Nigeria by NDLEA in September 2021 at the Apapa port in Lagos.

After his arrest, Akinbile claimed he was meant to deliver the consignment in the North.

In another successful interdiction operation at the Lagos airport, no fewer than 3,900,030 tablets of Tramaking 225mg and Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined gross weight of 2,787.40 kilograms and more than N4.6 billion in street value, were recovered from four abandoned consignments at the import shed of the MMIA.

Three of the consignments, comprising 900,000 tablets of Tramaking (815.40kg), arrived aboard RwandAir flights from Bangladesh, while a fourth, comprising 3,000,030 tablets of Tapentadol (1,972kg), arrived on Qatar Airways from Amsterdam.

The shipments, which had been placed under close watch after no one showed up to claim them, were formally retrieved after a joint examination by NDLEA officers, Customs and other stakeholders on Friday 28th August.

A 31-year-old US-returnee, Sowunmi David Oludotun, was on 19th August arrested by NDLEA operatives at Ikate area of Lekki after he showed up to take delivery of 3.350 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis imported from the United Kingdom.

Fireproof safe cracked open in Rivers drug den raid

In Rivers State, NDLEA operatives have raided the notorious Abuja Down/Up area of Port Harcourt where they recovered a fireproof iron safe among other items.

When the safe was cracked open with a welding machine on Tuesday 25th August, 237 grams of colorado; 316 grams of cocaine, and 10 grams of heroin were recovered from it.

Three suspects – Oyedele Daniel, 42; Taye Saliu, 36; and Kehinde Saliu, 36 -were on Friday 28th August nabbed at Ipele-Idoani Road, in Ondo State, with a total of 728kg skunk recovered from their truck marked KRE 120 XB. Two other suspects: Uche Joseph, 35, and Godwin Umeh, 21, were arrested at Aponmu forest with 341kg of same substance on Wednesday 26th August.

In Delta State, over 176,000 pills of assorted opioids including tramadol, molly and others were recovered from two interdiction operations in parts of the state between Wednesday 26th and Friday 28th August.

With the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Markaz Littahfizul Quran Wal Islamiyyat, Dadin Kowa, Gombe; Zangina Islamiyyah Alasawa Kurna, Ungogo LGA, Kano; youths at the adolescent lifestyle programme organised by NNPCL in Benin city, Edo state; while the Ondo State Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the State Governor, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, with the Taraba State command of the agency paying a similar advocacy visit to the state governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Ondo, and Delta Commands for the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of thea.

He also directed them to sustain the momentum against drug traffickers who are desperate to explore every means, including concealment in everyday household items like soap, to move their illicit consignments.

READ ALSO: 

Ajaokuta: Minister identifies causes of Nigeria’s lack of steel devt

BREAKING: Tinubu begins three-week leave

APC candidate, Oyebamiji, congratulates Adeleke on re-election

Army warns against unauthorised X posts

Police dismantle bandits’ hideouts in Kaduna

Atiku’s subsidy push and echoes of desperation, By Tunde Rahman

Troops intercept ₦9.89m ransom, rescue 27 kidnap victims

The post NDLEA intercepts N6.2bn worth of ‘Jihadi drug’ in soap, opioids appeared first on Frontpageng.

The board had earlier announced Monday, 31 August 2026 as the deadline for all candidates offered admission from 2021 to date to indicate their acceptance or rejection of such offers.

In a statement on Saturday, the board warned that the extension was therefore a final opportunity for all affected candidates to take the necessary action before the expiration of the new deadline.

Candidates with pending admission offers who have not yet accepted or rejected (regular or CUIIA) such offers are strongly advised to do so before 30 September 2026.

It said candidates should not wait until the deadline, as failure to take action within the stipulated period would have consequences for the status of such admissions.

The board added that candidates who accepted their admission offers would be able to proceed to print and obtain their admission letters.

It said those who rejected their offers would have their dashboards reverted to “Not Admitted”, enabling the board to update its records and ensure that its admission data accurately reflected the current status of candidates.

The statement by the board reads further: “For candidates who are no longer in the institution where the previous admission was offered, or who are currently in a different programme from the one for which the previous admission was offered, such candidates may accept the outstanding admission and subsequently apply for the appropriate correction or deletion of the admission, as the case may be. This will enable the Board to appropriately update the candidate’s admission status and records.

“Similarly, candidates who are currently pursuing a second degree but still have a previous admission offer  that remains unaccepted may go ahead and reject such an offer and continue with their current programme.

“The Board further wishes to make it clear that candidates who have been offered admission in the 2026 admission exercise but still have a previous admission offer pending should not be apprehensive. Such candidates may reject the previous admission offer, and doing so will have no adverse effect whatsoever on their 2026 admission.

“The Board is providing this extension to give all affected candidates one final opportunity to indicate clearly whether they wish to accept or reject their outstanding admission offers and to enable the Board to maintain accurate, current and reliable national admission records.

“The Board wishes to emphasise that there will be no further opportunity after the expiration of the extended deadline on Wednesday, 30 September 2026. At the expiration of the deadline, all outstanding admission offers from 2021 to date that have neither been accepted nor rejected will automatically be reverted to “Not Admitted” status and will remain so on the Board’s records.

“All affected candidates are therefore strongly urged to act immediately and not wait until the deadline.

“Candidates should note that failure to accept an admission offer within the stipulated period will render the offer invalid.”

READ ALSO: 

Oladipo: A few hours ago, we spoke — Now, I write your epitaph

NGF summit: Runsewe unveils fresh roadmap for golf development

Atiku and the borders: Nigerians deserve facts, not campaign slogans

NPFL: 3SC defeats Inter Lagos FC 2-1 in league opener

NPC announces death of chairman, Aminu Yusuf

Troops rescue 34 abductees, neutralise 21 terrorists

Stock market rakes in N1.38trn daily gain

Naira sustains gains, trades at N1,337

Alleged sextortion: EFCC extradites two Nigerians to US 

The post JAMB extends deadline for acceptance of previous years’ admissions appeared first on Frontpageng.

President Bola Tinubu, in a statement on Thursday, said that because “cheaper fuel must mean cheaper transport fares,” he had reached an agreement with state governors to “cut transport fares nationwide” by leveraging CNG and electric vehicles.

But Atiku, in a statement by his media office on Friday, faulted Tinubu’s proposal, describing it as another ‘Animal Farm’ promise.

He insisted that his proposed innovative subsidy would not only ensure the production of cheaper fuel but would also reduce the cost of transportation and food.

Additionally, he said, it would support Nigerian production, protect consumers and put more purchasing power in the hands of Nigerians.

Conversely, the ADC presidential candidate said the plan by Tinubu to work with state governors by leveraging CNG and electric vehicles raiseg more questions than answers.

He asked: “Is the government announcing a fully operational programme, or merely announcing a target for a programme whose implementation framework is still being developed?”

He noted that while President Tinubu had said that the federal government and state governors had agreed to begin implementing measures aimed at reducing transport fares, with the goal of Nigerians benefiting from lower fares from October 1, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, in its communiqué following its meeting on August 26, said that the proposed National Affordable CNG Transit Programme still required further consideration of its financing and implementation framework.

Governor Douye Diri also indicated that the implementation timeline would be worked out with stakeholders.

“That means Nigerians deserve clarity. What exactly will be operational on October 1?” he queried.

“The government says more than 120,000 vehicles have already been converted to CNG and that additional conversion kits are being deployed. But Nigerians need more than a headline figure.

“It is pertinent to know how many of those vehicles are commercial passenger vehicles. How many are currently operating on CNG every day? How many passengers are actually benefiting from reduced fares?

“And in which states and on which routes? These are the figures that matter.”

The Waziri Adamawa pointed out that “a station that has been announced, ordered or planned is not the same as a station that is operational, supplied and accessible to commercial transport operators.”

According to him, the Tinubu-led APC government should therefore publish the locations, status and commissioning timetable of these stations.

Most importantly, he said, there must be a transparent system for ensuring that the savings reached commuters.

“If government supports vehicle conversion, provides financing, supplies fleets or subsidises infrastructure, then participating operators should have clearly defined fare obligations.

“There should be: a published baseline fare; a published reduced fare; identified routes and participating operators; transparent details of government support; a clear implementation timetable; and an enforcement mechanism for operators who receive public support but fail to pass the savings to passengers.”

The former vice president observed that the Tinubu government’s own previous CNG experience demonstrated that enforcement matterwd.

He recalled that in 2025, the federal government announced a 40 per cent fare reduction on CNG-serviced routes in Abuja and deployed a task force to monitor compliance, yet reports at the time also highlighted problems with CNG availability and the ability of converted vehicles to access adequate supplies.

“The lesson is clear: A fare reduction announced in Abuja is not the same as a nationwide transport solution.

“Nigeria is a large country with very different transport systems and levels of CNG infrastructure.

“A commuter in Lagos, Abuja or another major city may have access to CNG infrastructure that is unavailable to commuters elsewhere.

“So when the government says Nigerians nationwide will benefit from cheaper fares, Nigerians are entitled to ask for a state-by-state implementation plan.”

According to him, “October 1 should therefore not be another political deadline. It should be a measurable delivery deadline. By October 1, Nigerians should be able to ask: How much has my fare actually fallen?”

He said the questions should have clear answers because Nigerians had endured an extended cost-of-living crisis.

“Transport costs do not merely affect commuters; they affect the price of food, goods and services because everything has to be moved from one location to another.”

He said the federal government and state governments must publish the numbers: How many vehicles? How many routes? How many states? How much funding? What fare reduction? What enforcement mechanism? And what happens where CNG infrastructure is not yet available?

The former vice president said the government must now demonstrate that principle in practice because Nigerians did not pay their transport fares with policy statements; they pay with money they have earned.

“They do not commute on announcements; they commute on buses,” he said.

He stated that on October 1, the only announcement that would truly matter to the ordinary Nigerian was the one made at the bus stop: “The fare has come down.”

READ ALSO: 

Dotun Oladipo: Family announces funeral arrangements

PFN to Christians: Capture power from the grassroots

Falconets beat Poland 1-0 in U-20 women’s World Cup friendly

Shell commends efforts towards regional action plan for safe helicopter services

Troops neutralise 21 terrorists, dismantle B’Haram/ISWAP camp

Ebola kills 2,700 in DRC as UN chief seeks $1.1bn

Three die, two sustain injuries in Lagos clash

Tinubu directs comprehensive football reform

Tinubu swears in Enitan as head of Civil Service of the Federation

Akpabio mourns Oladipo, describes him as a courageous journalist

ICM: Adesina, Nwosu, Agbeluyi, Okoh, Ani, others headline summit

The post Atiku to Tinubu: My subsidy plan will produce cheaper fuel, fares appeared first on Frontpageng.

Oladipo died on Tuesday after falling ill in the office.

In his statement, Daniel described Oladipo as a distinguished journalist who made remarkable contributions to the Nigerian media industry.

He said at the defunct Compass Newspaper, where he rose from Assistant Project Manager to Editor of Sunday Compass, Dotun distinguished himself through his intellect, professionalism and commitment to journalism.

“He was a man of ideas, courage and uncommon generosity of spirit, whose passion for journalism extended beyond personal achievement. Through his work at Compass and subsequently as publisher of The Eagle Online, he remained committed to the growth of the profession and the role of the media in society,” Daniel said.

He added that his on August 25, 2026, was a great loss to his family, colleagues, friends and the wider media community.

“Those who had the privilege of knowing him will remember his professionalism, warmth and enduring contributions,” he added.

“On behalf of myself, my family and associates, I extend my deepest condolences to the entire Oladipo family. May God grant you the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss and grant the soul of Mr. Dotun Oladipo eternal rest,” Daniel concluded.

READ ALSO: 

Dotun Oladipo: I tried, but couldn’t hold back the tears

AMACOG ’92 set mourns departed Exco member, Dotun Oladipo

Oladipo: Nigeria has lost a fearless media professional –Yilwatda

The law on self defence that every Nigerian should know

Dotun Oladipo: NGE mourns exit of a gentleman, great journalist

Dotun Oladipo: ‘A ma dupe lowo thank God’ has been silenced

67 Nigerians return from South Africa

The post Gbenga Daniel mourns, says Oladipo was a distinguished journalist appeared first on Frontpageng.

Yilwatda described the passing of Dotun Oladipo as a huge loss to the Nigerian media community and the nation at large, noting that his death had created a painful void at a time when the country needed experienced, courageous and responsible voices in journalism.

The APC national chairman said Oladipo’s contribution to the development of Nigerian journalism, particularly his commitment to professional excellence, credible reporting and the advancement of the media industry, would remain indelible.

“Dotun Oladipo was not merely a journalist; he was a committed professional who understood the enormous responsibility of the media to society. His sudden departure is deeply painful and has understandably thrown the Nigerian media industry into mourning.

“He brought professionalism, courage and intellectual depth to his work and remained committed to the ideals of journalism as an instrument for informing citizens, holding institutions accountable and strengthening democracy.

“His death is a significant loss not only to his family, colleagues and friends, but also to Nigeria’s democratic project and the broader media community.”

Yilwatda commiserated with Oladipo’s family, colleagues, friends and the entire Nigerian media fraternity, urging them to take solace in the enduring legacy he left behind.

He prayed God to grant the deceased eternal rest and give his family and loved ones the strength and fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

“On behalf of my family, the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Dotun Oladipo and the entire Nigerian media. May God grant him eternal rest and comfort all those he left behind,” the APC national chairman said.

READ ALSO: 

The law on self defence that every Nigerian should know

Dotun Oladipo: NGE mourns exit of a gentleman, great journalist

Dotun Oladipo: ‘A ma dupe lowo thank God’ has been silenced

67 Nigerians return from South Africa

Mammoth crowd as PDP flags off presidential, NASS campaigns in Ogun Central

Troops rescue two kidnap victims in Plateau

Tinubu mourns The Eagle Online publisher, Dotun Oladipo

GOCOP mourns former president, Dotun Oladipo

The post Oladipo: Nigeria has lost a fearless media professional –Yilwatda appeared first on Frontpageng.