Author: Kwara Reporters

Nine persons including a pregnant woman were injured in a gas explosion around the Ajegunle-Apapa area of Lagos State.The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS) attributed the explosion to a gas leakage which ignited a high-tension cable, causing a fire outbreak in the area known for its gas cylinder trading activities.“Tragically, nine individuals, including a pregnant woman and several children and adults, suffered varying degrees of burn injuries,” the Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said late Tuesday.“They received immediate medical attention from the Lagos State Ambulance Service and are currently undergoing further treatment…

The Federal Government has approved an increase of between 25% and 35% in salary for civil servants on the remaining six Consolidated Salary Structures.The Salary Structure is the Consolidated Public Service Salary Structure (CONPSS), Consolidated Research and Allied Institutions Salary Structure (CONRAISS), Consolidated Police Salary Structure (CONPOSS), Consolidated Para-military Salary Structure (CONPASS), Consolidated Intelligence Community Salary Structure (CONICCS) and Consolidated Armed Forces Salary Structure (CONAFSS).Those in the Tertiary Education and Health Sectors had already received their increases which involved Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) for universities.For Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, it…

One person was reportedly killed while two houses were burned in a clash involving youths in Eyenkorin community, a suburb of Ilorin, in Asa Local Government of Kwara State on Tuesday morning.Sources said that the crisis which began on Monday night between some cult members and the youths in the community claimed the life of a youth believed to have been killed by a cult group while two houses said to belong to the father of the leader of a rival cult group was set ablaze in retaliation for the death of their kinsman.The youth group, our correspondent gathered, were…

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), in a move to deregulate the metre supply and pricing market, released an order on Monday on the deregulation prices for metres deployed under the Meter Asset Provider (MAP) Scheme.According to the order, the commission said the move was necessitated after MAPs and other operators requested a further review of metre prices in consideration of the significant changes in foreign exchange and inflation rates since NERC’s last price review in September 2023.It said the significant changes in these macroeconomic variables had constrained the abilities of metre providers to supply metres at the approved regulated…

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has threatened to cripple the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, over non-payment of ₦200bn bridging claims.The threat comes following current nationwide scarcity which has seen prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, surge to between N610 and N800 at the pump, and between N1000 and N1200 at black market.The association’s Unit Chairman and Spokesperson, Aba Depot, Mazi Oliver Okolo who made the threat, said it was with the backing of the IPMAN’s national leadership.He claimed that the debt is being owed by the Nigerian…

Sitting arrangement on Tuesday tore senators apart when they resumed plenary in the main chamber of the National Assembly which had been under renovation for years.Recall that the main chamber of the National Assembly had been undergoing renovation.During the time, the Senators were operating from a temporary hall.Following the completion of the project, they moved in to the renovated chamber for their legislative business after spending about 40 days on recess.Trouble started when the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, started reeling out names of Senators who marked their birthdays during the 40 days recess.Specifically, Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (APC…

A 400-level female student of the University of Abuja, Murjanatu Zubairu, who was declared missing on Friday has died in a car accident along the Lugbe – Airport Road, Abuja.Zubairu, a student of the Department of Arts Education in the university’s Faculty of Education, left home for school on Friday but her whereabouts remained unknown until Monday.Confirming her death via a telephone chat with Daily Trust late Monday, her uncle, Zubairu Yewuti who is also a former vice chairman of Kwali Area Council of the FCT, said, “The family of Murja called me in the afternoon and they confirmed that…

A former Director of Information Technology of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, John Ayoh, has explained how he collected $600,000 allegedly for contract gratification for the embattled ex-apex bank governor, Godwin Emefiele.Ayoh, while being led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on Monday, told an Ikeja Special Offences Court that he spent eight years in the apex bank.He told the court that he received a letter from the agency concerning two transactions he facilitated through Emefiele.Ayoh, Head of Procurement and Support Services, PSS Department, told the court that the first…

The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu Monday warned that there would be total blackout in the country in the next three months if the proposed electricity tariff hike is not implemented.The minister disclosed this yesterday in Abuja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Power at an investigative hearing over the recent electricity tariff hike by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).This followed the rejection of the new tariff regime by the Senate committee, led by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.Adelabu said, “The entire sector will be grounded if we don’t increase the tariff. With what we have now in the…

Some bank customers have expressed panic as the Central Bank of Nigeria bans mobile money operators including fintech firms from onboarding new customers.However, the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria backed the CBN directive.The new directive will affect fintech companies such as OPay, Palmpay, Kuda Bank, and Moniepoint, from opening new accounts until further notice.Reliable sources from three major fintechs who requested not to be mentioned as they were not permitted to speak, confirmed the development to The PUNCH on Monday.The CBN’s move was linked to an ongoing audit of the Know-Your-Customer process of the fintechs, which have been under scrutiny…