Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the current pump price of petrol, noting that Nigerians are now paying as much as ₦1,470 per litre even though crude oil, at $102.52 per barrel, sells for far less than the $147 per barrel it fetched in 2008 when petrol sold for ₦65 per litre under the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of presiding over what he described as an organised system of grand larceny against the Nigerian people, built around opaque Federation Account FAAC deductions, questionable management of oil revenues, parallel funding arrangements and allegations of off-book transactions.

“With crude oil around $102.52 per barrel, Nigerians are paying as much as ₦1,470 per litre. In 2008, when crude oil reached about $147 per barrel, petrol sold at ₦65 per litre under the Yar’Adua administration. The difference is that government then understood that economic policy must ultimately protect the welfare of citizens,” he said.

The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC said it is unconscionable for a government that has extracted unprecedented sacrifice from citizens in the name of subsidy removal to keep raising the cost of survival while refusing to provide a clear, verifiable account of the revenues, savings and deductions accumulated under its watch.

He recalled that Nigerians were told subsidy removal would free resources for education, healthcare, infrastructure and other essential services, yet nearly three and a half years later, fundamental questions remain unanswered about where the money has gone.

“Petrol at ₦1,470 per litre is not merely a figure at the filling station. It enters the price of transportation, food, school runs, farming, manufacturing and virtually everything Nigerians buy. Every increase at the pump travels directly into the household budget.

“After all the pain imposed on Nigerians, they have a right to ask: where are the subsidy savings and where is the money?”, he queried.

Atiku said official FAAC records themselves justify greater scrutiny, pointing out that in June 2025, gross Federation Account revenue was reported at ₦4.232 trillion while only ₦1.818 trillion was eventually distributed, with substantial sums categorised as cost of collection, transfers, interventions, refunds and savings.

He demanded a comprehensive reconciliation of Federation Account revenues from 2023 to date, showing gross collections, every deduction made before distribution, the statutory authority for each deduction, the receiving accounts and the ultimate beneficiaries.

“Nigerians deserve accounts they can interrogate, not accounting labels designed to discourage questions,” he said.

The former Vice President also called for full disclosure around the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, OML 143, oil-production revenues, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company NNPC’s international Liquefied Natural Gas LNG trading operations, offshore corporate structures and allegations involving unofficial crude lifting, maritime surveillance contracts and other possible off-book revenue flows.

“These allegations are too serious to be answered with press statements and political insults. Every barrel can be measured, every cargo identified and every legitimate payment traced. If everything is in order, publish the records and allow independent forensic auditors to reconcile them. If the allegations are false, the records will clear the government,” he said.

Atiku equally rejected attempts to use the current international crisis as a blanket excuse for rising domestic fuel prices, drawing attention to the widening gap between what Nigerians earn and what they now pay at the pump compared to other climes.

“At about $4.31 per gallon, U.S. petrol is roughly $1.14 per litre. Yet while the U.S. federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, Nigeria’s minimum wage is only ₦70,000 per month.

“Tinubu has brought Nigerians close to American fuel prices while leaving them with Nigerian poverty wages. That is the true cost of his subsidy-removal policy”, he said.

He insisted that the administration can no longer demand endless sacrifice from citizens while treating public accountability as optional.

“After all the oil, all the revenue, all the deductions and all the hardship, petrol is now ₦1,470 per litre. The question Tinubu must answer is simple: where are the savings, where are the revenues, and who is taking Nigeria’s money?”

The Kebbi Police Command, in collaboration with the military, has neutralised some suspected terrorists and recovered rifles, ammunition, motorcycles, and other items during a clearance operation in Gumki Forest, Kangiwa.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bashir Usman, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Birnin Kebbi.

He said the operation was conducted at about 6:05 a.m. on Monday, adding that Gumki Forest, Arewa Local Government Area, was a known route used by bandits and Lakurawa elements operating in the area.

He said the joint security team successfully engaged the terrorists during the operation and neutralised some of them.

According to him, the operation also led to the recovery of one PKT rifle with 174 rounds of live ammunition and one AK-47 rifle with 14 rounds of live ammunition.

Other items recovered, he said, included a pair of military camouflage uniforms, a pair of boots, two mobile phones, charms, and four motorcycles.

“The area remains relatively calm, while joint operations are ongoing to further clear the area and rid the state of criminal elements,” he said.

Usman quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Hadejia, as commending the operatives for their gallantry and dedication to duty.

Hadejia reiterated the command’s commitment to sustaining coordinated and intelligence-led operations with other security agencies to counter banditry, terrorism, and other forms of criminality in the state.

He also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts to safeguard lives and property.

The commissioner assured residents of the command’s determination to work with other security agencies to maintain peace and security across the state. (NAN)

Youths in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State have reportedly attacked and set fire to some offices belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) amid growing anger over insecurity and worsening economic conditions.

The youths reportedly took to the streets to protest the security challenges affecting communities in the area, as well as the rising cost of living and other difficulties facing residents.

During the protest, some APC offices were vandalised and reportedly set ablaze, while major roads were blocked, disrupting the movement of motorists and other road users.

Video footage from the incident showed a large crowd of youths gathered on a major road, with some of them involved in the destruction of properties.

The development has raised concerns over the growing frustration among residents in parts of Sokoto State, particularly communities affected by attacks and other criminal activities.

The protest came shortly after reports of renewed threats by terrorists operating in neighbouring Zamfara State.

Residents of Talata Mafara Local Government Area had reportedly been given a seven-day deadline by terrorists to provide ₦50 million, 50 cattle and 50 sheep or risk another attack.

The terrorists reportedly entered an open market in the area and issued the demands to residents. The threat followed several attacks allegedly carried out by the group against communities in the area.

Residents had blamed the repeated attacks on what they described as inadequate action by the government and security agencies.

According to residents, the terrorists had previously attacked communities, taken over farmlands and rustled cattle belonging to villagers without facing enough resistance from security forces.

The latest threat has therefore caused renewed fear among residents, who said the attackers had become increasingly bold in their activities.

The situation is also linked to a deadly attack on communities in Sauna Ward, Talata Mafara, in July.

Terrorists reportedly killed 22 farmers who were working on their farmlands during the attack.

The attackers were said to have travelled in large numbers on motorcycles after crossing the Anka–Mayanchi highway. They reportedly moved through communities including Ruwan Gora, Zauren Gora, Tulluwa, Unguwar Shanu, Tsangaya and Tundun Namali before reaching Sauna.

The journey reportedly covered nearly 50 kilometres as the attackers moved through several communities.

Residents said the attack occurred during the day, starting at about 2pm and continuing until around 5pm.

The terrorists were also reportedly involved in cattle rustling during the incident, although the exact number of animals taken was not immediately known.