Tag: Economy

Full List: 16 States To Experience Five-day Flooding

October 5, 2025 (updated October 5, 2025) Published by

The Federal Ministry of Environment has issued a warning that several locations across 16 states may experience heavy rainfall, likely to result in flooding, between October 4 and October 8, 2025.

ObasEmpire reports that the National Flood Early Warning Centre made this known on Saturday, in a flood alert signed by the Director of the Erosion, Flood and Coastal Zone Management Department at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Usman Bokani.

The centre predicted that the flooding might affect 39 locations across the 16 states.

The ministry urged relevant stakeholders and state governments to take precautionary measures to mitigate the potential impacts of the predicted flooding.

The states and locations likely to experience flooding are Delta State (Asaba), Yobe State (Damaturu), Sokoto State (Isa), Zamfara State (Anka, Bungudu, Gusau, Kaura-Namoda, Maradun, Shinkafi), Katsina State (Jibia), Oyo State (Kisi, Oyo), Kebbi State (Ribah, Sakaba, Yelwa), Kano State (Gwarzo, Sumaila, Karaye) and Niger State (Kontagora, Mashegu, Mokwa, New-Bussa, Rijau, Wushishi).

Others are Kwara State (Kosubosu), Benue State (Agaku, Buruku, Gboko, Katsina-Ala, Ugba), Borno State (Briyel), Bayelsa State (Brass, Ikpidiama, Odoni), Cross River State (Edor, Ikom), Rivers State (Itu, Ahoada), and Enugu State (Nsukka).

According to the National Emergency Management Agency, as of September 20, at least 232 persons had lost their lives, while 121,224 others had been displaced following floods that swept through parts of the country

The 2025 flood dashboard shows that at least 339,658 people have been affected so far, with 681 sustaining various degrees of injuries.

I Spent Thousands Of Dollars For This Event – Moses Bliss Cries Out After Being Denied Visa For Worship Concert

October 4, 2025 (updated October 4, 2025) Published by

Nigerian gospel singer, Moses Bliss, was unable to perform at a major worship event in Tanzania after facing visa challenges.

ObasEmpire understand that the concert, which reportedly attracted over 60,000 people, was set to take place on October 2, after Bliss’s earlier performance in Kenya.

Bliss and his team planned to fly from Nairobi to Tanzania for the free event.

However, upon reaching the airport, they discovered that their visas had not been approved, despite prior confirmation from the organizers.

Efforts to resolve the situation included contacting various authorities across Africa and seeking intervention from government officials and ambassadors, but these attempts were unsuccessful.

The team was later advised to try obtaining visas on arrival in Dar es Salaam, yet Tanzanian immigration officials denied them entry when they landed at midnight.

Bliss described the experience as painful, given the extensive preparation and resources invested to make the event free for attendees.

He said, “Hello my family in Tanzania. I’m here in Tanzania right now, I’m not just allowed to come. It’s very unfortunate that I couldn’t make it to worship with us today. I heard there were about 60,000 of you who came out. I’m sorry, I did my best.

We made every contact possible from everywhere around Africa. We even got presidential intervention, talking to different people in government and ambassadors, but we couldn’t get visas.

They told us we would get a visa on arrival, and we landed. We’ve been here now for about six hours. No way to go in, the immigration won’t let us in. Apparently, no visa on arrival again for us.

It’s very painful because we’ve been praying and looking forward to this event for so long. We’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to make this event absolutely free for you to just come and worship the Lord Jesus with us.

“I did everything within my power to be with you guys tonight to worship Jesus with you. They didn’t let us in. We’re here now in Tanzania, just waiting for the next flight to take us back to Kenya, Nairobi. Hopefully, we’re able to do this next time. Thank you for your support, thank you for believing. It’s fine, it is well.

Tanzania, please hear me, you were not at fault. You came out in numbers, ready for God, and that moves me deeply. I owe you not just an apology, but a promise, by God’s grace, I will return.”

Traders Count Losses As Fire Guts 26 Shops In Lagos’ Bariga Market

October 2, 2025 (updated October 2, 2025) Published by

Traders in Bariga Market, Lagos State, were thrown into wailing on Wednesday after a raging fire destroyed no fewer than 26 shops, leaving goods worth millions of naira in ashes.

Obasempire understands that the incident occurred barely 24 hours after the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) hosted a summit on tackling emergencies across the state.

Confirming the sad development in a statement issued on Wednesday, LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the Bariga Market fire started at about 4 a.m. and spread quickly through the market before emergency responders arrived.

Further information received at the incident scene revealed that the fire started from one of the shops and quickly spread to other shops because the key-clamp shops were supported and partitioned by wooden frameworks,” Oke-Osanyintolu explained.

He added that by the time responders arrived, several shops were already fully engulfed in flames.

Oke-Osanyintolu noted that the fire was eventually brought under control through the combined efforts of emergency responders, who worked to prevent it from spreading to other sections of the market.

While the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, he confirmed that no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.

The fire was extinguished through collaborative efforts of emergency responders and was quickly contained and prevented from spreading to other parts of the market. The incident scene was proactively managed to avoid any secondary incidents,” he said.

The agency’s damage report indicated that 26 key-clamp shops were destroyed, with properties worth millions of naira lost.

Many of the traders, who arrived at the market after being alerted, were seen weeping uncontrollably as they counted their losses.

This is all I have. Everything I worked for is gone. I don’t even know how to start again,” the PUNCH quoted one trader, who preferred not to be named, lamenting.

ObasEmpire reports that Wednesday’s tragedy adds to the growing list of fire incidents in Lagos.

Anybody That buys 1 litre of fuel in Nigeria,NUPENG and PENGASSAN Are getting money out of it- Danzaki

September 30, 2025 (updated September 30, 2025) Published by

Mr. Lawal Danzaki, National President of the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP), has accused the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of extorting truck owners and marketers, warning that such practices are worsening hardship for Nigerians.

Danzaki, who made the allegations during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, said the unions were collecting daily levies from petroleum marketers and truck owners who were not even their members.

As I’m talking to you now, the NUPENG PTD are getting a lot of money on daily basis from the truck owners and the marketers of filling station whereby we are not their members. Somebody that own filling station, a marketer, is not a NUPENG member or PENGASSAN. Somebody that own a truck is not their member, but they will put their shop for any depot that is loading. We must pay them between 100,000 to 150,000 before our truck load,” he said.

According to him, these charges eventually increase fuel prices for ordinary Nigerians. “And this kinds of money we are giving them, they are extorting us and at the end we are extorting Nigerians. The burden is going back to the Nigerians. Anybody that buys one liter in Nigeria, the NUPENG and PENGASSAN are getting money out of that,” Danzaki alleged.

The ADITOP President further criticized the unions for attempting to control the operations of private investors, including Africa’s largest refinery. “Dangote build his refinery. They wanted to control his refinery that when will he work and when he will not work. So this kind of thing that NUPENG and PENGASSAN are doing, they should come back to their drawing board. They know that their union is to help their workers and they will get their entitlement from the dues they are collecting from the salary of their workers,” he stated.

Danzaki also noted that union membership must be voluntary and should not be imposed on truck owners or petroleum marketers. “They have to understand that there is freedom of association. There is freedom of speech in this country. So they should not force people to be their members. That’s what they are doing all over the years,” he added.

Arise TV anchor jumped from storey building during robbery

September 30, 2025 (updated September 30, 2025) Published by

Somtochukwu, popularly known as Sommie , who was also a lawyer and model, was said to have lost her life in the early hours of Monday, September 29, at her Katampe home. Her sudden death has left colleagues, friends and viewers in deep shock.

According to Arise TV presenter Ojy Okpe, she gathered from their Abuja correspondence that late Sommie jumped down from her apartment after she got information that 15 armed robbers had invaded their building.

The armed robbers were said to have moved from one apartment to another, dispossessing residents of their belongings. The police were reportedly alerted but failed to show up on time.

Said to have been terrified by the commotion from adjoining flats, late Sommie attempted to escape before the robbers reached her apartment. She jumped out of her window, sustaining severe injuries from the fall.

Sommie was then rushed to the Maitama District hospital but was initially left unattended to as the hospital staff demanded for a form of identification before they could commence treatment. She sadly lost her life while still at the hospital. The apartment security who put up a resistance with the robbers was also shot and he d!ed from the injury. He left behind a wife and a little son.

Left to mourn Sommie are her parents, siblings, friends, colleagues and others.

Nigerian Police Rescue 24-Year-Old Ghanaian Trafficked Under Fake Canada Travel Scheme In Ogun, Arrest Five

September 28, 2025 (updated September 28, 2025) Published by

According to the Force Headquarters, the rescue was carried out by operatives of INTERPOL Annex, FCID Alagbon, Lagos, in Ofada, Ogun State, following a formal request for assistance received from the National Central Bureau (NCB) Accra on September 15, 2025.

The Nigeria Police Force has rescued a 24-year-old Ghanaian national from a human trafficking syndicate and arrested five suspects, including both Ghanaian and Nigerian nationals, in a coordinated operation in Ogun State.

Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the victim and his father were trafficked into Nigeria in July 2025 by one Hassana Abban, a 25-year-old Ghanaian woman residing in Ofada, under the guise of facilitating their travel to Canada.

Abban allegedly obtained forty thousand (40,000) Cedis, approximately ₦4.96 million, for the supposed travel arrangements, a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, on Sunday, stated.

Upon their arrival in Nigeria, their Ghanaian international passports and mobile phones were seized, and they were coerced into activities suspected to be fraudulent online trading platforms,” the police said.

Following intelligence sharing with Interpol Accra, operatives tracked the victims’ location and rescued them on September 16, 2025.

The operation also led to the arrest of the principal suspect, Hassana Abban, and four accomplices: Odubuasi David, a Nigerian national; Yahaya Salifu, a Ghanaian national; Sherifa Haruna, a Ghanaian national; and Ebenezer Ofosu, a Ghanaian national.

All five suspects are currently in custody and further investigations are ongoing. The rescued victims have since been reunited with their family back in Ghana,” the police confirmed.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the operatives’ professionalism and stressed the importance of regional cooperation in tackling cross-border crimes.

He said the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to working with international partners to dismantle trafficking syndicates, adding that “no criminal syndicate operating across borders will escape the long arm of the law.”

PENGASSAN enforces Dangote Refinery shutdown

September 28, 2025 (updated September 28, 2025) Published by

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, implemented the shutdown of the Dangote Refinery plant on Sunday.

This was contained in an update on the striking union’s action against Dangote Refinery over mass sacking.

The union said its members have shut all oil installations nationwide.

It noted that the refinery plant is 100 per cent shut down; fertiliser plant train two is also 100 per cent shut, with train one running at 60 per cent capacity.

The union added that the diesel plant is still running at the moment. However, the development has not been confirmed by Dangote Refinery.

The implication is that crude and gas supply to the refinery have been disrupted.

Recall that in a statement on Saturday, Dangote Refinery described the PENGASSAN directive as economic sabotage.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission on Sunday urged Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN to engage in dialogue to resolve the rift.

The dispute between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN started after the former sacked over 800 workers for belonging to the union.

BREAKING: Nigerian Authorities Planning to Assassinate Me – Sowore Reveals

September 27, 2025 (updated September 27, 2025) Published by

Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of planning to kill him.

Taking to X, Sowore alleged that the Department of State Services (DSS), under the leadership of its Director-General, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, has declared a “full war” against him following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu, whom he labelled a “criminal” following the president’s claim during a visit to Brazil that corruption had “vanished” under his administration.

He explained that Sahara Reporters had published an investigation which exposed how a DSS promotion exam led to the death of eight officers, creating anger inside the service. According to him, the DSS is now arresting and questioning its own officers over the leaks.

Sowore said after the DSS wrote to social media companies like X and Facebook, asking them to act against him, the secret police also began trailing his friends and collecting information about those who leaked stories to Sahara Reporters.

These people have a plan to assassinate you, and the DSS is providing technical assistance,” he quoted from sources warning him

Sowore also described the DSS boss, Ajayi, as a longtime operator who started his career in 1990 by posing as a student at the University of Benin (UNIBEN).

He further claimed that this was not the first attempt on his life. According to Sowore, operatives of the DSS had previously tried to assassinate him inside a Federal High Court in Abuja during the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He alleged that one of the officers involved, identified as Marshal, had recently returned from Bulgaria, where he was trained in so-called “non-lethal” killing techniques.

Meanwhile, Sowore is also facing fresh legal battles. He revealed that Justice M. Umar of the Federal High Court has scheduled his arraignment on cybercrime charges for next Tuesday in a case instituted by the DSS. In addition, another case filed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, is set to be heard on Monday before Justice M.S. Liman — the same judge who ordered the seizure of his international passport in January 2025.

Sowore argued that his passport was not seized for legal reasons but to trap him in Nigeria.

It was a calculated move to keep me tied down and unable to travel, so they could do their worst,” he said.

Nationwide Blackout Looms As Electricity Workers Begin Strike

September 26, 2025 (updated September 26, 2025) Published by

Nigerians may face fresh power outages as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) commenced an indefinite strike on Wednesday over unresolved welfare demands, including the non-implementation of the national minimum wage and alleged casualisation of workers.

Obas empire reports that the industrial action was announced in a notice signed by NUEE’s Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, who said the strike followed the expiration of the union’s ultimatum to the management of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

It is unfortunate that the TCN management has decided to handle these issues with kid gloves and a lack of regard for the hard-working staff of TCN. This, they have displayed without any defined roadmap to addressing them,” the union stated.

NUEE insisted that the strike was necessary to protect workers’ rights and salvage the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) from total collapse.

We cannot continue to fold our arms while we watch our rights being vehemently violated and the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) going down the drain. To this end, the union is compelled to withdraw its services,” Igwebike said.

The union directed all its members nationwide to stop work immediately until management is ready to address their grievances.

This is not the first time electricity workers have shut down operations over welfare concerns. In June 2024, NUEE embarked on a similar strike, which disrupted electricity supply across the country.

Full text of the NUEE strike notice:

A CALL TO ACTION

Following the expiration of the Union’s ultimatum to TCN Management over some staff welfare and operational issues, which include:

  1. 1. Non-implementation of National Minimum Wage
  1. 2. Casualisation of Workers
  2. 3. Non-provision of working tools and materials
  3. 4. Non-payment of staff salaries since April 2025
  4. 5. Lack of Operational Vehicles
  5. 6. Non-provision of PPEs since 2021
  6. 7. Issues arising from the unbundling of TCN
  7. “8. Non-payment of retirement benefits

“It is unfortunate that the TCN Management has decided to handle these issues with kid gloves and a lack of regard for the hard-working staff of TCN. This, they have displayed without any defined road map(s) to addressing them.

We cannot continue to fold our arms while we watch our rights being vehemently violated and the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) going down the drain. To this end, the Union is compelled to withdraw its services.

Members are hereby directed to withdraw services until such time that the management is ready to discharge its obligations towards the workforce.

This directive takes immediate effect and requires total compliance

Your Suffering Is A Pain Of Painful Surgery’ – Tinubu Tells Nigerians

September 26, 2025 (updated September 26, 2025) Published by

President Bola Tinubu on Friday compared the hardship facing Nigerians to the pain of an economic surgery, assuring citizens that the worst is over and prosperity lies ahead.

ObasEmpire reports that Tinubu gave the assurance at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, during the coronation of Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Addressing dignitaries and residents, the President said the nation’s economy, though still fragile, is recovering from crisis.

To many of you here present, today I’m honoured and I’m very proud to give you the cheering news that the economy has turned the corner. There’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel,” Tinubu said.

He described the suffering of Nigerians as a necessary sacrifice.

Your suffering is a pain, a pain of a painful surgery. But it is now returned to the moment of growth and prosperity that’s awaiting us ahead. Thank you for your perseverance. Thank you for your endurance and thank you for your understanding,” he added.

The President arrived at the venue at 2:28 pm in the company of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.

Other governors in his entourage included those of Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti states, alongside several members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Earlier, Tinubu received the traditional Akoko leaf at the Labosinde Compound, Oja’ba, Ibadan, as part of the coronation rites.

Oba Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, succeeded the late Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the 43rd Olubadan, who passed away on July 7, 2025, after reigning for only one year.

Friday’s ceremony, held nearly three months after Olakulehin’s demise, drew an array of political leaders, royal fathers and dignitaries from across the country.

Traditional rulers in attendance included the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade; the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Adeoye; the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi; and the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom, Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan.

Also present were former governors, Senators, members of the House of Representatives, and state lawmakers.

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