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  • Exposed: Mr Femi Otedola, accused of Aggressive Banking Gangsterism

    Exposed: Mr Femi Otedola, accused of Aggressive Banking Gangsterism

    ** Plot to Seize OML 42 Oil Mining License under false and deceptive debt claims

    ** Uses First Bank subsidiaries

    Neconde Energy Ltd and Nestoil Group has accused First Bank subsidiaries of orchestrating fraudulent and aggressive attempts to seize Neconde’s prized Oil Mining Licence (OML 42), under what the companies calls a “manufactured and unsubstantiated debt claim.”

    It is nevertheless not in dispute that for over three(3) years, First Bank Quest has refused to release bank statements to Neconde Energy Ltd and Nestoil Group despite all their requests and attempts to obtain loan and bank statements from FBN Quest and till date the status of any alleged indebtedness has not been determined due to that failure. It is therefore uncertain if any debts exist at all due to the failure to issue statements to verify these claims.

    In recent times, financial watchers have accused First Bank of engaging in multiple high stakes financial gangsterism, aimed at taking over lucrative businesses of First Bank customers under the guise of “debt default”. Industry watchers warn that this very dangerous trend that can eventually sink a bank that has been existing for decades.

    Even more troubling is the alleged personal involvement of the Chairman of the Firstbank Holdco, Mr Femi Otedola in these aggressive economic bullying drawing comparison from the hostility in Sahara Group case, to General Hydrocarbon to most recently Neconde and Nestoil.

    Word on the street has it that Mr Otedola had earlier this year approached Neconde requesting to buy some 16 percent stake in the juicy OML42 Oil Block, a request which was said to have been bluntly rejected by Neconde. It is therefore hardly coincidental that only months later, First Bank pounced on Nestoil and Neconde in an aggressive move to take over OML 42, citing an alleged $1billion dollar unverified debt.

    A Dispute Fuelled by Secrecy
    According to our sources in Nestoil,
    “How can we owe what we cannot see?” one senior Nestoil official asked.
    “We cannot verify any debt because First Bank will not release the very documents that would confirm or disprove their claim.”

    Nestoil insists that without those statements, the bank’s attempts to enforce debt recovery actions amount to economic ambush and economic gangsterism.

    The Contested Licence

    At the center of the conflict is OML 42—one of the most promising onshore blocks in the Niger Delta Basin. Industry analysts estimate that the license could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue over its lifespan. At present OML42 accounts for approximately 5% of Nigeria’s crude oil production.

    There are claims that the subsidiaries of First Bank Holdco under the Chairmanship of Mr Femi Otedola has shown “unusual, excessive interest” in taking over the OML42 through court orders, ex parte motions, and aggressive debt-recovery procedures that the company says lack documentary justification.

    “It has become clear that the bank’s objective is not repayment—it is acquisition,” a senior financial expert states.

    Legal Manoeuvres and Alleged Overreach

    Legal experts interviewed for this story say the refusal of First Bank to release bank statements, if true, raises serious questions about transparency and the integrity of the bank’s claims.

    One financial law analyst noted:

    “A creditor refusing to provide account statements is highly irregular. Any enforcement action without documentary clarity could be challenged as predatory or abusive.”

    Nestoil and Neconde Vows to Resist “Corporate Bullying”

    The Company says it intends to escalate the matter to regulatory bodies, accusing First Bank of:

    Withholding essential financial documents;

    Misrepresenting loan obligations;

    Attempting to take over strategic national assets through deception and;

    Engaging in “bad faith banking practices”.

    The companies has also hinted at pursuing damages for reputational harm and economic loss.

    Uncertain Road Ahead

    As the battle intensifies, industry observers warn that the dispute could unsettle local and international investor confidence in the already fragile upstream sector.

    For now, NestoilGroup and Neconde Energy says it will continue to fight what it calls a “calculated attempt to strip us of our assets using fictitious debt claims and procedural intimidation. No amount of malicious court cases will deter us”.

    Whether First Bank can substantiate its alleged debt claim—or whether the controversy exposes a deeper pattern of aggressive asset acquisition tactics—remains to be seen.

    In the plaintiffs Originating Summons Suit No.FHC/L/CP/1439/2025 they avail that “Whether the 2nd Plaintiff’s exercise of the power vested in it by virtue of the
    Security Sharing Deed,Deed of Charge dated 8h December 2022 and Deeds of
    All Assets Debenture dated 27h August 2007,28th March 2005(and the
    Supplemental Documents)and its appointment of the Receiver/Manager over OML 42 JV and other crystallised charges and assets of the 18 and 2nd
    Defendants due to the Events of Default,entitles the Receiver/Manager so-
    appointed to exercise all the rights and duties as enshrined in the Deed of
    Charge and All Assets Debenture for the full realisation of the outstanding
    indebtedness of US$1,012,608,386.91(One Billion Twelve Million Six Hundred and Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty-Six United Stated Dollars Nine One Cents)and NGN430,014,064,380.77(Four Hundred and Thirty Billion Fourteen Million Sixty-Four Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty Naira Seven-Seven kobo)owed to the Lenders as at 30h September, 2025 and any interest accrued until final liquidation.

    5.Whether by virtue of Clause 3.3 of the Neconde Deed of Charge,the Plaintiffs
    on behalf of Lenders can take over the 45%interest of the 2nd Defendant to
    recover the outstanding indebtedness of US$1,012,608,386.91(One Billion
    Twelve Million Six Hundred and Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty-
    Six United Stated Dollars Nine One Cents)and NGN430,014,064,380.77 (Four
    Hundred and Thirty Billion Fourteen Million Sixty-Four Thousand Three
    Hundred and Eighty Naira Seven-Seven kobo)from the OML 42 JV
    Activities/Contracts.

    6.Whether having regard to the personal guarantees given by the 3d and 4th
    Defendants to the Lenders,the 3d and 4h Defendants are personally liable to
    repay the loan facilities issued by the Lenders to the 1st Defendant to the tune
    ef the amcunt pciscnal!;;guaranteed.

    7.Whether the Lenders being unsatisfied creditors and the 2nd Plaintiff are
    entitled to an ORDER OF PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the 1-4h
    Defendants(as obligors)whether by themselves,servants,or agents from
    operating and/or dealing with any interest in the charged assets,movable or
    immovable,until the sum of US$1,012,608,386.91(One Billion Twelve Million Six Hundred and Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty-Six United
    Stated Dollars Nine One Cents)and NGN430,014,064,380.77 (Four Hundred
    and Thirty Billion Fourteen Million Sixty-Four Thousand Three Hundred
    and Eighty Naira Seven-Seven kobo)being outstanding balance.

    With these pending issues waiting for the determination of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, alleging that Nestoil is on the receivership is a hoax.

    Furthermore, the plaintiffs prayer for the court to give judicial recognition of the purported Receiver Manager was refused by Justice Dipeolu, before the case was transfered to another judge for hearing and its determination.

  • NNAMDI KANU IS GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH

    NNAMDI KANU IS GOOD RIDDANCE TO BAD RUBBISH

    By Charles Nnaebuka, PhD

    Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction and sentencing to life in prison marks not just the end of a chapter in Nigeria’s uneasy secessionist saga but a vindication of the view that his brand of defiance was not freedom-fighting but a toxic mix of arrogance, recklessness and a willful courting of violence. He is, in the starkest sense, a good riddance to bad rubbish.
    To those who really know him, Nnamdi Kanu was never just a dissident. He was a swaggering provocateur whose rise was built on historical grievance, his own myth-making and a kind of hubris that finally destroyed him.

    Born in 1967 in Nigeria’s southeast, Kanu came of age in a region haunted by the spectre of Biafra, the short-lived secessionist state that sparked a civil war. That war killed more than one million people and its memory became the fuel for Kanu’s long, volatile evolution. For years, Kanu wrapped his separatist ambitions in the language of self-determination, historical injustice and opportunism. He spoke of Biafra not merely as a lost dream but as a moral imperative.

    In that regard, he launched Radio Biafra around 2009 from London broadcasting not just a separatist message, but a combative, almost messianic call: the Igbo people would no longer tolerate their status at the mercy of a Nigerian state they saw supposedly as corrupt, oppressive and irredeemable.
    Riding on that faulty illusion, he formed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) (which would later be proscribed a terrorist group by the courts due to violent activities), turning a radio station into a movement.

    Over time he hardened his message, daring to turn resistance into an existential fight. By exploiting the ignorance of many in the Southeast, he mobilised thousands via Radio Biafra, calling on his followers to sit at home, to resist, to hate the Nigerian state. But that lofty narrative belied something more brittle: a man intoxicated by his own importance, certain that his convictions placed him above accountability. His antecedents, both real and self-styled laid the groundwork: Kanu tapped into deep-seated Igbo frustration, historical trauma and a longing for self-determination.

    But rather than moderate or negotiate, he doubled down and saw himself not just as a leader, but as the voice of a people allegedly long wronged and his role rapidly grew into something grandiose. He did not just agitate for change, he believed he was indispensable to it.
    When he was first arrested in 2015 on treason charges, he seemed to relish the spotlight. But after a dramatic military raid on his home in 2017, he fled while on bail and his disappearance only elevated his status among his followers. In 2021, he was re-arrested in Kenya and controversially extradited back to Nigeria, moves he would later decry as illegitimate and part of an alleged broader conspiracy against him.

    However, when the court finally delivered its judgment, Justice James Omotosho did not mince words. He described Kanu’s behavior during the trial as “arrogant, cocky, and full of himself,” a man who refused to recognize the limits of his power. Kanu’s pride was not just in his speech, it was in his refusal to engage with the court’s processes. As self style activist and freedom fighter ala Obafemi Awolowo, Nelson Mandela and Martin Lurther King, he dismissed legal representation, challenged the court’s jurisdiction and eventually refused to mount any defense. That obstinacy amounts to more than ideological posturing but a strategic miscalculation, a self-inflicted wound.

    Kanu’s charges were serious. The court found him guilty on seven counts related to terrorism. Prosecutors presented evidence that his broadcasts on Radio Biafra were not mere political speech, but calls to violence, that he incited attacks, gave instructions related to bomb-making and directed “sit-at-home” orders in the Southeast that paralysed movement and threatened and ended innocent lives of those who defied his orders. His orders and style infringed on the rights of citizens. Kanu’s violent nature is not a footnote but a raging reality: media reports tie his sit-at-home orders to almost a thousand deaths in the Southeast between 2021 and 2025, as armed actors enforcing those orders killed civilians and clashed with security forces. In court, a key witness testified that Kanu’s broadcasts directed his followers to “deal decisively” with security operatives, estimating 170 to 200 killed in attacks allegedly tied to his Eastern Security Network (ESN). Another prosecution witness accused ESN fighters of grotesque acts, claiming they desired to bury a dead member with “2,000 human heads” and used human flesh in ritualistic practices. This is not mere agitation, it is the architecture of terror.

    Notably, the judge pointed out that by ordering people to stay home, Kanu violated their freedom of movement and that he lacked any constitutional basis to demand a people’s shutdown the way he did.
    Even more stark, during the trial, the court admitted a video recorded statement by Kanu from 2015, in which he Adenied any link to violence, yet security operatives testified they had evidence to the contrary. There were suitcases seized at his arrest containing broadcasting equipment, suggesting his “struggle” was anchored in real world operations, not just rhetoric.

    During sentencing, the judge could have imposed the death penalty, but opted for life imprisonment, citing global opposition to capital punishment and invoking mercy. That mercy came despite what the judge described as Kanu’s ongoing “tendency of violence” even in court. In fact, at one point, he was ejected for unruly behaviour.

    What finally brought Kanu down was not just the state or the weight of the charges; it was his own hubris which made him a tragic hero. He became a man consumed by own unbridled pride and error of judgment. As typical, he was a man who thundered at crowds, who believed his cause justified every excess, but who could not or would not respect the formal structures of law when they turned against him. He may have projected an image of invincibility, but in reality, he built his power on a foundation of confrontation without compromise.

    Kanu’s downfall is human, not mythic. He was not a martyr with clean hands; he was a provocateur who toyed with fire until it burned him. He refused to repent, refused to adapt, refused to play by any rules but his own. And now, at the end, justice has caught up. His conviction is more than a legal outcome. It is a warning: no matter how righteous a cause, defiance without discipline, conviction without humility, arrogance without accountability, that’s a recipe for ruin. A man who cast himself as a liberator became undone by his own arrogance. His cause may have been rooted in historical injustice, but the method, the refusal to bend or compromise, the constant drama, all of it built a tower whose base was too narrow. And in this case, the ruin is complete. He became the provebial grasshopper that went to the grave with the corpse simply because he lacked tact, wisdom and discernment. Kanu is indeed a good riddance to bad rubbish.

  • Nestoil: Group accuses Lagos CP of compromise as Court writes for enforcement of Order

    Nestoil: Group accuses Lagos CP of compromise as Court writes for enforcement of Order

    Nigerian Equity and Justice Movement has accused the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Moshood Jimoh of compromise in the case of Nestoil where a Receiver Manager was erroneously appointed by Justice Isaac Dipeolu who is the former judge handling the case.

    According to the group in a press statement sent to Our correspondent on Friday, there are established facts that both the Commissioner of Police and the Receiver Manager, Mr. Sulu Gambari are relatives.

    The group said that instead of the Commissioner of Police to enforce the new Order by Justice Daniel Osiagor, he has sent more police officers to further seal the premises.

    Meanwhile, the advocacy group has called on Mrs Yetunde Cardoso, the O/C of the Legal Department of the Lagos State Police Command to stop plans by the commissioner of police to bring the image of the Nigerian Police Force into disrepute.

    Also, the Receiver Manager has been granting interviews to say that the new Order by Justice Daniel Osiagor is a charade and would not bind on him despite that the case is starting de novo.

    This is happening just as the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State, Mr. Longs Longwa, Esq, has written the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Moshood Jimoh to enforce the order of the court which vacated all the ex parte Orders granted in the case of Nestoil by Justice Isaac Deinde Dipeolu on October 22, 2025.

    Recall that following public outcries by advocacy groups, the case was transfered from Justice Dipeolu and reassigned to Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court Ikoyi Lagos State.

    During the first hearing, and on the appeal of Chief Wole Olanipekun , SAN who led some Senior Advocates to the court yesterday, Justice Daniel Osiagor vacated all the Orders since the case is staring de novo.

    However, Counsels to Nestoil served the court order on the Police and the DSS operatives at the business premises which was sealed last month following Justice Dipeolu’s Order, and the men of the DSS immediately complied with the Order and vacated the premises.

    Investigation by Our correspondent showed that till now, the police officers at the premises have refused to obey the court order as a result of the arrangement between them and Mr. Sulu Gambari, the Receiver Manager which was appointed by Justice Dipeolu.

    But yesterday, the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court wrote an official letter to the Lagos State Police Commissioner, asking him to assist in enforcing the Court Order.

    A copy of the letter which was received by the Office of the Lagos State Police Commissioner yesterday , November 20, 2025 reads: “This is to forward the Order of this Honourable Court dated 20th day of November, 2025, made by Honourable Justice D.E. Osiagor for your necessary attention and action please”.

    Last night, the National Justice and Equity Movement called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Moshood Jimoh to order his men to immediately vacate the premises of Nestoil Limited as a result of the vacation of Justice Isaac Dipeolu’s ex parte Orders by the new judge that has been assigned to preside over the case, Justice Daniel Osiagor.

    The advocacy group in a press statement issued last night by its Director of Press, Mr. Larry Olembe said that the men of the Police are refusing to vacate the business premises despite that they have been served a True Certified Copy of the ruling which was pronounced by Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

    However, the group commended operatives of the Department of States Security, DSS for obeying the Order and vacated the premises immediately they were served a copy of the ruling by Osiagor.

    The advocacy group however stressed that there were reports that the police officers at the premises were acting on the instructions from the Receiver Manager which Justice Dipeolu had appointed for Nestoil two weeks ago, Abubakar Sulu Gambari .

    “It was gathered that Mr. Sulu Gambari met with a top police officer in Lagos State immediately Justice Daniel Osiagor pronounced his decision on the case yesterday (name withheld) and handed over a sum of N10million to him for the police officers allocated to seal the premises to reject the court order and remain on the premises.

    The group said that the presence of the police at the premises despite that they have been served the court order to vacate is constituting nuisance in the area.

    “Recall that immediately the new judge vacated the ex parte Orders of Justice Isaac Deinde Dipeolu this afternoon, the Receiver Manager, Mr. Sulu Gambari issued a statement where he tried to brainwash the public with a false narrative by saying that the assets of the company continue to remain in receivership.

    “We are calling the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Moshood Jimoh to respect the court order and immediately order his men to vacate the Nestoil business premises since they have been served a copy of the judgement.

    “We are also calling on the Police Commissioner to also investigate the N10m which Sulu Gambari gave to the police officers mounted at the business premises and also force them to explain what the funds were meant for. If they deny, we will do the public a favour by releasing details of the bribery to the media” the group said..

    On October 22, a federal high court in Lagos issued an order of Mareva authorising First Trustees and its subsidiary, FBNQuest Merchant Bank, to take over Nestoil’s assets.

    Consequently, police and men of the DSS sealed off the company’s corporate headquarters in Victoria Island, Lagos, after a consortium of lenders placed Nestoil under receivership over a reported $1 billion debt.

    But after a petition from the Counsel of Nestoil Limited, the case was transfered from Justice Dipeolu and reassigned to Justice Daniel Osiagor who today set aside the ex-parte orders which were granted on October 22 after listening to Chief Wole Olanipekun who led other Senior Advocatye to the hearing.

  • Nestoil: Court vacates receivership orders, starts case de novo

    Nestoil: Court vacates receivership orders, starts case de novo

    In a turn of events in the case of Nestoil, FBNQuest merchant bank limited and Nestoil limited, Neconde energy limited, Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, Nnena Obiejesi/Glencoe energy UK limited, Fidelity bank plc, Mauritius Commercial Bank limited and Africa finance corporation, a Federal High Court Judge sitting in Kogi, Lagos State, Justice Daniel Osiagor has vacated all previous Orders on the receivership on Nestoil.

    Recall that after several public outcries which followed the ex parte Orders granted by the embattled Judge Isaac Deinde Dipeolu on the matter, the case was transfered to Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State.

    After listening to the submission of the lead Counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Justice Daniel Osiagor said that all that Orders that had earlier been granted by Justice Isaac Dipeolu are null and void since the matter is starting de novo.

    When the matter was mentioned before Osiagor today, Olanipekun leading a team of lawyers including senior advocates for the defendants urged the court to vacate all the orders since the case is starting de novo.

    He added that the ex parte order of Justice Dipeolu placing the nestoil and neconde on receivership lapsed by effluxition of time having expired after 14 days.

    According to the new judge who consequently vacated the receivership placed on nestoil and neconde, all parties in the matter shall be heard on merit.

    Nestoil oil and neconde amongst other claims is accusing the banks of unlawful debits and penalties on its loan accounts. Also refusing the nestoil statement of accounts for over three years in spite of repeated demands.

    Meanwhile, Nestoil shall demand the court to order for forensic of its affairs with lenders banks to be conducted independently by CBN customer protection unit now that the case will be heard on merit by Justice Daniel Osiagor who is known for upholding the rule of law in all his previous judgements.

    Recall that Justice Dipeolu recently faced criticism and media backlashes over his controversial Order in the case involving Nestoil, FBNQuest merchant bank limited and Nestoil limited, Neconde energy limited, Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, Nnena Obiejesi/Glencoe energy UK limited, Fidelity bank plc, Mauritius Commercial Bank limited and Africa finance corporation.

    Dipeolu who was tagged a corrupt judge last week by activists both in and outside Lagos State recently granted a controversial ex parte order in the Nestoil case which have now been vacates by Justice Daniel Osiagor who is starting the case de novo.

    Our correspondent however reported that Justice Dipeolu was neither practical nor straightforward in the Order as he was accused of introducing unnecessary complications in the matter.

    One of the pressure groups that condemned Dipeolu’s action was the Nigerian Equity and Justice Movement which said that the judge had erred and displayed judicial rascality especially when he granted an ex parte Order to appoint a receiver/manager over Neconde’s interest in OML 42.

    According to Nigeria Equity and Justice Movement which condemned Dipeolu in the statement, the judge’s Order was the height of judicial impunity because it was made by a court without hearing the story of the person or persons against whom the order is made.

    Saying that Dipeolu has undermined public confidence in him as a judge of the Federal High Court, the group noted that the ex parte Order is supposed to be made only in cases of exceptional urgency where the subject matter of the suit will likely be destroyed or dissipated irretrievably if the order was not made
    immediately.

    Recall the mind-boggling scandal which surfaced again over the controversial orders of Justice Dehinde Dipeolu in Suit No FHC/L/CS/2127/2025 on the ongoing legal battles between Nestoil and FBNQUEST MERCHANT BANK LIMITED with First Charge Holders (Senior Lenders) namely: Glencore Energy UK Limited, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mauritius Commercial Bank and African Finance Corporation seeking to join the Suit pending before the Federal High Court, Lagos and to set aside the Ex-parte orders of October 25th, 2025.

    According to documents available to this newspaper, the First Charge Holders claim that the said Ex-parte Order was obtained by misrepresentation by the Plaintiff in the said Suit, and that the orders unlawfully restrict the First Charge Holders’ ability to access or manage their financial interest to the Defendants especially the 2nd Defendant (Neconde Energy Limited). Consequently, the said Senior Lenders on the 6th of November, 2025 sought to be joined in the suit as parties affected by the Order granted by Hon. Justice Dehinde Dipeolu in the Suit No. FHC/L/CS/2127/2025.

    In a 335 page document presented before the Honourable Court by the said Senior Lenders to vacate the Order, the Senior Lenders prayed that it affected their interest and it was obtained unlawfully and by suppression of facts.

    The aforementioned First Charge Lenders/Parties seeking to be joined filed a 55-paragraph Affidavit to support their application, accused the Plaintiffs who obtained the Ex-parte orders in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/2127/2025, appointing a Receiver/ Manager over the assets of the Defendants because they acted unlawfully and obtained the said Order by misrepresentation.

    According to the documents available to Our correspondent, they specifically sought the vacation of Mr. Abubakar Sulu-Gambari as Receiver/Manager appointed by the Plaintiff.

    The affidavit evidence accompanying the Application by the Senior Lenders (First Charge Holders) reveal that Nestoil lenders requested that 2nd Defendant (Neconde’s) interest in OML 42 should be provided as additional collateral for the repayment of the Nestoil loans; but Neconde (the 2nd Defendant in the Plaintiff’s Suit) had already used its interest in OML 42 as a collateral to secure the loans it obtained from the parties seeking to be joined.

    The document reads in parts: “The aforesaid Neconde Lenders seeking to be joined created a first charge over the assets of Neconde including Neconde’s interest in OML 42. But the Neconde lenders refused to permit creation of a secondary charge or any charge on the assets of Neconde including its interest in OML 42 in favour of the lender represented by the Plaintiff.

    “These were facts known to the Plaintiffs and even presented to Hon. Justice Dipeolu in all the processes filed by the Plaintiff on behalf of Nestoil Lenders. The big question is: On which basis did Hon. Justice Dipeolu grant the overreaching Orders empowering the Plaintiffs to appoint a Receiver Manager when the Hon. Justice himself declined to give judicial recognition of the appointment of the Receiver Manager by the Plaintiffs as contained in prayer 3 of the Motion Ex-parte?

    “Another big question is on which basis did Justice Dipeolu grant the following Order and other similar Orders?
    “That an order is hereby made granting leave to the Receiver/Manager to take over the 2nd Defendant’s (Neconde) office situate at 41/42 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos; any other asset of the 2nd Defendant wherever it may be found within the jurisdiction of this Court; and/or the 2nd Defendant’s interest in OML 42 JV by virtue of the Deed of Appointment dated 21st of August, 2025, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”

    It was also gathered that apart from Common Terms Agreement exhibited by the Plaintiffs in the Motion Ex-parte, the Plaintiffs did not exhibit any debenture on the assets of the 2nd Defendant. “Therefore, on what basis did the trial Judge make Orders against the 2nd Defendant, 3rd and 4th Defendants? the applicants queries in the documented..

    “The Plaintiffs exhibited Common Term Agreement to their Motion Ex-parte but upon a perusal of the same Common Term Agreement, the assets of the 2nd Defendant were excluded because they were covered by First Charge Holders who never gave any consent to the Plaintiff Lenders to create any charge on the assets of the 2nd Defendant. With these documents before Hon. Justice Dehinde Dipeolu but how did the said Judge make far-reaching Orders against the 2nd Defendant whose assets were not part of the assets secured by the Plaintiffs Lenders?

    The documents also read: “Having declined to accord judicial recognition of the appointment of the Plaintiffs’ Receiver/Manager as contained in Prayer 3 of the Plaintiff’s Motion Ex-parte, which other instrument (debenture or charge) did the Hon. Justice have before him to make the far-reaching orders involving the Police, Navy and DSS to assist the Receiver Manager and also directing the Receiver/Manager to proceed to sell crude oil, 2nd Defendant’s assets and interests in OML 42 JV?

    “Why did he grant the Ex-parte Orders when the reliefs sought in the Motion Ex-parte, Motion on Notice and the Originating Summons are the same? Has Justice Dideolu not read the judicial authorities on this matter?

    Meanwhile, a perusal of the Plaintiffs’ Affidavit seeking to obtain the Ex-parte Order, confirms that the debt relationship between the Netstoil and the Plaintiff’s Lenders have a long history of transaction (debt and repayment). “So why the urgency? the applicants queries further.

    “Certainly, with the unfolding facts, these are matters that might be presented to the National Judicial Council to scrutinize judicial officers like Hon. Justice Dehinde Dipeolu who has refused to comply with the directives and warnings of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to Judges to exercise caution in granting far reaching Ex Parte Orders in contentious matters like these, as well as the settled position of judicial authorities in matters like this, which are replete.

    “For instance, in the Supreme Court decision in ECOBANK NIGERIA LIMITED vs. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILLS PLC (2018) LPELR -45124(SC) where the Supreme Court held that the Ex Parte Asset Freezing Order obtained by Ecobank was wrongly granted, an abuse of Court Process and a clear breach of extant Laws and a deprivation of the right of fair hearing of the Respondent. The ECOBANK case is a significant reference point in Nigeria Commercial Law on the proper procedure for obtaining injunctions and the limits of judicial discretion in granting Ex Parte Orders.

    “In the case of Sotuminu v. OCEAN STEAMSHIP NIG LTD & Ors (1992) 5 NWLR (Pt. 239)1, the Supreme Court of ruled that a Mareva injunction should not be granted or maintained if it prevents a Defendant from meeting their ordinary living expenses or their normal course of business or trade as it is a protective measure and not a punitive one designed to oppress the defendant or destroy their livelihood before a judgment has been reached and that the Applicant must show proof that there is a risk of the Defendant taking flight or dissipating the Assets, subject matter of the proceedings, otherwise a Mareva Injunction should not be granted.

    “In spite of all these notable guidelines and principles, Justice Dipeolu granted a far reaching Order which appears deliberately aimed at destroying the business and livelihood of the Defendants as he restricted even the Personal Bank Accounts of the Directors of Nestoil traced through their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), even when the veil of incorporation is not yet lifted, and also empowered the Plaintiffs to take over the Management of Assets and resources linked to Nestoil which are not even covered by the Debenture relied upon by the Plaintiffs. There was also no proof that the Defendants were in any way liable to dissipate the Assets before Judgment is reached in the case. The said grant of the far-reaching Ex Parte Orders by Justice Dipeolu clearly indicates the personal interest of the Judge in the matter as he has fettered his discretions to doing the bidding of the Plaintiffs by recklessly abusing his Office, to the extent of Ordering the DSS and the Navy to execute the Orders he granted in the favour of the Plaintiffs in a Civil Case contrary to the provisions of the Sheriffs and Civil Processes Act.

    “Justice Dipeolu is a Judge of the Federal High Court under the Administrative authority of The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court. There is a common presumption that all judges of the Federal High Court are subject to the administrative direction of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court and an administrative action by the Chief Judge to inquire into a Complaint of alleged recklessness and abuse of office by a Judge of the Federal High Court cannot be imagined or seen as the Chief Judge mounting pressure or fishing for a friendly Judge.

    “It thus appears that the said allegation of mounting of Pressure made against the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court is an attempt by those whose bidding Justice Dipeolu is executing, to blackmail the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court from inquiring into the Petitions of recklessness and abuse of Office leveled against Justice Dipeolu”the document reads further..

  • BAVCCA, COCSON knock fuel importers for spreading falsehood against Dangote Refinery

    BAVCCA, COCSON knock fuel importers for spreading falsehood against Dangote Refinery

    Bloggers and Vloggers, Content Creators Association in Nigeria (BAVCCA) and the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria (COCSON) have sounded the alarm on attempts to sabotage the Dangote Refinery by individuals and entities who are hell-bent on dragging Nigeria back into the dark ages of fuel importation,and artificial scarcity.

    At a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, National Presidents of BAVCCA and COCSON, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere and Husseini Abubakar, respectively, revealed that the Nigeria’s flagship oil refinery has achieved full energy independence, while condemning the suspension of the 15% import duty on petroleum products, calling it a deliberate attempt to undermine local refining capacity and protect the interests of fuel importers.

    The groups described recent claims by Festus Osifo, President of PENGASSAN, suggesting that Dangote refinery’s output meets only about 40% of national needs as misleading and absolute falsehood, while stating that the refinery as This is simply not true. As of November 2025, the Dangote Refinery’s production is at 100% or more of Nigeria’s requirements, rendering such assertions outdated and inaccurate. We urge all parties, including labor unions, to align with facts and support this achievement rather than undermine it for narrow agendas.

    The organizations further issued those they described as saboteurs a seven-day ultimatum to cease their activities, threatening a naming and shaming campaign if they fail to comply, while calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene by banning fuel importation, and set up a task force to investigate economic saboteurs.

    BAVCCA and COCSON vowed to defend the Dangote Refinery as a national asset against any attempts to undermine it, while revealing
    the refinery’s achievement is a significant milestone for Nigeria, as it is saving the country $1 billion in demurrage annually.
    Additionally, they have scheduled a National Summit for November 22, 2025, and aims to expose the truth about the oil sector and promote accurate information.

    The Statement reads:

    We have called this emergency press conference today, not to celebrate alone, but to sound a loud and unmistakable alarm, and to issue a final warning to a small but powerful group of economic saboteurs who are hell-bent on dragging Nigeria back into the dark ages of fuel importation, artificial scarcity, and perpetual poverty.

    The Undeniable Reality: Nigeria Has Achieved Full Energy Independence
    As of today, 18th November, 2025, the Dangote Refinery is loading and dispatching more than 104 million litres of refined petroleum products daily, over 57 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Jet fuel 20 million litres and 27 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) totaling 104 million litres of petroleum products. This volume exceeds Nigeria’s total national daily consumption of approximately 70–75 million litres.

    In plain language: We have more than enough locally refined fuel for every car, truck, generator, and factory in Nigeria. Fuel importation is no longer a necessity, it is now a choice. And that choice is being made only by those who profit from our collective suffering.

    Furthermore, we must address and debunk recent misleading claims, such as those from Festus Osifo, President of PENGASSAN, suggesting that the refinery’s output meets only about 40% of national needs. This is simply not true. As of November 2025, the Dangote Refinery’s production is at 100% or more of Nigeria’s requirements, rendering such assertions outdated and inaccurate. We urge all parties, including labor unions, to align with facts and support this achievement rather than undermine it for narrow agendas.

    The Suspicious Suspension of the 15% Import Duty, A Direct Attack on Local Refineries
    Just when Nigerians should be enjoying the fruits of self-sufficiency, we woke up to the shocking news that the federal government has suspended the recently imposed 15% import duty on petroleum products until the first quarter of 2026.
    This is not policy, this is sabotage disguised as relief.

    This suspension effectively makes imported fuel cheaper than locally refined fuel, thereby creating an artificial price advantage for importers and rendering modular and large-scale local refineries uncompetitive.
    Ask yourselves:

    • Why are importers still bringing in hundreds of thousands of metric tonnes of PMS and diesel when Dangote alone is producing surplus?
    • Who benefits when the government quietly removes a policy that was designed to protect local refining capacity?
    • Why are we subsidizing foreign refineries in Europe and America with Nigerian crude and Nigerian forex when our own refinery is begging to supply the entire nation at a lower cost?
    The answer is clear: a powerful cartel of fuel importers, oil trading cabals, and their collaborators inside and outside government are terrified that their decades-long multi-trillion-naira racket is collapsing before their very eyes.

    Who Are These Saboteurs and Why Are They Angry?
    They are the same cabals who, for over 40 years, turned fuel importation into the biggest fraud in Nigeria’s history.
    They are the importers who smile to the bank while Nigerians sleep in petrol stations.
    They are the marketers who create artificial scarcity to inflate prices.
    They are the highly placed officials who receive kickbacks for every litre imported.
    Their only crime against these people? Aliko Dangote built a world-class refinery that has ended their monopoly and is now alleviating the suffering of over 200 million Nigerians.
    They are bitter. They are desperate. And they are dangerous.
    That is why they sponsor false stories, twisted statistics, and outright lies claiming Dangote produces only “40%” when the facts show 100%+. That is why they pressure for policies that kill local refining. That is why they want importation to continue at all costs.

    Our Ultimatum to the Saboteurs
    Today, on behalf of millions of suffering and now hopeful Nigerians, BAVCCA and COCSON jointly issue a SEVEN-DAY ULTIMATUM to every individual, group, or cartel still engaged in this campaign of calumny, blackmail, and economic sabotage against the Dangote Refinery and Nigeria’s energy independence:

    i) Cease immediately every form of negative propaganda, false data dissemination, and sponsorship of anti-Dangote Refinery narratives across traditional and social media.
    ii) Stop lobbying for the continuation of fuel importation and the suspension or reversal of protective policies for local refineries.

    Hands off our national asset!
    If, by 12:01 am on Tuesday, 25th November 2025, you have not desisted, we will have no choice but to begin a phased naming and shaming campaign at our National Summit scheduled for Saturday 22nd November, 2025. We will release names, photographs, companies, bank records where necessary, and documented evidence of individuals and entities involved no matter how highly placed.

    For those of you hiding inside government circles, know this: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown in words and deeds that he is a President who positively impacts the lives of Nigerians and has zero tolerance for corruption and sabotage. We have already submitted detailed petitions to the Presidency, the EFCC, the ICPC, the DSS, and the National Assembly demanding immediate investigation into this conspiracy. Those found culpable will be removed, prosecuted, and made to face the full wrath of the law.

    The National Summit themed “Energy Truth Summit: Empowering Nigerians with Facts”
    The National Summit will hold in Abuja on 22nd November 2025, it is designed to expose the wrath in the oil sector and why petroleum importers wants to strangulate the local refiners, it also seeks strengthen public understanding of the energy sector through data presentations, practical content creation workshops, and an interactive town hall. Its key outputs, including a digital toolkit for creators, the Energy Truth Badge, and a live fact checking app, will equip thousands of online influencers to promote accurate information. Supported by strong media partnerships and attracting over a million virtual participants, the summit aims to reshape national conversations with verified facts.

    Our Pledge to Nigerians
    The Dangote Refinery is not Aliko Dangote’s personal property, it is a national asset. We, the people, will defend it with everything we have. Through our platforms, our voices, our protests if necessary, and our votes, we will ensure that no cabal succeeds in turning back the clock on Nigeria’s progress.

    We call on President Tinubu to personally intervene by:
    a) We seek an out right ban on Fuel importation not just suspension of the 15% import duty.

    b) Directing that only locally refined products be sold in Nigeria as long as local production exceeds demand.

    c) Setting up a special task force to investigate and prosecute economic saboteurs in the downstream sector.

    Fellow Nigerians, the battle for affordable fuel, stable economy, and true independence has entered its final stage. This is not Dangote’s fight alone.

  • Takaichi ‘s provocation on Taiwan Question is never tolerated

    By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
    Recently, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi publicly asserted in the Diet that a so-called “Taiwan contingency” could constitute a “survival-threatening situation,” implying that might invoke its right to collective self-defense and militarily intervene in the Taiwan question.
    This constitutes a blatant interference in China’s internal affairs, a serious breach of the one-China principle, and a flagrant challenge to the post-World War II international order.
    Insightful figures from both China and Japan have pointed out in clear terms that this is the first time since Japan’s defeat in 1945 that a Japanese leader has officially linked the fallacy that “any contingency for Taiwan is a contingency for Japan” with collective self-defense rights, the first time a Japanese leader has explicitly expressed ambitions for armed involvement in the Taiwan question, and the first time Japan has issued an overt military threat toward China on this matter.
    The malicious intent is extremely pernicious, the nature exceedingly egregious, and the consequences gravely severe. The Chinese government and the Chinese people express strong indignation and resolutely oppose these remarks.
    Since modern times, Japanese militarism carried out frenzied aggression and expansion abroad, committing countless atrocities in China. In 1895, Japan forcibly seized Taiwan through the Treaty of Shimonoseki and imposed 50 years of colonial rule, brutally suppressing resistance from the people in Taiwan, plundering resources, and causing grave damage to Taiwan’s economy, culture, and people’s livelihoods.
    In 1945, following 14 years of arduous and heroic struggle, China won the great victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender and accepted the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and other international legal documents stipulating that Taiwan be restored to China. China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Taiwan, a glorious chapter in the Chinese nation’s pursuit of national reunification and an integral part of the post-war international order.
    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the restoration of Taiwan. The one-China principle has long been a consensus widely accepted in the international community.
    As a defeated country, Japan should reflect deeply on its historical responsibilities, honor the commitments it has made to China and the international community, and genuinely act to fully reflect on its wrongdoing and respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
    Yet Takaichi is attempting to bind China’s Taiwan region to Japan’s so-called “security interests,” seeking to fabricate excuses for Japanese military interference in the Taiwan question and exposing Japan’s designs and ambitions to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait. This sends gravely wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, seriously violates the core tenet of the one-China principle affirmed in the 1972 China-Japan Joint Statement, and runs counter to the common understanding in the fourth political document between the two countries signed in 2008 that the two countries are cooperative partners that do not pose a threat to each other. It severely undermines the political foundation of China-Japan relations.
    Takaichi’s fallacies on Taiwan are by no means isolated political rhetoric. Behind them lies the obsession and arrogance of Japan’s right-wing forces in seeking to break free from the constraints of the Pacifist Constitution and pursue the status of a “military power.”
    In recent years, Japan has raced down the path of military buildup, hollowing out its Pacifist Constitution, completely abandoning its “exclusively defense-oriented” policy, and even attempting to overturn its Three Non-Nuclear Principles.
    Against this backdrop, linking a so-called “Taiwan contingency” to the exercise of Japan’s right to collective self-defense raises concerns. This linkage appears designed to justify Japan’s military expansion and carries the dangerous signal of a potential resurgence of militaristic tendencies in Japanese policy.
    From her repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, to the denial of the historical reality of the Nanjing Massacre, and the promotion of the “China threat” narrative, mirrors the troubling path of Japan’s past militarism. These actions constitute an effort to whitewash Japan’s history of aggression and honor militarist figures.
    Historically, Japanese militarism frequently invoked the so-called “survival-threatening situation” to justify foreign aggression. This pattern included the brazen fabrication of the September 18th Incident under the guise of “exercising the right of self-defense,” which triggered Japan’s full-scale invasion of China. The revival of such rhetoric today prompts a deeply concerning question: is Japan risking a repetition of its past mistakes?
    The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and national reunification are historical trends that no force can stop. The resolve of the Chinese government and people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is rock-solid. The Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests. Anyone who dares to touch this red line will face the resolute opposition of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people and the entire Chinese nation.
    We again sternly warn the Japanese side: If Japan dares to attempt an armed intervention in the cross-Strait situation, it would be an act of aggression and definitely meet a firm response from China. The Japanese side must correct its wrongdoing at once and retract the unjustified remarks. Otherwise, all the consequences arising therefrom must be borne by the Japanese side.
    Eighty years ago, the Chinese people defeated Japanese militarist aggression. Today, the Chinese nation has the firm will, full confidence, and sufficient capability to thwart any attempt at “Taiwan independence” and any external interference. Those who play with fire will surely perish by it. Any forces attempting to obstruct China’s complete reunification are engaging in futile resistance against an unstoppable tide — they will face resolute countermeasures and meet with utter failure.

  • Seizing historical initiative in development of information revolution

    Seizing historical initiative in development of information revolution

    By He Yin, People’s Daily
    This year marks the 10th anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposal to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.
    From Nov. 6 to 9, the 2025 World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit was held in Wuzhen, east China’s Zhejiang province.
    At the event, Chinese and foreign participants reviewed the fruitful outcomes and vivid practices achieved over the past decade in building a community with a shared future in cyberspace, discussed ways to promote win-win cooperation in global cyberspace, and pooled wisdom and strength for the sound development and governance of the Internet.
    The vision of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace was proposed by China and belongs to the world. In 2015, Xi creatively put forward this important initiative in response to the pressing question of “where the global Internet should head.”
    The vision conforms to the trend of the information age and the overarching trajectory of human progress, while addressing the risks and challenges facing cyberspace. It calls for respecting cyber sovereignty, safeguarding peace and security, promoting openness and cooperation, and maintaining good order, while aiming to speed up the building of global internet infrastructure and promote interconnectivity, build an online platform for cultural exchange and mutual learning, promote innovative development of cyber economy and common prosperity, maintain cyber security and promote orderly development, and build an internet governance system and promote equity and justice.
    It also stresses the importance of achieving shared development, ensuring common security, realizing joint governance, and enjoying benefits together, and advocates giving priority to development, sharing weal and woe, and promoting mutual learning among civilizations.
    The Chinese initiative provides systematic answers to key questions such as “for whom should the Internet develop” and “how should it be governed,” offering a clear and comprehensive conceptual framework as well as practical pathways for action. It has gained growing recognition and support from the international community.
    By spearheading cooperation through pioneering practices, the WIC has become a platform for pooling global wisdom and building broad consensus.
    During this year’s Wuzhen Summit, a wide range of innovative technologies, including autonomous driving vehicles, eye-tracking input solutions for accessibility, and AI-powered painting, were showcased.
    The event honored 17 cutting-edge projects covering frontier areas such as large-scale AI models, intelligent Internet systems, embodied intelligence, and quantum computing with the WIC Awards for Pioneering Science and Technology. Additionally, 12exemplary cases of jointly building a community with a shared future in cyberspace were unveiled. The WIC continues to serve as a bellwether for global Internet technology innovation.
    So far, more than 210 institutions, organizations, enterprises, and individuals from over 40 countries and regions have joined the WIC as members. In recent years, the conference has expanded its global network through initiatives such as the Nishan Dialogue on Digital Civilization and the WIC Asia-Pacific Summit, strengthening its role as an indispensable platform for international dialogue and cooperation.
    Since China gained full access to the global Internet more than 30 years ago, it has actively contributed to cyber peace, progress, and governance while benefiting from worldwide internet development.
    China participated in the UN’s cybersecurity processes, including treaty negotiations, and supports the UN’s central role in global cyberspace governance. With extensive experience and cutting-edge technologies in mobile internet applications, digital payments, and short videos, China actively shares these advancements through international cooperation, helping more countries and their citizens share the benefits of internet development.
    In global Internet development and governance, China has always upheld true multilateralism and firmly safeguarded international fairness and justice.
    It insists that the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace should be based on multilateral and multiparty participation and consultation, respect for cyber sovereignty, and a spirit of partnership.
    Today, the global distribution of Internet development resources remains uneven, and cybersecurity threats are increasingly complex. In response, all stakeholders must embrace digital transformation trends – prioritizing innovation as the key driver, security as the fundamental requirement, and inclusivity as the core value. Accelerated efforts are needed to advance cyberspace development that is innovative, secure, and inclusive.
    China actively promotes international cooperation and encourages countries around the world to complement each other’s strengths and achieve shared progress in cyberspace. A series of initiatives, including the establishment of a Cooperation Network of Chinese Internet Enterprises in Africa, the China-CELAC Internet Development and Cooperation Forum, the China-ASEAN Information Harbor Forum, and WIC-GET — a global Internet talent excellence program, vividly embody the vision of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace. These efforts inject momentum into joint development and help bridge the global digital divide.
    As digital transformation accelerates, cyberspace carries humanity’s shared aspiration for a better future. China will, as always, deepen exchanges and practical cooperation with all countries, seize the historical initiative in the development of the information revolution, and work hand in hand with the rest of the world to advance the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace, so that the Internet can better benefit people across the world.

  • ALSTDI Passes Vote of Confidence on Wike, Cites Transformative Efforts in FCT

    ALSTDI Passes Vote of Confidence on Wike, Cites Transformative Efforts in FCT

    The African Leadership Strategy and Transparency Development Initiative has passed a vote of confidence on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, praising his tireless efforts in transforming the FCT.

    In a statement signed by the ALSDI Executive Director Comrade Nelson Ossaieze, the group noted that Wike’s leadership has brought about unprecedented development to the FCT, including infrastructure upgrades, improved public services, and enhanced quality of life for residents.

    “We commend Minister Wike for his unwavering commitment to the development of the FCT,” the statement read. “His leadership has been marked by transparency, accountability, and a clear vision for the future of Abuja. We urge President Bola Tinubu to continue to support Wike’s efforts to transform the FCT into a modern, sustainable, and livable city.”

    The African Leadership Strategy and Transparency Development Initiative’s vote of confidence comes on the heels of calls for Wike’s removal over a recent altercation with a naval officer in Abuja. However, the group believes that Wike’s achievements in the FCT far outweigh any perceived shortcomings.

    “We stand by Minister Wike and believe that he is the right person to lead the transformation of the FCT,” the statement added. “We urge Nigerians to support his efforts and join him in building a better Abuja for all.”

    The African Leadership Strategy and Transparency Development Initiative’s endorsement is a testament to Wike’s dedication to public service and his vision for a modern and prosperous FCT.

  • As Consultations Intensify, Maikaya Unveils Youth Employment Revolution for Nasarawa

    As Consultations Intensify, Maikaya Unveils Youth Employment Revolution for Nasarawa

    Renowned development advocate and founder of the Maikaya Development Foundation, Dr. Muhammed Musa Maikaya, has intensified consultations with stakeholders across the three geopolitical zones of Nasarawa State as he engages widely on a transformative vision aimed at tackling youth unemployment and repositioning the state for inclusive development.

    Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Dr. Maikaya unveiled what he described as an ambitious and data-driven youth employment revolution, promising that “no graduate will return home to roam the streets after NYSC” if he is elected governor.

    Dr. Maikaya, who was a leading aspirant in the 2019 APC governorship primaries before stepping down under a consensus arrangement, said his renewed aspiration is driven by his commitment to service, innovation, and inclusive development.

    According to him, his newly launched ideology, tagged New Vision, Real Impact for Nasarawa, was inspired by the realities of ordinary citizens across the state. “My inspiration comes from the people,” he said. “I was born in Toto and raised among hardworking men and women who dream of better opportunities. My 25-year international experience has shown me how visionary leadership transforms societies.”

    On the state’s development trajectory, he noted that Nasarawa has made measurable progress since its creation in 1996, especially in infrastructure, education, and ICT. However, he stressed that “far more needs to be done to unlock its full potential.”

    Unveiling his central agenda, Dr. Maikaya said youth empowerment remains “the heartbeat” of his vision. To achieve this, he announced plans to establish a Nasarawa Directorate of Employment (NDE), which will serve as a central employment and empowerment hub for all youths in the state.

    “The Directorate will record, profile, support, and ensure every qualified youth is employed or empowered,” he said. He explained that the agency will operate a Post-NYSC Youth Capture System to digitally register every graduate immediately after service, monitor federal job openings, and push qualified candidates forward for placement in agencies such as Immigration, Customs, NSCDC, Road Safety Corps, and federal ministries.

    He added that the Directorate would “partner with the private sector, industries, and financial institutions to create employment linkages” while offering structured training in ICT, agriculture, renewable energy, mechanics, fabrication, fashion, hospitality, film, and creative arts.

    Dr. Maikaya further revealed a Two-Year Enterprise Support Programme that will provide start-up capital, tools, mentorship, and monitored business development support to young entrepreneurs across the state.

    Describing the proposal as realistic, he stated that funding would come from state budgetary provisions, public–private partnerships, development agencies, federal employment grants, and returns from state-owned enterprises. “With intentional leadership and transparency, resources will align,” he assured.

    He argued that his model as sustainable. According to him, “For the first time, Nasarawa will be able to say: ‘We know every graduate, their skills, where they can fit in, and we are responsible for helping them succeed.’”

    Addressing the needs of youths without formal education, he maintained that “every youth matters,” promising massive investment in artisanship, technical skills, sports, agriculture, local manufacturing, renewable energy installation, and digital economy skills.

    Dr. Maikaya also pledged to continue and improve on the achievements of the current administration, saying, “Governor Abdullahi Sule has done remarkably well in industrialization, solid minerals, ease of doing business, and infrastructure. Leadership is about continuity, improvement, and innovation.”

    Highlighting broader economic goals, he said his New Vision agenda rests on key pillars including economic diversification, human capital development, healthcare, infrastructure renewal, empowerment of women and youths, security, institutional reforms, and environmental sustainability.

    To the youths of Nasarawa, he delivered a message of hope: “Do not give up. Your dreams matter. With structured empowerment and good governance, Nasarawa youths will no longer roam the streets, they will lead the economy.”

    Dr. Maikaya further pledged integrity and impact-driven governance. “I promise integrity, competence, and compassion. A government that listens, delivers, and makes real impact. Together, we will build a Nasarawa that works for all.”

  • Revealing Earth’s subsurface: China’s technological advancements in oil, gas exploration

    Revealing Earth’s subsurface: China’s technological advancements in oil, gas exploration

    By Ding Yiting, People’s Daily
    Approximately 70 percent of China’s undiscovered oil and gas resources are located in ultra-deep formations, complex geological structures, and unconventional fields. Locating and accurately mapping these resources presents significant technical challenges.

    Recently, People’s Daily visited BGP Inc., a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), to explore how advanced geophysical technology is driving breakthroughs in exploration.

    According to Wen Jiamin, chief engineer at BGP Inc.’s geophysical research center, more than 95 percent of the world’s oil and gas reserves have been discovered through seismic exploration, akin to conducting a CT scan of the Earth. Artificial seismic waves are generated to collect raw data, and the resulting data is processed into 3D imagery for geological analysis and identification of potential drilling sites.
    As exploration moves deeper underground, conventional seismic techniques face limitations in penetration and signal clarity. To overcome these challenges, BGP Inc. has developed wide-frequency, wide-azimuth, and high-density data acquisition technology and equipment. These innovations function much like advanced photography, capturing clearer, more comprehensive subsurface images through broader frequency ranges, multi-angle coverage, and high-resolution sampling.
    This capability requires robust equipment. At BGP Inc.’s simulated acquisition site, 30-ton broadband seismic source vehicles, independently developed by the company, use five-ton vibrators to generate deep-penetrating low-frequency signals. These extend the effective detection depth from around 5,000 meters to over 10,000 meters.
    Ma Lei, a senior expert at BGP Inc., highlighted the development of a new data acquisition system capable of recording up to 300,000 channels, up from 10,000, while increasing synchronization accuracy from milliseconds to microseconds.
    Once seismic data is collected, it must undergo extensive processing and interpretation. Transforming increasingly massive datasets, often several times larger than before, into clear, actionable geological imagery requires advanced, large-scale seismic processing and interpretation software.
    Historically, China relied on imported software for this critical task. In 2003, BGP Inc. Broke new ground by independently developing China’s first large-scale integrated seismic data processing and interpretation software with proprietary intellectual property rights. In 2015, the company introduced an upgraded version, the world’s first five-dimensional data processing and interpretation software, offering significantly enhanced functionality. Today, it stands among the world’s three leading geophysical software systems.
    In recent years, BGP Inc.’s research and development team has integrated AI into the software to enhance accuracy and efficiency. One notable advancement is in velocity spectrum picking, a crucial step in data interpretation. Previously requiring up to two months of manual work, the process can now be completed within days or weeks using AI-assisted automation, greatly accelerating turnaround while enhancing data quality, according to Geng Weifeng, head of the company’s AI research unit.
    Over the past five years, BGP Inc. has helped confirm domestic reserves of three trillion cubic meters of natural gas zones and 500 million tons of oil. The company has also supported the successful siting and drilling of China’s two ultra-deep scientific exploration wells, each reaching depths of 10,000 meters. Internationally, BGP Inc. has delivered services to over 300 oil companies across more than 80 countries and has ranked first in annual operating revenue within the global geophysical services sector for several consecutive years.