Author: bibncollar

Abuja — A total of 143 companies have qualified for the final commercial bidding stage of Nigeria’s 2025 Petroleum Licensing Round, setting the stage for intense competition over 50 oil and gas blocks across the country’s key hydrocarbon basins.The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced that the successful prequalified firms will participate in the Commercial Bid Conference scheduled for Tuesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja. Participation is by strict invitation only, limited to companies that cleared the rigorous technical and financial screening process.The 50 blocks on offer include 16 Niger Delta Onshore, 18 Niger Delta Shallow Water,…

Abuja — Prominent legal practitioner and counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to conduct a thorough legal review of the cases of South-East detainees held in prolonged custody.In an open petition titled “From Conflict to Concord: A Statesman’s Opportunity to Complete Nigeria’s Unfinished Promise of Reconciliation in the South-East,” Ejiofor highlighted the humanitarian and legal concerns surrounding the continued incarceration of many individuals from the region, some of whom have been in detention for several years.Ejiofor argued…

Owerri — Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has drawn a bold parallel between President Bola Tinubu and Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, describing the Nigerian leader as a transformative figure capable of turning around the nation’s fortunes.The governor made the remarks on Saturday at a state dinner in Owerri, which concluded a three-day national media tour by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and the Presidential Communications Team. The tour focused on key federal and state government projects in Imo.“In President Bola Tinubu, we have another Lee Kuan Yew,” Uzodimma declared, according to a statement issued by the Director…

Abuja, July 20, 2026 — The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has clinched a major institutional partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), securing ₦120 million to implement a comprehensive nationwide Justice for Children and Young People programme.The landmark agreement, signed under the leadership of NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, runs from July 9, 2026, to March 30, 2027. It signals a strong resurgence of donor-funded institutional collaborations for the NBA following the conclusion of its long-standing support from the MacArthur Foundation.The initiative aims to strengthen access to justice for children and young persons across Nigeria through a multi-pronged…

ABUJA — A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail in the sum of ₦500 million to Jimoh Yisawu, the former Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, who is facing an eight-count money laundering charge.Justice Inyang Ekwo granted the bail on Monday after hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence counsel. Yisawu, who pleaded not guilty to all counts, was accused of indirectly converting proceeds of unlawful activity amounting to over $789,950 and making large cash payments outside the formal banking system.The charges, filed by the Federal Government on June 22, 2026, allege violations…

Lagos — The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has lifted its suspension and will immediately resume full implementation and enforcement of the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025.The move follows a landmark ruling by the Federal High Court in Lagos, which upheld the validity of the regulations and dismissed a legal challenge brought by the Wireless Application Service Providers Association of Nigeria Ltd/Gte (WASPAN).In a judgment delivered on Monday, Justice A.L. Allagoa dismissed WASPAN’s originating summons in its entirety in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/760/2026. The court ruled that the DEON Regulations were validly made pursuant to…

Owerri – The Action Peoples’ Party (APP) in Imo State has condemned a daring early morning invasion of its state secretariat in Owerri by suspected political thugs, describing the incident as a dangerous threat to democracy and peaceful political engagement.The party said the attack occurred at about 6:10 a.m. on Sunday, July 19, 2026, when a group of heavily armed men scaled the perimeter fence and forcefully entered the premises in commando style. According to the APP, eyewitnesses alleged that the operation was led by an aide to Governor Hope Uzodinma and some of his associates.The assailants allegedly vandalised party…

The National Officers Elections Appeal Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA-NOEAC, has formally announced the commencement of post-election proceedings following the Nigerian Bar Association National Officers’ Elections held on 18 July 2026. According to the official notice, the Committee’s secretariat has been activated in accordance with the Nigerian Bar Association Constitution, 2015, as amended in 2025, to receive and determine appeals arising from the outcome of the election. Candidates who intend to challenge any return made by the Electoral Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, ECNBA, are required to submit their appeals within seven days from the date the…

The Senate on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to sustain and strengthen military and intelligence operations against terrorists, kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups following the successful rescue of pupils and teachers abducted from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.Lawmakers also urged the government to ensure the immediate payment of death benefits, insurance claims, pensions and other entitlements to the families of security personnel who lost their lives during the rescue mission. They further called for improved welfare, training, equipment and operational support for the Armed Forces and other security agencies.The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senate…

©️ By Chinedu AguThe elders say that when a man who has been sleeping throughout the market suddenly wakes up and begins to shout “thief,” reasonable people must first determine whether he is raising an alarm or merely talking from his sleep.Yesterday night [Tuesday, 14 July 2026], I read that the Imo State House of Assembly reportedly passed a motion of “urgent public importance” condemning what it described as the continuous and unilateral extension of the tenure of Hon. Justice I. O. Agugua as Acting Chief Judge of Imo State by the National Judicial Council.According to the House, the NJC’s…