News March 09, 2026 BREAKING: Again, Dangote Refinery hikes petrol price

 

The cost of goods and services across Nigeria is expected to rise further following a fresh increase in petrol prices after the Dangote Petroleum Refinery raised the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit to N1,175 per litre, marking the third upward adjustment within a week.

The refinery announced the price hike to marketers on Monday, raising the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit to N1,175 per litre from N995 per litre announced on Friday, representing an increase of N180 or about 18.1 per cent within three days.

It also revised the gantry price of Automotive Gas Oil, commonly known as diesel, to N1,620 per litre.

A senior official of the refinery, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly, confirmed the adjustment to our correspondent, stating that the revision had already been communicated to marketers and depot operators.

“Yes, the gantry prices have been adjusted. PMS is now N1,175 per litre while Automotive Gas Oil is N1,620 per litre,” the official said.

“The market has been extremely volatile, and replacement costs have shifted significantly in recent days. These adjustments reflect prevailing market fundamentals and the cost environment we are currently operating in.”

Checks by our correspondent on the industry pricing platform, petroleumprice.ng showed that the revised rates had already been updated across petroleum depot pricing systems, indicating a shift in the benchmark price used by downstream marketers.

The new price is the third surge in petrol prices within a week, following adjustments that pushed gantry prices from N774 to N995 per litre. As a result, retail pump prices in several states now exceed N1,000 per litre, as some stations now dispense petrol at about N1,200/litre, intensifying economic pressures on Nigerians.

The latest hike is expected to trigger another round of increases at filling stations nationwide, as higher fuel costs typically translate into higher transportation, logistics, and production costs for businesses.

It also betrays efforts by the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, to secure crude oil supply for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery through third-party international traders, in a bid to sustain domestic refining operations.

Officials, however, warned that the intervention may not immediately translate into lower petrol prices for consumers. Nigerians currently grapple with high fuel prices, following the recent hikes in the cost of the commodities by the $20bn Lekki-based refinery.

News March 09, 2026 JUST IN: Students escape death as four-storey school building collapses in Lagos

 

Students and teachers of a school in the Ogba area of Lagos narrowly escaped death on Monday after a four-storey building housing the institution collapsed minutes after they evacuated the structure.

The structure, which accommodated Yemco Nursery, Primary and Comprehensive College, gave way around midday at 11 Adudatu street, behind County Hospital in the Aguda axis of Ogba.

Witnesses said the building came down barely minutes after students and teachers were hurried out of the premises, preventing what residents described as a likely tragedy.

A resident who spoke with TheCable said concerns had been raised earlier when wooden planks reportedly fell from the roof, prompting alarm among people in the neighbourhood.

“The students narrowly escaped the incident. It was just about three minutes after they were evacuated from the building that the structure collapsed,” the resident said, adding that the structure had not shown obvious signs that it was about to give way.

According to the witness, an elderly man in the area alerted the school authorities that the building might be unsafe, prompting the quick evacuation of the occupants.

Taiwo Ridwan, another resident, said the building showed signs of distress shortly before the collapse.

“At first, the house started cracking little by little. The window frames had already fallen apart. After some minutes, the cement body of the house began peeling off. Not long after that, the building just sank,” Ridwan said.

Officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service later secured the scene and restricted access to the area.

Part of the property used for residential purposes remained standing beside the collapsed structure.

No casualties had been reported as of the time of this report. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service was yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Attempts to obtain an official reaction from Margaret Adeseye, the service’s director of public affairs, were unsuccessful.

Education News March 09, 2026 JAMB reveals amount remitted to CBT centres for 2026 UTME registration

 

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has remitted a total of N1,570,671,200 to Computer-Based Test centres that participated in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination registration exercise.

The disclosure was contained in a bulletin released by the Board and signed by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin.

JAMB said the payment represents the N700 registration fee collected on behalf of CBT centres from candidates during the UTME registration process.

It explained that it collects the N700 registration fee together with the ePIN registration charge and remits the total directly to accredited CBT centres on a weekly basis.

“In line with this arrangement, the Board has remitted a total sum of₦1,570,671,200 to the CBT centres that participated in the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) registration exercise,

“This initiative has significantly curtailed abuses and the exploitation of candidates through the imposition of unauthorized charges. It has also entrenched a cashless registration process at the centres, many of which are privately owned,” the board said.

Under this arrangement, candidates who purchase the UTME ePIN are not required to make separate payments at CBT centres and can register at any accredited centre of their choice.

JAMB said the initiative has reduced unauthorised charges and strengthened the adoption of cashless registration, particularly among privately owned CBT facilities.

To further ensure compliance, JAMB reinstated that it introduced the “No View, No Pay” policy, under which payments are made to CBT centres only after verification that the candidates they registered are valid and visible in the Board’s registration system.

“The policy is designed to curb registration infractions and ensure transparency in the process,” the Board added.

The 2026 UTME registration closed on February 28 and the examination is scheduled to hold nationwide from April 16 to April 25.

Direct entry programme registration started on March 2 and will end by Saturday, April 25, 2026.

Crime News March 09, 2026 Appeal court upholds conviction of ex-Army General, orders refund of over N4bn

 

The Court of Appeal has upheld the conviction and sentencing of former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Maj.-Gen. Umar Mohammed, for stealing and misappropriating funds belonging to the company.

In the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment, the appellate court dismissed Mohammed’s appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the Special Court Martial (Nigerian Army) and the validity of its verdict.

The former senior officer was earlier tried and convicted by the court martial on Oct. 10, 2023, for offences bordering on stealing and criminal misappropriation of funds belonging to Nigerian Army Properties Limited.

Following the conviction, Mohammed was dismissed from the Nigerian Army, sentenced to imprisonment and ordered to refund 2,099,700 dollars and N1.65 billion to the company.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, he approached the appellate court on Feb. 12, 2025, in suit No. CA/ABJ/CR/383/2025, arguing that his conviction was not supported by sufficient and credible evidence.

However, the three-member panel of justices, Abba Mohammed, Okon Abang and Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, dismissed the appeal, ruling that the evidence presented during the court martial clearly established the offences.

According to the certified judgment issued on Monday, the court held that the Special Court Martial was right to reject the former general’s defence, describing it as inconsistent and unreliable.

The court noted contradictions in Mohammed’s testimony, particularly his claim that Nigerian Army Properties Limited never operated berthing services, which contradicted documentary records authored by him indicating otherwise.

The justices ruled that the inconsistencies undermined his credibility.

The appellate court consequently affirmed the conviction and sentence imposed by the Special Court Martial on all counts except those relating to forgery.

NAN reports that in August 2025, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos State also ordered the final forfeiture of shares worth over N5 billion traced to  Mohammed, and a businessman, Kayode Filani.

The order followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which told the court that the 245,568,137 shares were purchased with proceeds of unlawful activities carried out during Mohammed’s tenure as head of the army’s property company.

EFCC counsel in the matter, Hanatu Kofanaisa, explained that a Special Court Martial had already convicted Mohammed on 14 out of 18 counts of stealing and related offences.

She added the commission had met all legal requirements for final forfeiture, including the mandatory newspaper publication, without any objection being filed.

In granting the application, Justice Dipeolu held that the EFCC had proved its case and ordered the shares permanently forfeited to the Federal Government, in favour of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited.

The application was brought under Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.(NAN)

Business News March 09, 2026 Middle East war drives oil price above $100/barrel — highest since 2022

 

Global crude oil price, on Monday, crossed the $100 per barrel mark, signalling the highest surge since July 2022.

Brent crude rose by 16 percent to $107.56, from a surge of $91 a barrel recorded on Friday.

Similarly, the US West Texas Intermediate increased by 13.96 percent to 103.59 percent.

The development comes as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains grounded due to the Middle East conflict, unleashing the most severe energy crisis since the 1970s and threatening the global economy.

There are also speculations that the global oil benchmark price could hit $120 today.

Hormuz — a narrow maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea — is said to be the only sea route linking the Gulf’s oil and gas producers to global markets, making it one of the most strategically important waterways in the world.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the disruption has led to higher petrol and diesel prices at the pump, as well as increased mortgage rates and borrowing costs for the US government.

“One week into President Trump’s war on Iran, the most severe shock to energy markets since the 1970s is cascading through the world economy,” the report reads.

“The disruption quickly fed into higher gasoline and diesel prices at the pump, and higher mortgage rates and borrowing costs for the U.S. government, endangering Trump’s economic priorities.

“To be sure, the U.S. has more shock absorbers this time around. Oil is a far smaller component of gross domestic product than it once was, and the U.S. has become a top energy exporter in its own right.”

Chris Wright, US energy secretary, had said “energy will flow soon” through the Strait of Hormuz.

He blamed the rise in prices on “the unknown that this could be some long… drawn-out crisis. But it won’t be”.

However, the report said the impact will continue to be felt, particularly in Europe and Asia.

“For decades, the U.S. military and its allies have spent billions of dollars ensuring the Strait of Hormuz stays open,” the publication said.

“Just 21 miles across at its narrowest stretch, and flanked to the northeast by a sworn enemy of the West, the channel between Oman and Iran is a superhighway for about a fifth of global supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas.

“Massive amounts of fertilizer sail through these waters, feeding crops on every continent.”

According to the report, the few ships that have departed the strait since the start of the war were largely transporting Iranian oil.

“Traders say crude markets could soar even higher if the strait doesn’t open within days, either with U.S. naval escorts or because shipowners think the danger has receded,” the publication said.

The WSJ report also said the strait’s closure is spilling through commodity markets, adding that aluminum prices reached multiyear highs after smelters in the Middle East declared force majeure — a legal provision that frees suppliers from liability if they cannot deliver.

The ripple effect of the US-Iran war has trickled down to Nigeria as filling stations begin a gradual increase in petrol pump price.

News March 09, 2026 BREAKING: Fire breaks out at federal secretariat in Abuja

 

A section of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation building in Abuja has gone up in flames.

Eyewitnesses report that the fire was first noticed in one part of the structure at approximately 8:20 a.m., with smoke billowing from the affected area.

The incident was said to have occurred at Section C of the head of service building, within the Head of Service complex, as staffers in the building were seen moving away from the affected area while emergency responders were alerted to contain the situation.

The media department of the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation confirmed the incident, stating that the fire outbreak was limited to Section C of the building and was currently being attended to by emergency officials.

The exact cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained, as an investigation into the cause of the fire is expected to commence after the situation is fully brought under control.

News Politics March 09, 2026 2027: Opposition in disarray, Tinubu delivering results — Tolu Bankole

 

A member of the National Working Committee of the All-Progressives Congress, (APC) Tolu Bankole, has said Nigeria’s opposition parties are facing deep internal crises and are unprepared for the 2027 general elections.

Bankole, in a press statement issued on Monday in Abuja, said the ruling party remains confident of victory in 2027, citing what he described as the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubuunder the administration’s Renewed Hope agenda.

According to him, the opposition has failed to present credible policy alternatives to Nigerians and is currently weakened by internal divisions.

“The facts are undeniable and the evidence overwhelming: the opposition is not just struggling, it is in complete disarray and facing an existential crisis,” Bankole said.

He noted that since assuming office after the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, Tinubu has implemented key economic reforms, infrastructure projects, and security interventions aimed at stabilising the country and improving the welfare of citizens.

Bankole added that the administration’s policies were already yielding measurable results in critical sectors, including agriculture, infrastructure development, and investment inflows.

He also dismissed criticism from opposition parties, describing it as politically motivated and lacking in substance.

According to him, the APC remains united and focused on consolidating the gains of the current administration ahead of the next general elections.

“The APC is not merely preparing for 2027; we are moving toward it with confidence and momentum built on performance and results,” he said.

The APC chieftain called on Nigerians across political, religious and regional lines to support the government’s development agenda and safeguard the country’s democracy.

He urged citizens to rally behind the Renewed Hope programme of the Tinubu administration, saying it represents a pathway to sustained national development.