News
Customs to auction 14,375 litres of smuggled PMS
The Nigeria Customs Service has announced plans to auction 14,375 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, seized from smugglers heading to Cameroon.
The PMS was seized by the Nigeria Customs Service Special Anti-Smuggling Taskforce, code-named Operation Whirlwind in the Calabar area of the zone.
The National Coordinator of the task force in Zone C, DCC Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Calabar, saying the Duty Paid Value for the product stands at N14,375,000.
He said, “Within the past several weeks, acting on credible and actionable intelligence, our operatives successfully dismantled a coordinated network involved in the illegal exportation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to neighboring Cameroon.
“During the operation, we intercepted 235 jerry-cans of 25 litres each and 40 drums (200 litres each) of Premium Motor Spirit, amounting to a total volume of 14,375 litres.
“The total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized petroleum products stands at fourteen million, three hundred and seven- five thousand naira (N14,375,000).
“The seizure was made possible through sustained surveillance and strategic interdictions across identified flashpoints including Ikang, Bakassi, Ikom and Ikot-Idareka”.
He added that the auctioned products were being diverted for illegal export in clear violation of Nigeria’s laws governing the distribution and movement of petroleum products.
Aliyu stressed that the NCS remains resolute in its constitutional mandate to safeguard Nigeria’s economy, secure critical national assets, and combat all forms of smuggling and economic sabotage.
The Zone C Area Comptroller, Momodu Dauda, said the seizure underscores the unwavering commitment of the NCS to protecting the national economy, enforcing laws and suppressing smuggling activities that undermine legitimate trade.
Finally, Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu has resigned from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Adelabu said the decision would take effect from April 30, 2026, to allow for a smooth transition.
The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”
He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”
Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.
He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.
It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”
By Gloria Ikibah
As part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture, President Bola Tinubu, has sent a formal communication to the House of Representatives on seeking legislative approval for the repeal and re-enactment of the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (NPTF) Establishment Act, 2025.
The request which was transmitted to the House for consideration and passage on Wednesday at plenary, underscores the need to improve the management and administration of the fund, enhance police training, and provide modern equipment for the Nigeria Police Force.
According to the letter,, the proposed amendment is aimed at boosting the operational capacity, accountability, and sustainability of the Police Trust Fund in line with current security challenges.
The President urged lawmakers to give the bill expeditious consideration, as the said the reform will improve the welfare of police personnel and support skill development across the force.
In another development, the House Committee on Rules and Business has moved to tighten legislative discipline, directing all standing and ad hoc committees to submit reports on bills and motions within set timelines in line with House procedures.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Francis Uwaive, reminded all committee chairmen to treat all assigned matters within 30 days, with the risk of losing such assignments after 60 days if no progress is made, except where a short extension is granted.
A firm deadline has also been set for all outstanding reports, with the end of April 2026 as the cut-off point, and non-compliance attracting automatic discharge.
Amid the formal proceedings, lawmakers briefly paused to celebrate two members marking their birthdays, acknowledging their contributions to public service and national development.
The mood later shifted as the House paid tribute to a former member of the Fifth Assembly, observing a minute’s silence in his honour following his passing after a prolonged illness.
He was remembered for his dedication and service to his constituents in Benue State, with colleagues noting that his death represents a significant loss to the legislature and the country.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that their naval forces stopped two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and directed them to the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships,” the Guards said in a statement.
“The two offending ships… were seized by the IRGC’s naval forces and directed to the Iranian coast.”
They identified one ship as “MSC-FRANCESCA”, which they said belonged “to the Zionist regime” in reference to Israel, and the other as “EPAMINONDAS”, which they said was “tampering with navigation systems and jeopardising maritime security.”
The Guards further warned against any action against the regulations imposed by the Islamic republic in the strait “as well as activities contrary to the safe passage” through the waterway.
Tehran has said vessels must seek permission to leave of enter the Gulf through Hormuz, through a route that in peacetime accounts for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports along with other vital commodities.
Source: AFP
BREAKING: Finally, Power Minister, Adelabu resigns from Tinubu’s cabinet
Reps Begin Review of Police Trust Fund Law, Tighten Timeline for Committee Work
Iran Seizes Two Ships attempting to cross Strait of Hormuz
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