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FG Suspends Sachet Alcohol Ban, Tells NAFDAC to Stand Down

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The Federal Government has again reaffirmed the suspension of all enforcement actions relating to the proposed ban on sachet alcohol and 200ml PET bottle alcoholic products, warning the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to desist forthwith from further sealing of factories and warehouses.

This renewed directive follows a joint intervention by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), both of which have raised serious concerns over the security implications of continued enforcement actions in the absence of a fully implemented National Alcohol Policy.

According to OSGF and NSA, the National Alcohol Policy has now been signed by the Federal Ministry of Health in line with the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However, they stressed that until the policy is fully implemented and further policy direction is issued by the Office of the SGF, NAFDAC must refrain from all enforcement measures, including factory shutdowns, warehouse sealing, and public emphasis on the sachet alcohol ban.

The SGF and NSA jointly warned that the continued sealing of warehouses and de facto banning of sachet alcohol products, without a harmonised policy framework, is already creating economic disruptions and poses a growing security threat, particularly given the impact on employment, supply chains, and informal distribution networks across the country.

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This position reinforces an earlier directive issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in December 2025, which formally suspended all actions relating to the proposed ban pending consultations and a final government decision.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Public Affairs to the SGF, Terrence Kuanum, the OSGF disclosed that it had received an official correspondence from the House of Representatives Committee on Food and Drugs Administration and Control, dated November 13, 2025. The letter, referenced NASS/10/HR/CT.53/77 and signed by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Hon. Uchenna Harris Okonkwo, raised concerns over NAFDAC’s proposed enforcement actions and drew attention to existing resolutions of the National Assembly on the matter.

The OSGF explained that, in line with its statutory role as Chairman of the Cabinet Secretariat, it is currently reviewing all legislative resolutions, public health considerations, economic implications, and national interest factors surrounding the issue.

“Accordingly, all actions, decisions, or enforcement measures relating to the ongoing ban on sachet alcohol are to be suspended pending the final consultations and implementation of the National Alcohol Policy and the issuance of a final directive,” the statement emphasized.

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The Office further clarified that any enforcement action carried out by NAFDAC or any other agency without due clearance and resolution from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is invalid and should be disregarded by the public until an official position is formally communicated.

With the latest intervention by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Federal Government has now elevated the matter beyond regulatory concerns, stressing that premature enforcement without coordinated policy implementation could destabilize communities, worsen unemployment, and trigger avoidable security challenges.

The SGF and NSA reiterated that the warning stands, and that NAFDAC is expected to cease forthwith from further enforcement actions or public emphasis on the sachet alcohol ban until the National Alcohol Policy is fully operationalized and further directives are issued by the appropriate authorities.

The Federal Government assured Nigerians and industry stakeholders that a final, balanced, and lawful decision would be communicated in due course, following comprehensive consultations and inter-agency coordination in the overall interest of public health, economic stability, and national security.

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Rivers traditional ruler narrowly escapes assassin’s bullets as hoodlums shoot at his palace

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The Amadabo of Finima in Bonny local government area of Rivers State, HRH Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown in the early hours of today, August 22, 2026 narroy escaped an assassination attempt on his life.

However, the Amadabo was not at home when the blood thirsty hoodlums fired sporadically at the building housing the living rooms of the monarch and other households.

Unfortunately, some members were seriously injured and rushed to hospitals for emergency medical attention.

Condemning the heinous crime, Aseme Alabo Dagogo Lambert Brown stated that they had received intelligence reports of importation of hoodlums into the community.

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He blamed the Bonny Traditional Authorities of sponsoring a faction of Tobin House to cause mayhem.

He called on law enforcement agencies to urgently investigate the matter and bring perpetrators.

Transcript of the attached voice.

“It is very painful and regretful of what I see today in Finima.

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We have envisaged this. We live in the community, we have the intelligence, information is coming here and there, and we communicated same intelligence to the security agencies that we are having mercenaries imported into Finima for the sake of a strange event that wants to happen.

Must all of us die because one faction of the Tobin house in Finima, being sponsored by the Bonny Traditional Authorities, wants to perform things that are strange in Finima?

God will never allow that to happen. God will never allow—we saw it. All this happening is to intimidate me and my people for saying this is not how we are living as a people. We live as one people. All the cultural institutions are in full participation by the chieftaincy houses in Finima. There’s no separation.

Why? Because we want to avoid any rivalry group or things that will cause disunity in Finima. That is how our upgrowing—that’s how we’ve grown up in Finima.

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And these are one of the outcomes, very regretful. I want to appeal to the law enforcement agencies today that people behind this heinous act are culprits—people, culprits to this heinous act—are arrested and prosecuted.

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Photos: 15 years after, Apo-Karshi Road for inauguration in December – Wike

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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the long-delayed Apo-Karshi road will finally be completed and handed over by November, putting an end to a 15-year wait for residents in the axis.

Wike gave the assurance in Abuja on Saturday, after inspecting the progress of the project as well as the 14-kilometre Bwari Kubwa Road.

He explained that the 13.5-kilometer road, originally awarded in 2011 under previous administrations, has been a major point of frustration for motorists experiencing daily traffic congestion between satellite communities and the Abuja city center.

He explained that the current administration was forced to revoke the original contract due to persistent delays and re-award it to construction firm SCC Nigeria Ltd.

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“The Apo-Karshi road has been a topical issue. It was awarded in 2010, one of those projects President Bola Tinubu inherited.

“Because of its importance and the complaints by residents, we had to terminate the contract and award it to SCC, which we know has the capacity to complete the job.

“Residents who have been crying for years can now see that this government has come to their aid,” he said.

The minister praised the contractor for maintaining progress on-site regardless of funding cycles, reaffirming the government’s commitment to honoring its financial obligations.

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The minister also inspected the ongoing construction of the 14-kilometre Bwari-Kubwa road, stressing that the contractor had promised to deliver the critical road in December.

He emphasised that the tangible delivery of infrastructure projects serves as the strongest argument for the administration’s governance model, downplaying traditional political campaigning in favor of visible results.

“When people ask me about campaigns, I say, ‘What is campaign? See the campaign. Campaign is about what you have done for the people and what the government has to show.

“It is not about promises; it is about taking action that positively impacts lives,” he said.

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With multiple road networks approaching completion across the FCT, the minister expressed confidence that the administration would surpass its initial 10 projects target for inauguration between December and January 2027.

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BREAKING: 38 year former world champion boxer, Zolani Tete shot dead in South Africa

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Ex-world champion boxer Zolani Tete has been shot dead outside his home in South Africa at the age of 38.

This ugly development happened in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, as Zolani Tete arrived at his residence and waited for the gate to open.

According to the police, two armed men wearing balaclavas stepped out of a vehicle and opened fire on the boxer.

A 27-year-old woman who was travelling with Tete was also shot several times and taken to hospital for treatment.

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South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, confirmed Tete’s death on Friday.

McKenzie expressed caution over speculation about the motive behind the attack, saying “I will not speculate about who did this or why.”

Police have launched an investigation, but no motive has been established and no details about possible suspects have been released.

Zolani Tete , who was nicknamed “Last Born”, became widely known in boxing for his remarkable 11-second knockout of fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in Belfast in November 2017.

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The knockout remains one of the fastest stoppages in a world title fight.

Tete achieved it while defending his WBO bantamweight title, which he had won earlier that year and held until 2019.

The southpaw boxer had previously captured the IBF junior-bantamweight title in 2014 after defeating Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe.

Earlier in his career, Tete had also held the minor WBF flyweight title.

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Zolani Tete’s death came only weeks after he completed a four-year ban from boxing following a positive test for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol after his 2022 bout against Jason Cunningham.

His suspension ended on July 29, and he had been preparing to make a return to professional boxing before his death.

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