News
Anger as petrol hits over N1,000 per litre in Benue
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
There was palpable anger in parts of Benue state Saturday as most filling stations in the state dispense petrol between the rate of N980 and N1,100 per litre.
Before the sudden adjustment to the new rates, petrol was sold between N850 and N950 per litre at filling stations owned by independent marketers while black marketers sold at N1,000.
Aside the NNPC Mega station which hardly have petrol to sell to the public but dispensed at N617 per litre whenever they have supplies, most of the filling stations in Makurdi and major towns in the state sold the product to angry motorists and motorbike riders at the rate of N980 and N1,100.
An angry commercial motorcycle operator who simply identified himself as Christopher said the continous increase in pump price of petrol was making life unbearable for him and his family.
He lamented that yesterday he bought the product from a filling station in town for N850 per litre and in less than 24 hours he went back to fill his tank for the day’s business and discovered that the pump price had been adjusted upwards to N980 per litre.
He said, “we did not see this coming. This government wants to impoverish Nigerians the more. What is our sin. Did we wrong them by voting them?
“How can any reasonable government subject Nigerians to this unimaginably level of suffering. Every money we make goes to purchase of fuel. This is not fair to poor Nigerians. This government is not listening to the cry of poor Nigerians.
“Everything that makes life worth living is being priced out of the reach of the masses. We cannot feed our families, our children are dropping out of school and people do not go to hospital again if they fall sick because they cannot afford treatment. Is this what they promised us during the elections?
“With this how can anyone claim that the rising food proces will come down. This government has failed the masses and we will not forget this traumatising experience they are making us go through in a hurry.”
Also, a commcial bus driver, Comrade Odeka who was heard expressing frustration and anger over the continously increase in the pump price of petrol since the coming of the present administration said, “we are tired of this government, they are bereft of ideas and do not know how to go about the governance of the country.
“Why is this government punishing Nigerians? They are insensitive to the pains Nigerians are facing. We bought fuel few days ago for as high as N850 per litre, today I am buying it for N980, and if you go outside the state capital fuel is being sold for as high as N1,100 and black marketers are selling for N1,200 per litre. And politicians want us to believe that this government means well for Nigerians.
“This is not what they promised us during the election and it is sad that we are being subjected to this level of unimaginable poverty. This government is not fair to Nigerians.”
The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Benue has in the past decade experienced incessant attacks.
Suspected herdsmen have again stepped up violent attacks as no fewer than three communities in the Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State were attacked on Wednesday.
The communities affected during the fresh attacks include Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju all in Otukpo where five persons were killed in February. The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Local sources confirm that several people may have been feared dead again in the fresh attack.
Wednesday’s attack came hours after Governor Hyacinth Alia confirmed the arrest of three suspected herders in connection with the invasion of Otobi village on Tuesday night.
When contacted, Otukpo LGA Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack on the three communities, saying that the attackers stormed the communities at the time when the Commissioner of Police was still at the Ochidoma Palace over the previous day’s attack on Otobi.
He added that three people sustained injury in the attacks on the three communities, leading to women and children abandoning the communities for fear of being killed.
“Only young men were in the communities when the attackers arrived. The prompt response from combined security operatives made the attackers flee and none of them were arrested,” Ogiri stated.
The police spokesperson in the state, Sewuese Anene, was yet to confirm details of the attacks on the three communities.
The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi has hailed the Northern Traditional Rulers for taking bold steps on the menacing security challenges in the region and in the country.
Obi, who was reacting to the ‘Enough is Enough’ declaration of the royal fathers on the security situation, said that their courageous steps are needed to find a lasting solution to the menace.
Writing on his X handle, Obi said “I would like to sincerely thank the Northern Traditional Rulers for their courageous and timely emergency declaration of the security situation in the region. I cannot agree less with them that “Enough is Enough” regarding the persistent killings and insecurity plaguing our nation.
“Their collective voice, as reported, underscores the urgent need for decisive action to protect lives and restore peace in our communities.
“I urge governments at all levels to work closely with these royal fathers who are closest to the people at the grassroots. Their commitment to addressing these challenges and offering counsel to regional governors reflects true leadership and a deep concern for the well-being of their communities.
“The stance of the Northern Traditional Rulers serves as a clarion call to all stakeholders. We must unite, irrespective of political affiliations, to implement lasting solutions that address the root causes of our nation’s challenges.
“Let us work together to build a Nigeria where every citizen feels safe, valued, and empowered.
By Emmanuel Agaji
The Rivers State High Court Chief Registrar, David D Thua-Maduenyi has rubbished speculations suggesting that Rivers Sole Administrator has been removed by the state’s High Court.
Naijablitznews reports this was contained in a statement personally signed by the Chief Registrar saying:
“My attention has been drawn to an online news report with the caption “BREAKING
NEWS: Governor Sim Fubara secures Court victory over Wike and Tinubu –
Federal High Court Orders Sole Administrator to vacate Government House”,
authored by one Joy Musa published by 247 ureports on Tuesday, 15th April, 2025.
“Ordinarily, I would not have bothered myself with any refutal, but for the
mischievous mention of the name of Hon. Justice Boma Diepriye which appears
synonymous with Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri of the Rivers State High Court in
paragraph 4 of the report thus:
“Justice Boma Diepriye, who presided over the case, ruled that the
appointment of a sole administrator to oversee the affairs of a state with
a sitting, democratically elected governor is “illegal, null and void…”
“In view of the above, I wish to state as follows:
Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri is not a Judge of the Federal High Court but a
Judge of the Rivers State High Court, and is already on Easter Vacation,
which commenced on Monday, 14th April, 2025.
“For the period of the Easter Vacation, only the vacation Judge is sitting:
and Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri is not the Vacation Judge.
“The mention of the name of Hon. Justice Boma Diepriye which is similar
with Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri of the Rivers State High Court is not only
false, but misleading, and clearly exposes the crass ignorance of the
reporter; as the Federal High Court is different from Rivers State High
Court.
“No State High Court gave any order(s) relating to or concerning the
subject matter as captioned in the online news.
“It is regrettable that some bloggers and online news reporters have traded
professionalism on the altar of pecuniary gains they seek to derive from traffic on
their social media handle and web pages.
“Henceforth, the Judiciary enjoins the general public to seek clarification on any
news report concerning the Court and official of the Court before publication.
“The general public is advised to clearly ignore the false and misleading publication.
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