A popular hotel in the Garki area of Abuja, Focus Holiday Inn, has been engulfed by fire.

Eyewitnesses said the fire, which began around 3 am, started from a section of the building before engulfing the three-storey structure

It was gathered that officials of the hotel were alerted when a guest ran down to the reception unclad to notify workers about the fire.

The fire, which started from a section of the three-storey building, extended to other parts of the complex, causing panic among guests and staff members.

At the time of this report, fire service officials had arrived and were trying to put out the fire.

Founded in 2022, Focus Holiday Inn describes itself as an upscale and luxurious home away from home in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital.

The cause of the fire is unclear and no casualty has so far been reported.

Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board has fixed 30th January as deadline for registration of intending pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj.

A statement from the Director General, Jigawa State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Ahmed Umar Labbo said the new deadline was as a result of adjustment by National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) of the 2025 calendar directing states pilgrims welfare boards and agencies to remit all collections by the 1st of February.

Labbo added that the Jigawa State Board has so far exhausted over 40% of its allocation for this year’s Hajj since the commencement of the registration in September last year.

He called on the intending pilgrims to utilize the opportunity to make deposit for the Hajj before the new deadline to benefit from the Board’s outstanding services in Hajj operations.

To register, intending pilgrims are required to pay a deposit of N8.4 million before the deadline. This amount is pending the official announcement regarding the total fare for this year’s Hajj by NAHCON.

It is crucial for those interested from Jigawa State to act promptly as registration operates on a first-come, first-served basis, ensuring fairness in securing seats for the pilgrimage.

Reports have it that NAHCON has allocated 1,518 seats to the state for the 2025 Hajj.

The legal tussle between Femi Otedola’s First Bank and Nduka Obaigbena’s General Hydrocarbons Limited has intensified.

In the latest development, the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has granted an order to arrest and detain the crude oil cargo on board the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Vessel Tamara Tokoni.

A report by PREMIUM TIMES said that personnel of the Nigerian Navy had since detained the cargo in line with the court order.

The FPSO on board vessel Tamara Tokoni belongs to General Hydrocarbons, an oil servicing firm owned mainly by Mr Obaigbena, who also serves as Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of THISDAY and ARISE Media Group.

The businessman’s oil firm and First Bank are locked in a knotty legal conflict over credit facilities his company took, which the bank claimed missed several repayment deadlines.

First Bank is claiming $225.8 million, which it said is the indebtedness on General Hydrocarbons‘ account with the lender as of 30 September 2024.

The 9 January ruling by Justice E.A. Obile ordered the detention of the crude oil cargo on board FPSO Tamara Tokoni pending the provision of a “satisfactory Guarantee from a first-class Nigerian Bank of $19.7 million plus interest and costs by the said Defendants…”

The order also directed officers of the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), and the Harbour Master of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to provide the necessary assistance in implementing the order of arrest of the FPSO Vessel Tamara Tokoni.

The judge also ordered the security officials to take necessary steps, including providing “regular patrols and surveillance around the cargo of crude oil to prevent General Hydrocarbons Limited from dissipation until the Order of this Court has been complied with in respect of the arrest of the FPSO on board Tamara Tokoni.”

The court then adjourned the matter to 9 February 2025 for a continuation of the substantive suit.

In a subsequent letter to the Chief of Naval Staff, the Federal High Court sought the Nigerian Navy’s assistance executing the court order to arrest and detain the crude cargo on board FPSO Tamara Tokoni.

● Background

First Bank Vs General Hydrocarbons
First Bank had filed a debt recovery suit against Mr Obaigbena and his family members, including Efe Damilola Obaigbena and Olabisi Eka Obaigbena, saying they used their oil company General Hydrocarbons Limited to amass millions of dollars in debt.

The bank secured an order from the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, blocking the accounts and assets of Mr Obaigbena, his company and those of his two daughters holding directorship roles on the board of General Hydrocarbons in all commercial banks in Nigeria.

General Hydrocarbons issued a statement through Abiodun Layonu & Co, its solicitors, describing the order obtained by First Bank as an “abuse of court process.”

The lawyers called attention to a previous order granted by Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa of the same court on 12 December 2024, prohibiting First Bank from hindering General Hydrocarbons from accessing loan facilities or funding required for the exploration and operation of oil and mining lease (OML) 120.

Both parties had entered into a loan agreement requiring the lender to finance the running of OML 120, with the understanding that they would share any profit from the investment equally.

General Hydrocarbons alleged that First Bank had breached some of the facility’s terms, including not disbursing the credit on time.

According to a document seen by PREMIUM TIMES, General Hydrocarbons also obtained an injunction from the judge, restraining First Bank from hindering the company from “making any calls or demands, or taking any steps whatsoever to enforce any security, receivables, instrument, finance documents or assets of the applicant which have been charged as security for the facility agreements in respect of the applicant’s operation of OML 120.”

In their statement, General Hydrocarbons remarked that First Bank has persisted in ignoring and disobeying a persisting court judgement and has chosen to mislead the public.

But First Bank denied breaching any court order, saying the assets freezing order it obtained did not violate the court’s earlier ruling in favour of General Hydrocarbons.

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