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How DSS detained, tortured me for over 60 days — #EndBadGovernance Protester

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Aminu was picked up alongside other young protesters in Kano on August 3, while demonstrating against hunger and bad governance.

Khalid Aminu, an engineer and one of the 39 suspects arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protests in August, has shared a heart-wrenching account of his 60-day ordeal in the hands of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Aminu was picked up alongside other young protesters in Kano on August 3, while demonstrating against hunger and bad governance.

He recounted how DSS operatives blocked them at the NEPA Roundabout, took 11 of them into custody, and subjected him to inhumane torture.

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During his detention, Aminu had no contact with his family, and the experience has left him visibly traumatized. He shared his story on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme on Channels Television.

Aminu’s account highlights the disturbing treatment of protesters by security forces.

“They (DSS operatives) blocked all of us at the NEPA Roundabout and packed about 11 of us on the day three of the protests (August 3) and took us to their command,” he recalled slowly with a weak voice, his face still plastered with after-trauma of the episode, signs that he is still recovering from the “terrible” ordeal in the hands of the secret police.

“They kept me in detention from August 3 to October 17. For the 68 days, I was in the custody of the DSS minus one week when we were taken to the correctional centre after we were taken to court in Kaduna.

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“When we were in detention, they kept bringing in more and more people and the number accumulated to about 39 of us.”

Describing as terrible the experience he went through at the hands of the DSS, the protester said, “What I went through, what we went through was inhuman, I can’t even begin to tell you everything.

“On the 3rd (of August), they arrested us at NEPA Roundabout. There and then they started beating us. Boots, kicks, and all that. Then they pushed all of us into their Hilux, some into their SUVs, and then we went down to the Command.

“When we got there, the first thing I received was a strong cane, like an armoured cable that they used. If I pull up my chest, you will see. They started beating me, I was flat down and they were blasting me with all forms of sticks, armoured cables, everything you can think of.

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“Then they took me to a garden with a sharp grass carpet. They asked us to pull our shirts and asked us to lie down. They poured water on me while I lay on this sharp grass. They were beating me and told me to roll from one side to another. I rolled from one end to another with water on my body. All sorts of insects were on this grass. So, it was double penetration. It was terrible. That continued for about an hour.

“Then they asked us to crawl in a gutter and we came out and they asked us to be looking into the sun. we were there for another hour. It became different type of torture after that day. From what you eat, psychologically, you cannot be stable.”

Aminu and his colleagues were accused of unlawful assembly and for flying Russian flags but the #EndBadGovernance campaigner denied the allegation.

“There was nothing like the Russian flag in the first five days of the protests when we were arrested,” he said.

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Police burst organ harvesting gang in Ebonyi

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The Police in Ebonyi have busted an organ harvesting ring responsible for the death of at least three persons in the state.

Spokesperson of the Police, Joshua Ukandu, stated this in Abakaliki yesterday.

He noted that four suspected members of the organ harvesting ring were arrested following a painstaking investigation and credible intelligence into the matter.

The spokesperson said the suspects confessed to being responsible for the murder of Chikezie Idenyi, a Dubai based businessman.

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According to him: “One Mrs. Blessing Chikezie Onyekachi had reported to the command of her missing husband, Mr. Chikezie Idenyi, who left home on 14th September, 2024 on a supposed business trip to Lagos but was not heard from again.

“Police investigation led to the arrest of one Innocent Elebe and Eze Elechi who made useful statements that led the police to arrest Obinna Nwanguru and Oda Peter.

“They confessed to killing Chikezie Idenyi, Chibu Odii and Eze Fabian on different dates while trying to extract their blood/organs to use it to cure a cognitively impaired person (Down syndrome).”

He noted that the corpses of Chikezie Idenyi and Chibu Odii were subsequently recovered while efforts were ongoing to recover the remains of the third victim.

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Ụkandu stated this while giving update on Police crime fighting activities in October, 2024

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INEC accredits over 700 journalists for Ondo gov election

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced accrediting 112 media organisations ahead of Ondo State governorship election scheduled to hold November 16.

Yakubu Mahmood, the INEC chairman, disclosed this Abuja, on Friday, adding that the accreditation of the media organisations include over 700 journalists, technicians, and support personnel to facilitate the poll.

He said, “The Commission is glad to announce the accreditation of 112 national and international media organisations (newspaper, radio, television and online) deploying over 700 journalists, technicians and other personnel to facilitate their coverage of the election.

“The detailed breakdown of the media organisations and the number of personnel to be deployed will be uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information,”

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He, however, called on the professionals to be factual in their reports as part of ensuring peaceful poll.

The INEC Chairman stated, “I appeal to the media to intensify your accurate reportage that will ensure peaceful elections, especially now that campaign by political parties and candidates is in full swing in the State.

“I also appeal to you to continue to serve as a counterforce against fake news, misinformation and disinformation.”

The commissioned disclosed earlier that 72 per cent of registered voters had collected their Permanent Voter Cards.

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Yakubu revealed that by November 6, a mock accreditation exercise in selected polling units for to test result uploads on its result viewing portal would held.

He further noted that it would partner with security agencies to avoid any disruption of the poll.

He stated, “However, we are aware of flashpoints in some local government areas to which we have already drawn the attention of the security agencies.”

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Marketers plan to sell petrol below N1,028/litre Dangote price

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Oil marketers, on Friday, revealed that the price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, produced by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery was between N1,015 and N1,028/litre depending on the quantity being purchased.

Based on this, the dealers vowed to import the commodity and sell it below the Dangote refinery price as well as the price being sold by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

Data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria on Thursday showed that the landing cost of petrol was N978.01/litre as of October 31, 2024.

It stated that the landing cost of diesel was N1,069.97/litre, while that of aviation fuel was put at N1,119.67/litre.

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The landing cost of these white products is the unit price of the imported commodities on landing on Nigeria’s shores.

Since the Dangote refinery commenced the release of refined petroleum products domestically, it had refused to announce the cost of the commodity despite several demands for the price.

However, a major marketer, who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, confirmed that the cost of petrol from the Dangote refinery was higher than that of imported PMS.

According to the official, the refinery currently sells to oil marketers making bulk purchase at N1,015/litre and small buyers at N1,028/litre.

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The major marketer also disclosed that three cargoes carrying petroleum products recently arrived and had been discharged at seaports along the nation’s borders.

“Dangote is selling to bulk buyers at N1,015/litre, but to marketers who are not buying in bulk, the refinery is selling at N1,028/litre.

“But imported PMS is cheaper than the cost of Dangote’ own, and that is why he is doing all he can to ensure that the government stops the importation of fuel,” the dealer stated.

Commenting on the development, marketers under the aegis of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria vowed that they would sell imported petrol below the price offered by the Dangote refinery.

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The association said its PMS would also be cheaper than that of the NNPCL.

The PETROAN Publicity Secretary, Dr Joseph Obele, however, told Saturday PUNCH that the price of Dangote PMS might be higher because the refinery was still producing with the imported crude it bought at a premium.

He said the association had struck deals with some international fuel suppliers to import PMS at a good price, adding that the product would arrive in Nigeria at a price around N800/litre.

“PETROAN is an association, but we have incorporated our limited liability company called PETROAN Limited. We have got the licence from the Corporate Affairs Commission, and we have applied to the NMDPRA to licence us and give us authority to import. So, as we get that authority to import, I think we will import from the best market.

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“And it is good also for the general public to understand that the landing costs in all the nations are not the same. PETROAN has got a partner from the international market, that the product will arrive here at close to N800/litre. So, since PETROAN has the best value for Nigerian citizens, we are calling on the regulatory agency to release our authority to import in no distant time so our first stock will come in.

“And we assure you that PETROAN will sell far less than Dangote. It will sell at prices far less than NNPC. Right now, NNPC is selling to us at N1,040/litre. PETROAN will not sell like that, because we have negotiated. And all our partners and foreign counterparts are on standby to make sure we give Nigerians the best value,” Obele said.

The associations spokesperson stated that he would not be able to disclose the exact quantity to be imported, but stressed that PMS imported by PETROAN would be cheaper.

Obele explained that Dangote was only selling to NNPC directly, while NNPC sold to marketers.

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“I am telling you that that the position of NNPC as a middleman is still active till tomorrow. NNPC has refused to announce how much Dangote is giving. Dangote has also refused to announce how much he is selling to NNPC. So, I think there is an agreement that they don’t announce it.

“All we know is how much NNPC is selling it to us. However, the transaction between the two is not in the public domain. NNPC has refused to mention it. And the general public has said, please make these things open,” he said.

Speaking on the landing cost of N978/litre, he emphasised that the landing cost differs from country to country.

“N978 to N1,000, that’s the landing cost. It was about N1,100 as of last month. But because of the drop in the selling price of crude oil in the international market, PMS has witnessed a downward review in the international market too. So, I think we should also witness a downward review,“ he said.

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When reminded that the NNPC just jerked up its price, Obele responded, “No, the issue we have is that the only functional refinery we have is the Dangote refinery. And Dangote has announced to everyone who wants to hear that the crude oil stock he is still working on was the one he bought from the international market; that the naira-for-crude stock, he has not started refining that. So, we don’t expect a downward review from someone who bought old stock when crude oil was selling for $80 and $78 per barrel.

“So, now that it has dropped to $72, we are not expecting to review the price automatically. Because you can put it to us that it is still trading with the old stock. But recently, the price of crude oil has dropped. We hope that whoever is buying the new stock of this new trade should review the price downward. But if what Dangote has used to refine the stock available is the old stock got when crude oil was still selling at $80 per barrel, we don’t expect him to review downward.

“Until the refinery commences production with the stock it just received last week in naira, that’s when people can criticise it. But at the moment, I think the selling rate reflects the former cost of crude oil.”

Meanwhile, the National Assistant Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Yakubu Suleiman, also stated that the cost of Dangote petrol was higher than the imported commodity at the moment.

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Suleiman, speaking in an interview with Arise TV, on Friday, stated that the price of fuel from Dangote refinery was higher than the cost of commodities imported.

According to him, the price of petrol at Dangote refinery was set at around N995 and higher than other sources.

Suleiman also accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Dangote refinery, Aliko Dangote, of sidelining key stakeholders in its fuel supply strategy, claiming that limited engagement with independent marketers had hampered their ability to lift petrol from the facility.

When contacted, the Chief Corporate Communications Officer of Dangote Group, Tony Chiejina, said the figures being bandied were not correct.

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He described reports on Dangote petrol price as fake news, wondering where they emanated from.

“This is fake news. People are just posting what they like,“ he said.

Chiejina, however, declined to give the actual price.

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