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Cult Members Bury Motorist Alive In Lagos
A war is brewing in the Mushin area of Lagos State after some suspected cultists dragged a motorist out of a commercial bus and buried him alive.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the yet-to-be-identified victim was on his way to the Oyingbo area of the state.
He was said to have been dragged out of the bus at the Total bus stop in the Mushin end of the Ikorodu Road.
A witness, Jacob Amos, said the incident happened around 8pm on Wednesday, adding that policemen from the Alakara Police Division were alerted.
He said, “The man was in the bus when he was dragged out at Total bus stop. They brought him into Mushin and I immediately alerted the policemen from Alakara.
“The police went to Adewusi Street, and searched the place for more than one hour, but they did not find anything. They patrolled the place and when they did not see anything, they left.
“Around 10pm when everybody had gone home, they brought the man to the Railway Line and push him from head down into a filled canal. Only his leg was sticking out.”
The victim was said to have died soon afterwards.
Our correspondent learnt that policemen from Alakara later arrived on Thursday to remove the corpse.
A witness, who did not identify himself, said the police ordered him to pull out the corpse from the murky water.
Friends of the deceased from Market Street, Oyingbo, were said to have shown up to identify him.
A resident lamented that the police in the area, were not doing enough to arrest the unrest in Mushin, lamenting that there were saboteurs in the force.
He said it was the second time in a week that people from the Oyingbo area would be hounded and killed in Mushin, which could start a war between the two communities.
He said, “The police in this area have been compromised. When we called them yesterday that someone had been captured around Oyewusi Street, an informant of the cultists whom we suspect work with the police, quickly alerted the guys and they left the place.
“They brought the victim to our side to make it look as if we are responsible for his death. Their plan is to set the Oyingbo boys against us and trigger a war.”
Residents of the area alleged that the increased killing of suspected cult members from Oyingbo was orchestrated by one Rilwan, aka Itakun.
Other men said to be in the group are White, Ese Chicago, Ina, Anarchy and Riliwanu.
The source said Itakun had his family house in Oyingbo and left the area due to persecution by some suspected cultists.
He said, “After he left, he started living in Mushin with a gang member. Later, he decided to start paying back those he perceived as the leaders of the gang in Oyingbo.
“Last week, he invited one Tunde Eleto to Mushin and the man was stabbed and shot dead by his squad,” he added.
However, another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, denied that anyone was killed in the community.
He said, “There is nothing like that. Nobody was killed on the Railway Line or anywhere for that matter.”
A resident, John Ayuba, told PUNCH Metro that the government was complicit in the cult fights in Mushin.
He said successive governments in Lagos State had refused to address the problem because they used the cult members for politics.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, DSP Patricia Amadin, had yet to reply to a text sent to her as of press time.
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From Construction Sites to Community Service: Temitope Akinyemi Emerges as a Model of Leadership and Impact
Energy experts in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector have defended the pricing structure of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, accusing some fuel markers of attempting to blackmail the refinery and mislead the public over the recent increase in petrol prices.
The experts said reports suggesting that the refinery’s latest adjustment is solely responsible for the recent hike in fuel prices were misleading, noting that importers are also bringing in petrol at almost a N1,000 per litre, while the refinery’s coastal price is N948 and the gantry or ex-depot price stands at N995 per litre.
They stressed that public comparisons fail to consider the differences in pricing structures and supply channels.
According to the experts, N948 per litre represents the coastal delivery price, which refers to petroleum products transported by marine vessels or barges from the refinery to depots along the coastline. On the other hand, N995 per litre represents the gantry or ex-depot price, which is the rate paid by marketers who load petrol directly from the refinery into tanker trucks at the loading gantry for onward distribution across the country.
The experts explained that the two figures should not be interpreted as conflicting prices but rather as different logistics arrangements within the petroleum distribution chain.
Speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, energy expert David Okon said the pricing adjustments were inevitable given prevailing market conditions.
According to him, Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals operates in a deregulated market and procures crude at international prices, which have risen sharply due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
“The refinery is already absorbing part of the cost to cushion the impact of the crisis on Nigerians. We can see what is happening in other parts of the world where shortages and scarcity are being reported despite higher prices, yet the Dangote Refinery has continued to guarantee domestic supply,” he said.
Okon explained that when the refinery previously sold petrol at N774 per litre, crude oil was landing at about $68 per barrel. However, with crude now arriving at roughly $95 per barrel, the cost difference of about $27 per barrel translates to nearly N40,000 per barrel when converted to Naira.
“You cannot expect a refinery to continue selling at the old rate under those circumstances,” he added.
“If imported products were truly cheaper, importers would still be selling at the previous prices.”
He warned that without local refining capacity, Nigeria could have faced severe fuel shortages, long queues at filling stations and a resurgence of black market sales.
“Without the Dangote Refinery, many filling stations would likely shut down, queues would return across the country and black market traders would exploit the situation, hawking four litres keg at N20,000 or more. The refinery has effectively prevented that scenario,” he said.
Another analyst, Mohammed Ibrahim, also faulted narratives circulating in some quarters suggesting that the refinery’s pricing adjustment was responsible for worsening economic hardship in the country.
Accusing some importers of attempting to manipulate public perception, he said, “What we are seeing is nothing but deliberate blackmail by some fuel importers who feel threatened by local refining.
“They are twisting the pricing structure to mislead Nigerians and create unnecessary panic in the market.
“By exaggerating the refinery’s gantry price and ignoring the comparable costs of imported fuel, they are trying to make it appear as though Dangote Refinery is the cause of rising prices and economic hardship. This is a calculated attempt to protect their import businesses and undermine local refining, which is meant to reduce our dependence on imported petrol.”
Ibrahim added that such narratives were aimed at portraying the refinery as the reason Nigerians were struggling with higher petrol prices.
He stressed that petrol pricing in Nigeria is largely influenced by global crude oil prices, exchange rate fluctuations, and distribution logistics, noting that these factors affect both locally refined and imported fuel in the country’s deregulated market.
Afolabi Olowookere, Managing Director and Chief Economist at Analysts’ Data Services and Resources (ADSR) Limited, explained that although Nigerians expect refined products from the refinery to be significantly cheaper, prevailing market realities such as global crude oil prices, the cost of crude supply and refining margins make substantial price reductions unlikely in the short term.
“Therefore, improving domestic crude allocation to the refinery would strengthen supply stability and enhance the long term benefits of local refining for the economy,” Olowookere noted.
Recent conflicts in the Middle East and disruptions along key shipping lanes have tightened global oil supply, pushing crude prices past $90 per barrel, a development that directly raises the cost of both imported and locally refined petrol in Nigeria.
The unrest has pushed up fuel costs and transportation in several countries, including Ghana, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, and Japan, as rising crude prices increase the cost of refining, distribution, and logistics globally.
CHETACHI NWOGA-ECTON EMPOWERS 300 WIDOWS IN IMO
A renowned humanitarian and proud daughter of Mbaise in Imo State, High Chief (Dr.) Princess Chetachi Nwoga-Ecton, has empowered over 300 widows and vulnerable women across the Owerri Zone, in a remarkable demonstration of compassion and service to humanity.
The empowerment programme, which took place at the Palace of the Eze of Ngor Okpala, HRH Eze Engr. Fredrick Nwachukwu, brought together community leaders, traditional rulers, women groups and beneficiaries from different communities within the zone.
During the event, the widows received food materials and cash support, aimed at helping them meet basic needs and strengthen their small-scale businesses.
The initiative was widely applauded as a timely intervention to support women who often face severe economic hardship after losing their spouses.
Many of the beneficiaries expressed heartfelt appreciation to High Chief (Dr.) Nwoga-Ecton, describing the empowerment as a lifeline that would help them take better care of their families.
Some widows, while offering prayers for the philanthropist, noted that the gesture had restored hope and dignity in their lives.
Fondly known as Ada Imo and Adaure, High Chief (Dr.) Princess Chetachi Nwoga-Ecton has earned widespread admiration for her consistent humanitarian efforts both within Nigeria and internationally.
Through her philanthropic activities and foundations, she has continued to support widows, children, and vulnerable communities with interventions in healthcare, welfare and economic empowerment.
Community stakeholders who attended the programme commended the Mbaise-born philanthropist for her generosity and dedication to uplifting the less privileged, noting that her actions reflect true leadership and compassion.
Observers say the initiative further reinforces her growing reputation as one of the most impactful humanitarians of this generation, whose commitment to humanity continues to inspire hope across Imo State and beyond.
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