Business

Mixed feelings as OPC members allegedly abduct, torture CAC Pastor in Ogun

Published

10 years ago

September 27, 2016

A pastor with the Christ Apostolic Church, Onigbogbo, Atan Ota, Ogun State, Pastor Olusegun Omoniyi, is critically ill after he was allegedly abducted and tortured by some members of the Oodua People’s Congress.

It was learnt that 45-year-old Omoniyi had also gone into hiding after he was rescued by policemen from the Sango Area Command.

He said he feared for his life as the OPC members had threatened to recapture and kill him.

It was learnt that the OPC members were acting on the instruction of some relatives of Omoniyi’s late wife, Omolade, who had vowed to deal with him over the sickness and subsequent death of the woman.

Our correspondent gathered that Omoniyi and his wife married in 1999 and had a set of twins in 2000.

However, the twins were said to have died shortly after they were born.

It was learnt that since the death of the children, the couple had not been able to have any child, which resulted in pressures from Omolade’s family.

Early 2015, the wife was reported to have left the cleric despite entreaties from church leaders and relatives of the husband.

PUNCH Metro gathered that seven months after separating from the husband, the 42-year-old was attacked by a strange illness.

Omoniyi said, “She had told me that her family members didn’t want her to continue living with me, but I begged her to stay.

“However, sometime in 2015, I went for a church meeting when some of her family members came. They took away her property. Attempts at getting her family members to reconcile us were abortive as they said she had made her choice.

“However, in July 2015, I was told she was sick. On the instruction of the church leadership, I went with some other elders to give her N50,000. But her brother did not allow us to see her, saying I should go alone to see her. We refused.

“On February 6, 2016, while I was leading a church programme around 10am, four men entered the church. Two of them were OPC members and the others – Adebayo and Stephen – were my wife’s relatives. While I was on the altar, the two OPC members said they had come to take me away.

“I told them that I would not follow them since I did not know where they were taking me to. They beat me up and one of them showed me a gun and said if I didn’t cooperate, he would kill me.”

Omoniyi said he was thrown into a car belonging to his wife’s eldest brother, adding that he was blindfolded throughout the journey.

The cleric explained that he later found himself in Ijoko, the camp of the OPC, saying the men tortured him before taking him inside a clinic where his wife had been admitted.

“In one of the rooms, I saw my wife on the bed. Her legs were swollen and there was blood all over the place. I asked her why she left the house and what I did wrong

“While talking to her, my in-laws started beating me. I have never suffered such torture. I told my wife right there that God would judge our matter,” he added.

He said he sneaked into the clinic’s toilet where he made a call to a church leader informing him of his location, adding that the latter informed the police who stormed the area and rescued him.

It was learnt that Omolade died the following day.

The church leadership was reported to have sent a delegation to condole with the family, and Omoniyi also accompanied the men.

It was learnt that the deceased’s family allegedly attacked the group, insisting that Omoniyi must take his wife’s corpse with him.

“To appease them, I told them to find where they would bury her and I would bear part of the cost, but they refused.

“As I was leaving, they blocked the road and said they would burn the two vehicles we took there. The OPC members, who had earlier abducted me, came and dragged me to where the corpse was.

“After beating me again, they put me on the corpse and said I must die with her. They put me in a car with the corpse. I couldn’t recognise anybody until I saw some policemen who rescued me the second time,” he said.

Omoniyi said he was taken to a private hospital, adding that the location was not disclosed to protect his life.

He alleged that a top police officer was also backing his in-laws, saying he had gone into hiding for security reasons.

He lamented that his wife’s family had taken away his landed property, adding that his life was in danger.

Our correspondent learnt that the matter had already got to the CAC supreme council and the church had not been able to resolve the case as Omolade’s eldest brother was a top pastor in the church.

PUNCH Metro saw petitions addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Area Commander, Sango-Ota, Officer-in-charge, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Abeokuta, among others.

The petitions called for the arrest of Omoniyi’s in-laws and the OPC members for the alleged abduction and torture.

Our correspondent was told that nothing had been done on the petitions.

A top leader with the CAC, who did not want to be identified, said the case had become critical, appealing to Nigerians to rescue Omoniyi.

When contacted, one of the in-laws, Paul, said the case was a family matter, adding that he could not comment on it.

He said, “I am sorry; I cannot say anything about it. It is a family matter and only the family can talk about it.”

The eldest in the family also declined to speak with our correspondent.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, promised to call back after checking with the area command where the case was reported to.

Business

Official waste of government resources and national wealth, group slams NNPCL GMD over MOU with Chinese firm to revive dead refineries*

Published

17 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Sahara Weekly

Official waste of government resources and national wealth, group slams NNPCL GMD over MOU with Chinese firm to revive dead refineries

…demands accountability into past investment of $1 billion into the refineries

A coalition of oil sector reform advocates has criticised the latest agreement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited with Chinese firms to revive Nigeria’s refineries, describing the move as a wasteful recycling of failed strategies and a troubling signal of weak accountability in the management of public resources.

The group, the Centre for Energy Sector Transparency (CEST), made its position known in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its executive director, Dr Oghenetega Edafe, following the announcement of a new memorandum of understanding between NNPC Ltd and two Chinese companies for a proposed technical equity partnership.

The agreement is aimed at completing rehabilitation work and restarting operations at the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, assets that have remained largely dormant despite multiple rounds of government-funded turnaround maintenance.

Edafe said the development raises serious questions about fiscal discipline, policy coherence, and the absence of accountability for previous investments running into billions of dollars.

“What Nigerians are witnessing is a troubling pattern of policy repetition without reflection. The same refineries that have gulped enormous public funds over the years are once again at the centre of a fresh round of agreements, yet there has been no transparent accounting of what has already been spent or why those investments failed to deliver results,” he said.

The group specifically referenced earlier government approvals of over $1 billion for refinery rehabilitation projects, warning that proceeding with new partnerships without a public audit of past expenditures undermines trust in the system.

“It is unacceptable that after committing over one billion dollars to refinery rehabilitation, the nation is being asked to embrace yet another agreement without a clear and verifiable audit of previous interventions. This is not just about policy failure; it is about the potential erosion of public trust in how national wealth is managed,” Edafe said.

He argued that while the introduction of a technical equity model may appear innovative, it does not absolve the government and NNPC Ltd of responsibility for past inefficiencies and possible mismanagement.

“The idea of bringing in technical partners with equity stakes is not inherently flawed. However, it becomes deeply problematic when it is introduced as a substitute for accountability. Before we speak of new partnerships, Nigerians deserve a full disclosure of how past funds were utilised, who was responsible for project delivery, and why the expected outcomes were not achieved,” he said.

The group also warned that without institutional reforms, the proposed collaboration risks becoming another cycle of investment without sustainable results.

“What is being presented as a strategic shift may, in reality, become another expensive experiment if the underlying governance issues are not addressed. Technical expertise alone cannot fix a system that lacks transparency, oversight, and consequences for failure,” Edafe said.

The Centre called on the National Assembly and relevant anti-corruption agencies to initiate a comprehensive probe of refinery rehabilitation projects over the past decade, including contract awards, disbursements, and project execution timelines.

“This moment demands more than optimism; it demands scrutiny. We call on oversight institutions like the National Assembly, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others to undertake a forensic examination of all funds committed to refinery rehabilitation, including the recent billion-dollar interventions. Nigerians must know what has been done with their resources and why the country is still dependent on fuel imports despite repeated promises of self-sufficiency,” he said.

The Centre added that restoring confidence in Nigeria’s oil sector would require not just new agreements, but a demonstrable commitment to transparency, accountability, and institutional integrity.

Business

FUEL PRICE INCREASE: Dangote Refinery says ex‑depot price remains unchanged

Published

22 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Sahara Weekly

NLC Commends Dangote Refinery, Urges FG to Sell Adequate Crude in Naira to Reduce Fuel Prices

FUEL PRICE INCREASE: Dangote Refinery says ex‑depot price remains unchanged

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited has revealed that the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) remains the same, stating that its ex‑depot price remains unchanged.

The Refinery, by sustaining its current prices, is reaffirming its commitment to supporting stability in the domestic energy market and cushioning the wider economy against external shocks. By absorbing prevailing cost pressures, the refinery continues to help moderate inflationary risks, promote energy affordability, and ensure uninterrupted supply amid ongoing global uncertainties.

Dangote Refinery reaffirmed its dedication to the steady supply of high‑quality petroleum products to the Nigerian market, while supporting national objectives of price stability and energy security.

The public is urged to rely solely on official statements from Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited for accurate and up‑to‑date information on its operations and pricing.

Bank

ZENITH BANK APPOINTS ENGR. MUSTAFA BELLO AS CHAIRMAN AT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Published

1 day ago

May 6, 2026

Sahara Weekly

ZENITH BANK APPOINTS ENGR. MUSTAFA BELLO AS CHAIRMAN AT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Zenith Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Engr. Mustafa Bello as the Chairman of its Board of Directors. The appointment, which takes immediate effect, has been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and ratified by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting held on May 5, 2026.

Engr. Bello’s appointment represents a strategic step to ensure the continuity, stability, and sustained effectiveness of the Board, while reinforcing the high standards of corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic oversight for which Zenith Bank is widely respected.

He joined the Board of Zenith Bank Plc on 29 December 2017 and has served on several Board committees, including the Board Audit and Compliance Committee, Board Governance, Nomination and Renumeration Committee and as Chairman of the Board Risk Management Committee until his appointment as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

He has extensive leadership experience at Board and executive levels, a strong understanding of corporate governance principles and regulatory expectations, and a proven track record in strategic oversight and organisational growth. He has consistently demonstrated integrity, independence and sound judgement, qualities that distinguished him as the natural choice to lead the Board into its next chapter.

Engr. Mustafa Bello is a distinguished engineer, statesman and corporate leader. His career spans more than four decades across the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy. He served as Minister of Commerce of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1999 to 2002 under President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, where he led the development of Nigeria’s WTO-consistent Trade Policy. He also oversaw the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) online project of 2002, which modernised the way businesses register and operate in the country. From November 2003 to February 2014, he served as Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Investments Promotion Commission (NIPC), where he was instrumental in attracting foreign direct investment into Nigeria, building multilateral and bilateral partnerships, and representing the Federal Government at international conferences and missions.He graduated from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, in 1978 with a B.Engr. in Civil Engineering (Second Class Upper Division), winning the Shell Prize for the best project and thesis in the Faculty of Engineering. He began his career with the Nigerian Army’s Directorate of Quartering and Engineering Service from 1978 to 1979, before joining the Niger State Housing Corporation as a Senior Civil Engineer from 1980 to 1983.

He is currently the Chairman of Invest-in-Northern Nigeria Limited, a special purpose vehicle for the economic and social transformation of the Northern Nigerian economy, and has previously served on the boards of Eskom Holdings Limited of the Republic of South Africa (2004 to 2008) and FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc as an Independent Non-Executive Director. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and a Registered Member of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) as well as Fellow of the Academy of Natural Sciences & Engineering in Nigeria (ANSEN).Zenith Bank stands among Africa’s leading financial institutions, with a strong capital base and operations across Nigeria, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire.