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Shock as Pupils die after eating biscuit in Abuja
Some pupils of the Local Education Authority, Kubwa II school were confirmed dead on Wednesday, after reportedly eating biscuits at a party.
The incident spread panic in the community as parents and guardians rushed to the school and forcibly took away their children.
The News Agency of Nigeria earlier reported that two 14-year-old pupils of the school, Nehemiah Yahaya and Yahaya Garba, of primary 5 and 4 respectively, died after eating biscuits at a party allegedly organised by yet to be identified persons.
However, a visit to the school in Kubwa, a suburb of Abuja, the Nigerian capital, revealed that three pupils of the school actually died but the third person didn’t eat from the said biscuits.
The third victim, Moses Sunday, of primary one, is said to have died on Tuesday night after an alleged fight with his classmate.
Two of the deceased, Nehemiah Yahaya and Yahaya Garba, who were said to be from the same family, have however been buried on Wednesday afternoon in Kubwa.
At the time PREMIUM TIMES visited the school, the headmaster was giving an account of the tragedy to officials of the FCT Education Secretariat, Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), who were at the school on a fact-finding mission.
Journalists were barred from the briefing and the headmaster and other officials present declined to comment on the incident.
Giving an account of the incident, a teacher who would not want to be mentioned said, “When we got to school this morning, a child from primary four was sick. The HOD noticed it and asked him to go home. The other child in primary five who happen to be from the same parent was also sick and on getting home, they died.
“Immediately we got the news, our headmaster called us and asked us if there was any celebration in any arm of the school and we said nothing like that happened.
“A while after our headmaster briefed us, another news came that a child in primary one died. This one fought yesterday after closing and on reaching home, he was taken to the hospital and he died there.
“After our headmaster addressed us, we went into our classes and before we knew it, Gbagi and Hausa people came into the school premises with stick, stones and bottle to come and attack teachers.
“God helped us because the Area Council chairman came into the premises after hearing about it. He called the police and then, the situation was arrested. They later said we should allow the children to go home but we suggested that those whose parents might still be at their work place should be allowed to stay but that generated another crisis.
“Some of the pupils ran to meet their elder ones in the secondary arm of the school while some ran out using the windows”, she said.
On the major cause of the incident, the teacher said the school had barred pupils from bringing edible things to school during any celebration so she was not aware of any party.
In the same development, Hasia Haruna, a pupil who also ate of the biscuits is presently on admission at the emergency ward of the Kubwa General Hospital.
Her mother, Fatima, said she rushed Hasia, 13, to the Kubwa General Hospital, when she learnt that she ate of the biscuits at school.
She explained that her daughter, a primary three pupil of the school, told her that the biscuit was given to her by a yet to be identified person.
Hasia’s mother who spoke in Hausa said, “There was a party in the school on Tuesday where my daughter ate biscuit with other pupils. We discovered that some pupils died at night”.
“So I asked her if she ate the biscuit and who gave her and she said it was shared to them by a Muslim sister and so I was satisfied with her explanation”.
“But the chairman of Bwari Area Council, Musa Dikko, said we should take her to the hospital because some pupils died, so I decided to bring her here (Kubwa General Hospital),” she said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Doctor of the Hospital, Lasisi Akinola, said the hospital had admitted some sick pupils which he described as nothing unusual.
“We receive sick pupils and people all the time, so there is nothing unusual about that. I know we have the corpse of a pupil who died after a fight with another pupil, but I don’t have information on what you are talking about,” he said
The FCT police spokesman, Anjuguri Manzah, said the police have opened an investigation into the incident. He said the case would be transferred to the Command Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for discreet investigation.
Confirming the incident through a statement by its spokesperson, Tony Ogunleye, the FCT Administration Education Secretariat, said three pupils had died, while two others were hospitalised, in circumstances that are still under investigation by relevant authorities, including the Nigerian Police Force and the Health and Human Services Secretariat of the FCT.
Following the incident, the Chairman, Bwari Area Council, Musa Dikko, suspended activities at the school till February 26
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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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