Fuel tanker ignites NNPC mega station in Abuja

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC mega fuel station in Central Business District, Abuja went up in flames on Sunday night.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that the fire started around 10 pm while a truck was discharging petrol into the underground tank.

Although no casualty was recorded, a portion of the fuel station was destroyed while the affected truck was completely burnt out.

Eyewitnesses said that the prompt response of the Federal Fire Service prevented the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings.

“I was driving close with the intention to fill up my tank when we were asked to use a different road that there was fire at the station.

“I parked and trekked and I saw the fire service people were already there helping to quench the fire,”  said Yerima, an eyewitness.

Mr. Collins Elechi, Public Relations Officer, Federal Fire Service Abuja, confirmed the incident to NAN.

“Our fire fighters responded immediately to the fire outbreak on Sunday at the mega station.

“The quick intervention limited the loss to the vehicles alone.

“It could have been more devastating if it had happened in the day time, especially afternoon, “he said.

See  what was left of the truck and the station after the fire.

NAN

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How I invested two million dollars for Olisa Metuh - witness

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC today, Monday opened its case against PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh by calling two people to the witness box.

First to testify in a case of money laundering involving the sum of N400m that Metuh allegedly received from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA in November 2014 was Nneka Ararume, a wealth manager and employee of Asset and Resource Management Company Limited.

Nneka told the court that she collected $2m in cash from Metuh at his home in Prince and Princess Estate, Abuja, with the instruction to invest on his behalf.

She added that she proceeded from there to convert the $2m to the naira equivalent with the help of two bureau de change operators.

Her words:
“He gave me the sum of $2m in $100 bills. It was taken to bureau de change operators who would then transfer the money to ARM. From there (Metuh’s house) I proceeded to Mr. Sie Iyenome’s office at Wuse 2 where I gave him the sum of $1m.

“I also invited Mr. Kabir Mohammed and I also gave him the sum of $1m to transfer the naira equivalent in favour of Destra Investment Limited. Later on the same day, December 2, 2014, Mr. Kabir and Mr. Sie Iyenome confirmed the receipt.”

At this point, Sie Iyenome mounted the witness box to narrate how he converted the $1 given to him by Nneka to the naira equivalent before paying it into the account of ARM.

After both witnesses were cross-examined by the prosecution counsel, Justice Okon Abang adjourned till tomorrow, Tuesday for the EFCC to call more witnesses.

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Medview Airlines, passengers exchange hot words over engine failure at Abuja airport.

Disappointed passengers on Sunday night engaged officials of Medview Airlines in a hot exchange of words following the inability of the airline to airlift them to Lagos several hours after boarding.

The aircraft, Medview flight VL2107 started boarding just before 7 pm. However, the pilot turned off the engines soon after he had started them, with the passengers oblivious that the plane had developed a problem.

According to Mrs Maureen Okoli, a passenger in the aborted flight who spoke with LEADERSHIP, it was after a couple of hours that one of the pilots informed the passengers that the aircraft had an engine trouble.

“We boarded Medview airline at about 7pm. The plane was billed to take off at 7pm. After boarding the plane, the cabin crew closed the door and we were in the aircraft for more than one hour. They put on the engine and turned it off again.

“We thought the president was making a movement, but we were very surprised when the pilot announced to us that the plane has developed engine problem. As I speak to you now, we are still at the airport stranded. I have a three- year old baby here and nobody has bordered to give food or anything to eat," she said.

She also said that rather than cancel the flight formally, passengers who were complaining were rudely asked to go collect a refund of their money. 

“If they knew the aircraft was not good, why did they ask us to board the plane in the first place? " she fumed.

The angry passengers said that they lodged a complaint on the matter to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA at about 10 pm.

Sources: LEADERSHIP

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Nigerians react to Chicken Republic's Olisa Metuh ad

"Why eat your words when you can eat our meals?"

That is the caption of a currently trending ad by Chicken Republic, apparently playing on the recent claim by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC that PDP spokesman Olisa Metuh tore his confessional statement and attempted to chew it.

See what Nigerians have been tweeting about the hilarious ad.

Miss DEE #SGIT
@AVARIBERRY
Jan 23
"i will never ever go to
chicken Republic. You have lost a customer" Later you will find out it is only one moi moi they bought 2years ago
View details ·

ZahrahMusa
@Zahrahmusa
Jan 23
Who is Chicken Republic's advert maker? I must say s/he knows how to make hilarious cartoons at our expense. 😂😂

Omo Jesu
@tosinadeda Jan 23
PDP people saying they will boycott Chicken Republic.. Lol, you forgot u are the minority? Isn't that why GEJ lost? pic.twitter.com/tZJEzawMoA

Gbenga Olorunpomi
@GbengaGOLD
Jan 23
If real PDP members stop buying food at
Chicken Republic, they'll be too few to miss. Plus, the place would smell nicer #EatChickenNotPaper
View details

Kayode Ogundamisi
@ogundamisi
Jan 23
.@ChickenRepublic for making the attached satire on Mazi of the #DiciplesofCorruption I owe your eatery a visit. pic.twitter.com/EIWs5szNJt

Enyi-Ora1
@lanreneville Jan 23
Stupidity is when you are more mad at
Chicken Republic & U call a thief who tries to destroy an evidence a hero. Your suffering no be here
View details ·

Ebuka Akara
@ebuka_akara
Jan 23
Chicken Republic are simply selling their market. Kill yourself if its paining you
View details ·
Rinsola Abiola
@Bint_Moshood
Jan 23
Chicken Republic had an ad about APC legislators scaling NASS gate too. They have a thing for "polarising" ads, but they're not partisan.
View details ·
Consumers Council NG follows
Chxta
@Chxta Jan 23
Like it or not, the
Chicken Republic ad achieved its aim: brand visibility. You'll should stop choking. Make I enjoy fresh Enugu air biko.
View location ·

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Cattle breeders introduce way bill to discourage cattle theft.

The National Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Alhaji Muhammadu Kiruwa has announced a plan by the association to introduce way bill for transporters conveying cattle as a major way of checkmating cattle rustlers.

In a chat with newsmen in Yola on Sunday, Kiruwa said that most stolen cows are trucked to destinations across the country.
He added that the association would work with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW and other stakeholders to enforce the use of way bills at approved loading and unloading points across the country.

The national chairman who was in Yola in furtherance of a nationwide tour to sensitize members of the association and other sister unions on the need to forge a united front to combat the challenges facing cattle breeders said the new measure would kick off in the first quarter of 2016.

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US, UK deny recognizing Biafran passport

ABUJA
The Biafran passport being issued by the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB is not recognized by the governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

This is contrary to the claim by Sunny Okereafor, MASSOB's National Director of Information that the passport was acceptable worldwide.

He had said a couple of weeks ago that the passport which costs N5000 to obtain and N2000 to renew could be used to travel anywhere in the world.

His words:
“I assure you that the Biafran passport is valid. Except Nigeria, other countries of the world accept Biafran passport and allow our citizens to travel with it. In Europe, North and South America, Biafran passport is accepted. Nigeria is the only country that seizes Biafran passport. Go to neighbouring Ghana here, they will stamp the passport for you. Don’t be confused by the propaganda of the Nigerian government that there is nothing like Biafra passport.

“MASSOB appeals to Biafran citizens to procure their passport and use it to travel. If you doubt me, get a Nigerian passport while I have my Biafran passport; when we get to Europe, you will see who they will welcome than the other. Many people with the Nigerian passport have been repatriated, but have you heard of anybody with Biafran passport receiving such ill-treatment?”

However, checks by The PUNCH correspondent at the American consulate in Lagos proved otherwise as the Deputy Public Affairs Officer at the consulate, Frank Sellin, said, “The United States does not consider passports purporting to be from a Biafra entity to be a valid legal document for purposes of visa issuance.”

The PUNCH also received a similar response from the Press and Public Affairs Officer, British High Commission, Abuja, Mr. Joe Abuku, who said ;

“The answer is unequivocally ‘no’. The UK does not recognise the so-called Biafran passport.

“The position of the UK Government during the Biafran War is a matter of historical record. The UK Government’s position, which reflected the Charter of the Organisation of African Unity, was to recognise the borders laid down at independence.

“The Biafran War caused great suffering and the UK supported the reconciliation work that followed the conflict. The UK supports the territorial integrity of Nigeria and the Nigerian Government’s commitment to work for a secure and prosperous Nigeria for all Nigerians.”

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Islamic Movement gives conditions for appearing before Commission of Inquiry

As the Federal Government prepares to inaugurate the commission of inquiry into the clash between the Islamic Movement of Nigeria and the Nigerian Army, the Shiite sect has warned that it would not appear before the commission unless certain conditions are met.

The sect gave the release of its detained leader, Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky as a condition for appearing before the commission.

The Shi’ites during a peaceful demonstration in Kaduna over the weekend also demanded the release of their members detained since their December clash with soldiers.

They also pledged never to resort to violence in seeking redress for the killings of their members by the army in Zaria.

They emphasized that they have no confidence in the commission of inquiry because some of its members are openly antagonistic to the movement.

Addressing newsmen after the demonstration, Murktar Abdullahi Sheriff who spoke for the movement said that they would employ every legal means to ensure justice for their detained and killed members.

“As said earlier, one of the conditions for us to appear before the commission is for the government to release our leader Zakzakky and others being held, unconditionally.

“We are saying 730 of our members have yet to be accounted for since the incident and the corpse of those killed are still with the Army let them release the corpse to us for burial in line with Islamic rites.”

The sect also used the day to mark the 40th day prayer for the repose of the souls of those killed in the Shi’ite/Army clash

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