Category: News

The family of Okasime Olowojoba, the Labour Party (LP) chairman for Ward I in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, has raised fresh concerns over his continued captivity, one month after he was abducted along the Auchi-Igarra-Ibillo road. Olowojoba was kidnapped on Friday, April 26, 2025, while travelling with his family. He had gone to Auchi to pick up his wife, children, and housemaid in preparation for the children’s school resumption, when their vehicle was ambushed at a notorious bad spot near Sasaro. Despite paying a ransom of over N5 million, Olowojoba’s captors have yet to release him. His family says they have not heard from the kidnappers in over a week. Speaking to journalists, his younger brother, Omozame Olowojoba, expressed the family’s deep distress. He said: “Today is eight days since they last called us. They collected ransom on upper Tuesday and called us the next day to demand an additional N30 million, claiming the N5.3 million we paid was for feeding. The following day, they called again, asking for another N5 million, which we couldn’t raise. Since then, there has been no word from them. I spoke directly with my brother the day before they requested the N5.3 million.” The family has appealed to the Edo State Government, security agencies, and the public to intervene and help secure Olowojoba’s release. Omozame pleaded: “We are appealing to his abductors to please release him. He is a young man struggling to care for his family.” The people of Igarra and the entire Akoko-Edo community have joined the family in calling for urgent action to rescue Olowojoba.

The Nigerian Naira continued its strong performance against the US Dollar throughout the week, closing at ₦1,580.44 per Dollar in the official foreign exchange market on Friday, May 24, 2025. According to figures published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on its official website, the Naira appreciated by ₦4.51k on Friday alone, marking a 0.28% gain from Thursday’s closing rate of ₦1,584.95. The local currency has seen sustained appreciation all week, having opened on Monday, May 19, at ₦1,598.68 per Dollar, improving to ₦1,590.45 on Tuesday, and reaching ₦1,584.49 on Wednesday. Analysts attribute the Naira’s steady rise to increased investor confidence, improved forex supply, and favorable market conditions. Meanwhile, the CBN, during its 300th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held earlier this week, retained the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) at 27.5%.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has confirmed that the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) will undergo a scheduled maintenance shutdown beginning May 24, 2025. The announcement was made in a statement released on Saturday by NNPC’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Femi Soneye, who explained that the shutdown is part of a sustainability assessment aimed at boosting the refinery’s long-term performance.

A community in Anambra State is in mourning following a brutal attack in Isseke, Ihiala Local Government Area, where unidentified gunmen killed four members of a family. The victims — an elderly man and three women — were found lifeless in their home on Thursday morning, sending shockwaves across the region. According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants stormed the residence in the dead of night while the family was asleep, carrying out the attack in cold blood. The motive behind the killings remains unclear, with residents describing the assault as unprovoked and senseless. The Anambra State Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the tragic incident on Friday, identifying the victims as the family of Ichie Kennedy Igboanugo, also known as Ichie Akuruoulo 1 of Isseke. Ikenga stated that security operatives had cordoned off the area and recovered the bodies, which have been deposited at the morgue, while investigations into the crime continue. Ikenga said:“Following the simultaneous onslaught and joint clearance operations involving the police, military, and other security operatives to dislodge criminal elements in the state, we regret to report the cowardly gruesome murder of a family of four, including three females and an elderly man, by criminal elements at Isseke, Ihiala LGA, in the late hours of May 22, 2025. Preliminary information reveals that the criminals attacked the family unprovoked.” He added that the command, while expressing condolences to the bereaved, has reinforced security presence in the area and is pursuing leads to apprehend the perpetrators.“The joint security team has also reinforced the area for any untoward situation. Further developments shall be communicated, please,” Ikenga said.