JUST IN; Fuel Scarcity looms as IPMAN threatens to halt operations, gives reasons

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has threatened to shut down operations if the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) failed to pay an outstanding N100 billion bridging claims.

The Gombe Depot Chairman of IPMAN, Alhaji Abdul Ibrahim, made the position of the Association known at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.

“One year after our last demand requesting the payment of more than N100 billion owed to our members in bridging claims, the management of the NMDPRA has ignored our demand,” he said.

Ibrahim said that members of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) mentioned the same IPMAN bridging claims as part of their demands before the strike action would be called off.

He said that NMDPRA promised to offset the bridging claims within 40.

“40 days have today become months with no hope of our payment.

“The nine northern depots comprising of Jos, Gusau,, Suleja, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Yola and Maiduguri depots have become completely grounded over this lingering debt.

“This debts being owed to us are monies belonging to marketers and which were deducted from us at the point of payments for products, in order to settle our bridging allowances.

“We have also continued to record deaths of our members, closure of their businesses, retrenchment of staff and the take-over of their business premises by the commercial banks.

“These are all arising from this refusal of the NMDPRA to pay us our monies,” he said.

Ibrahim said that IPMAN was giving the NMDPRA seven days to make the payment.

“As law-abiding Nigerians, we sincerely believe that we have given the NMDPRA enough time to pay us our monies in bulk and clear the bridging claims.

“But in view of their constant refusal, we have therefore decided to liaise with our sister organisations, the Petroleum Tankers Driver (PTD) and NARTO in order to take a collective action in due course.

“As members of IPMAN, it is important to state that we also own sizeable numbers of the PTD, and we may be forced to withdraw our tankers from loading petroleum products,” he said.

He said that another worrisome development was the alleged NMDPRA’s imposition of several abnormal levies on its members.

“NMDPRA has made things very difficult for us, as they have also subjected our members to paying bizarre levies whenever we deem it fit to renovate our petrol outlets.

“There are many distressing levies they have forced on us that are not only anti-developmental, but also unconstitutional and we are demanding their immediate suspension,’’ he said.

The IPMAN chairman called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the prolonged disputes between IPMAN and NMDPRA. (NAN)

Passengers burnt beyond recognition in tragic commercial bus fire accident

At least four people, including three children, were tragically killed in a bus fire in Gwaram Local Government Area, Jigawa State, on Saturday afternoon.

The incident occurred around 4 p.m. when a Hummer bus, carrying 44 passengers, was engulfed in flames near the Government Girls Unity Secondary School.

According to the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Lawan Shiisu, the fire began when a mattress tied to the back of the bus made contact with the exhaust pipe, sparking a deadly blaze.

“The mattress caught fire from the vehicle’s exhaust. Unfortunately, four victims, including a 40-year-old woman and three children aged five, three, and ten, were burnt beyond recognition,” Shiisu confirmed.

In addition to the fatalities, ten other passengers sustained injuries of varying severity and were quickly transported to Gwaram Cottage Hospital for treatment. Fortunately, the remaining passengers were able to evacuate the bus safely.

The remains of the deceased have been returned to their families for burial, in line with Islamic customs.

The Jigawa State Government has extended condolences to the victims’ families and promised to intensify efforts to enforce road safety regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Alleged money laundering: Yahaya Bello’s name not on Abuja property documents –EFCC witness

A prosecution witness, Segun Adeleke, on Monday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja that the name of the former Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello, was not on the documents of the two property purchased from the company.

Adeleke, who is also the General Manager of EFAB Properties Ltd, told Justice Emeka Nwite while being cross examined by former governor’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu, SAN.

The witness, who was the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s 1st prosecution witness (PW-1) told the court that Bello did not appear throughout the period of the transactions.

Earlier, EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, told the court that the matter was scheduled for trial and their witnesses were in court.

While being led in evidence, Adeleke was asked to tell the court what he knew about a property located at No 1, Ikogosi Road, Maitama and another one in Gwarinpa.

Giving an account of what transpired, he said sometime in 2020, his Chairman, Chief Fabian Nwora, introduced him to a young man called, Shehu Bello, and that they had a discussion concerning the purchase of the property.

“We had a discussion concerning the purchase of the property in question. And he told me that the young man would be coming back to make payment for the property at an agreed price of N550 million,” he said.

When asked if he had seen Shehu Bello since that day, he said, “I saw him three times.

“The first time was during introduction, the second time for payment and the third time was when he brought a legal document for the execution of the EFAB property.”

The EFCC lawyer then mentioned another property at 5th Avenue in Gwarinpa and told the witness to tell the court what he knew about it.

Responding, the PW-1 said the property was purchased by one Nuhu Mohammed for N70 million and was paid for through a bank transfer.

He was asked if he remembered which bank the money came from, but he responded in the negative.

On cross-examination, the defendant’s counsel, Daudu, asked if the witness’ actions were purely based on the instructions of his chairman and he responded in affirmative.

Daudu further asked whether it was correct to say that he did not initiate any discussion with Shehu Bello on his own, to which he also answered, “Yes.”

When asked if Shehu Bello signed the documents for the transaction in his presence, the witness said: “He did not my lord.”

Daudu then asked him, “throughout this transaction, did you set eye on the defendant (ex-governor)?”

“Not at anytime in the course of this transaction,” the witness responded.

“Does hs name appear anywhere on the documents you said are with EFCC to the best of your recollection?” tye senior lawyer further asked.

“No, my lord,” Adeleke responded.
When Daudu also asked the witness if he saw Shehu Bello in court since morning before the proceeding began, he said: “My lord, in this court room, I did not see him.”

However, when Pinheiro said they had another witness who was subpoenaed to testify in court, Daudu objected that they were being taken by surprise, arguing that the statements of the subpoenaed witness had not been made available to them.

The defence lawyer, however, told the court that in order not to stall the trial, he would not object the EFCC calling the second witness.

The 2nd prosecution witness (PW-2), who identified herself as Williams Abimbola, a compliance officer with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, confirmed that a subpoenaed letter was received by her office.

She told the court that the subpoena was with her.

When Pinheiro sought to tender the letter of subpoena, Daudu did not oppose the application and Justice Nwite marked it as “Exhibit 1.”

The witness read out parts of the documents the subpoena requested from the bank which include the statements of account of Kogi State Government House, from Jan. 1, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2024.
This also included the statements of account of Maselina Njoku, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2022.

The documents were admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits by the court, including the account opening packages of American International School and the school’s statements of accounts, from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, 2020.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until March 6 and March 7 for continuation of trial.(NAN)