Officials of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery are unaware of claims that seven crude cargoes have been allocated to it in May by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, The PUNCH reports.

Senior officials at the refinery told our correspondent that, although talks were ongoing with the NNPC, they could not confirm an increase in the refinery’s monthly crude allocation from five to seven cargoes.

There were reports that the NNPC had increased crude oil supply to the Dangote refinery, allocating seven cargoes for May loading to boost domestic fuel production.

Two trader sources had told Reuters on Tuesday that the latest allocation marked an increase from the five cargoes the refinery had been receiving in previous months.

But speaking exclusively with our correspondent on Thursday, officials of the Dangote Group, who requested anonymity due to a lack of authorisation, said they had not yet been informed of the decision.

According to them, the refinery is expected to receive six cargoes of crude in May, contrary to reports that seven cargoes were allocated for next month.

“Our May allocation is about 6.15 million barrels. The report of seven cargoes’ allocation is not clear yet,” one of the officials stated.

It was reiterated that the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility needs over 19 cargoes of crude monthly, but it only struggles to get five cargoes. A cargo contains about one million barrels.

“Our monthly requirement is 19.77 million barrels. A cargo is one million barrels. In October, we got 4.55 million; we got 6.45 million in November; 4.30 million in December; 5.65 million barrels in January; and 4.66 million barrels in February. March is around six million.

“Our May allocation is about 6.15 million barrels, not up to 7 million,” another official told The PUNCH, appealing to the government to allocate more crude to the refinery.

Earlier, the Dangote refinery had lamented that it was not getting enough crude locally for its operations. As the Iran-US war continues to disrupt global oil supply, the Dangote refinery has effected multiple fuel price increases, raising petrol pump prices above N1,200 per litre.

Defending these price hikes, the Dangote refinery said in a statement that local crude producers were refusing to supply feedstock to its facility, forcing it to rely more on imported crude.

According to the company, the refinery also received just five cargoes every month from the national oil company instead of 13 cargoes, adding that the cargoes were paid for at international market prices.

“While we receive about five cargoes a month from NNPC, which we pay for in naira, these cargoes are priced at international market prices plus premium and fall short of the 13 cargoes which we require to support sales into Nigeria.

“The high crude cost is compounded by the fact that Nigeria’s upstream producers have failed to supply crude oil to the refinery as required under the Petroleum Industry Act, forcing us to source a substantial portion through international traders who charge an additional premium,” it stated.

In an interview recently, sources at the NNPC told our correspondent that the company was working to increase crude supply to the Dangote refinery under ongoing arrangements aimed at strengthening local refining capacity.

They said the national oil company was leveraging its global crude trading network to source third-party supply for the Dangote refinery at competitive international market rates.

“Leveraging our global crude trading network, we are sourcing third-party crude for the refinery at prices that are competitive with prevailing international market rates,” a senior official at NNPC, who spoke in confidence, said.

The official further explained, “As the national oil company entrusted with safeguarding Nigeria’s energy security, NNPC Limited remains fully committed to supporting domestic refining, including the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Within the framework of our existing agreements, we continue to facilitate crude supply to DRP in the face of temporary availability constraints.”

Meanwhile, as the war in the Middle East rages on, with rising oil prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Federal Government has been advised to sell crude at a fixed price to the Dangote refinery as a means of ensuring high fuel prices do not trigger another inflation.

An economist, Bismarck Rewane, said, “One of the options that can be explored is that the Federal Government of Nigeria agrees to sell crude at a particular price to the Dangote refinery with the assurance that the price of refined products does not increase.”

At the moment, many countries look up to the Dangote refinery for petroleum products, especially aviation fuel and diesel, which are now very costly globally.

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Asian stocks rallied on Wednesday following the comments by the US President’s and Tehran.

But while the remarks from the two leaders provided hope for an end to the month-long crisis, crude prices jumped on lingering worries about the closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

They also come as the economic impact of the conflict worsens, with average US gasoline prices topping $4 a gallon for the first time in four years, European inflation spiking, and governments unveiling a range of support measures.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office the United States would be leaving Iran “very soon”, perhaps within “two weeks, maybe three”.

“But we’re finishing the job,” he insisted.

“We want to knock out every single thing they have,” Trump said, before adding that “it’s possible that we’ll make a deal before that.”

The White House also said he would address the nation at 0100 GMT Thursday “to provide an important update on Iran”.

Earlier, Iranian leader Masoud Pezeshkian told the head of the European Council the country had “the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met — especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression”.

Wall Street surged, with the Nasdaq up 3.8 percent and the S&P 500 adding almost three percent.

In Asia, Seoul — the standout before the war but among the worst-hit since it started — was up more than six per cent, while Tokyo and Taipei gained at least four per cent.

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Manila, and Jakarta were also sharply higher.

Traders appeared to brush off Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments that Israel would press ahead with its campaign and that “we will continue to crush the terror regime”.

However, Trump also said US forces would not work to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas passes, and said it was up to other countries to do so.

“What happens with the strait we’re not going to have anything to do with,” he said.

In a Truth Social post earlier Tuesday, Trump lashed out at NATO allies and other countries that have refused to help the United States secure the waterway.

“The U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” he wrote. “Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”

The remarks came after he said Monday that he was willing to end the war even if the strait remained closed.

Trump has zigzagged on whether Washington plans to escalate the conflict — possibly by deploying American ground forces — or try to end it through negotiations.

Still, City Index’s Fiona Cincotta warned in a commentary: “Even if outright military tensions ease, the economic damage from elevated oil prices may already be feeding through.

“With oil still above $100 a barrel, higher energy costs are likely to tighten financial conditions, raise inflation pressures, and weigh on growth.”

She added that “diplomatic signals remain mixed, and as long as uncertainty persists and shipping disruptions remain in place, oil prices are likely to stay elevated”.

Both main crude contracts rose more than one percent Wednesday, a day after Brent dived more than three percent and West Texas Intermediate shed 1.5 percent.

That came as more US troops continued to arrive in the region, and after the Wall Street Journal cited Arab officials as saying the United Arab Emirates was preparing to help Washington open the Strait by force, which would make it the first Gulf nation to join the battle.

The report said the UAE, which has been targeted by Iran during the war, was lobbying for a United Nations Security Council resolution to authorise such action.

The head of maritime analyst group Kpler told AFP Asia faced the gravest fallout from the war.

“We think Asia will, for now, be the ones suffering the most,” President Jean Maynier said.

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The operations, part of a broader push to improve road safety ahead of the Easter holidays, revealed several instances of erratic behaviour from those detained.

According to the Department, arrests were marked by intoxicated motorists pleading innocence, attempting to offer bribes during Facebook Live broadcasts, and, in some cases, experiencing alcohol-induced hallucinations.

The RTI noted that the high-visibility campaign has received significant public backing. Department spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya stated that the initiative is already contributing to a measurable decrease in road accidents and fatalities across the province.

“We are overwhelmed by the positive feedback from the people of KwaZulu-Natal and the whole country,” Sibiya said. “Having followed the live streaming of the #NenzaniLaEzweni operations last night, they are supporting RTI for removing heavily intoxicated motorists from our roads.”

The department said that it remains committed to its zero-tolerance approach toward dangerous driving as holiday traffic volumes are expected to increase.

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In a statement by its Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, it noted that the attackers were engaged with well-coordinated ambushes and a deliberate offensive-defensive response that forced them into a disorderly withdrawal, while the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support to the troops and ISR feedbacks to enhance targeted kinetic responses.

“Subsequent exploitation along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted further heavy losses.

“A total of about 38 terrorists were neutralised with 8 bodies recovered so far within the immediate engagement area and human intelligence from locals confirming over 30 additional terrorists bodies and weapons strewn along Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle.

“This was evidenced by blood trails and abandoned equipment. Troops also recovered 7 AK-47 rifles, 8 magazines, 4 RPG bombs and assorted ammunition, while recording no fatalities; one MRAP was hit by RPG fire, with injured personnel promptly stabilised”.

The Troops noted that the scale of enemy losses has triggered widespread jubilation among local communities and underscores the sustained dominance of OPHK troops in denying terrorists freedom of action.

Further exploitation operations are ongoing along the Garin Mallum – Garin Gajere axis at the fringes of the Timbuktu Triangle to recover the littered terrorists’ corpses and consolidate gains.

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In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the seizure followed credible intelligence on trans-border criminal activities, which led to a coordinated sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command at Ojo area of Lagos on March 19.

He said the operatives recovered 237 wraps of cocaine, weighing 5.80 kilograms, concealed inside stockfish heads locally known as “okporoko,” in three jumbo bags allegedly in possession of a 36-year-old suspect identified as Akputa Dickson Ejike.

According to him, the consignment was destined for Delhi, India.

Babafemi further stated that in a separate operation on March 25, NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos intercepted two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom.

He said one of the consignments contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, while the second contained 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl.

NDLEA spokesman stated that the anti-narcotics agency also arrested a suspected female drug baron, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, 46, popularly known as “Iya Ghana,” during a raid at her residence in Yaba, Lagos, where 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, weighing 76.30 kilograms, were recovered.

He said another suspect, Anayo Lucky Ohabiro, 39, was arrested in Surulere, Lagos, with 78 blocks of the same substance weighing 41 kilograms.

Babafemi disclosed that in Ekiti State, an 80-year-old suspect, Oke Samuel, was arrested during a special raid at Erinmo road, Efon-Alaaye, with 2.2 kilograms of skunk and methamphetamine, while another suspect was arrested in Ondo State with 894.72 kilograms of skunk recovered from an uncompleted building.

He said further operations in Benue, Edo and Taraba States led to multiple seizures, including skunk, codeine-based syrup, and cannabis concealed in animal feed, with several suspects arrested.

Babafemi added that the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign also continued nationwide with sensitisation lectures in schools across Cross River, Adamawa, Oyo, Kano and Lagos States.

He commended NDLEA officers across the affected commands for the successful operations, reaffirming the agency’s commitment to balancing drug supply reduction with drug demand reduction efforts.

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In a press statement made available to Channels Television, the Media Information Officer of the Theatre Command, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, also revealed that seven AK-47 rifles were recovered during the operation.

“The troops in the early hours of Saturday, 28 March 2026, decisively defeated a half-hearted attack by ISWAP terrorists on FOB Mandaragirau in Sector 2.

“The troops engaged the attackers with well-coordinated ambushes and a deliberate offensive-defensive response that forced them into a disorderly withdrawal while the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support to the troops and ISR feedback to enhance targeted kinetic responses.

“Subsequent exploitation along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted further heavy losses. A total of about 38 terrorists were neutralised, with 8 bodies recovered so far within the immediate engagement area, and human intelligence from locals confirming over 30 additional terrorist bodies and weapons strewn along Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle.

“This was evidenced by blood trails and abandoned equipment. Troops also recovered 7 AK-47 rifles, 8 magazines, 4 RPG bombs and assorted ammunition, while recording no fatalities; one MRAP was hit by RPG fire, with injured personnel promptly stabilised,” the statement reads in part.

Lt. Col. UBA further noted that the scale of enemy losses has triggered widespread jubilation among local communities and underscores the sustained dominance of OPHK troops in denying terrorists freedom of action.

He added that further exploitation operations are ongoing along the Garin Mallum – Garin Gajere axis at the fringes of the Timbuktu Triangle to recover the littered terrorists’ corpses and consolidate gains.

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The 20-year-old woman, identified only as Kaley, said she became addicted to Google’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram at a young age because of their attention-grabbing design.

During the trial, she described how she began using YouTube at six, downloading the app on her iPod Touch to watch videos about lip gloss and an online kids game.
Kaley joined Instagram at nine, getting around a block her mother had put in place to keep her off the platform, and was on social media “all day long”, she said.

She told jurors that her near-constant social media use “really affected my self-worth”, saying the apps led her to abandon hobbies, struggle to make friends and constantly measure herself against others.

Jurors listened to about a month of lawyers’ arguments and evidence, and they heard from Kaley herself, as well as Meta leaders Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri.

YouTube’s chief executive, Neal Mohan, was not called to give evidence.

A jury found the tech giants were negligent in the design of both apps and failed to warn about their dangers.

They ordered the companies to pay $3 million in damages.

Jurors also found that both companies knew or should have known their services posed a danger to minors, that they failed to adequately warn users of that danger, and that a reasonable platform operator would have done so.

“Accountability has arrived,” lawyers for the plaintiff said in a statement.

A spokesman for Meta said they “respectfully disagree” with the verdict.

Google did not have an immediate comment.

Lawyers representing Kaley, led by Mark Lanier, were tasked with proving that the respective defendants’ negligence was a substantial factor in causing Kaley’s harm.
They pointed to specific features they said were designed to “hook” young users, like the “infinite” nature of feeds that allowed for an endless supply of content, autoplay features, and even notifications.

The jurors were told not to take into account the content of the posts and videos that Kaley saw on the platforms, because tech companies are shielded from legal responsibility for content posted on their sites thanks to Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act.

Meta consistently argued that Kaley had struggled with her mental health separately from her social media use, often pointing to her turbulent home life.

The company also said “not one of her therapists identified social media as the cause” of her mental health issues in a statement following closing arguments.

But the plaintiffs did not have to prove that social media caused Kaley’s struggles, only that it was a “substantial factor” in causing her harm.

YouTube focused less on Kaley’s medical records and mental health history and more on her use of YouTube and the nature of the platform.

They argued that YouTube is not a form of social media, but rather a video platform akin to television, and pointed to her declining YouTube use as she got older.

According to their data, she spent about one minute a day on average watching YouTube Shorts since its inception.

Lawyers representing both platforms also consistently pointed to the safety features and guardrails they each have available for people to monitor and customise their use.

The case, along with several others, has been randomly selected as a bellwether trial, meaning its outcome could affect the way thousands of similar lawsuits filed against social media companies play out.

The jury panel assigned Meta 70% of the responsibility for the plaintiff’s harm – a $2.1 million share of the compensatory award – and YouTube the remaining 30%, or $900,000.

Jurors further found that both companies had acted with malice, oppression or fraud, a finding that sets the stage for a separate punitive damages phase.

The trial was one of several that social media companies face this year and beyond.

They are the culmination of years of scrutiny of the platforms over child safety, and whether the companies make them addictive and serve up content that leads to depression, eating disorders or su!cide.

The post Meta and Google blamed for woman’s social media addiction and told to pay her $3,000,000 appeared first on Hinnews.com.

Tension has gripped the Maraba/Masaka axis of Nasarawa State on the outskirts of Abuja following a violent clash between herders and local vigilantes that left at least three herdsmen dead and several houses burnt.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred between late Tuesday night and the early hours of Wednesday, triggering panic among residents of Aso community, near a primary school in the area.

The violence reportedly erupted after the body of a man suspected to be a herder was discovered under unclear circumstances, prompting what residents described as a reprisal attack by armed herders.

BREAKING: Fulani bandits attacked a community in aso, near primary school around maraba/masaka area of nassarawa. Outskirts of Abuja this morning attacked people and burnt houses.

The youth came out and caught one of the pic.twitter.com/fxeO2dXegS

— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) March 25, 2026

“People believed to be Fulani herders came in large numbers early this morning. They were armed and started attacking people. They burnt houses and chased residents away,” a local source said.

Another resident recounted how gunmen stormed the community, firing sporadically and setting properties ablaze, forcing villagers to flee into nearby bushes.

“The attack was around the primary school in Aso. People ran for their lives. Some houses were completely razed,” the resident added.

Fulani bandits att@ck Aso community on Abuja outskirts, b¥rn houses near Maraba/Masaka as youths capture onepic.twitter.com/qMVd8QaqPU

— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) March 25, 2026

Confirming the incident to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Nasarawa Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, said the violence began after a Fulani herder allegedly encroached on farmland and attempted to harvest mangoes to feed his cattle, sparking a confrontation with the farm owner and local vigilantes.

He explained that during the altercation, a vigilante reportedly shot the herder dead, which provoked outrage among Fulani youths who later mobilised for a reprisal attack on the community.

He said, “An incident like that happened between last night and the early hours of this morning. Information was received that a corpse of a Fulani man was found, and due to that, the Fulani people came for reprisal.

“Our investigation revealed that the herder encroached into somebody’s farmland and tried to harvest mango trees to feed his cattle. A fight broke out, and a vigilante shot the herder, leading to his death and this crisis.”

“So far, the CP has deployed security to the area, and normalcy has been restored. Three corpses of Fulani herdsmen have been recovered and taken to the hospital, while one suspect has been arrested,” the statement added.

The Maraba/Masaka corridor, bordering the Federal Capital Territory, has witnessed recurring tensions linked to farmer-herder conflicts, often driven by disputes over land use, grazing routes, and access to resources.

The post BREAKING: Three Dead As Herders’ Reprisal Attack Hits Nasarawa Community Near Abuja, Houses Burnt appeared first on Hinnews.com.

Sources told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred between late Tuesday night and the early hours of Wednesday, triggering panic among residents of Aso community, near a primary school in the area.

The violence reportedly erupted after the body of a man suspected to be a herder was discovered under unclear circumstances, prompting what residents described as a reprisal attack by armed herders.

“People believed to be Fulani herders came in large numbers early this morning. They were armed and started attacking people. They burnt houses and chased residents away,” a local source said.

Another resident recounted how gunmen stormed the community, firing sporadically and setting properties ablaze, forcing villagers to flee into nearby bushes.

“The attack was around the primary school in Aso. People ran for their lives. Some houses were completely razed,” the resident added.

Confirming the incident to SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Nasarawa Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, said the violence began after a Fulani herder allegedly encroached on farmland and attempted to harvest mangoes to feed his cattle, sparking a confrontation with the farm owner and local vigilantes.

He explained that during the altercation, a vigilante reportedly shot the herder dead, which provoked outrage among Fulani youths who later mobilised for a reprisal attack on the community.

The post BREAKING: Three Dead As Herders’ Reprisal Attack Hits Nasarawa Community Near Abuja, Houses Burnt appeared first on Hinnews.com.

That narrative is common with African players playing in Europe. Due to the AFCON tournament, which many African players take pride in because it is an honour to represent their country, a lot of clubs shift focus away from signing the players, no matter how good they are. Kenya’s national team coach and former Manchester United assistant coach, Benni McCarthy, said Manchester United struck Victor Osimhen‘s name out during the scouting process due to AFCON. He said his investment was considered “not worth it” because no one spends 100 million pounds on a player and loses him to AFCON.

Even though European clubs sign non-African players who also contest in the Euros and the World Cup, the difference is that club football is usually paused during international tournaments, except for AFCON. We should start by asking: Why is AFCON happening in the middle of club football, which also makes clubs lose players to injuries?

Players’ performances at international tournaments also influence how their overall seasons are evaluated. When Lionel Messi was awarded his sixth Ballon d’Or in 2023, it was largely due to his performance at the World Cup. When Lamine Yamal was also tipped to win the Ballon d’Or in 2025, his performance at the Euros was one of the stats that boosted his numbers. However, African players’ performances at AFCON are often swept under the radar because they happen in the middle of club season, where, almost at the end of the season, it has been forgotten.

In 2025, pundit and former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher said AFCON was not a “major tournament” when discussing Mohamed Salah‘s chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. He mentioned that if Salah had an average season at Liverpool but a great AFCON tournament, that wouldn’t increase his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or. However, if another player, say Jude Bellingham, had an average season at Real Madrid but a great Euros tournament, he could be tipped for the Ballon d’Or. While his comment was met with backlash, there was some iota of truth in there. AFCON is a major tournament that means a lot to Africans, but is it a great tournament in world football?

There are many reasons AFCON is not considered a major tournament. Some of them are structural, others reputational. The competition has struggled with irregular scheduling over the years and formats in ways that make it difficult to build the kind of consistency and global anticipation that tournaments like the Euros or the World Cup enjoy. There are also persistent concerns about officiating and organisation—controversial refereeing decisions, logistical issues, and moments that, fairly or unfairly, feed into a perception of disorder. More recently, incidents such as the confusion surrounding Morocco’s declaration as the winner of the previous tournament only deepen that doubt and raise questions about credibility. It was a field day for Jamie Carragher when the announcement was made, two months after the tournament had ended.

None of this takes away from the pride, talent and emotional weight AFCON carries for African players and fans. But in a global football ecosystem that is as much about perception as performance, these recurring issues continue to undermine how seriously the tournament is regarded beyond the continent. And they hinder how African footballers are regarded in Europe.

For AFCON to command the same level of respect as other major tournaments, reform has to happen. A more consistent and globally aligned calendar would immediately change how clubs, fans, and the wider football ecosystem engage with it. African football cannot rely solely on external validation to define its worth. Media, federation, and stakeholders on the continent must take greater control of how AFCON is presented. Performances at AFCON should not disappear into the background of club football.

***

Featured Image by Victor Chijioke for Pexels.

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