Television Nigerian

Reuben Abati, a renowned broadcaster and former presidential assistant, has praised his wife Kikelomo Abati, calling her his inspiration, source of joy, and true happiness.

As he celebrated his wife’s 46th birthday on Instagram, Abati wrote a touching message expressing his love for her, whom he referred to as his “jewel” and “sunrise.”

Wishing my Jewel a happy birthday, he wrote. Because of your motivation, self-control, and strong sense of purpose more than your natural charm, you are one of the few women that push me to be more and challenge me intellectually. You never hesitate to labor hard and get your hands dirty. Magnificent!

As Abati considered their union, he quoted Prince Adelusi, his godfather, as saying:

“A happy man marries the girl he loves, but the happier man marries the woman he loves.”

He continued by saying that genuine love and respect for one another are the sources of true happiness rather than material possessions.

“True happiness originates from within; it doesn’t exist on a shelf. Abati remarked, “I’ve found that true happiness with you.”

“Kiki, thank you for everything you do. I am fortunate to have a life partner that is so nice, hardworking, and sympathetic.

“Until the day I die, I will always love you.” Iyawo mi, you are my sun, not simply my sunrise. Cheers to your 46th birthday, Oyinbo.

The Presidency has explained that President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the case of Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for killing her husband, was an act of clemency, not a pardon.

In an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, clarified the difference and stressed that President Tinubu acted out of compassion rather than exoneration.

According to reports, Onanuga described Sanda’s case as a “crime of passion” — one committed in the heat of emotion rather than through premeditation. He emphasized that the President’s decision to grant clemency was influenced by humanitarian considerations, particularly the welfare of Sanda’s children.

“Maryam Sanda was given clemency, not a pardon. Her kids were put into consideration. It was a crime of passion, not premeditated,” Onanuga said. “The President is a compassionate man. He listens to the public and understands that people can act irrationally in the heat of an argument.”

Onanuga further explained that President Tinubu has demonstrated his willingness to review decisions and act with empathy when the situation calls for it. “This President is not afraid to reverse himself. He’s been considerate about this because he’s human — capable of making mistakes but always ready to correct them when necessary,” he said.

He added that while the crime was serious and justice had been served through conviction, the President’s decision to commute the death sentence to 12 years imprisonment was a way of balancing justice with mercy. The aim, he said, was not to undermine the judiciary but to ensure that the punishment did not completely destroy the life of the convict’s children.

Onanuga also remarked that conflicts within relationships can sometimes escalate uncontrollably, leading to tragic outcomes. “Anything can happen between a man and a woman in the heat of the moment. The President was moved by compassion and by the understanding that the act wasn’t planned or deliberate,” he explained.

The case of Maryam Sanda, which shocked the nation in 2020, involved the fatal stabbing of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, during a domestic dispute in Abuja. Her conviction was upheld after a lengthy legal process, and she was sentenced to death by hanging.

However, following public appeals and widespread debate about the morality of the death penalty in domestic violence cases, President Tinubu recently commuted her sentence. The decision, though controversial, has been praised in some quarters as an act of mercy aligned with modern humanitarian principles.

Onanuga concluded that President Tinubu’s action should be seen as an expression of empathy, not weakness. “The President acted as a father and a leader who understands that justice must go hand in hand with mercy. He didn’t pardon her; he simply reduced her sentence, ensuring that while she pays for her crime, her children are not punished alongside her,” he said.

The Presidency has explained that President Bola Tinubu’s decision to replace the nation’s service chiefs was driven by his dissatisfaction with how security issues were being managed across the country.
As reported by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Thursday.
There had been speculation that the president made the changes following an alleged coup plot, but Onanuga dismissed such claims, describing the move as part of a normal administrative process.
“It’s simply a routine change,” Onanuga said. “The President is deeply concerned about the handling of security matters and decided it was time to bring in new people with fresh ideas. He instructed them to ensure that the insurgency which started in 2009 does not reemerge after 16 years of turmoil. The President made it clear that the new service chiefs must do everything within their power to end the insurgency once and for all.”
Speaking further, Onanuga debunked rumours of an attempted coup, describing the reports as baseless and sensational.
He said, “That story was just the spread of unfounded rumours. Some journalists, in their quest for attention, write sensational headlines without considering how such reports serve the public interest. Many of those stories are designed merely for traffic and clicks.”

A 15% ad-valorem import tax on gasoline and diesel imports into Nigeria has been approved by President Bola Tinubu.

The project aims to increase the cost of imported fuel to help Nigeria’s local refineries by imposing a value-based tax on all fuel imports. This strategy seeks to lessen the nation’s dependency on imported fuel, promote domestic production, and establish a more equitable downstream sector.

Tinubu instructed the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to implement the tariff immediately as part of what the government referred to as a “market-responsive import tariff framework” in a letter dated October 21, 2025, which was made public on October 30, 2025.

The letter, which was signed by his private secretary, Damilotun Aderemi, expressed the president’s acceptance of a suggestion made by Zacch Adedeji, the Executive Chairman of the FIRS.

In order to bring import costs into line with domestic market realities, the proposal called for the imposition of a 15% tariff on the cost, insurance, and freight value of imported gasoline and diesel.

In accordance with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda for energy security and fiscal sustainability, Adedeji clarified in his message to the president that the action was a component of ongoing reforms to support local refining, guarantee price stability, and bolster the naira-based oil economy.

“Operationalizing crude transactions in local currency, strengthening local refining capacity, and ensuring a stable, affordable supply of petroleum products across Nigeria are the core objectives of this initiative,” Adedeji said.

Additionally, the head of FIRS cautioned that market instability has resulted from the current mismatch between locally refined goods and import parity prices.

“Price instability persists, partly due to the misalignment between local refiners and marketers, even though domestic petrol refining has begun to increase and diesel sufficiency has been achieved,” he said.

He pointed out that growing domestic refineries are under pressure because import parity pricing, which serves as the baseline for setting pump prices, frequently falls below cost recovery levels for local manufacturers, especially during foreign exchange and freight fluctuations.

According to Adedeji, the government’s role is now “twofold, to ensure a level playing field for refiners to recover costs and attract investments, while protecting consumers and domestic producers from unfair pricing practices and collusion.”

He contended that a fair and competitive downstream environment would be fostered by the new tariff regime, which would deter duty-free gasoline imports from undercutting domestic manufacturers.

The 15 percent import tariff could raise the landing cost of gasoline by an estimated N99.72 per litre, according to estimations in the letter.

This reflects an increase of around 99.72 per litre at current CIF levels, which pushes imported landed costs toward local cost-recovery without restricting supply or raising consumer prices above sustainable boundaries. The anticipated Lagos pump costs would still be much lower than regional averages like Senegal ($1.76 per litre), Cote d’Ivoire ($1.52 per litre), and Ghana ($1.37 per litre) even after this modification, remaining in the range of N964.72 per litre ($0.62).

The strategy is implemented as Nigeria steps up attempts to increase domestic refining and lessen reliance on imported petroleum products.

While modular refineries in the states of Edo, Rivers, and Imo have begun small-scale petrol refining, the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery in Lagos has started producing diesel and aviation fuel.

But even with these improvements, up to 67% of the country’s petrol needs are still met by imports.

In order to increase the motivation of Nigerian Armed Forces personnel, former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has encouraged Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, the new Chief of Defence Staff, and the Service Chiefs to advocate for improved compensation.
Following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decoration of the officers with their new levels, the lawmaker provided the recommendation on Thursday in a statement from Abuja.

On Wednesday, the Senate vetted and approved the appointment of General Oluyede and three others.

The Red Chamber also confirmed Major General Waidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Abbas as Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke as Chief of Air Staff in addition to the new Chief of Defense Staff.

The new service chiefs were decorated at the presidential palace by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday.

In response, Ndame, a senator from Borno South and the former chairman of the Senate Committee on Army in the Ninth Senate, argued that increased compensation was essential to boosting military morale in the battle against banditry, insurgency, and other threats to Nigerians’ lives and property.

“I have identified four pillars that would keep security threats at bay and make our military formidable at all times,” he declared. I have classified this as TEAM. Training comes first, followed by equipment, ammunition, and motivations, in that sequence.

Additionally, the member urged the current administration to prioritize the military budget by placing it under the First Line Charge.

“The First Line Charge should oversee the yearly budget for the armed forces and other security forces; it should not be left up to discretion. They ought to be loaded in front.

The former Senate Leader continued his argument for greater compensation by pointing out that, in comparison to their counterparts in nearby West African states, the salaries and benefits of Nigerian military leaders and soldiers are nothing to write home about.

The basic salary for enlisted servicemen in South Africa is around N250,000 per month (converted), while the entry-level salary for a private soldier in Ghana is roughly N180,000.

Junior enlisted officers in Egypt make between N230,000 and N280,000 per month, whereas a private in Kenya makes roughly N200,000, not including operational allowances.

Despite increased deployment frequency and operational challenges, the average private soldier in Nigeria makes substantially less money.

“Rising living expenses have outpaced the current minimum entry-level wage and compensation for many employees across these services, with knock-on effects on morale, recruitment, retention, and operational effectiveness—particularly for personnel deployed in high-risk theaters and remote locations.”