Television Nigerian

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.”

Chief Ayiri Emami, a leader of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for approving a 15% ad-valorem import tax on gasoline and fuel, claiming that the action will make the plight of common Nigerians worse.

At a news conference on Thursday in Abuja, Emami brought up the issues.

The new tariff is intended to safeguard domestic refineries, stabilize the downstream oil industry, and bolster local refining capacity, according to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which started the idea and won the President’s approval.

The proposal was part of continuing changes to “operationalize crude transactions in local currency, strengthen local refining capacity, and ensure a stable, affordable supply of petroleum products across Nigeria,” according to FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji.

Emami, the chairman and CEO of A & E Group, a construction, haulage, and oil company, disagreed.

He bemoaned that the legislation would “hurt the masses, not marketers” in an interview with reporters.

Additionally, the APC mainstay asked the President to put it on hold until the government gives Nigerians greater assistance.

“Mr. President is not benefiting from anyone’s advice to levy a 15% tax on petroleum at this time. This type of legislation will harm regular Nigerians rather than marketers.

“Any tax you impose on petroleum directly benefits the homeless. Nigerians already face hardship and hunger, he said.

Additionally, Emami cautioned that daily livelihoods have already been severely impacted by gasoline prices, especially for rural and riverine people that rely on transportation and fishing.

“Purchasing fuel determines whether you can even go out to fish,” he remarked. We can no longer afford to reach the fish, not that they have disappeared.

In my opinion, that 15% ought to be set aside until the government offers Nigerians additional assistance. There hasn’t been any improvement even after the fuel subsidy was eliminated. It’s still difficult. So why take on yet more burden?

The oil tycoon also voiced concern that the President must have been duped by some individuals.

“Some people only want to cause additional issues; they don’t care about Mr. President or what he’s going through. “Those are my genuine thoughts on the subject,” he continued.

According to reports, Tinubu approved the new pricing and ordered its immediate enforcement in a letter dated October 21, 2025, to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the FIRS.

Official estimates indicate that the 15% import tariff might raise the landing cost of gasoline by roughly ₦99.72 per litre, pushing pump prices in Lagos to roughly ₦964.72 per litre, which is still less than regional norms.

According to government sources, the policy is a part of initiatives to encourage the Dangote Refinery and modular facilities in the states of Edo, Rivers, and Imo to increase production and lessen Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports, which still supply around 67% of the country’s fuel needs.

Industry analysts caution that without matching relief measures, the increased charge might put additional strain on people already struggling with the consequences of inflation and the elimination of fuel subsidies.

Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, the new Chief of Naval Staff, took office on Thursday and promised to step up efforts to combat maritime crimes endangering Nigeria’s economy, such as illicit bunkering and the theft of crude oil.

Speaking at the handover ceremony at the Navy Headquarters in Abuja, the 23rd Chief of Naval Staff acknowledged that despite significant progress, drug trafficking, illegal fishing, crude oil theft, sea robbery, and other maritime crimes that endanger national security and economic prosperity continue to threaten Nigeria’s maritime environment.

In order to tackle these issues, the naval chief announced his tenure’s top priorities, which include strengthening cooperation with other security agencies, prioritizing personnel welfare and training, boosting fleet capability through aggressive fleet renewal and increased use of technology, and improving maritime security.

“I am aware that a scourge of crude oil theft, sea robbery, illegal bunkering, illegal unreported and unregulated fishing, and drug trafficking continue to threaten our maritime environment,” he declared. The livelihoods of our coastal towns, the stability and prosperity of our beloved country’s economy, and energy security are all at risk due to these crimes.

“My tenure will be guided by a clear and actionable strategic approach to confront these challenges decisively. This approach will prioritize training and personnel welfare, strengthen maritime security and combat illegalities, enhance our fleet’s operational capability through aggressive fleet renewal use of technology, and foster inter-agency synergy, regional, and international collaboration.”
As the 23rd Chief of the Naval Staff, I stand before you today with humility and thanksgiving to God. “I will always be appreciative to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President and Commander-in-Chief, for believing that I am qualified to command the Nigerian Navy,” he declared.

The naval head praised Vice Admiral Emmanuel Nkechukwokala, his predecessor, for his “visionary leadership and service,” which he claimed had established a strong basis for the Navy’s ongoing advancement.

He emphasized that discipline and accountability will always be crucial and urged navy personnel to uphold the service’s essential characteristics of honesty, professionalism, and teamwork.

“I pledge to take the initiative and make sure that your well-being always comes first. reassuring Nigerians that the Navy will put up endless effort to protect the country’s seas and promote the expansion of the blue economy,” he stated.

According to reports, President Bola Tinubu named new service heads for the Army, Navy, and Air Force this week as part of a significant reorganization in the Armed Forces.