Oyo Allocates 90 Hectares of Land To FG For Dry Port Construction

The Oyo State Government has handed over the Certificate of Occupancy for 90 hectares of land to the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy for the construction of a dry port.

The land, which is located at Moniya in Ibadan, was handed over by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Lawal, to a delegation led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Olorunfemi Oloruntola.

Speaking earlier at the Office of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, Adebayo Lawal, expressed optimism that the project, when completed, would boost the economy of the state, emphasising that party differences would not hinder development in Oyo State.

He urged the Federal Government to quickly put the land into use and commence the project on time, noting that several lands previously allocated to the Federal Government had been left abandoned.

In his response, the leader of the delegation commended the state government for releasing such a massive parcel of land for developmental purposes and promised that work would commence as soon as possible.

Canadian Court Upholds Deportation of Nigerian Pastor Over Fake Documents and bribery.

A Canadian federal court has refused to review the asylum denial of Nigerian pastor Lucky Bidemi Olorunfemi, ruling that the documents he submitted were fraudulent and tainted by bribery infractions that cleared the way for his deportation.

In a judgment delivered on October 16 in Toronto, Justice McHaffie upheld an earlier decision by the Refugee Protection Division (RPD), which found that Olorunfemi’s supporting evidence lacked credibility and appeared doctored.

The self-proclaimed pastor from Akure, Ondo State, had applied for refugee status in 2023, claiming his pro-LGBTQ stance and tolerance for gay members made him a target of “Muslim Jihadis” who allegedly burned down his church and hunted him in 2022.

To back his story, Olorunfemi tendered four documents a newspaper report, a police invitation letter, his wife’s medical report, and a wanted poster purportedly issued by the “Odoua Peoples Congress.” But the RPD described the materials as “riddled with spelling and grammatical errors,” and resembling “brown envelope journalism.”

Justice McHaffie noted that the supposed OPC poster contained several blunders including misspellings of “Oodua” as Odoua and “Yoruba” as youruba and even identified Olorunfemi under a different name.

The court also flagged contradictions in the Nigerian’s testimony, including his claim of poor English proficiency despite speaking fluently during the hearing.

“The only fact established in his case was that he is Nigerian,” the judge said, dismissing his appeal for review.

Brent Crude trades near $67 as naira strengthens to N1,499/$ .

Petrol import cost hits N870/litre, diesel N999 as downstream market faces FX, crude volatility

Nigeria’s fuel import costs are climbing again as Brent crude trades near $67.44 per barrel and the naira firmed to N1,499/$, according to the latest Energy bulletin of the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) Competency Centre.

The report showed that despite the local currency’s modest appreciation, the Import Parity Price (IPP) of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) rose to N870.06/litre at the NPSC/ASPAM Jetty in Apapa, above its 30-day average of N848.77/litre. Automotive Gas Oil (AGO or diesel) climbed to N999.80/litre, compared to an average of N969.09/litre, while Aviation Turbine Kerosene (ATK) increased to N980.75/litre against N905.40/litre.

According to MEMAN, the international petroleum market is being shaped by shifting supply and demand dynamics.

“U.S. crude inventories fell sharply by about 9.3 million barrels to roughly 415.4 million barrels, as net imports hit a record low due to a surge in exports.”

Gasoline stocks also declined by around 2.3 million barrels, tightening supply, while distillate inventories rose by about 4 million barrels, highlighting weaker demand in that segment,” the bulletin noted.

Alongside Brent, WTI crude traded at $63.24 per barrel, while Nigeria’s Bonny Light closed at $68.56. MEMAN added that prices eased slightly as markets weighed the U.S. inventory drawdown against the Federal Reserve’s 25-basis-point rate cut. “Geopolitical risks persist, particularly from Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, while OPEC+ confirms plans to raise output by 137,000 barrels per day starting in October as it continues to unwind earlier production cuts,” it said.

On the domestic front, the association highlighted that the naira recorded steady appreciation in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) during the first half of September. It highlighted that the naira appreciated from N1,526/$ at the start of September to N1,498.98/$ by September 18, representing a gain of 1.8 per cent. The currency peaked at N1,484.14/$ on September 16 before settling slightly weaker. The association cautioned that “given that import parity costs remain inherently sensitive to these dynamics, they are expected to experience multiple intra-day fluctuations.”

The bulletin also listed Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s latest ex-depot prices: AGO at $717.50/MT (N960.00/litre), ATK at $766.25/MT (N995.48/litre), while PMS was left “on hold.” Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was posted at N715,000/MT.

Veteran Nollywood Actor Chief Kanran Passes On at 69 After A Brief Illness.

Veteran Nollywood actor Olusegun Akinremi, popularly known as Chief Kanran, has d+ed at 69, just three days before his 70th birthday. A family source said the Yoruba film star passed away in a Lagos hospital on Friday after a brief.

As of Friday evening, no official statement had been released. Famed for his charismatic portrayals of wealthy characters in Yoruba films, Chief Kanran also graced stage and TV productions for over five decades.

He began acting as a child, later training at the University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University, and was mentored by the late Ayanfemi Phillips. His work spanned Yoruba and English productions, including the TV soap Megafortune.

In later years, he faced severe personal and financial hardships. In a 2015 radio interview, he revealed that a 2017 fir+ d+stroyed his home, studio, and equipment, leaving him homeless after also losing his wife to cancer.

“My house got b¥rnt, my wife and children left me… I’ve been sleeping in a church for over a year. Feeding has been difficult,” he said. A devout Cherubim and Seraphim member, he was known for wearing his own clothes on set, avoiding borrowed costumes.

Chief Kanran’s legacy endures through his mentorship of younger actors and his lasting impact on Yoruba cinema.