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Three Omatu Siblings Lost In GNI Tower Fire To Be Buried Jan 14

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The family of three siblings who lost their lives in the devastating fire that ravaged the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island, on December 24, 2025, has announced their burial arrangements.

 

The siblings, Stephen (40), Casmir (39), and Collins (37), were trapped and burnt beyond recognition when the 25-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Lagos Island caught fire.

 

The family, in a poster shared on social media and signed by Rev. Fr. William Omatu for the Family, expressed their regret over the loss of their loved ones and announced that a Parish Service and Songs and Requiem Mass would be held on January 7, 2026, at Jesus the Saviour Catholic Church, Ken Nlemedim Street, Bucknor Ejigbi, Lagos.

 

The burial mass and interment are scheduled to take place on January 14, 2026, at Nze Omatu Ikuamaeze Compound, Umumgboma, Umarugwy, Uzoakwa, Ihiala LGA, Anambra State.

 

The fire, which broke out on the fourth floor of the building, spread rapidly, trapping occupants, including traders, and causing part of the structure to collapse.

 

Emergency officials have cited poor storage practices, highly combustible materials, and structural design issues as factors that intensified the incident.

 

The incident has sparked outrage and allegations of negligence, with relatives of the victims claiming that the Lagos State Government and emergency agencies failed to conduct proper evacuation efforts, leading to unnecessary loss of life.

 

A brother to the three siblings, Camillus Ugochukwu Omatu had told the media that workers on site had no sense of urgency and adequate equipment to clear debris from the collapsed extension, which had blocked exit routes.

 

“After days of search for the victims, we accessed the building through the assistance of scavengers who are allegedly around to buy irons scraps. It was discovered that all bodies are burnt beyond recognition. We resorted to taking ashes from the troubled area for their burial.

 

“Since the accident, the surviving brother has been engaging stakeholders for possible evacuation of the collapsed extension area which blocked and trapped the victims in the building. But all efforts yielded no result as Lagos State Govt had claimed no casualty recorded.

 

“I left Abuja for Lagos and resumed at the accident site on Sunday, December 28, 2025.

 

“All engagements for possible rescue continued but the workers on site seemed not to be working with any sense of emergency, no adequate equipment to evacuate debris until we sought the help of scavengers who told us they have been accessing the place unofficially for purchase of iron scraps.

 

“For days, nobody helped us. We kept begging officials, but they moved like there was no emergency. Lagos State keeps saying no casualty was recorded, but how can they say that when we carried ashes of our own relatives?” he had told the media.

 

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) however stated that many of the traders who became trapped in the building were those who ignored warnings and were more intent on recovering their goods.

 

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had confirmed eight deaths from the fire with three burnt behind recognition while thirteen traders trapped in the rubbles were rescued alive.

 

The incident has left a trail of destruction and grief in the community, with many families still searching for their loved ones, as the Lagos State Government promised to investigate the cause of the fire and take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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Just In: Dangote Refinery Announces Petrol, Diesel Price Reduction

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The Dangote Petroleum Refinery officially reduced its gantry prices for petrol (PMS) and diesel (AGO) following a series of price hikes earlier in the week.

According to a new pricing template released by the refinery on March 10, 2026, the gantry price of petrol has been reduced by N100, dropping from N1,175 to N1,075 per litre.

The refinery also stated that the price of PMS for coastal supply will now be N1,050 per litre. The difference in price reflects additional costs linked to maritime distribution.

Similarly, the price of Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) has been reduced to N1,430 per litre at the gantry, down from the previous N1,620 per litre. This represents a decrease of N190 per litre.

The refinery noted that these gantry prices do not include regulatory charges from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Meanwhile, JomogNews earlier reported on Monday that Dangote Petroleum Refinery raised its gantry PMS price to N1,175 per litre — the third upward adjustment in seven days

The refinery communicated the new ex-depot price to marketers and depot operators, up ₦180 from the N995 per litre announced last week Friday, an 18.1 per cent increase in three days.

 

 

 

 

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Drama At Rivers Assembly Over Nominee’s ‘I don’t pay tax’ Statement

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A video circulating online has captured a tense moment during the screening of commissioner nominees submitted by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The footage seen shows the Speaker of the Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, questioning one of the nominees, Charity Deemua, over the status of her tax clearance certificate.

During the screening of commissioner nominees, the Rivers State House of Assembly rejected nominee Charity Deemua after she claimed that as a politician, she did not pay taxes.

Speaker Martin Amaewhule and other lawmakers expressed shock at the statement, leading to the rejection of her nomination along with three others due to lack of tax compliance.

During the screening session, Amaewhule pointed out that the nominee’s tax clearance appeared outdated.

“I just wanted to know, so there’s no current tax clearance. Madam has not been paying tax since 2018. I just wanted to know if she’s been exempted from paying taxes. So let her tell us now,” the Speaker said.

Responding, Deemua explained that she had not had a steady source of income in recent years.

“Like I said before, I’m a politician, I don’t have work,” she stated.

When asked to clarify her employment history, Deemua told the lawmakers that she had previously served briefly in government.

“I was a member, a commissioner in the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission,” she said.

Amaewhule then pressed further about her role in a local government caretaker committee.

“When were you? Hold on… local government caretaker committee member, right?” the Speaker asked.

“I was just three months there,” Deemua replied.

“When? When was that?” Amaewhule asked.

“And I think November last year,” she responded.

“November when? What year?” the Speaker asked again.

“2025,” she answered.

The Speaker then questioned whether she earned income during that period.

“You were not paid salary? Were you not paid salary?” Amaewhule asked.

“In the caretaker committee, we were paid,” Deemua admitted.

“You were paid? Yes. Is that not income? But you said you have not had any income from 2018 to date as a politician. So no tax clearance, and that’s what you are telling Rivers people. Madam, that is not nice. You are misleading the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly,” Amaewhule said.

In response, Deemua apologised and suggested she could address the issue.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker. But I think I can still go back for…,” she began before being interrupted.

“No, but you say you have not had any income now,” Amaewhule replied before moving on to the next nominee.

The video of the exchange has since drawn reactions online, with many Nigerians asking that if politicians say they don’t work, what exactly are taxpayers paying for.

See video:

 

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Aiyedatiwa Loses Legal Bid To Stop Amendment Of Re-election Suit

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s appeal against a Federal High Court ruling in Akure that allowed Dr. Akindele Egbuwalo to amend a suit questioning the governor’s eligibility to run in 2028.

The suit seeks to clarify if Aiyedatiwa, having been sworn in twice already, is constitutionally barred from seeking another term.

In a unanimous judgment delivered by a three-member panel, the appellate court held that the trial court properly exercised its discretion when it granted an application by the plaintiff, Dr Akindele Egbuwalo, to amend his originating summons in the case.

Egbuwalo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, had filed a suit at the Federal High Court seeking the interpretation of Section 137(3) of the Constitution in respect of the eligibility of Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, to contest for a second term in office.

In a ruling on November 24, 2025, Justice Toyin Adegoke of the Federal High Court in Akure granted the plaintiff’s request to amend the originating processes.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, Aiyedatiwa lodged an appeal, alleging a breach of his constitutional right to a fair hearing.

He claimed the trial judge acted ultra vires her powers and wrongly assumed jurisdiction.

Owing to Aiyedatiwa’s contentions, the Court of Appeal in Akure, where the matter was initially lodged, directed the high court to halt proceedings, which were already slated for judgment.

The case was later transferred to the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal.

Reading the lead judgment on Monday, Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam ruled that Aiyedatiwa failed to show that the Federal High Court’s decision to allow the amendment occasioned any miscarriage of justice or denied him the right to a fair hearing.

The appellate court, therefore, dismissed the appeal for lacking merit and awarded N2m in costs against the governor.

The ruling affirmed the November 24, 2025, decision of the Federal High Court in Akure, which granted Egbuwalo leave to amend the originating summons in his suit challenging Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility for re-election.

Earlier in the proceedings, the Court of Appeal also dismissed an application filed by Aiyedatiwa, seeking to set aside an order it made on January 27, 2026, staying further proceedings in the suit before the Federal High Court.

The court held that the stay of proceedings did not amount to arresting the judgment of the trial court but was a lawful exercise of the appellate court’s jurisdiction aimed at protecting the integrity of its proceedings.

According to the court, the appeal had already been entered, records compiled, and briefs filed as of the time the order was made.

The panel further held that the order was necessary to preserve the res in the matter and prevent the appellate proceedings from being rendered nugatory.

It added that asking the Court of Appeal to set aside the order it validly made on January 27, 2026, would amount to inviting the court to sit on appeal over its own decision.

The court noted that the option available to the governor was to challenge the decision before the Supreme Court.

The panel subsequently ordered Aiyedatiwa to pay an additional N2 million in costs.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Ebenezer Adeniyan, speaking with The PUNCH, said the judgment of the appellate court was not the main case of the eligibility of Aiyedatiwa to contest the 2028 governorship election at the Federal High Court, Akure.

Adeniyan said the case was still pending in the lower court.

“The main case is still in court. This was just an appeal on an amendment to the main case,” he said.

Aiyedatiwa was first sworn in on December 27, 2024, to complete the tenure of the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

He was subsequently inaugurated for a second time on February 24, 2025, following his victory in the governorship election held on November 16, 2024.

Although Aiyedatiwa has yet to indicate interest in running again, Egbuwalo approached the court in July 2025, insisting that Aiyedatiwa was not eligible to recontest in 2028, having already taken the oath of office twice.

The litigant sought an interpretation of Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) regarding Aiyedatiwa’s eligibility to run for governor again.

Section 137(3) provides that a person sworn in as president to complete the term for which another person was elected shall only be elected to such office for a maximum of one additional term.

Meanwhile, Section 182(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates that any person sworn in as governor to complete the term of another elected official is disqualified from being elected to the same office for more than a single term.

 

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