The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Uhogua, Benin City, Edo State capital, has lamented hardship caused by the economic situation of the country.

Coordinator of the camp known as Home for the Needy Foundation, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho, said due to the economic hardship, feeding lifestyle of the IDPs has drastically dropped, adding that many of the students sponsored by the foundation in various universities are at home due to backlog of unpaid school fees.

Pastor Folorunsho, who spoke with newsmen on how the IDPs have been coping with the current hardship, said due to the economic hardship, a single meal where they used to cook 15 bags of rice has been reduced to 5.

Pastor Folorunsho, who is also the overseer of the International Christian Centre, while lamenting that the IDPs currently have no food, stated “it has not been easy feeding multitude as this especially with this economic situation of Nigeria, but the passion we have for the less privileged has kept us moving.”

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He added: “Normally, we cook like 15 bags of rice per meal, 12 bags of garri per meal, 100 tubers of yam per meal, but because of the economic situation, what we have is what we cook for them. Sometimes, we cook 5 bags, and this is very little. Their eating has drastically reduced because of the economy.

“At times, it will get to a stage that we will not have money to buy foodstuffs, but good customers we have usually give us, and when money comes we pay. Currently, we don’t have food. We really want people to come support their feeding and school fees.”

The coordinator, who disclosed that Home for the Needy Foundation is currently sponsoring over 400 students in various universities across the country, however, lamented that “some universities are not allowing our students to write exams because they have been unable to pay their school fees.”

“We have over 400 students currently in different universities, and as I talk to you we have over 60 that just graduated. A few days ago, 6 doctors graduated amongst the students, likewise lawyers. We have about 70 students that ought to have graduated by now but the universities didn’t allow them to write their final year exams. They are currently with us, crying, but we keep encouraging them that God will send a good Samaritan.”

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On healthcare, Pastor Folorunsho said: “We also need an abundance, because, at times, when we have emergencies, we have to be running up and down to get a vehicle, but if we have an abundance stationed here, we can rush to UBTH.

“We also need medical laboratory equipment for our medical personnel to run tests in the health centre.”

The coordinator, while appreciating those who have been donating to the IDPS, passionately appealed to “well-meaning Nigerians, Non-Governmental Organisations, the international community, even food producing companies like Dangote and everyone that loves humanity to come provide food for these children.

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“What these children need is food to eat, and they are able to go to school. They need notebooks and textbooks. We need those that will pay our teachers and their school fees.

“We all know where these children are coming from— Some of them saw their parents beheaded, some saw dead bodies — they saw all sorts of horrible things, so, they were highly traumatized in the beginning. Now that they are out of trauma, we don’t want them to go back to trauma again because of not having food to eat, or because of inability to pay school fees. Inability to pay school fees will bring trauma back, of which we don’t want.”

The Federal Government has suspended the implementation of the 15 per cent ad-valorem import duty earlier approved on imported Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and diesel, following widespread concern that the policy could trigger fresh increases in fuel prices and worsen inflation.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) announced the suspension in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs, George Ene-Ita.

The duty, which was approved by President Bola Tinubu in October 2025, formed part of a fiscal measure aimed at aligning import costs with local production realities and supporting the growth of domestic refineries. The approval, conveyed through a letter by the President’s Private Secretary, Damilotun Aderemi, was based on a proposal from the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji.

Adedeji had argued that the new tariff framework would promote fairness in the downstream sector and encourage locally refined fuel, while ensuring that importers did not undercut domestic producers. “The core objective of this initiative is to operationalise crude transactions in local currency, strengthen local refining capacity, and ensure a stable, affordable supply of petroleum products across Nigeria,” he stated in his memo to the President.

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He further explained that the measure was corrective, not revenue-driven, and intended to stabilise the market by addressing pricing gaps between imported and locally refined products. The policy was expected to take effect after a 30-day transition period ending on November 21, 2025.

However, the plan drew strong opposition from stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, who warned that it would raise pump prices, drive up import costs, and increase inflation at a time when domestic refineries were still ramping up production.

In its latest statement, the NMDPRA said the import duty implementation “is no longer in view,” adding that the country currently has adequate supplies of petroleum products sourced from both local refineries and importation.

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“There is robust domestic supply of petroleum products to ensure timely replenishment of stocks at storage depots and retail stations during this period,” Ene-Ita said.

He cautioned marketers against hoarding or increasing prices outside market-reflective levels, stressing that the Authority would continue to monitor supply and distribution to prevent disruptions nationwide.

The suspension comes as the government intensifies efforts to stabilise fuel availability and pricing while supporting the transition toward self-sufficiency through local refining initiatives such as the Dangote Refinery and modular plants.

A professional hairstylist identified simply as Sebastine Timothy has been shot dead by suspected armed robbers in the Satellite Town area of Lagos State.

A police source, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the deceased was attacked shortly after returning home from work.

It was gathered that the incident occurred on Sunday night along Olasanoye Street in the community.

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According to the source, the robbers broke into Timothy’s apartment, dispossessed him of his belongings, and transferred an undisclosed amount of money from his bank account before shooting him in the head.

The source added that the assailants fled the scene immediately after the attack, while neighbours who heard gunshots later found Timothy’s lifeless body.

In a separate account, an online channel known for exposing cult-related activities, Confra Naija, claimed in a post on X that the attack was cult-related.

According to the platform, the assailants, believed to be members of the Eiye confraternity, had originally targeted Timothy’s brother, who is allegedly affiliated with a rival group, Aye, but turned on the hairstylist when they could not find him.

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“The Eiye cultists came to attack Sebastine’s brother, who is a member of Aye. When they didn’t find him, they turned on Sebastine, who told them his brother wasn’t around. They forced him to unlock his phone and transfer money to them, took his phone after the transfer, and shot him in the head,” the post read.

When contacted on Wednesday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident but gave a slightly different account. She said Timothy sustained a fatal head injury during a fight with unidentified men in the area.

“He sustained an injury to the head and died on his way to the hospital. The police cannot confirm yet if it was a gunshot wound or a machete cut. The family reported the case at the station and later took his body to the mortuary,” Adebisi stated.