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[JUST IN[ Planned Fuel Price Hike: ‘End Hardship In Nigeria’ Protest Rocks Benin

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Members of Civil Society Organistions, CSOs, religious leaders, market women, individuals, on Friday in Benin staged a peace protest tagged ‘End Hardship in Nigeria Campaign’ against the planned hike in price of Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS and others.

The protest initiated by the Peoples Alternative Movement caused gridlock for hours at the King Square popularly knowns as Ring Road and its adjoining roads in Benin.

The protesters who carried placards with inscriptions as: ‘fix our refineries’; ‘no electricity hike’; ‘refine Nigeria oil in Nigeria’; ‘reverse all privatisation’; ‘no to more hardship; no to rise in fuel price’; ‘end poverty in Nigeria now’; ‘Nigeria belongs to all of us,’ etc, chanted different solidarity songs to drive their message home.

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Speaking, Co-ordinator, South-South, the Peoples Alternative Movement and former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Edo State, Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, said the Nigeria situation is near-disaster hence Nigerians must speak up.

Obayuwana who lamented that Nigerian parents struggle to train their children to school due to the hardship in the country, further lamented that after graduation, these children have no job.

While stating that as bad as the country situation is, the government is proposing to increase fuel price, the former Attorney-General of Edo State recommended that Nigeria crude be refined in the country so as to have an affordable fuel price that the masses can afford.

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He said: “The Nigeria situation right now is a near-disaster. Parents are loosing control over their children. How can a parent who cannot put food on the table of his child control such.

“Out of desperation, and people are traveling to all sort of countries without knowing what they are going to meet over there, but they believe that anywhere else is better than Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Bayelsa: Cars Burnt, Many injured As PDP Supporters Clash

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“What we have agreed or resolved, is to speak out. Nigerians must speak out. If we don’t speak up, those we put in the place of authority will think everything is ok. They don’t pay for fuel, they don’t pay for electricity, this is what has led us to the present situation. And bad as it is, those in authority said they want to increase the price of fuel. (Sic)

“We are saying, this crude oil is owned by us; we are saying that crude oil extracted in this country should be refined here in Nigeria. We have four refineries in the country, they should be put in shape and refine our crude oil. We say in simple term, refine Nigeria oil in Nigeria. Fix our refineries and refine our oil here.”

Also speaking, Rev. Father Benedict Onwugbemi, the Coordinator, Justice Development and Peace Commission, Catholic Church, said “we are saying enough to the hardship in the country. It is not what Buhari promised Nigerias that Nigerians are getting today. Buhari led protest against fuel hike, but today he is doing exactly what he was against.”

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18-year-old OAU Medical Student Dies While Sleeping

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The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, has announced the death of an 18-year-old part-three medical student of the institution.

The student, identified as Timilehin Adetoye Toromade, was a student of the College of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine and Surgery.

According to a statement by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, Timilehin with matriculation number CLI/2022/133, reportedly died in his sleep in the early hours of Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

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The statement revealed that the “university received the news of the student’s passing with shock and deep sorrow”.

READ ALSO:OAU Student Electrocuted While Retrieving Ball

It also described the incident as devastating to the academic community.

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According to the statement, “preliminary information suggested that the student might have died shortly after 2 a.m., as one of his roommates reportedly said the deceased opened the door for another student around that time.

“The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, expressed condolences on behalf of the Visitor, the University Council, Management, Senate, staff and students”.

The VC, Professor Bamire, described the incident as a painful loss, saying, “The loss of a young life filled with promise, purpose, and potential is a tragedy that words alone cannot adequately capture.”

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READ ALSO:No ID Cards, No Exams, OAU Students Ground Campus In Protest

He added that the university community was united in grief over the passing of a student who had embraced the rigours of medical training with the aim of serving humanity.

According to him, the death had left a void among the student’s peers and all those who knew him within the university community.

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The university management stated that it was working closely with relevant authorities to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the incident, in line with established medical and administrative procedures.

It also disclosed that appropriate support measures were being put in place to assist students and members of the university community who may have been emotionally affected by the loss.

The management called on students, staff, alumni and friends of the institution to remain calm and compassionate, while extending sympathy to the family of the deceased.

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Panic As BRT Bus Catches Fire On Third Mainland Bridge

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Panic gripped motorists on Tuesday afternoon following a fire outbreak involving a Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, vehicle on the Third Mainland Bridge, leading to massive traffic disruption.

The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. near the Adekunle section of the bridge, heading towards Iyana Oworo.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed the development in a statement posted on its official X handle.

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According to the agency, the high-capacity BRT bus suddenly went up in flames, prompting anxiety among road users in the area.

READ ALSO:Police Detain Officers Over Alleged N3.3m Extortion From Lagos Couple

Footage shared online showed the bus completely consumed by fire, with thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky as motorists slowed down or sought alternative routes to avoid the scene.

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While no injuries or loss of life were reported, the incident caused a heavy traffic buildup extending from Adekunle towards Iyana Oworo.

A high-capacity bus is currently on fire on the Third Mainland Bridge by Adekunle, inward Iyana Oworo, and this is impacting traffic flow,” LASTMA stated.

Our personnel are on ground managing traffic, while efforts are ongoing to extinguish the fire,” the agency added.

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READ ALSO:Lagos Govt Begins Clearance Of Illegal Structures Along Lagos-Badagry Expressway

Subsequent updates indicated that officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene and worked to control the blaze to prevent further damage.

Traffic officers were also deployed to redirect vehicles away from the affected area as emergency responders tackled the situation.

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As of the time this report was filed, the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.

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Kwara Vigilante Men Arrested By Soldiers In Edo State Released

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Six Kwara State vigilante men arrested by the Nigerian Army on December 31,2025, along Auchi-Ikpeshi highway in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, have been released after a thorough investigation by the authorities.

Spokesperson of the state police command, SP Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, confirmed the development in a statement in Ilorin on Tuesday.

The statement read in part; “The Kwara State Police Command wishes to confirm that on Wednesday, 31st December, 2025, it received six vigilante members who were earlier arrested by personnel of the Nigerian Army along the Auchi–Ikpeshi Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

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READ ALSO:Edo: Suspected Kidnappers Kill Victim, Hold On To Elder Brother

The Vigilantes, travelling in a vehicle belonging to Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, were formally handed over to the Kwara State Police Command by the Brigade Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, Brigadier General N.N. Rume, for the purpose of investigation and profiling.

“Following a thorough investigation, it was established that the individuals are legitimate members of a vigilante group operating in collaboration with recognised security agencies in the ongoing efforts to combat banditry and other forms of criminality.

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READ ALSO:Armed Robbers Shot PoS Operator To Death In Edo

Consequently, having been exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing, the vigilante members were released to their respective leaders,” the statement added.

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, reiterated the command’s commitment to synergy among security agencies and community-based security outfits, while urging all groups to continually operate within the confines of the law.

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He assured members of the public that the command remains steadfast in its resolve to ensure the safety and security of all residents of the state.

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