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NNPCL: Buhari Launches Oil Drill At Chad Basin, Targets 732m Barrels

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Five years after the search for oil at the Lake Chad Basin was suspended, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday flagged off the Wadi-B drilling campaign with the well expected to yield 732 million barrels of crude oil in the coming years, if successful.

The search for oil in the Chad Basin was suspended in 2017 after Boko Haram terrorists adopted scientists and geologists working for a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, leaving some dead.

The Wadi-B well is located in Tuba Community, Jere Local Government Area, 50km away from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

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Speaking virtually at the flag-off, President Buhari said the event marked the formal resumption of physical activities and the exploration of crude oil and gas in the Chad Basin area.

READ ALSO: Buhari Makes 33 Fresh Appointments In Aviation Agencies

He noted that while search for oil began in the region in 1976, it was not until 1985 that sub-commercial gas was discovered.

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While expressing optimism that the re-entry of NNPC Limited into the Basin would yield better results, he stated that successes recorded in the Komani oil field and Ebenyi-A Oil Well in Nassarawa State were clear indicators of success in the Wadi-B oil field.

Also speaking at the event, the Group CEO of NNPC Limited, Mele Kayri expressed confidence that the drilling campaign will be successful, adding that the last oil drill performed at the Basin was done in 1995.

He explained: “We stopped drilling here in 1995 because the successes were weak, and findings were not commercial. We understood very clearly that we have to understand the Basin very well, we need to have a different approach to exploration activities in this Basin.

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READ ALSO: Ondo Election Tribunal Strikes Out NNPP’s Petition Against Senator-elect

“That is why NNPC and her partner, the NUPRC, decided to embark on a data review on all the frontier basins in the country and our findings have been useful. Our understanding of the ridge system in Nigeria has enabled us to have successful outcomes in the Kolmani area and enabled us to mobilise to Nasarawa State.

“Now we are back here and we are much more confident, and we believe that this campaign will be successful”, the NNPC Limited boss added.

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On his part, the Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, Engr Gbenga Komolafe disclosed that the drill was expected to yield about 943 billion barrels of crude oil if successful.

He explained that the OPL 732 well is part of the Federal Government’s effort to boost Nigeria’s crude oil reserves from the current 37 billion barrels to 40 billion barrels by the year 2030.

Also speaking, the Governor of Borno State, Prof. Babagana Zulum, observed that the project would have a positive impact on the socio-economic status of the state.

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He, therefore, pledged the support of the state government and local communities for the success of the project.

READ ALSO: Man Arrested For Defiling 7-year-old Stepdaughter

Giving a technical detail of the project, the Executive Director, Frontier Exploration Services, NNPC Limited, Mukhtar Zanna explained the drilling will reach a depth of 14km using the ACME rig.

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Zanna pointed out that geologists have seen many potential reservoirs “and that’s what we are here to prove that the hydrocarbon here could be oil, gas or both”.

According to him, “We are very optimistic (of finding hydrocarbons in commercial quantity) because we reviewed the data, and also deployed new technologies”.
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Edo To Immortalise Late IGP Solomon Arase

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The Edo State Government is set to immortalise the late Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who is an indigene of the state.

Governor of the state, Monday Okpebhole, disclosed this on Saturday while receiving the body of the late Arase at the Benin Airport.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Gani Audu, Okpebholo described late Arase as “one of the finesse police officers and lawyers we have in Edo State,’ adding that “losing him at this time that the Nigeria Police Force and the country in general need him is not good for us”.

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“As a State Government, we will work with the family to see how we can Immortalize him. He was a great son of Edo State.

READ ALSO:Security Destroys Suspected Kidnappers’ Camps In Edo

It is very painful to the government and people of Edo State but we are consoled with the good life he lived”.

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Okpebholo described Arase as a team player and a man that was always willing to help.

It is painful that we lost somebody who always listens to every complaint and tries as much as possible to solve them”.

He, however, prayed to God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss, assuring that the government will do all that it can to support his family.

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Edo Activist In Police Net Over Alleged Assault On Abure

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Edo-based activist, Precious Oruche, popularly known as “Mama Pee”, has been detained following a heated confrontation with the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, at the Abuja Airport.

The incident, which had since gone viral, had sparked controversy and conflicting accounts from both parties.

According to reports, the saga began at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where Mama Pee allegedly confronted Abure as he prepared to board a Max Air flight to Benin.

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Eyewitness accounts said the activist approached Abure and accused him of being responsible for the hardships Nigerians are currently facing.

“Is this not Julius Abure? You’re the one frustrating Nigerians,” she reportedly told Abure in a confrontational manner.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Supreme Court Nullifies Judgment Recognising Abure As LP National Chair

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Abure was responding by saying ‘how can…’ when Mama Pee interjected, saying, “In case nobody has told you, you’re the one frustrating Nigerians. Are you not Julius Abure? What are you now doing with Labour Party? Police are looking for you. You’ve destroyed the Labour Party, and you’re entering an aeroplane? May God punish all of you.”

Arriving at the Benin Airport, things took a more violent dimension as Mama Pee was allegedly attacked by a group of young men believed to be thugs loyal to Abure.

A video circulating online shows a scuffle at the airport’s exit, with several individuals attempting to drag the activist, before security and immigration officials stepped in.

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Speaking in one of the video recordings, Mama Pee claimed she was assaulted by the group.

“Look at them oh!!! See them oh!!! They want to beat me after I told Julius Abure that he is the one frustrating the lives of Nigerians, and then he brought thugs. He brought thugs to harass me. Look at them, can you see them,” she exclaimed.

READ ALSO:Why LP Zoned 2027 Presidential Ticket To S’East – Abure

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She further alleged, “I saw Julius Abure of Labour Party inside the Max Air, and I told him that you are the one frustrating the lives of Nigerians. You sold Labour Party, and then he called his thugs to wait for me at the airport in Benin.”

Another activist, Peter Akah—widely known as ‘Peter for Nigeria’—released a video calling for Mama Pee’s immediate release.

He appealed to Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, and the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika to intervene.

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Akah argued that the activist, who he described as a victim of political violence, had been wrongly turned into a suspect by the police.

Meanwhile, the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has issued its own version of events, condemning what it termed an “unwarranted attack” on their chairman.

READ ALSO:Obi: Concerns as factional LP Chair, Abure, Visits Wike

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In a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party claimed Mama Pee accosted Abure at the Abuja airport in an unprovoked manner while he was boarding his flight to Benin.

The assault, which attracted a large population of onlookers, continued unabated on disembarkment at the Benin Airport while she continued recording the scene,” Ifoh stated.

He added that Abure had to be quickly escorted to safety by security agents, while the activist was handed over to police for questioning.

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The statement further alleged that Mama Pee, who is described as a known figure in the ‘Obidient’ Movement, bragged in one of her videos about her connections to top police officers.

“She vowed that she will not stop attacking Abure or any member of the Labour Party executive because according to her, ‘you have killed Labour Party and you are the reason why Obi is no longer in the Labour Party,’” Ifoh said.

He called for a thorough probe, just as he urged the Inspector General of Police to look into what they termed cyberbullying and political provocation.

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As of the time of filing this report, attempts to get a comment from the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, were unsuccessful as calls were neither answered nor returned.

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Educationist Gets Guinness World Record For Largest Teachers’ Gathering

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Nigerian teacher and education advocate, Mr Seyi Anifowose, has officially entered the Guinness World Records for convening the largest gathering of teachers in history, a feat achieved at the “Let There Be Teachers Conference 2025” held on September 20 at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

A statement by 1 Million Teachers on Friday said the confirmation was announced via a Zoom call on Wednesday, September 23, by Rishi Nath, a representative of Guinness World Records.

Nath commended Anifowose and his team for drawing global attention to an issue that, according to him, “should be on the front burner of policy and dialogue nationally.”

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The record-setting event, powered by 1 Million Teachers, drew an unprecedented number of educators from across Nigeria.

READ ALSO:VIDEO: ‘New Record’, Guinness World Record Confirms Hilda Baci’s Largest-serving Of Jollof Rice

Organisers had projected attendance of 60,000 teachers, underscoring both the scale of the mobilisation and the urgency of the message: that Nigerian teachers deserve greater recognition, welfare, and policy support.

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“This is more than a number. It is proof that teachers matter. It is a victory for education, and it is a victory for Nigeria,” said Anifowose.

He explained that the choice of Tafawa Balewa Square carried symbolic weight. He said, “It was the same ground where Nigeria declared independence in 1960, and its use for the conference marks another proud national moment—this time celebrating those who build nations in classrooms.”

Anifowose admitted that achieving the milestone was not without challenges.

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READ ALSO:Canada-based Nigerian Sets Guinness World Record For Longest Leadership Lesson

“This is not just about breaking a record. It is about resilience. Teachers stood in the rain, braved the sun, and endured long verification lines but refused to back down just to achieve this record,” he noted.

He expressed gratitude to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for hosting the event and to his home-state governor, Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, for his encouragement.

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He also thanked teacher unions and education agencies at both state and federal levels for their support in ensuring the conference’s success.

Beyond the record, Anifowose emphasised that the next phase would focus on policy advocacy. He revealed plans to engage the National Assembly on reforms aimed at improving Nigeria’s education system and boosting teachers’ welfare.

READ ALSO:Customs Seize N905m Rolls Royce, Other Contrabands In Ogun

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Nigeria’s education sector has long grappled with underfunding, poor infrastructure, and low teacher morale.

According to UNESCO, the country faces one of the world’s most severe teacher shortages, with many classrooms overcrowded and educators underpaid.

Stakeholders have repeatedly called for reforms to strengthen the sector, improve teacher training, and make the profession attractive to younger generations.

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By securing this world record, Anifowose hopes to transform symbolic recognition into tangible change for teachers nationwide.

(PUNCH)

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