The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, was temporarily shut down on Thursday following an aircraft incident on its runway.

The aircraft, a Gulfstream 400 with the registration number 5N-PZE, a private jet, had its nosewheel damaged on landing at the airport at about 2 pm.

A source close to the airport confided in our correspondent that the aircraft, carrying 10 passengers and four crewmembers, had departed Enugu Airport for Abuja before the incident.

The cause of the incident could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report, but the source confirmed that the aircraft had been evacuated from the scene.

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The source said: “Yes, I can confirm an aircraft incident on the runway of Abuja Airport today (Thursday). The aircraft was coming from Enugu Airport but had a nosewheel incident on landing.

“As of the time of the incident, there were 14 souls onboard, including four crewmembers. However, there was no casualty among the passengers or the crew. It led to a minimal closure of the airport. The incident happened at about 2 pm.”

When The Guardian contacted the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Henry Agbebire, he did not respond to the enquiry from our correspondent.
Details later…

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.