The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has disclosed that some politicians may be connected to the 30 alleged politically motivated killings recorded in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Anietie Iniedu, made the disclosure on Tuesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, saying investigations into the killings are ongoing.

According to him, several suspects have already been arrested, while some have been paraded by the police and charged to court.

Iniedu said the police could not rule out the involvement of politicians based on complaints received during the investigation.

“From the complaints received, we cannot rule out the involvement of some politicians in the killings,” he said.

However, he declined to disclose the identities of the suspects or provide further details, explaining that doing so would amount to sub judice and could prejudice ongoing court proceedings.

He assured Nigerians that more information would be made available after investigations are concluded and the cases before the courts are determined.

Responding to allegations that the police were complicit in the political crisis in the state, Iniedu insisted that the force would not shield anyone found culpable.

“The police will never be part of any cover-up and will not shield any person involved in any crime,” he stated.

He added that while election periods often come with accusations and counter-accusations against security agencies, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has directed officers to ensure every suspected criminal is tracked, arrested and prosecuted.

The police spokesperson recalled that the IGP recently visited Osogbo, the Osun State capital, where he met with Governor Ademola Adeleke and other political stakeholders to address rising political tension ahead of the governorship election.

According to him, the IGP warned all political actors against sponsoring violence and stressed that the police would not tolerate any breakdown of law and order.

He also urged parents to caution their children and wards against being used as political thugs.

On allegations of partisanship against the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, Iniedu said the IGP had already addressed the matter with the commissioner and warned against actions capable of undermining public confidence.

He further disclosed that the police have deployed specialised tactical units, drones and helicopters across Osun State to strengthen security and improve intelligence gathering ahead of the election.

Iniedu also revealed that the Nigeria Police Force currently has more than 400,000 active personnel nationwide.

Consumers seem to be getting their wish as Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market witnessed another round of price reductions on Monday, as the Federal Government’s pressure on the relevant stakeholder-segment bore fruits.

Biztellers reports that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemical (DPRP) and several major fuel marketers lowered depot prices for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, and diesel.

Analysts also trace the development to resolution of the MiddleEast crisis, growing competition and improving product availability.

Prior to the price adjustments, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, declared before a stakeholders’ meeting that the current retail price of petrol does not reflect the sharp decline in price of crude oil.

The meeting, convened by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), was attended by representatives of the DPRP, Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN), the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN).

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The latest mid-day depot price report showed that the DPRP reduced its ex-depot petrol price in Lagos by N3 per litre, from N1,079 to N1,076 per litre, while maintaining its diesel price at N1,500 per litre.

The reduction comes as several marketers also adjusted their prices downward in an apparent bid to remain competitive in an increasingly price-sensitive market.

Among the major Lagos depots, NIPCO cut its petrol price by N2 to N1,076 per litre, while Pinnacle lowered its price by N3 to N1,075 per litre. Sahara, AIPEC, and African Terminal each reduced prices by N4, bringing their petrol prices to N1,075 per litre.

On its part, Aiteo maintained its petrol price at N1,075 per litre.

Diesel prices also softened across several depots. Rain Oil reduced its AGO price by N15 to N1,430 per litre, while Ibeto, Duport, and Ibachem all cut prices to N1,430 per litre. Dangote Refinery, however, retained its diesel price at N1,500 per litre.

Speaking after a stakeholders’ meeting on Cost-Reflective Pricing of PMS, Lokpobiri noted that while the government did not interfere when petrol prices rose in response to higher crude oil prices, there was now no justification for maintaining current pump prices with Brent crude trading below $70 per barrel.

“NMDPRA never faulted anybody as far as the price was concerned because we are operating a fully deregulated economy.

“But deregulation doesn’t mean excessive profiteering. The Petroleum Industry Act also places responsibility on NMDPRA to ensure that steps are taken to prevent unnecessary profiteering.

“When Brent crude was about $118 per barrel, prices adjusted rapidly. Now that crude prices have dropped significantly, why has the pump price not come down in the same way?” he asked.

The Minister said discussions with marketers were constructive and would continue until a framework was agreed to ensure petrol prices better reflected developments in the global crude oil market.

“We had very fruitful and frank discussions with the marketers and leaders of the downstream sector with a view to driving down the price of PMS. The engagements are still ongoing.

“We told them the concerns of Nigerian consumers, and they have agreed to go back and think of what concrete steps can be taken. Discussions are ongoing, and we believe we are getting somewhere,” he said.

In the same vein, Chief Executive of NMDPRA, Rabiu Umar, said the current disconnect between falling international crude prices and sustained domestic retail PMS prices made the engagement with marketers necessary.

He noted that previous consultations with stakeholders had helped ease prices in the domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) market and expressed confidence that similar dialogue would deliver positive results for petrol consumers.

“Deregulation is not a licence for market distortion or unfair consumer pricing. Sustainable profitability for marketers and consumer welfare are not mutually exclusive,” Umar said.

Meanwhile, IPMAN said petrol prices could decline below N800 per litre as independent marketers begin purchasing products directly from the DPRP.

IPMAN National President, Abubakar Garima, said the association had already reduced petrol prices by about N125 per litre across the country and would continue to lower prices whenever product acquisition costs decline.

A former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has claimed that the state government deliberately discounted the price of land allocated to the Dangote Group to ensure that the multi-billion-dollar refinery project was sited in Lagos.

According to Fashola, the decision made by his administration proved to be a strategic investment that ultimately paved the way for what has become the 650,000-barrel-per-day Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals (DPRP) in the Lekki Free Zone.

He made the assertions at the Chartered Institute of Directors (CIoD) Nigeria Women Directors’ Biennial Conference in Lagos, where he delivered a keynote address titled “From Presence to Power: Advancing Women’s Influence in the Boardroom.”

The former governor was quoted by Nairametrics as saying that the breakthrough came after then Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Olusola Oworu, urged the state government to look beyond immediate revenue from land sales.

According to him, negotiations with the Dangote Group had reached a stalemate after the company considered the state’s asking price for the land too high.

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Fashola explained that Lagos operated a fixed pricing regime for land allocations, making it difficult to depart from established rates. However, Oworu argued that attracting a transformational investment was more valuable than insisting on the land’s full price.

Recalling the deliberations at the State Executive Council (SEC), Fashola quoted the former commissioner as saying that with thousands of hectares in the Lekki Free Zone still awaiting development, it was economically wiser to offer a concession to an investor willing to commit about $19 billion to build a refinery.

According to him, she argued that once such a landmark investment took off, it would attract other investors and significantly enhance the value of the remaining land.

“That was a thinking decision. The whole council then looked at me, and I surrendered,” Fashola said, noting that the intervention altered the course of the discussions and ensured that Lagos retained the project.

He said the experience demonstrated that effective leadership should be judged by competence and strategic thinking rather than gender.

“Ineffectiveness is not a gender thing; it is a human thing,” he added.

Fashola cited the episode as an illustration of the value women bring to leadership when allowed to influence critical decisions, stressing that organisations should place greater emphasis on competence, preparation and impact.

Earlier, speakers at the conference urged public and private institutions to move beyond increasing the numerical representation of women on corporate boards and instead create opportunities for them to shape strategic decisions.

First Vice-President of CIoD Nigeria, Amina Oyagbola, observed that although more women served on boards and occupied leadership positions, they remained underrepresented in board chairmanships and executive offices where major corporate decisions are taken.

She called for stronger mentorship and sponsorship programmes to better prepare more women for top leadership roles.

In his remarks, President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIoD Nigeria, Adetunji Oyebanji, said board appointments should be based on competence, integrity and professional capability rather than traditional pathways that have historically limited women’s access to senior leadership positions.