Yet-to-be-identified gunmen on Wednesday night fired several shots at the Chairman of the Accord for Osogbo Local Government, Hon Asimiyu Ajibola (aka Baba Isila) and his friends.

According to a government house statement issued in Osogbo, the attack occurred around 9:50pm in the evening, and caused panic among the residents in and around the Osogbo Community Bank, where the gun wielding men repeatedly shot the car of the party chairman and his friends in their blue colour Toyota Corolla car.

It added that though the Chairman narrowly escaped being killed during the attack, he is currently on the danger list, receiving treatment at the Uniosun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.

Narrating how the assailants carried out the attack in a commando-like operation last night, one of the co-occupants of the bullet riddled Toyota Corolla car said, “We were coming from the MDS area, Osogbo last night at about 9:50 pm and all of a sudden, the gun wielding men chased and released volley of bullets on all of us in the car.

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“However, we managed to escape to the Dugbe Divisional Police Headquarters in Osogbo where we ran for protection before the assailants retreated and ran away.

“We equally reported the matter to the police. After reporting the matter, we rushed the seriously wounded Hon. Asimiyu Ajibola to Uniosun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo where he is currently receiving medical attention”.

Reacting to the development which he condemned in strong terms, Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi urged the police not to leave any stone unturned in unearthing the masterminds of the dastardly act.

According to Alimi, “it is an unfortunate incident which should not be allowed to go uninvestigated. The culprits must be brought to book.

“We are therefore calling on the police to carry out their investigation, professionally, without fear or favour in unearthing the masterminds of the attack, which from all available indices, has elements of political colorations”.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals (DPRP) has increased its crude oil processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd).

A company statement has it that this was revealed in a performance test conducted by the Process Licensors, which marks a significant milestone in the facility’s operational expansion, further cementing its position as World’s Largest Single Train Petroleum Refinery.

It added that the increase sees the refinery surpass its nameplate capacity of 650,000 bpd, underlining the facility’s engineering capability and operational efficiency. The achievement demonstrates the refinery’s ability to process additional feedstock while optimizing performance across its production units.

The Vice-President for Oil and Gas, Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin explained that the ramp-up is part of a broader, ambitious strategy to more than double capacity to 1.4 million bpd within 30 months, positioning the facility as potentially the largest refinery globally.

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According to him; the expansion is expected to boost Nigeria’s energy self-sufficiency, eliminate the country’s dependence on imported refined products and strengthen its position as a regional export hub pointing out that the Refinery’s growth trajectory reflects a deliberate move toward continental and global refining dominance, not just domestic supply sufficiency.

Owned by Nigerian industrialist and philanthropist, Aliko Dangote, the refinery commenced fuel production in 2024 and has steadily increased output of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and other refined petroleum products.
The facility has rapidly established itself as a major supplier to both domestic and international markets, exporting refined petroleum products to several African countries and key European destinations, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, among others. It has supplied gasoline to the American market and jet fuel to Saudi Arabia among others.

The DPRP Refinery has strengthened its role as a stabilizer in the oil and gas industry given the on-going disruptions caused by the Middle-East tension as a result of which many African countries are now patronizing the refinery for energy security.

In a further demonstration of its growing global significance, the DPRP became the world’s largest exporter of jet fuel in April, according to S&P Global Commodities.

The refinery has played a pivotal role in stabilizing fuel supplies in Nigeria, helping to eliminate dependence on imported petroleum products and easing pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves. Its expansion also aligns with broader national objectives to enhance local refining capacity and maximize value from Nigeria’s abundant crude oil resources.

Growing production volumes have also attracted increased interest from global crude suppliers and commodity trading firms, with the refinery sourcing feedstock from both domestic and international producers to sustain its rising output.

Looking ahead, Dangote outlined ambitious plans to transform the facility into the world’s largest refinery by 2028, targeting a processing capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day.

Such expansion, he pointed out, is expected to deliver substantial economic benefits, including job creation, increased industrial activity and improved trade balances.

The refinery is also expected to strengthen downstream manufacturing by ensuring a reliable supply of LPG and other key industrial feedstocks, including polypropylene which are widely used in the production of packaging materials and other consumer goods as well as the future plan for the supply of Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB) used in the production of detergents.

Security was significantly tightened around the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Thursday as human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, moved ahead with plans to lead a protest demanding the rescue of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states.

A large contingent of anti-riot police officers was deployed to the main entrance of the Presidential Villa, with security operatives restricting access to only individuals possessing valid State House identification tags.

The heightened security followed Sowore’s announcement that he, alongside members of the AAC and the Take It Back Movement, would march from Eagle Square to the Presidential Villa under the banner of #OccupyAsoRock.

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The activist said the protest was aimed at drawing attention to the growing insecurity in the country and demanding the immediate rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in separate attacks in Oyo and Borno states.

Sowore had earlier vowed to take the protest directly to the seat of power if the victims were not rescued, insisting that the government must be held accountable for the safety of Nigerians.

“You cannot claim to be president of Nigeria and then refuse to do the job of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” Sowore said while addressing supporters ahead of the demonstration.

He argued that the large number of security personnel deployed to prevent protests could be better utilised in protecting schools and communities vulnerable to kidnapping attacks.

The planned march comes in the wake of the May 15 abduction of dozens of pupils and teachers from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

A similar incident involving schoolchildren was also reported in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on the same day.

In response to the kidnappings, the Federal Government recently dispatched a high-powered delegation led by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to affected communities.

President Bola Tinubu also approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards and the deployment of a specialised rescue unit to aid efforts to secure the release of the victims.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Oyo State has embarked on an indefinite strike over security concerns, while solidarity protests have been held in several states demanding urgent action from authorities.

As of the time of filing this report, security remained on high alert around the Presidential Villa, with authorities closely monitoring developments surrounding the protest.