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Senate Postpones Public Hearing on Petroleum Crisis for Wider Consultation
The Senate has announced the postponement of its public hearing regarding the alleged sabotage in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, aimed at addressing the ongoing crisis within the sector.
The hearing was initially scheduled to take place from September 10 to 12, 2024, and was expected to feature discussions with key stakeholders from the nation’s oil and gas industry.
In a statement released on Sunday, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senate Leader and Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee responsible for investigating the crisis, confirmed the postponement.
He explained that the delay was necessary to allow for broader consultations with additional stakeholders both within and outside the petroleum sector.
The Senate also cited legislative considerations, emphasizing the need for a more thorough and comprehensive approach to the investigation.
“While we understand and deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause to all involved parties, both collectively and individually, this decision has been made strictly in the national interest,” Bamidele said in the statement.
He reassured the public that the postponement was intended to enhance due diligence and ensure that the inquiry is conducted in a more effective and transparent manner.
Originally, the Senate had summoned various critical players in the petroleum sector to participate in the hearing, including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, officials from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), representatives from Dangote Refinery, and the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).
The investigation comes at a time when tensions are high over the recent increase in petrol pump prices by the NNPCL.
The price hike has sparked widespread criticism from the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the general public, all of whom have been calling for an immediate reversal of the price adjustments.
The delay in the public hearing has only added to the anticipation, as many Nigerians await the Senate’s next steps in tackling the petroleum sector’s challenges.
As the Senate continues its consultations and prepares for the rescheduled hearing, all eyes remain on how it will address the complex issues facing the oil and gas industry, including the allegations of sabotage and the impact of rising fuel prices on the nation’s economy.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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