Daily Watch – NNPC increases fuel price, Boko Haram kills 37 in Yobe

At least 37 people were killed after suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked Mafa village in Yobe state, setting fire to shops and homes, according to a military official. Residents fear the death toll could be higher, with villagers still missing after fighters chased them into the bush. Yobe police spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkarim said the attack on Yobe’s Mafa village was in retaliation for local vigilantes killing two suspected Boko Haram fighters. “The terrorists killed many people, but we are yet to ascertain the actual number of casualties,” Abdulkarim said.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Tuesday increased its fuel pump price from ₦617 to ₦897 per litre, two days after it admitted to owing suppliers more than $6 billion. In response, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it feels betrayed by the federal government. NLC President Joe Ajaero noted the ₦70,000 minimum wage was accepted with the expectation that petrol prices would remain stable. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced that the Dangote Refinery will supply 25 million litres of petrol daily, beginning in September, increasing to 30 million litres daily in October. This follows Dangote Group President Aliko Dangote’s announcement of the first petrol rollout from the 650,000 barrels per day refinery. 

The Ghanaian government plans to merge the hydroelectric dams into a single entity called the Ghana Hydro Authority. This is outlined in a bill currently before parliament. During an emergency sitting and the bill’s first reading, lawmaker Ahmed Ibrahim expressed concerns over the impact of the merger on the Bui Power Authority, noting issues raised by traditional leaders in his constituency. The Energy Ministry is pushing other bills, including those for the Ghana Thermal Authority, Ghana Hydro Authority, Ghana Power Distribution Authority, Ghana Nuclear Power Corporation, and Ghana Energy Regulatory Authority. Ibrahim questioned the timing, with less than 100 days to the election. Speaker Bagbin noted that without the explanatory memoranda, the bills wouldn’t be addressed yet.

Ethiopian Airlines said on Tuesday it had suspended flights to neighbouring Eritrea because its bank account there was frozen. The carrier’s CEO Mesfin Tasew told a news conference that the Eritrean Civil Aviation Authority had blocked money transfers from Ethiopian Airlines’ bank account in the Eritrean capital city Asmara. Eritrea previously announced it would suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights by the end of the month. “We couldn’t continue in such a situation and we have decided to suspend the flight as of today,” Mesfin said. In a statement late on Monday, Ethiopian Airlines will rebook affected passengers on other airlines at no extra cost or offer refunds. Five diplomats told Reuters the flight suspension shows strained relations between Asmara and Addis, though conflict remains unlikely for now.