The landing cost of imported premium motor spirit increased to N885 per litre on Wednesday from N797.

The Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria disclosed the rise in the landing cost of petrol in its daily energy bulletin released on Wednesday.

This represents 88 increase from the N797 per litre landing cost of petrol last week.

The implication is that the price of imported petrol at Nigerian filling stations may increase to about N1,000 per litre from between N940 and N970.

The current landing cost of petrol is N797 compared to the ex-depot price of Dangote Refinery’s petrol, which stood at N815 per litre. To this end, Dangote Petrol is sold at a retail price in MRS fillings at N860 and N880 per litre in Lagos and Abuja.

Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery’s decision last week Wednesday to halt petroleum products sales in Naira may impact the company’s fresh price template.

Going by the development in the country’s downstream sector, the prices of Dangote Petrol and import fuel are expected to go up in the coming days.

On Tuesday, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria warned Nigerians against panic buying amid petrol price uncertainty.

PETROAN urged the Nigerian government to continue its Naira-for-Crude deal with Dangote Refinery and at the same time ensure fair pricing competition in the country’s downstream sector.

“PETROAN has also noted reports circulating in the media that the temporary suspension of sales in naira by Dangote Refinery is the reason for the panic buying.

“We wish to reassure the public that this is not a justification for panic buying,” it said.

PETROAN further kicked against the sale of petroleum products in dollars in the Nigerian local market.

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has invited Mudiaga Ogboru, the national spokesperson of the Niger Delta Congress (NDC), over his calls for protests in Rivers State following the declaration of emergency rule by President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement dated March 23 and signed by Ogboru, the NDC criticized Tinubu’s decision, describing it as an “indirect and undemocratic rule.” The group urged Rivers residents to stage peaceful protests, demanding the reinstatement of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the elected state assembly.

“We demand that President Tinubu immediately reverse this decision, reinstate Governor Fubara and the elected assembly, and commit to dialogue over diktat. To this end, we call on our people to take to the streets in a peaceful protest against indirect and undemocratic rule in Rivers State,” the statement read.

Following the release of the statement, the Lagos police command issued a letter summoning Ogboru to appear at the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Ikeja on March 25, 2025, for what it described as a “fact-finding” session.

Speaking with TheCable on Wednesday, Ogboru said he later received another police invitation via phone from the Rivers State police command. He added that he had informed the Lagos police command of his intention to honour the invitation in Rivers instead.

Additionally, Ogboru revealed that Nubari Saatah, the NDC’s national president who resides in Rivers State, had been arrested and detained by operatives of the Rivers police command.

When contacted, Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers police command, denied any arrests related to the NDC’s statement. “We will find out (about Saatah’s arrest) and get back to you,” Iringe-Koko said, adding that Ogboru had yet to honour the police invitation.

On March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, citing the ongoing political crisis. The decision led to the suspension of Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for an initial period of six months.

In their place, Tinubu appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice admiral, as the sole administrator of the state. The emergency rule was swiftly approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives within 48 hours—a move that has sparked widespread condemnation from political stakeholders and civil society groups.

The Jos Electricity Distribution Plc (JEDCO) has called on its customers in Benue State to clear their outstanding electricity bills, which have risen to N81 billion, or face disconnection.

Engr. Felix Adamu Shalzim, the State Operating Officer, who represented the Managing Director, made the appeal during the Customer Consultative Forum held in Makurdi.

He revealed that, “Benue State’s monthly energy consumption stands at 33 million kilowatt-hours (KWH), valued at N3 billion, yet the company collects less than 30 percent of this amount in revenue.”

Shalzim noted that Benue State’s average monthly energy consumption stands at 33 million kilowatt-hours (KWH), valued at N3 billion, yet JEDCO collects less than 30 percent of the expected revenue.

He warned, “A task force has been established to disconnect all defaulting customers, regardless of their status.”

Confirming the development, Dauda Saratu Aliyu Dauda, Head of Corporate Communications, cautioned that failure to pay the debt would hinder JEDCO’s ability to deliver efficient service and could lead to power supply interruptions.

“Yes, the debt owed to JEDCO poses a significant threat to our operations and investment in network upgrades. We urge customers to settle their bills to avoid service disruptions,” she stated.

During the forum, JEDCO officials also provided vital safety guidelines. Customers were advised to avoid constructing buildings under power lines and to install protective devices such as Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers (ELCB), Control Switches, and Change Switches.

Additionally, residents were warned, “Do not hire unauthorized technicians to tamper with the power network, as this poses serious risks and legal consequences.”

Alhaji Umar, Head of Customer Care and Relationship Management, assured customers that, “we are committed to addressing all complaints promptly and encourage consumers to report issues via JEDCO’s official social media platforms.”

Barr. Abdullahi Adamu, Head of Regulatory Compliance, advised investors in electricity infrastructure, saying, “Anyone looking to invest in power distribution must strictly adhere to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (NERC) guidelines on third-party investments.”

Meanwhile, Edwin Omenka, Supervisor of the Revenue Protection Unit, issued a strong warning against meter tampering, stating, “Anyone caught tampering with prepaid meters will face severe penalties, as JEDCO will not tolerate energy theft in any form.”