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Sallah: Soaring prices of spices, vegetables worry Kano residents ahead of Eid

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With less than a week to the Eid al-Adha celebrations fixed for 6th of June 2025, residents of Kano are expressing concerns about the sharp increase in the cost for essential food items, mainly spices and vegetables.

Shoppers at Rimi market said the price increase was impacting their ability to prepare for the festive period.

Ramlah Labaran Tanko, who buys spices regularly, explained the situation to Ekwutosblog , saying, “A mudu of ginger is N32,000, and I couldn’t even buy cloves and black pepper as I normally would,” she said.

“Cloves start from N200 per pack, and there aren’t more than 10 in a pack. We use a lot of spices during Sallah to prepare meat. I normally buy a lot — but now I can’t afford it.”

Similarly, another shopper, Hafsat Aliyu Buhari expressed her frustrations about the cost of vegetables, saying,  “Usually when I make stew for my family of four, I only need N500 worth of vegetables; now I have to spend at least N1,000 — and that involves serious bargaining,” she said.

For Ibrahim Aminu, a family man shopping for meat and condiments, the strain is two folds, “The price of Ram is already high. I’m struggling to afford that, and now the spices my wife asked me to get are out of my price range. The pack I usually buy for N1,000 has drastically reduced in size,” he lamented.

However, vendors at the market insist that the price hike is not directly related to the Eid celebration. Instead, they blame it on supply shortages.

Malam Adamu, a vegetables seller at Rimi market told Ekwutosblog that scarcity, not opportunism, is the root cause.

“Our supply has reduced. We don’t have enough produce on ground, and that is why the prices have surged — not because of Sallah. It won’t be good for us to raise prices when majority of people are battling economic challenges,” he said.

Dr Abdulnasir Turawa Yola, an economist with the Federal University of Dutse explains why prices skyrocket during festive periods.

“When the demand is higher than the supply, definitely the price will go up. During festive periods, prices of house consumables like spices, veggies and oil go up. This is very well known in economic theory and this is what is happening practically right now,” he said.

Eid al-Adha is a major Islamic festival during which Muslims slaughter rams and prepare elaborate dishes. This often increases the demand for food items such as spices and vegetables.

Ekwutosblog observes that many families are forced to cut down due to soaring inflation as they prepare for this year’s celebration.

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NNPC Slashes Petrol Price

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has reduced petrol prices at its retail stations in Lagos, Abuja, and other states by at least N20 per litre.

 

Current pump prices now range between N895 and N965.

In Lagos, the price dropped from N910 to N890 per litre, while in Abuja, it moved down from N940 to N920 per litre.

Other stations, including Ardova, MRS, and First Royal, are now selling petrol at N890 per litre.

 

Across the country, new pump prices for major states are as follows: Abuja N920, Lagos N890, Abia N912, Adamawa N940, Akwa Ibom N910, Anambra N905, Bauchi N915, Bayelsa N900, Benue N935, Borno N945, Cross River N910, Delta N900, Ebonyi N928, Edo N910, Enugu N912, Gombe N965, Imo N928, Kaduna N935, Kano N935, Kwara N905, Nassarawa N935, Niger N955, Ogun N905, Ondo N905, Osun N895, Oyo N905, Plateau N900, Rivers N895, Sokoto N935, Taraba N950, Yobe N950, and Zamfara N945.

 

Depot prices have also been adjusted following the arrival of fresh petrol shipments.

 

In Lagos, depots such as Wosbab, Chipet, Integrated, and Bovas now sell at N836 per litre, with Aiteo charging N835. Port Harcourt depots including Masters, Liquid Bulk, and Bulk Strategic reduced rates to N853, while Warri depots adjusted prices between N846 and N848.

 

Calabar depots also lowered costs, with rates ranging from N846 to N849 per litre.

 

The reduction comes after Dangote Refinery lowered its gantry price to N840 per litre.

Diesel prices also fell, dropping from N950 to N910 per litre.

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Constituency projects fund should go to security – Ex-Defense spokesman, Enenche

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A former Defense spokesman, Maj-Gen John Enenche (rtd) has said that the money given to lawmakers for constituency projects should go to security instead.

General Enenche made this statement in an interview on ‘Sunday Politics’, a program on Channels Television monitored by Ekwutosblog

He was reacting to the wave of insecurity bedeviling the country where people are being kidnapped, including women and schoolchildren.

 

“I want to suggest that money given to lawmakers for constituency projects should go to security instead. If you don’t save the constituency, what project will you do there?

“Let’s adopt indigenous homeland security and recruit our youths even someone living with HIV or hepatitis can join the force.

“What I would suggest is that you don’t need special recruitment. You don’t need special screening. Somebody carrying HIV can be part of that force. Somebody carry hepatitis can be part of that force, but they will not even go into the Army. No, they want to live where God has put them,” he said.

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VIDEO: IT’S ALL FALSE , THERE IS NO SUSPECT IN ANTI-KIDNAPPING UNIT [TIGER BASE] OWERRI THAT HAS STAYED IN CUSTODY FOR MORE THAN 48- HOURS WITHOUT COURT ORDER. — IMO POLICE PPRO RESPONDS TO DETENTION ACCUSATIONS DURING FACILITY INSPECTION BY PRESS MEN.

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By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke

7- DEC- 2025

 

The Imo State Police Command on Friday, December 5, 2025, opened the doors of its Anti-Kidnapping Unit—widely known as Tiger Base—to an independent inspection team made up of journalists, civil society groups, and human rights advocates, following viral allegations of organ trafficking, torture, unlawful detentions, and the existence of a “slaughterhouse” within the facility.

Acting on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, and the Commander of the Unit, ACP Odeyeyiwa Oladimeji, led the fact-finding delegation through all sections of the premises in Owerri. The visit was designed to ensure transparency and address public concerns generated by several sensational online reports.

Throughout the tour, the delegation inspected operational areas, observed procedures, and engaged directly with officers. In one corner of the compound, the team sighted carved wooden images previously misrepresented on social media as ritual objects or a shrine. Police authorities explained that these carvings—made of wood, iron, and cement—were exhibits recovered from hideouts linked to suspected IPOB/ESN operatives and kidnapping gangs across Imo State. According to ACP Oladimeji, the criminals believed the objects held mystical powers, and the police retained them as evidence for ongoing investigations.

The visitors also interacted with several detainees, including individuals suspected of involvement in kidnapping and other violent crimes. Many of them openly admitted to the offences for which they were arrested and confirmed that they were being fed properly while awaiting their scheduled court processes.

Another item inspected was an ash-coloured Highlander Jeep with plate number LSD 413 JJ. The vehicle, stained with blood, belonged to a woman recently shot dead by masked gunmen at Umuekerekpu Ndegwu in Owerri West LGA. A surviving occupant of the vehicle narrated to reporters how their employer was fatally shot in the head, while both he and another passenger sustained gunshot injuries and were currently receiving medical treatment in Owerri.

At the end of the assessment, members of the visiting delegation unanimously stated that none of the frightening claims circulating online—ranging from organ harvesting to the existence of an abattoir—were visible or supported by what they witnessed.

DSP Okoye emphasized that Tiger Base is a legitimate tactical formation of the Nigeria Police Force tasked with confronting kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, terror-related activities, and other serious crimes. He disclosed that the facility is fitted with CCTV cameras linked directly to the office of the Commissioner of Police, enabling round-the-clock monitoring for accountability.

He reiterated that the allegations trending on social media were malicious distortions aimed at misleading the public. The human skulls displayed earlier in 2025, he clarified, were exhibits recovered from criminal hideouts—not evidence of ritual practices, as some had falsely claimed.

ACP Oladimeji further noted that the unit handles only high-profile criminal cases and operates newly commissioned charge rooms and tactical units dedicated to strengthening security across Imo State. The team also observed dozens of seized motorcycles, which the police said were confiscated in compliance with the Imo State Government’s ban on motorcycle operations within the Owerri metropolis under the Shared Prosperity Administration.

The inspection team applauded the Police Command for permitting unrestricted access to Tiger Base and underscored the importance of ongoing cooperation between security institutions, the media, and civic groups to maintain public trust and enhance safety across the state.

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