The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has confirmed that a Nigerian national, Jubril Akorede Abdulrahman, who was injured in a gas facility explosion in Qatar, has been discharged from hospital and is recuperating.

This was disclosed in a statement sent to Naija News and signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, NIDCOM.

The commission said Abdulrahman is currently recovering at accommodation provided by his employer.

The explosion occurred at the Barzan Gas Supply Facility in Ras Laffan, Qatar, on Sunday, June 21, 2026.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, confirmed that the explosion happened at about 10:30pm local time at the facility operated by Qatar Energy.

At a press conference in Doha on June 22, Qatar Energy said the explosion was accidental and not an act of sabotage or hostility.

The facility had reportedly been restarted recently after a planned operational shutdown that began in December 2025.

Emergency teams from Qatar Energy and Qatar Civil Defence were deployed and brought the fire under control.

The explosion left 66 people injured, including nationals of Qatar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, India and Nepal.

NiDCOM said none of the injured persons was in a life-threatening condition.

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, expressed relief over Abdulrahman’s discharge and sympathised with others still receiving treatment.

“We are glad that Jubril Abdulrahman is recovering and in safe hands. Our prayers are with him and with everyone still receiving treatment,” she said.

Dabiri-Erewa urged Qatar Energy to sustain support for all injured workers and ensure that Abdulrahman and others affected receive adequate care throughout their recovery.

The commission commended Ambassador Yakubu for his prompt intervention and monitoring of Abdulrahman’s condition after news of the incident broke.

NiDCOM said the ambassador’s action reflected the dedicated consular service Nigerians abroad deserve.

Source: naijanews.com

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The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alongside the Ecumenical Synods of Bishops, Archbishops, Apostles and Senior Clergy, has rejected United States President Donald Trump’s claim that American military intervention ended the killing of Christians in Nigeria.

The Christian leaders described the claim as misleading and inconsistent with the security realities across the country, insisting that killings and abductions continue to affect Nigerians in several states.

Trump had claimed during an event in Washington on Friday that recent US military action in Nigeria largely halted attacks on Christian communities and significantly weakened those responsible for the violence.

“As you know, we recently struck Nigeria and largely ended the slaughter of great Christian populations,” the US President had said.

Reacting to the remarks, the Chairman of CAN in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Rev. Joseph Hayab, said only victims of insecurity and Christians in Nigeria could determine whether there had been any meaningful improvement.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, Hayab said Trump’s comments appeared to be based on misleading information.

“The right people who should tell whether Trump has succeeded should be Nigerian Christians or Northern Christians, not Trump himself. But probably he is getting his information from the wrong source,” he said.

“Trump should allow the victims to make that confession, not him. The victims are the right people who can tell whether whatever he has done has yielded any success.”

Hayab acknowledged that the United States had recently carried out operations against terrorist elements but maintained that the intervention had not ended attacks on innocent Nigerians.

“The strategy Trump’s America is adopting is not good enough because after the US forces struck in Sokoto last December, they went on a long recess. They came recently again and killed some ISIS commanders, but people are still being killed here every day,” he added.

The CAN chairman urged the US government to focus on practical support rather than what he described as political claims.

“We want help, but the help shouldn’t be propaganda. It should be genuine help, not propaganda or misinformation.

“All those people who are still in bandits’ captivity in Oyo, Kwara and Kogi, what has happened? People are still in Kwara, Katsina, Borno and other states. Trump and his men can find a better story,” he said.

He added that while Nigeria welcomed international support in tackling insecurity, such assistance should produce measurable improvements on the ground.

Bishops demand evidence
Also reacting, the Ecumenical Synods of Bishops, Archbishops, Apostles and Senior Clergy said there was no convincing evidence that the reported US intervention had achieved the results claimed by Trump.

The International Secretary of the body, Archbishop Osazee William, said the reported military action fell short of expectations.

“I don’t seem to agree with him because, in the first place, I have yet to see evidence of that claim. I think there was a kind of warning strike in Sokoto, but I didn’t see any visible killing.

“This is not the kind of intervention we were hoping and looking forward to. We are looking at a good intervention,” he said.

William also expressed concern over reports of possible behind-the-scenes negotiations affecting the US position on Nigeria’s security challenges.

While acknowledging that a message may have been conveyed through the reported operation, he insisted that it had not addressed the country’s security crisis.

The bishops called for sustained collaboration between Nigerian authorities and international partners to tackle insecurity, protect vulnerable communities and restore lasting peace across the country.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered over ₦9.4 billion, $21.2 million and several landed properties in its ongoing investigation into alleged diversion of funds released for the rehabilitation and turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s refineries.

Based on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s official exchange rate of ₦1,380 to a dollar posted on Friday, the $21.2m recovered amounts to about ₦29.26bn, bringing the total cash recovery so far to approximately ₦38.66bn.

The recoveries form part of a wide-ranging probe into the management of billions of dollars released for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries.

According to Premium Times, sources familiar with the investigation said the probe centres on allegations of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, diversion of public funds, economic sabotage, abuse of office and money laundering.

Those under scrutiny include officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), its subsidiary, NNPC Engineering and Technical Company Limited, former and serving managing directors of the Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries, as well as major contractors, including Daewoo Engineering Nigeria Limited and Tecnimont SPA.

Between 2021 and 2023, the Federal Government, through NNPCL, awarded refinery rehabilitation contracts worth about $2.79bn.

The contracts included about $740.7m for the Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company, $492.3m for the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company and $1.56bn for the Port Harcourt Refining Company.

Despite the huge financial commitment, investigators said they found no evidence of corresponding improvements in the operational status of the refineries.

According to EFCC sources, substantial portions of the funds were allegedly diverted, misappropriated or fraudulently disbursed by officials entrusted with executing the projects.

Investigators reportedly reviewed procurement procedures, contract payments, project execution levels and alleged weaknesses in financial controls.

More than 30 top NNPCL officials and over 50 officials of contractors and subcontractors involved in the rehabilitation contracts have reportedly been questioned.

The commission also sought information from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and several commercial banks as part of the investigation.

One of the officials named in the probe, Ahmed Dikko, a former managing director of the Port Harcourt Refinery, was accused of abusing due process in the execution of the refinery rehabilitation contract.

Investigators alleged that Dikko approved direct payments to contractors from provisional sum funds, contrary to contractual provisions requiring such contractors to be engaged and paid by Tecnimont.

The EFCC said it traced ₦983.9m, $227,030 and three landed properties to him, which investigators said he could not satisfactorily explain.

An interim forfeiture order has reportedly been secured over the properties, while prosecutors are preparing charges.

Investigators also established what they described as a prima facie case against a senior Warri refinery official, Jimoh Yisawu.

Yisawu was accused of approving payments to unqualified third-party contractors, authorising inflated invoices and approving contractual mark-ups amounting to more than $10m and nearly ₦8bn.

He was also accused of approving payment vouchers without required cash-back arrangements, allegedly causing losses of about $7.47m and ₦1.89bn in tax revenue.

Investigators said more than ₦1.4bn and four landed properties were traced to him, with the properties placed under interim forfeiture pending prosecution.

EFCC sources said the recovered ₦9.4bn and $21.2m had been paid into the commission’s recovery accounts.

An additional $2.32m was reportedly recovered through the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

Investigators also disclosed that a separate case involving alleged revenue fraud of $28.39m and ₦665m had been established against the management of the Port Harcourt Refining Company, with efforts underway to recover the funds.

The EFCC said the probe remained ongoing and that additional recoveries and prosecutions were expected as more evidence emerged.

Nigeria has four state-owned refineries, including two in Port Harcourt, with a combined installed capacity of 210,000 barrels per day.

The Kaduna refinery has an installed capacity of 110,000 barrels per day, while the Warri refinery has 125,000 barrels per day, bringing the combined national refining capacity to 445,000 barrels per day.

Despite repeated funding for repairs and rehabilitation over the years, the refineries have continued to suffer operational setbacks and have not operated at optimal capacity for decades.

The Warri Refinery, which reopened in December 2024, shut down in January 2025 due to safety issues, while NNPC later announced maintenance-related outages at the Port Harcourt Refinery.

Following the failure to fully revive the facilities, the Federal Government and NNPCL have continued to seek strategic investors and technical partners to restore the refineries and reduce dependence on imported petroleum products.

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