Coastal Deliveries & Directives: Coastal prices also rose from ₦1,562,265 to ₦1,582,380 per metric tonne, with customers instructed to return their existing Authorisation to Collect (ATC) documents for repricing before new volume contracts are issued.

Recent Hikes: This follows an earlier increase from ₦1,165 to ₦1,185 on August 21, 2026, marking a total gantry price increase of ₦35 per litre within a span of five days.

Global vs. Local Market Trends: The price hike occurs despite a decline in global crude prices on Tuesday (with WTI at $82.13, Brent at $88.37, and Murban crude at $92.71 per barrel), amid ongoing energy market uncertainties driven by the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Inspection and Apology: During a Tuesday inspection tour in Edo State alongside Governor Monday Okpebholo, Umahi apologized for the terrible state of the Benin-Sapele Road and thanked local youths for remaining calm.

Lack of Competence: Umahi slammed the concessionaire for lacking the technical capacity and integrity needed for the project, noting that stripping asphalt without permission amounts to destroying public infrastructure.

Presidential Directive: Emphasizing that President Bola Tinubu is fully aware of commuters’ suffering, Umahi assured that all necessary steps are being taken to restore the highways and ease public hardship.

The Philosophy of Seizure: Marwa explained that imprisoning a trafficker without seizing their fortune leaves the criminal enterprise’s roots intact, allowing them to fund future operations.

Key Asset Recovery Strategies: Backed by Nigerian legislation like the Proceeds of Crime Act 2022, the NDLEA has deployed tactics such as non-conviction-based forfeiture (notably selling a fugitive’s Hook Hotel for $4.2 million), embedding investigators with prosecutors from case inception, and freezing over $7 million in bank accounts alongside multibillion-naira assets last month.

High-Profile Actions: He highlighted the international case of suspected drug baron Amadi Simon—apprehended via a joint operation involving the NDLEA, U.S. DEA, and European authorities—where three connected hotels were placed under professional asset managers to preserve their market value.

Institutional Framework & Challenges: These financial disruption tactics are now permanently embedded in Nigeria’s National Drug Control Master Plan (2026–2030), though Marwa noted ongoing challenges like delays in mutual legal assistance and called for faster international cross-border cooperation.