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The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disowned the admission of candidates into the Law Faculty of Lead City University, stating that the programme remains under a five-year suspension.

JAMB said the admissions did not pass through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), the only authorised platform for processing admissions into tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Board’s Public Communications Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin, JAMB explained that it had received several complaints accusing the agency of negligence over the admission of students into the university’s Law Faculty despite the suspension.

“The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has been inundated with accusations of dereliction regarding the purported admission of candidates into the Law Faculty of Lead City University despite its suspension for 5 years,” the statement said.

“The Board unequivocally states that the said admissions were not conducted through the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS), the only platform approved for the processing of admissions into tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Consequently, such admissions are void as they are unknown to the Board.

“The institution is not authorised to admit candidates into the programme until the expiration of the suspension.”

The examination body described the development as unfortunate and reiterated its warning to prospective candidates to avoid accepting admission offers that are not processed through CAPS.

“This sad development once again underscores the importance of heeding the Board’s repeated and unequivocal advice to candidates not to accept any offer of admission outside CAPS as admission that is not processed and approved on CAPS is fake,” the statement added.

“Candidates admitted through such irregular means have no legitimate claim as they are considered complicit.”

JAMB further urged candidates who had been offered such admissions to disregard them and register for the next Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in order to seek legitimate admission through the approved process.

“For the umpteenth time, the Board strongly advises prospective candidates, in their own interest, not to accept any admission not processed through CAPS, as the Board will neither recognise nor condone such admissions,” Benjamin said.

“Candidates who have been offered admission outside CAPS are therefore advised to disregard such offers and commence the process of obtaining the next UTME application in order to sit for the examination and pursue legitimate admission through the appropriate channels. Any admission offered outside CAPS is nothing more than an exercise in futility.”

The Board also raised concerns about alleged attempts by some universities to bypass admission rules by transferring improperly admitted students to other institutions through inter-university transfers.

“The Board is aware of certain universities that are circumventing the rules by attempting to transfer illegally admitted candidates to other universities through inter-university transfer. Such would also not work as JAMB will not endorse any such inter-university transfer without initial admission on CAPS. For a transfer to be valid, the candidate must have been validly admitted in the first instance,” the statement added.

JAMB emphasised that it would continue to enforce admission regulations in line with the laws governing the nation’s tertiary education system.

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Security arrangements will be strengthened around the royal residence next week as King Charles prepares to host President Bola Tinubu and first lady Oluremi Tinubu at Windsor Castle.

The state visit, scheduled for March 18 and 19, represents the highest level of diplomatic engagement hosted by the British monarchy.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said comprehensive security measures will be implemented across the town during the visit, including a temporary extension of the restricted airspace over Windsor.

Although a permanent airspace restriction already exists around Windsor Castle, authorities said the exclusion zone will be expanded on March 18 between 7:00 and 23:59 GMT as part of heightened security measures coordinated with the Civil Aviation Authority.

Adrian Hall, chief superintendent of Thames Valley Police’s joint operations unit, said the airspace limitation is only one component of the broader security operation.

“The air restrictions are just one part of our robust security operation for the state visit of Nigerian President Tinubu next week, with many measures you will see and others you will not,” he said.

“We will be taking a strong stance in enforcing the restrictions; anyone who breaches them will be committing a criminal offence under the Air Navigation Order and could be arrested.”

Police also disclosed that numerous officers with specialist capabilities will be deployed throughout Windsor during the visit.

According to the statement, the deployment will include search teams, armed officers, mounted police, and roads policing units.

Neighbourhood officers and patrol teams that conduct unpredictable operations aimed at deterring and detecting criminal activities will also be present to interact with residents and visitors.

Authorities added that Windsor’s extensive CCTV network and hostile vehicle mitigation barriers will be utilised to ensure the event proceeds safely.

“As a force, we have a vast amount of experience in policing Royal events in Windsor and significant planning and preparation has gone into this event,” Hall said.

“We will ensure everyone attending the state visit, including dignitaries and spectators, as well as the public, are kept safe to enjoy the historic occasion.”

Police further announced that several road closures and parking restrictions will take effect from March 17, warning that temporary disruptions could occur on roads within and around Windsor during the visit.

Some pedestrian walkways and crossings in the town centre will also be closed intermittently between 9:30 and 12:30 on March 17 and 18 to facilitate a ceremonial procession.

Authorities urged residents and visitors to remain alert and report any suspicious activity.

“The public plays a critical role to support us so we encourage them to report anything that does not seem quite right by calling 101 or speaking to one of our officers,” Hall said.

“If there is an immediate threat or emergency, then call 999.”

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has reduced the pump price of petrol across its retail stations to N1,130 per litre in Lagos and N1,165 per litre in Abuja.

Checks  showed that the new price represents a N100 reduction from the previous N1,230 per litre in Lagos and a N95 drop from N1,260 per litre in Abuja.

In Lagos, the revised price of N1,130 per litre was observed at NNPC filling stations located along Isheri Oshun Road, Apple Junction, and Ago Palace Way.

Similarly, in the federal capital territory, the national oil company adjusted the petrol price to N1,165 per litre at its outlets in Jabi and Wuse.

The price adjustment follows a recent move by Dangote refinery, which cut its ex-gantry petrol price to N1,075 per litre two days earlier after global oil prices eased to $87 per barrel.

Earlier this week, crude oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel on Monday, marking their highest level since July 2022.

Speaking on Wednesday, the minister of finance, Wale Edun, said the federal government has no immediate plans to regulate petrol prices despite ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East affecting global oil markets.

“When there is market failure is where the regulator steps in. But in terms of balancing pricing, what we are looking to do is to manage the disruption and we don’t know how permanent or temporary it could be,” Edun said.

“But in the meantime, rather than reverting back and taking backward steps, we’ll look at every other measure that we have that can help the cost of living of Nigerians.”

Earlier, on March 11, the ministry of finance noted that the conflict in the Middle East could impact Nigeria’s crude oil and gas prices, influence capital flows in financial markets, and increase global logistics and supply costs.

(THE CABLE)

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The average price of electric vehicles in Europe declined in 2025 for the first time since 2020, helping to boost sales, according to a report released on Thursday, as the European Uniondebates possible adjustments to its climate policies for automakers.

Environment ministers from EU member states are expected to meet next week to consider a proposal to ease the planned 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles—an objective many European car manufacturers say is difficult to achieve.

Despite these concerns, most automakers have already met or are on track to meet emission targets set for 2025–2027, which represent the first milestone toward the 2035 goal, according to the advocacy group Transport & Environment(T&E).

The report noted that electric vehicles accounted for about 19 percent of all new cars sold across the European Union and Norway in 2025, up from roughly 14 percent in 2024.

According to the analysis, the average price of an electric car across the EU fell by about four percent—approximately €1,800—to €42,700 (around $49,390). The decline was largely driven by the introduction of smaller, more affordable EV models.

Transport & Environment attributed the price drop to the EU’s emissions reduction standards, saying they have encouraged automakers to introduce competitively priced electric vehicles.

“Even if the automotive industry does not openly acknowledge it, the EU’s CO₂ standards have helped hundreds of thousands of Europeans gain access to more affordable electric cars,” the group said.

Automakers that fail to meet emission targets face significant financial penalties.

Historically, the relatively high upfront cost of electric vehicles compared with petrol or diesel cars has slowed adoption. However, T&E suggests that price parity between EVs and conventional vehicles could be achieved by 2030 if current emission targets remain unchanged.

The issue is expected to spark intense debate in Brussels in the coming weeks.

Under proposals introduced in December, automakers would be required to cut emissions from new vehicles by 90 percent compared with 2021 levels by 2035, rather than the previously proposed 100 percent reduction.

The plan also includes “super credits” for smaller, affordable electric vehicles manufactured within the EU—an accounting mechanism designed to make it easier for manufacturers to meet emission targets.

However, the European auto industry, represented by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), is calling for additional concessions, including extending the timeline for meeting the 2030 emissions target from three years to five.

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Consumers may begin to see relief from the recent surge in fuel prices within the next one to two months, according to John Catsimatidis, the billionaire owner of a refinery in Pennsylvaniaand several supermarket chains in New York City.

Speaking in an interview with Reuters, Catsimatidis said the spike in pump prices—triggered by supply disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran—is likely to ease soon.

“I believe prices will begin to drop within the next month, or at worst within two months,” he said, adding that he thinks the worst of the price increases may already have passed.

Oil prices climbed back above $100 per barrel on Thursday as renewed efforts by Iran to target supply routes in the Middle East heightened concerns about the global economy, overshadowing a record release of strategic crude reserves by the International Energy Agency(IEA).

Catsimatidis, who serves as chairman and CEO of United Refining Company, said the current crisis underscores the need for greater investment in oil production and refining capacity. He also indicated openness to upgrading or expanding the company’s 70,000-barrel-per-day refinery located in Warren.

Meanwhile, the conflict involving U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran has entered its third week, with Tehran continuing retaliatory attacks across the Gulf region.

Earlier, the IEA announced that its member states had agreed to release 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves—the largest such move in history—with 172 million barrels coming from the United States.

Despite the move, market concerns persist over potential disruptions to energy supplies from the Middle East, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude oil passes and which has effectively been shut down.

As a result, benchmark crude prices surged sharply. Brent Crude jumped more than nine percent to about $101.59 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) climbed to nearly $96. Both benchmarks had earlier surged by as much as 30 percent earlier in the week, briefly approaching $120 per barrel.


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