
Nigeria names ex-Shell executive to lead state oil firm NNPC
ABUJA, April 2 (Reuters) - Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Bayo Ojulari, a former Shell executive, to head the state-owned oil firm NNPC Ltd as the country seeks to raise oil production and revitalise its refining capacity, the presidency said on Wednesday.
Ojulari replaces Mele Kyari, with the appointment effective immediately, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said in a statement.
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Ojulari was most recently chief operating officer at Nigeria consortium Renaissance Africa Energy Co., which now owns Shell's former onshore subsidiary in the country. Prior to that, he was head of Shell Nigeria's exploration unit.
Tinubu also replaced the board of NNPC, appointing a new 11-member team to drive reforms and boost efficiency in the oil sector.

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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Elon Musk has PTSD & made a MISTAKE by helping Trump, his dad claims as he reveals verdict on what caused explosive feud
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Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Putin plotting to blitz Ukraine with ‘vicious & unrelenting' revenge strike in days after Op Spiderweb, US insiders warn
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Insiders said the Kremlin's full-scale retaliation for last week's stunning drone blitz on four key Russian airbases hasn't yet materialized - but it is coming very soon. 12 Western officials have warned that Vladimir Putin is plotting a major revenge assault on Ukraine Credit: AFP 12 Fire and smoke rise from the site where a Russian missile struck a residential area in Kharkiv on Saturday Credit: AP 12 Officials say the strikes could also aim symbolic Ukrainian targets 12 Footage of Operation Spiderweb showed Russian planes left burning on the runway The revenge strike will be "asymmetrical" and likely to feature a mix of drones and missiles aimed at symbolic Ukrainian targets - not just military assets, one U.S. official told Reuters. Another said the operation could begin within days. A senior Western diplomat added: "It will be huge, vicious and unrelenting. "But the Ukrainians are brave people." On Friday, Russia unleashed a fierce missile and drone barrage on Kyiv, killing at least six and injuring over 80, but American officials say this may only be the beginning. Russia's Defense Ministry called it a response to "terrorist acts" by Ukraine - but insiders say the real retaliation is still being assembled behind the scenes. U.S. officials believe the SBU — Ukraine's security service — may be directly targeted in the revenge strike. Carnegie Endowment analyst Michael Kofman told Reuters: "Most likely, they will attempt to retaliate against (SBU) headquarters, or other regional intelligence administration buildings. "In general, Russia's ability to substantially escalate strikes from what they are already doing — and attempting to do over the past month — is quite constrained." Putin plotting 'final killer offensive' to WIN Ukraine war despite Russian losses nearing 1 MILLION 12 PUTIN'S $7bn HUMILIATION The looming storm follows Operation Spiderweb - Ukraine's most daring covert strike yet. It was led personally by spy chief Vasyl Malyuk under the direct orders of President Volodymyr Zelensky. Over 117 kamikaze drones were launched from hidden mobile units disguised as everyday cargo trucks, slipped undetected into Russian territory. New footage released on Saturday by Ukraine's SBU shows an FPV drone lifting off from a lorry rooftop before smashing directly into a Russian bomber at the Belaya airfield. The strikes hit four strategic bases - Belaya, Dyagilevo, Olenya, and Ivanovo — torching aircraft capable of launching nuclear warheads. Ukrainian officials say 41 planes were destroyed or damaged. U.S. intelligence puts the figure closer to 20, with at least 10 completely destroyed - still a staggering blow to Russia's long-range bomber fleet. The $7billion damage, inflicted with zero boots on the ground, has left the Kremlin tyrant furious and determined to reassert its military dominance. 12 The SBU released new footage of the covert operation on Saturday Credit: Twitter 12 It showed a drone lifting off from what appears to be a transport vehicle before targeting Putin's bomber planes 'IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PRETTY' President Donald Trump revealed this week that he spoke directly with Putin on Wednesday. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the Russian despot told him "he will have to respond" to the drone attack. Speaking to reporters later, Trump added: "It's probably not going to be pretty. I don't like it. "I said: 'Don't do it. You shouldn't do it. You should stop it.' "But, again, there's a lot of hatred." Meanwhile, Russia's propaganda machine is framing the war as existential. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared Friday: "This is about the future of our children, of our country." 12 A view of destruction following the two-hour Russian attack on Kharkiv on Saturday Credit: Getty 12 A man stands amid rubble in destroyed house at residential district after Russian shelling in Kharkiv Credit: Getty BLITZ ALREADY UNDERWAY? While officials say the major strike is still to come, Ukraine is already reeling from a brutal few days of missile and drone attacks. On Friday, 400 drones and 45 missiles rained down on cities across the country. In Kyiv, explosions lit up the night sky near the Mother Ukraine monument. A fire tore through the 11th floor of a residential block in Solomyanskyi, and emergency crews rushed to save civilians trapped inside. Overnight into Saturday, Kharkiv suffered Russia's largest airstrike yet, killing three - including a baby and a 14-year-old girl - and wounding 21. 'We have a lot of damage,' Kharkiv's mayor Ihor Terekhov said. At least 18 apartment buildings and 13 homes were hit, with more strikes reported in Donetsk, Dnipro, Ternopil, and Odesa. Ukraine's Air Force said it shot down 174 out of 206 drones and nine missiles overnight. 12 Smoke billowing from a fire burning in a building after an airstrike in Kharkiv on Saturday Credit: EPA 12 Explosion is seen after Russian air strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday SUMMER OFFENSIVE BREWING Western analysts say Mad Vlad is not just seeking revenge - but a breakthrough. Reports from Ukrainian intelligence suggest up to 125,000 troops are massing near the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers, with fears of a three-pronged summer assault to finally break the deadlock. The offensive is expected to focus on Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, and Pokrovsk in the Donbas - with plans to encircle key cities rather than slug it out street by street. Military analyst Konrad Muzyka told The Telegraph Russia's tactics have evolved: "We have seen the Russians shift to focused, small-unit attacks, often of just three to five men. "Company-size assaults of 50 to 100 men hardly ever happen anymore." But Ukraine, armed with drones and Western weapons, isn't backing down. Zelensky warned this week: "Even after all of Russia's horrific attacks, he is reportedly preparing yet more so-called 'responses.' "With every new strike, with every delay of diplomacy, Russia is giving the finger to the entire world."


Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Daily Mail
BP battles for its independence amid takeover talk
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