ABUJA, Nigeria—A Nigerian oil mogul currently entangled in two ongoing investigations used offshore accounts and shell companies to hide his illicitly gained profits, according to revelations in a new series of Panama Papers published yesterday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). Kolawole Aluko is one of several Nigerian politicians and business people who use shell companies to steal money from Nigeria’s developing economy, investigators allege.

ABUJA, Nigeria—The Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group that has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on oil and gas plants in the Niger Delta region, is denying reports it has reached a truce with the federal government. Nigerian officials say they are willing to negotiate with the group, but analysts argue talks will only encourage more militancy in the region.

Armed militants attacked and blew up a Chevron oil and gas platform off Nigeria’s southern Niger Delta region on Wednesday, the Nigerian military said today. The bombing is the latest in an ongoing spate of attacks by disgruntled militants that have threatened the country’s power supply. Officials worry the bombing campaign marks the resurgence of militancy in the region.

One of Iran’s wealthiest businessmen owes the national government $2.7 billion in oil profits covertly collected during the nation’s economic sanctions—and faces the death penalty unless he reimburses the sum. Over the weekend, well-known billionaire Babak Zanjani and two accomplices were condemned to death on charges of fraud and forgery. 

A judicial spokesman branded the trio as “corrupters on earth,” a strong Islamic term reserved for death-deserving criminals guilty of damaging society. 

President Obama’s unilateral rejection of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline that would have brought petroleum and jobs to the United States is another in a long list of issues dominated by politics rather than common sense, economics, and science.

After seven years of dithering on Keystone, the president said he was following the recommendation of Secretary of State John Kerry that the pipeline was not in the country’s national security interest, which he said includes being a global leader in the “climate change” campaign.