General
Federal Mines Officers Seek EFCC Intervention to Tackle Illegal Mining
By Adedapo Adesanya
Workers in the Ministry of Solid Minerals under the aegis of Federal Mines Officers have tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to intervene against illegal mining activities across the country.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Directorate of EFCC, the President of its Port Harcourt Branch, Mr Naku Romos, who led the delegation, sought the collaboration of the Commission for the curtailment of activities of illegal miners from the country’s mining sector.
Mr Romos noted that the activities of illegal miners were not only illegitimate but constituted economic crimes and were destructive to the already heavily compromised Niger Delta ecosystem.
“We are from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. It has been our tradition, our culture whenever we have new heads to make it an obligation to go out and familiarise ourselves with the relevant government agencies, especially law enforcement agencies like the EFCC, Police, DSS and others,” he said.
Mr Romos, who assumed office in September 2024 further recalled that the Solid Minerals Development Ministry was saddled with the responsibility of regulating and controlling the mining of solid minerals in the country and frowned that the federal government was losing many economic resources in the extractive industry due to activities of illegal miners.
He further noted that there was zero possibility of achieving results in the fight against illegal mining in the country without the ministry’s collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
Responding, the Acting Director of EFCC in Port Harcourt, Mr Adebayo Adeniyi, disclosed that the EFCC was ready for any collaboration that was geared towards a better Nigerian society, adding that efforts were already in place in the area of illegal mining, being an area of priority importance to the Commission’s Executive Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede.
Mr Adeniyi pointed out that Olukoyede has set up a Special Task Force across all EFCC directorates to handle illegal mining cases and further disclosed that Port Harcourt’s Directorate has a couple of illegal mining cases it is currently investigating.
He urged the Ministry to pursue preventive measures through enlightenment programmes for all miners as many of the unlicensed miners may be unaware that they are committing crimes as well as degrading the environment.
“First of all, enlightenment is key to making them know that this is what is required of them. If they don’t move away from it, then you have to write to me. If you are sure and aware, bring up a petition, we will definitely take it up from there, as they are illegally exploiting our natural resources and destroying the environment.
“I can assure you that the EFCC will maintain an aggressive posture against illegal mining in the Niger Delta region by ensuring that it is brought to a halt,” he said.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The United States government gave some terrorists in Nigeria a Christmas gift that sent many of them to the great beyond.
On Thursday, December 25, 2025, the United States President, Mr Donald Trump, directed his country’s military to launch air strikes on camps of members of the dreaded Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Sokoto State.
According to Mr Trump, the military action, which he threatened to carry out a few weeks ago if the Nigerian government does not stop the killing of Christians in the country, occurred on Thursday night.
“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was.
“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.
“Under my leadership, our country will not allow radical islamic terrorism to prosper. May God bless our military, and Merry Christmas to all, including the dead terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Department of War of the United States posted the below video of the air strikes;
https://twitter.com/DeptofWar/status/2004351717131903272
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The presidency has reacted to speculations that Mr Femi Gbajabiamila has been removed as the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
It was alleged that Mr Gbajabiamila has been replaced with the President’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola.
Mr Muri-Okunola went to Abuja to take up this role after leaving as the Head of Service of the Lagos State Civil Service.
Reacting to the reports on social media on the purported removal of Mr Gbajabiamila, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, the presidency said no such change has been made.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, members of the public were advised to disregard the report as “there is absolutely no truth to this story.”
“The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.
“The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.
“We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media,” the statement said.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The new chief executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has assumed office with a clear message to advance the country’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the mandate of the commission as enshrined in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
According to a statement signed by Mr Eniola Akinkuotu, the Head of Media & Strategic Communications at the upstream regulator, the NUPRC boss made this assertation during her first town hall meeting with management and staff on Tuesday December 23, 2025.
She further disclosed plans to make the commission a business enabler and re-ignite investments in the upstream sector.
Recall that President Tinubu nominated Mrs Eyesan to take over the NUPRC after the abrupt resignation of her predecessor, Mr Gbenga Komolafe as well as his counterpart in the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mr Farouk Ahmed.
In her new capacity, Mrs Eyesan also set a firm production ambition of growing Nigeria’s output and increasing gas production.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry, we are regulators. We must enable the industry from our interactions with the stakeholders, from our interactions with everybody.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the Center of the industry,” she said.
The commission boss who has served for over three decades in the oil and gas sector, promised to entrench digitisation, transparency and efficiency in operations.
The NUPRC head said with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC will become the gold-standard regulator in Africa. She also promised capacity development, stronger technical depth and sustained engagement with stakeholders, unions and professional teams.
On leadership style, Mrs Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent staff engagement, while also soliciting for support and cooperation as the industry embarks on the next phase of transformation.
“If we work together we can unleash opportunities, I don’t see impediments only opportunities,” she added.
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