General
FG Acquires 50 Vehicles to Crush Illegal Mining
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Federal Government on Thursday commissioned 50 operation vehicles for use by the Special Mines Surveillance taskforce and the State Minerals Resources and Environmental Management committee (MIREMCO) to fight its war against illegal mining activities in the country.
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Kayode Fayemi, who handed over the vehicles to the heads of the operation units, said strengthening the surveillance unit with operational vehicles and gadgets was part of government’s strategy to strengthen units in all the states of the federation.
Mr Fayemi spoke just as the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, represented by AIG Taiwo Lakanu, said the re-introduction of Mines Police was to support the economic diversification efforts of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration through effective security of the mines.
The commissioning of the vehicles was done at a brief ceremony at the Ministry in Abuja, witnessed by the Minister of State, Mr Abubakar Bawa Bwari; Permanent Secretary, Dr Abdulkadir Muazu, representative of the Inspector General of Police, AIG Taiwo Lakanu; Deputy Commandant General, Nigerian Civil Defence Corp, Kelechi Madu; and Chairman MIREMCO, Edo State, Mr Dan Inneh.
Mr Fayemi said the special surveillance task force and the MIREMCO had not been able to deliver effectively on their mandate due lack of required logistics, a situation, which according to him, has led to a surge in illegal mining activities.
“Considering the alarming rate the illegal mining has posed against the present administration’s efforts in diversifying the economy, Government has decided to take a coordinated approach to curtail the menace, sanitize the mines-field and position the sector on the path of sustainable development, hence the resuscitation of the Special Mines Surveillance Taskforce (SMSTF) in 2017. It may be recalled that the Task Force was establish in 2012,” he said.
Speaking further, the Minister said: “As a strategy to strengthen the Taskforce in all the States of the Federation and the FCT, 40 Toyota Hilux vehicles have been procured. The vehicles will be commissioned today and their usage flagged-off.
“I am optimistic that with the commissioning of these vehicles and the provision of necessary logistics for the operations of the Taskforce and MIREMCOs, the illegal activities would be reduced drastically and our relationship with our state governments would be strengthened.
“MIREMCO is a statutory mechanism established by Section 19 of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 to create synergy between Federal, State and Local Governments for the Sustainable Development of Solid Minerals Resources in the Country. The Committee is to operate in all the States of the Federation including the FCT and its functions, as stipulated in the extant Act, is to advise the Minister on all issues relating to the Mineral Resources Development, Environmental Protection, Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources, conflict resolutions and other environmental and social issues. The Committee became operational with the inauguration of the 37 Committee chairman on the 19th August, 2017 in Abuja.
“Due to lack of required logistics, the Special Mines Surveillance Taskforce and MIREMCO could not deliver their mandates and this led to upsurge in the activities of illegal mining across the States of the Federation and strained relationship with States and Local Governments.
“The first fifteen (15) States with functional MIREMCOs have already received the sum of Five (5) Million Naira each, as mobilization grants and ten (10) Hilux pick-up Vehicles were procured for the first ten (10) States,” the Minister said.
The Police IG, who hailed the provision of surveillance vehicles said the force approved the setting up of the Mines Police following request from the Minister.
He said the Mines Police is headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Tunde Mobayo, is saddled with the responsibility of securing the mines against the scrounge of illegal mining.
He explained that for its operations at the states, the Mines Police would work with the Counter Terrorist Unit of the Nigerian Police.
The Deputy Commandant General of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp, Kelechi Madu, who hailed the provision of operation vehicles for the Mining surveillance said it would enhance optimal performance of the sector.
Madu revealed that over 500 illegal miners had so far been apprehended. While 21 have been convicted, some were released at the discretion of the Mines Offices in the states.
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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