General
Nigerian Army to End Operation Python Dance II October 14
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Army has said it would conclude its Operation Python Dance II in the south east region of the country on Saturday, October 14, 2017.
Deputy Director of Public Relations at the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Sagir Musa, disclosed in a statement that the field training exercise code named Exercise Egwu Eke (Python Dance) II, which kicked off on September 15, 2017, is meant to sharpen the skills the troops in the conduct of internal security operations.
Colonel Musa further said the exercise was also aimed to combating the security challenges in the South East, pointing that the army was well equipped to deal with the rising cases of insecurity such as kidnappings, farmers-herdsmen clashes, cultism, armed robbery, communal crisis, violent secessionist agitations, insurgency among others.
“For emphasis, it is necessary to restate that the exercise and similar ones with different coded names in some parts of the country were deliberately initiated and conducted with an overarching aim of checkmating identified security challenges prevalent in the regions where they were carried out.
“Some of the successful military exercises include: Operation Sharan Daji in tackling livestock rustling and armed banditry in the Northwest; Operation Awatse to tackle militants and oil installation vandals in South-West, especially in the creeks between Lagos and Ogun States; Operation Shirin Harbi in addressing restiveness in the North-East, especially Bauchi and Gombe States; Op Shirin Harbi in containing the rein of killers in Southern Kaduna; Op Harbin Kunama in resolving rustling and armed banditry in forest along Sokoto-Zamfara axis and Op Crocodile Smile, popular in the South-South to combat Criminal elements engaged in the destruction of oil pipelines and installations,” he said.
The army spokesman urged law abiding citizens to go about their normal businesses without fear, emphasising that the exercise “is not targeted at any individual or group.”
Recall that the first Python Dance exercise was carried out in the South Eastern Region from November 27 to December 27, 2016.
The peculiar security challenges in the region such as kidnapping, abduction, armed robbery, farmers/herdsmen clashes, communal crisis, traffic gridlock and violent secessionist agitation among others as the targets of this exercise were successfully addressed.
The concept of the current exercise, like the previous one is purely Command Post, Field Training and Real-Time Exercise, the army said.
It added that the exercise is aimed to enhance troops’ agility and preparedness across the spectrum of contemporary and emerging security challenges peculiar to South Eastern region.
The statement pointed out that the exercise is three in one, in that – it was – deliberately designed as – a Command Post Exercise that transmuted into Field Training Exercise and where necessary dovetailed into real-time mission or activities such as anti-kidnapping drills, patrols, raids, cordon, and search, check points, road blocks and show of force.
The army said one interesting aspect of the exercise is that it is multi-agency in nature and execution.
Relevant para-military organizations such as elements of the Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, State Security Services and Federal Road Safety Commission synergized and collaborated to ensure successful execution and attainment of outlined objectives.
Also, the non-reliance on only military line of operation to achieve the end states of the exercise was part of the texture of the strategy.
For this reason, an elaborately generous civil-military cooperation line of operation had been successfully planned and executed during this exercise, the statement said.
“In this regard, some relevant Nigerian Army Corps and Services such as the medical corps and engineers corps carried out medical outreaches, roads and schools repairs across the South Eastern region.
“On the whole, the exercise has numerous objectives. Some of which are; to practice participating units on planning, preparation and conduct of internal security operations, intensify training on counter terrorism and internal security operations as well as to deter the activities of kidnappers, cultists, armed robbers and violent secessionist agitators.
“Others are – synergizing with relevant Para- Military services to address the identified threats and sharpening the skills of troops towards curtailing current and emerging security challenges peculiar to the South Eastern region,” the Army noted.
By Adedapo Adesanya
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed January 7 to hear the bail application of former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, over alleged money laundering.
Recall that the same court had ordered the remand of Mr Malami at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, his son, Abdulaziz, and one of his wives, Mrs Bashir Asabe, are standing trial predicated on a 16-count charge preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The trio, who are accused of laundering N8.7 billion, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were arraigned on December 29, 2025.
Following their plea of not guilty, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered their remand at Kuje Correctional Centre till January 2, 2026, when their written bail application would be argued by his legal team.
In the charge, identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/700/2025, the defendants were accused of conspiring to conceal, disguise, and retain proceeds from illegal activities.
The indictment claimed that they used multiple bank accounts, corporate entities, and high-value real estate transactions over nearly ten years to indirectly acquire the illicit funds.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences took place between 2015 and 2025, primarily within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, during Malami’s time as the country’s Attorney-General.
The EFCC alleged that Malami and his son used Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to hide N1.014 billion in a Sterling Bank account from July 2022 to June 2025.
They were also accused of depositing an additional N600.01 million between September 2020 and February 2021.
The properties in question include a luxury duplex on Amazon Street, Maitama, purchased for N500 million; a property on Onitsha Crescent, Garki, bought for N700 million; and another in Jabi District for N850 million.
Additional acquisitions include real estate on Rhine Street, Maitama (N430 million); in Asokoro District (N210 million and N325 million); and at Efab Estate, Gwarimpa (N120 million).
The EFCC further alleges that Mr Malami used unlawful proceeds totaling N952 million to acquire multiple properties in Abuja, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi between 2018 and 2023.
The acquisitions were allegedly made through proxies and corporate entities to obscure ownership.
The commission claimed that the alleged actions violate the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Association of Plant Operators (NAPO) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegations of tax deduction and non-remittance fraud linked to the NLNG Train 7 project.
Train 7 is a major expansion project of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) facility on Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria. It involves building a seventh “train” (processing unit) at the LNG plant to significantly increase Nigeria’s LNG production capacity and strengthen the country’s role as a global supplier of cleaner energy.
NAPO’s President General, Mr Harold Benstowe, alongside four other officials, appeared at the EFCC Port Harcourt Zonal Office in Port Harcourt, to adopt a petition accusing Daewoo Engineering & Construction Nigeria and others of alleged unlawful tax deductions from workers on the multibillion-dollar NLNG Train 7 gas plant construction project.
According to NAPO, the EFCC received the delegation and guided them through the formal adoption of the petition, paving the way for what the union described as a “proper forensic investigation” into the alleged financial misconduct.
“The EFCC has assured the victims that it will conduct a thorough investigation to get to the root of the matter,” Mr Benstowe said, describing the development as a major step toward accountability in the construction segment of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It also raised that the allegations strike at the heart of compliance risks surrounding one of Nigeria’s most strategic gas investments, with potential implications for contractors, regulators and investor confidence in large-scale energy projects.
Mr Benstowe called on workers involved in the NLNG Train 7 project to actively support the investigation by submitting documentary evidence, particularly payslips allegedly showing tax deductions by Daewoo E&C Nigeria.
“We encourage all affected workers to freely come forward with more evidence to assist the EFCC in carrying out a comprehensive investigation,” he said.
He also dismissed reports of intimidation, warning that the union would resist any attempts to suppress whistleblowers.
“All victims should ignore threats or discouragement from any quarters. This is no longer business as usual. We are prepared for a big showdown to ensure everyone involved is brought to book,” Mr Benstowe declared.
The NAPO leader framed the petition as part of a broader struggle for financial transparency and workers’ rights in Nigeria’s oil and gas construction value chain, stressing that the outcome would send a strong signal to contractors operating on high-value energy projects.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) has unveiled its institutional brand identity as it officially transition from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the newly established revenue collection agency as gazetted.
The transition was marked with the unveiling of the agency’s new logo, according to a statement from Mr Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser to the chairman of NRS, Mr Zacch Adedeji.
Speaking at the unveiling event in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr Adedeji said the new identity represents a significant milestone in the evolution of Nigeria’s revenue administration framework.
The taxman said the unveiling reflects a renewed commitment to a more unified, efficient, and service-oriented revenue system aligned with Nigeria’s economic transformation agenda and global best practices.
He said the new identity signals continuity of purpose, strengthened institutional capacity, and a forward-looking approach to supporting taxpayers and national development.
According to the statement, the NRS said it remains committed to transparency, partnership, and service excellence.
“The unveiling of this new identity represents not an end, but the beginning of a strengthened relationship between the revenue authority and the Nigerian public—built on trust, clarity, and shared prosperity,” the statement reads.
It was also stated that the service came into operation following the signing of its enabling law — the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Act 2025 — by President Bola Tinubu in June.
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