General
Nigeria’s Anti-Crude Theft Troop Destroys 50 Illegal Refining Sites
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s anti-crude theft troop, Operation Delta Safe, has destroyed 50 illegal oil refining sites in the Niger Delta region and arrested 51 suspects in the last week.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, who made this known on Thursday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the operations of the military, said the troops also eliminated four criminals and recovered arms and ammunition.
He added that a total of 578,900 litres of stolen crude oil, 454,330 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil and 10,000 litres of dual-purpose kerosene (DPK) were recovered during the operations.
According to him, troops also destroyed 245 dugout pits, 31 boats, 69 storage tanks, one tricycle, 23 vehicles, 162 cooking ovens, one pumping machine and three outboard engines.
He said the troops neutralised a notorious criminal and recovered one locally made pistol on November 14, in the Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State.
“On November 15, troops with hybrid forces raided suspected drugs peddlers’ hideout in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta and arrested six suspects.
“The maritime component of Operation Delta Safe on November 17, conducted a search and rescue operation following a distress call on a missing Cameroonian-flagged motor Fishing Vessel MFV AFKI with registration number UK12 and number AFKI 8432780.
“After frantic surveillance, maritime component traced and made contact with the vessel 17 nautical miles off Pennington terminal.
“The vessel was recovered with two foreign crew members onboard,” he said.
In the South East, the troop’s spokesperson said the men of Operation UDO KA neutralised six criminals, apprehended 14 suspected IPOB/ESN elements and rescued two kidnapped hostages.
He added that the troops recovered a pump action gun, one double barrel gun, one locally made pistol, six rounds of 9mm ammo, a motorcycle and two mobile phones, among other items.
According to him, all recovered items, arrested suspects and rescued hostages were handed over to relevant authorities for further action.
The Defence Headquarters also said the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the last week eliminated 99 terrorists and apprehended 198 others in different operations across the country.
The troops also rescued a total of 139 hostages and recovered 141 assorted weapons and 1,463 assorted ammunition in the various operations across North East, North Central and North West theatres of operation.
The breakdown of recovered items, according to him, include one GPMG, one GT3 rifle, one assault rifle, 49 AK47 rifles, one Josef Magnum Pump Action gun, one double barrel gun and two single barrel guns.
Others are nine locally-made pistols, 13 Dane guns, one hand grenade, seven locally-made rifles, and two locally-made hand grenades.
In the North East, he said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai on November 17, apprehended three suspected terrorist collaborators in the Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe.
He added that the suspects claimed to have been coerced to go on the errand by terrorist elements, adding that a total of 108 terrorists and their families comprising 13 adult males, 32 adult females and 63 children surrendered to troops between Nov. 17 and Nov. 23 within the theatre of operations.
He said the troops neutralised 19 terrorists, arrested 21 and rescued eight kidnapped victims within the week across the theatre.
In the North Central, Buba said the troops of Operation Safe Haven neutralised three terrorists, apprehended 32 and rescued eight kidnapped victims as well as recovered various types of arms and ammunition, amongst other items.
He added that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke conducted raids at suspected criminal hideouts in Takum and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Taraba and Benue States, respectively, neutralised two terrorists, arrested nine terrorists and rescued three kidnapped hostages.
He said the troops also recovered one AK47 rifle, one magazine and 27 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, amongst other items.
In the North West, the Defence spokesman said the troops of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralised 20 terrorists, apprehended 20 terrorists and rescued 83 kidnapped victims in different operations across Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States.
He said the air component of the operation conducted air interdiction on a targeted terrorist leaders’ enclave known as Lalbi Nagogo.
According to him, the enclave is in Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State and the location was struck with rockets and cannons after confirmation that the terrorist and his foot soldiers were present there.
“Battle damage assessment revealed several terrorists were neutralised with various structures destroyed,” he said.
Buba said the troops of Operation Whirl Punch conducted fighting patrols in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State and Kuje Area Council of FCT respectively.
He said the troops neutralised 16 terrorists, arrested 16 suspects and rescued three hostages in ambush and offensive operations on the terrorists within the period.
He added that the air component had on November 16, conducted air interdiction at a suspected terrorist leader known as Boderi in his new enclave located in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to him, the location was observed to be active with terrorists and was acquired and engaged with rockets and cannons.
He said the battle damage assessment revealed that the older brother of the terrorist leader named, Nasiru, with several of his lieutenants and foot soldiers were neutralised while their structures were destroyed.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Embattled former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, returned to court in London on Monday, denying wrongdoing as prosecutors presented evidence for an alleged bribery.
It was recently reported that Mrs Alison-Madueke, once president of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), received cash and luxury benefits in exchange for influence over oil and gas contracts when she was a minister in the cabinet of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
She has denied the claims repeatedly.
In the latest development in her trial, jurors in the British court today heard testimony from a luxury furnishings retailer and a former housekeeper, as prosecutors sought to show how high-end purchases and property use were allegedly routed through intermediaries.
The 65-year-old is accused of multiple bribery counts stemming from a years-long investigation.
The alleged offences occurred between 2011 and 2015, when she was Nigeria’s oil minister but maintained a UK address.
The UK National Crime Agency (NCA), which targets international and serious and organised crime, accused her of receiving the bribes in Britain.
Mrs Alison-Madueke is accused of accepting “financial or other advantages” from individuals linked to the Atlantic Energy and SPOG Petrochemical groups.
Both companies secured contracts with the then Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) or its subsidiaries, according to the prosecution.
The former minister is also said to have received £100,000 ($137,000) in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, a private jet flight to Nigeria and refurbishment work and staff costs at several London properties.
Other counts allege she received school fees for her son, products from high-end shops such as London’s Harrods department store and Louis Vuitton, and further private jet flights.
Mrs Alison-Madueke has been involved in numerous legal cases globally, including in the United States.
She has been on bail in Britain since she was arrested in October 2015.
In 2023, she was formally charged with accepting bribes, which she has denied.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An initiative designed to encourage entrepreneurship, expand access to opportunities in the digital economy, and improve the employability of young people in its host communities has been launched by Egbin Power Plc.
The tech-based empowerment programme will equip young persons from Egbin, Ijede and Ipakan areas of Lagos State with digital skills.
The chief executive of the power-generating firm, Mr Mokhtar Bounour, described the initiative as part of the company’s Personal Corporate Social Responsibility (PCSR) efforts, reflecting its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development, adding that its responsibilities extend beyond electricity generation to empowering people in surrounding communities.
“In today’s digital age, technology is no longer optional but a critical driver of economic inclusion and growth,” Mr Bounour said, noting that deliberate interventions were needed to bridge digital gaps and prevent uneven development.
He explained that when communities are excluded from the digital economy, development becomes uneven and unsustainable, reinforcing the need for deliberate interventions that bridge digital gaps.
He pointed out that, “The Empowerment Programme is designed to address this gap by providing young people in Egbin, Ijede and Ipakan with access to practical and in-demand digital skills that can improve employability, foster entrepreneurship, and create new economic opportunities within their communities.”
The first cohort brings together beneficiaries from the three communities for structured training in ICT fundamentals, graphic design, full-stack web development, digital marketing, cybersecurity and data analytics. The programme combines classroom instruction with hands-on learning.
Participants were selected through a screening process that assessed curiosity, determination and willingness to learn, the company said. Beyond technical training, the programme also includes workplace skills such as ethics, problem-solving, collaboration, professionalism and digital responsibility.
Mr Bounour urged beneficiaries to act as ambassadors of the initiative and demonstrate the values of integrity, discipline and service, saying their progress would serve as evidence that strategic corporate responsibility can deliver measurable impact.
He encouraged participants to recognise their broader responsibility to their communities, urging them to learn with character, pay their knowledge forward, mentor others, and use their skills to solve real local problems. He noted that the true legacy of the programme will be the ripple effects it creates through shared success and communal growth.
The launch of the Tech Empowerment Programme underscores Egbin Power’s continued commitment to sustainable community development, trust-building, and long-term value creation.
The company reaffirmed its dedication to investing strategically in people, strengthening host communities, and contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s digital and economic future.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the organisation is in collaboration with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to deploy the Port Community System (PCS) will eliminate manual bottlenecks and synchronise operations across Nigeria’s seaports.
Mr Dantsoho disclosed this at a recent three-day high-level stakeholder engagement in Lagos titled Achieving a 7-day Cargo Dwell Time, organised by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in collaboration with the NPA.
The engagement convened the Ports and Customs Efficiency Committee (PCEC) under the Business Environment Enhancement Programme Accelerator (BEEPA) framework, focusing on streamlining port processes to improve efficiency and ease of doing business.
According to the NPA boss, the PCS will serve as the digital backbone of the National Single Window, enabling seamless information exchange among port stakeholders and reducing delays caused by manual documentation.
On her part, the director-general of PEBEC, Mrs Zahrah Mustapha, said the session was designed to go beyond identifying challenges and focus on implementing long-overdue practical solutions.
“Nigeria loses significantly every day due to operational inefficiencies,” Mrs Mustapha said. “These are not just numbers; they represent missed opportunities, jobs not created, and delayed economic growth. This reform is about resilience and unlocking the nation’s economic potential.”
She added that the initiative brings together government regulators and private-sector stakeholders to promote transparency and accountability, with the ultimate objective of reducing cargo dwell time and improving vessel turnaround time.
Recall that the NPA recorded a 100 per cent success rate in PEBEC reforms, ranking fifth among government agencies in 2025 with an 84.2 per cent compliance rating.
Outcomes from the stakeholder engagement are expected to be implemented in the coming months. By addressing operational gaps identified during port inspections, the NPA and PEBEC aim to build a more competitive maritime environment that attracts investment and facilitates seamless trade.
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