General
NSCDC Arrests 19 Suspects Engaged in Illegal Oil Dealings
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has arrested 19 suspects over their alleged involvement in oil theft and illegal dealings in petroleum products.
According to reports, Nigeria loses about 400,000 barrels of crude oil to theft daily, which amounts to about $40 million. This does not contribute to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) and also doesn’t generate any revenue for the nation.
The Rivers State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Michael Ogar, who decried the defiance of oil thieves and illegal oil bunkerers, noted that in spite of the continuous sensitisation and relentless war against economic sabotage in the nation, oil thieves have blatantly refused to turn a new leaf.
Mr Ogar maintained that sequel to the reconstitution of a new Antivandal Team of the Command, the Marine and land Patrol operatives have commenced full operations with a renewed vigour, professionalism and tactics in waging war against the menace of vandalism of oil pipelines and oil theft in Rivers State.
He stated that the 19 suspects were arrested in different locations within the state, assuring that they will all be charged to court, while the Command would do everything possible to unravel, chase and apprehend their sponsors to serve as deterrents to others.
“As directed by the NSCDC Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, a marching order was given to the marine and land operatives to massively arrest pipeline vandals and illegal oil dealers in the state and this has enhanced our doggedness in the series of arrests made by the command.
“The Marine and land Patrol team arrested 19 suspects at different locations in the State; four Suspects named: Peter Udo ‘M’ 20years, Benjamin God’s power ‘M’ 16years, God’s gift Nicholas ‘M’ 19years and Goodness Sunday ‘M’ aged 19year were arrested with one wooden boat and a 40 HP outboard engine along Bakana River.
“In addition, three suspects named: Jacob Fewu ‘M’ 23years, George George ‘M’ 20years and Stanley Bruce ‘M’ 20years were arrested with one wooden boat laden with 10,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, a 40 HP outboard engine used for propelling the boat.
“The Marine team, in an all-night tactical operation, arrested two additional suspects named: Ade Monday, 27 years and Abiola Gift, 29 years, with one wooden boat, 25 drums of illegal refined AGO and one 15 HP outboard engine.
“Following a tip-off, the antivandal unit also uncovered a building used as a dump site for storing locally refined AGO along Cornerstone junction in Ogbogoro, Obio Akpo Local Government Area. We discovered an underground Tanker containing unquantified litres of locally refined AGO, a Plastic Tank containing about 3,500 litres of AGO and a Pumping Machine. The entire compound is now under seal and manned by our personnel while the Command would continue to chase the culprits till they are arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
The NSCDC boss in Rivers State further said that the Command would approach the court with an application for forfeitures of both the contents and the vehicles, and the proceeds would be remitted into the federal government coffers.
”Let me reiterate our commitment to the war against oil theft and illegal dealings in petroleum products in Rivers State. The perpetrators should either relocate or risk facing the full wrath of the law,” he stated.
Oil theft in Nigeria has continued to grow, despite governments’ efforts to clamp down on illegal activities.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani, has announced that Nigeria will launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1, 2026, with every home expected to have a unique postcode.
Mr Tijani disclosed the development in a video post on X, describing the new system as a more precise and digitally oriented approach to addressing locations across the country.
He said the initiative would mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s postal addressing system by assigning unique postcodes to individual homes.
The initiative marks a major step in Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda. By replacing the outdated numeric-only system, the alphanumeric codes provide a more flexible and scalable framework that can accommodate the country’s rapid urban growth and diverse settlement patterns.
For emphasis, an alphanumeric postcode system is a postal indexing system that uses a combination of both letters (alpha) and numbers (numeric), along with spaces or punctuation, to identify specific geographic locations, streets, or individual buildings for mail delivery.
Unlike purely numeric postcode systems (such as the 5-digit US ZIP Code or 5-digit codes used in some European countries), alphanumeric codes offer a much higher number of unique combinations using fewer total characters. This flexibility allows postal authorities to pinpoint locations with incredible precision, often down to a single side of a street or a specific large building.
“On October 1st 2026 Nigeria’s new Alphanumeric Postcode System goes live,” Mr Tijani said.
“For the first time, every home will be assigned a unique postcode that’s simple, precise and built for a digital future,” he added.
The minister urged Nigerians to prepare to generate their individual postcodes ahead of the launch.
The new system is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital addressing infrastructure and improve the identification and location of homes and properties for postal and other location-based services.
The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) as part of broader efforts to modernise the country’s addressing and digital infrastructure.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, has been directed to give an account to Nigerians on how the current government has fared since its inception on May 29, 2023.
This directive was given by President Bola Tinubu in a message posted on his verified social media handles on Wednesday.
This coincides with the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16.
According to the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), candidates seeking to become the country’s president are eligible to kick off their campaigns from today, Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
In his message today, Mr Tinubu said, “When we began this journey of reform in 2023, I promised that the difficult decisions we were making would serve the purpose of building an economy that works better for you and a country that is stronger for our children.
“Today, your government presents The Reforms Scorecard. It sets out what our reforms have achieved, what they have cost us, and the greater costs and harms we have prevented by acting when we did.
“I have therefore directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, to give an account to Nigerians, to explain the numbers, the choices we have made, the progress recorded, and the work that remains.
“You deserve to see the numbers. You deserve to know what has changed and what these reforms mean for you, your family, your business and our country.
“This is your government. This is your country. This is our account to you.”
Shortly after he took the oath of office over three years ago, President Tinubu declared that subsidies on petroleum products were gone. He later approved foreign exchange (FX) reforms, which devalued the Nigerian Naira, shooting from about N800 per Dollar to nearly N2,000 per Dollar. However, it is currently slightly above N1,340 per Dollar in the official market.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) Limited are advancing discussions on the development of deepwater assets estimated to hold 500 million barrels of oil reserves.
The development followed a meeting between the chief executive of the state oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, and Agip’s Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Maurizio Pinna, in Abuja.
The talks focused on ongoing work on deepwater acreage jointly held by NNPC, NAE and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) as well as plans to bring the associated resources into production.
According to NNPC, the acreage comprises the Zabazaba and Etan deepwater fields, with estimated reserves of about 500 million barrels.
The fields are located in Nigeria’s deepwater terrain and are considered significant to the country’s efforts to expand its upstream oil production base, particularly as operators seek to advance projects capable of delivering additional barrels over the medium to long term.
While details of the expected production timeline were not disclosed, the meeting underscores renewed industry focus on unlocking Nigeria’s deepwater resources and growing crude oil production.
The acreage comprises licences converted from OPL 245 and is operated by NAE in partnership with NNPC Limited and SNEPCo.
Mr Ojulari and Mr Pinna also reviewed the work currently underway on the assets and the expected production outlook, with the discussions centred on advancing deepwater development.
The engagement comes amid renewed efforts to attract investment into Nigeria’s offshore petroleum resources and increase national oil production.
