Crime
Nigeria: FG Renews War on Oil Bunkering, Commissions Eight Gunboats
Nigeria: FG Renews War on Oil Bunkering, Commissions Eight Gunboats
By: Michael Mike
The federal government has commissioned eight gunboats to fight crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the country to a logical end.
A press statement by the spokesman of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Olusola Odumosu on Tuesday said “in her resolve to end the menace of crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism in the nation, the Federal Government through the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has commissioned eight NSCDC gunboats to wage a full scale war against the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”
He noted that the move became necessary to strengthen the combative capacity of NSCDC Anti Vandalism Squad in stemming the tide of huge revenue loss to the Federal Government in the oil sector.
Aregbesola, while performing the official inauguration of the gunboats in Port Harcourt, described the incidences of oil theft as an organized crime ridding the nation of accrued revenue running to million of dollars annually.
The Minister of Interior, said the country in recent past had recorded various occurrences of crude oil theft and reports has shown that the country loses million of dollars daily such that, of the 141 million barrels of oil produced in the 1st quarter of year 2022, only 132 million barrels of oil were received at export terminals; the aftermath results further reveal that over 9 million barrels of oil was lost to crude oil theft.
He decried the negative impacts of crude oil theft and oil pipeline vandalism in the nation.
He however called on all security agencies to shun Inter-agency rivalries and synergize by supporting the fight against oil theft in order to salvage and rid the nation’s economy of saboteurs.
The Minister further maintained that the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps as the lead agency in Safeguarding Critical National Assets and Infrastructure is mandated to use the available logistics provided by the Government to reduce crime rate and by extension take the war against crude oil theft to the camp of the enemies.
The NSCDC Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Audi, while extolling the role of Government in the provision of necessary logistics to enhance the fight against oil pipeline vandalism across the nation, affirmed that the eight newly commissioned gunboats will boost the morale of the Corps in combating the menace of crude oil theft along the waterways.
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He said: “The NSCDC is generally expected to effectively safeguard Critical Infrastructure and oil installations which are very central and vital to the socio-economic development of the nation.
“The Corps is saddled with the mandate to guard against oil theft, illegal oil bunkering through the provision of physical security to oil pipelines against vandalism.
“Therefore, any threat to the oil and gas sector is automatically considered as a high security concern owing to the debilitating effects it has on national development.”
He added that: “It also constitute environmental degradation, pollution, destruction of land and aquatic life, loss of means of livehood and drastic reduction in the inflow of foreign exchange needed to bolster the economy of the nation.”
He affirmed that a marching order has been issued to all Zonal Commanders, State Commandants and Heads of Antivandal Unit across formations to be battle ready with a renewed vigour to stamp out oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the nation.
The CG reiterated the Corps’ determination and unwavering commitment to the war against illegal oil bunkering and assured the Government and the entire nation that the Gunboats would be distributed to states in the coastal region as the corps continue to collaborate with the military and other security agencies.
He enjoined Nigerians to assist security agencies in winning the war against the enemies of the nation by volunteering credible Intelligence and Information that could lead to possible arrest and prosecution of oil pipeline vandals and saboteurs of the nation’s economy.
Nigeria: FG Renews War on Oil Bunkering, Commissions Eight Gunboats
Crime
NIDCOM Gets 17 Trafficked Girls Rescued, 5 Traffickers Arrested in Ghana
NIDCOM Gets 17 Trafficked Girls Rescued, 5 Traffickers Arrested in Ghana
By: Michael Mike
Seventeen young Nigerian girls trafficked to Ghana have been rescued and repatriated back to the country while five traffickers were equally arrested.
This latest rescue operation brought to 130 girls repatriated back to Nigeria from Ghana alone since July 2024.
According to a statement signed on Sunday by the Director, Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM). Abdur-Rahman Balogun, this was sequel to the combined and coordinated efforts of the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Ghana, and the Nigerian High Commission in Accra.
Speaking on this latest efforts, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO NiDCOM, expressed her gratitude to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her support in facilitating the safe return of the young girls back to the country.
She also commended the vital roles played by the BOT Chairman of NIDO Ghana, Chief Callistus Elozieuwa,, and the Ghanaian Anti-Human Trafficking Police Unit in bringing the traffickers to justice.
She reiterated NiDCOM’s commitment to protecting Nigerians in the diaspora under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which gave priority to combating human trafficking and safeguarding the rights of Nigerian citizens at home and in the Diaspora.
Balogun, in the statement, stated that the rescued young girls, ages 18 to 29 years, come from various states, including Anambra, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Imo, Edo, and Ebonyi.
He said they were lured to Ghana under false promises of employment but were instead forced into exploitative situations and bound by an oath of secrecy.
Dabiri-Erewa expressed her determination to the rescue of those still trafficked in conjuction with various stakeholders, noting that many more trafficked Nigerians are still awaiting rescue.
Director of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Mr. Williams Ayaregah praised NiDCOM’s efforts under Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa’s leadership.
He said: “More than ever, traffickers must realise that Ghana is no longer a safe haven.”
The operation, conducted in Kpone Katamanso, Tema, resulted in one of the largest single- operation arrests, with five traffickers apprehended.
Mr. Akinboye Akinsola, representing NiDCOM, played a critical role in escorting the rescued women back to Nigeria, where they were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for rehabilitation and reintegration.
Chief Callistus Elozieuwa added that two young men were also repatriated, including one who was previously detained in Ghanaian prison.
With NIDO Ghana’s assistance, the young man underwent rehabilitation and has now returned to his home state, Anambra, for family reintegration.
This cross-national effort underscores NiDCOM’s dedication to eradicating human trafficking and highlights the importance of international collaboration to protect Nigerians abroad.
NIDCOM Gets 17 Trafficked Girls Rescued, 5 Traffickers Arrested in Ghana
Crime
NDLEA intercepts US, Europe-bound drugs in shoe soles, N16.7 billion opioids at seaports
NDLEA intercepts US, Europe-bound drugs in shoe soles, N16.7 billion opioids at seaports
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and three courier companies in the state consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said a total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024 and additional 380 tablets were recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu last Thursday. He added that a cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.
Babafemi said not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.69 kilogrammes cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos last Thursday.
He said in the same vein, a total of 26,250,000 pills of tramadol as well as 508,400 bottles of codeine based syrup worth about N16.7 billion in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state both last Tuesday and Wednesday.
Babafemi said other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700 kilogrammes at Tincan and Onne ports respectively, while 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28 kilogrammes were also recovered from a container that arrived the Lagos port from Canada.
He said a suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure while a bribe of N10 million paid NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos last Friday raided the Igbo – Igunuko shrine, located at the Alfa Beach, Ajah, where jumbo bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,760 kilogrammes were recovered and two suspects: Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun arrested. Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin was also arrested same day with 770 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
He said a total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol and diazepam as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from the underground storage, a suspect, Muhammad Abdullahi dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal road, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos when NDLEA officers raided his home last Friday. He noted that the suspect dug the illicit drug storage deep in his room, covered it with padlocked iron slate, a rug and then put his mattress on top to avoid detection.
In Plateau state, a suspect Fadan Bindom, 39, was arrested at Pilgani village in possession of 65.85 kilogrammes cannabis and 18 grammes of tramadol, while another suspect Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei – Rayfield Jos South local government area with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam and pentazocine injection last Wednesday.
The spokesman said a major distributor of illicit drugs in FCT Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was last Monday nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5 kilogrammes cannabis linked to him at Wuse market park.
In Edo state, NDLEA operatives recovered 640 kilogrammes cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua, Esan Central local government area and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect Adereti Kazeem, 35, was nabbed with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133 kilogrammes at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun state last Thursday.
He noted that with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Osun, Plateau and Edo commands of the agency as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
NDLEA intercepts US, Europe-bound drugs in shoe soles, N16.7 billion opioids at seaports
Crime
Bobrisky Arrested by NIS at Seme Border
Bobrisky Arrested by NIS at Seme Border
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has apprehended Idris Okuneye popularly known as Bobrisky while trying to cross the border into Republic of Benin.
The Service in a statement on Monday signed by its Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Udo said: “In keeping with its commitment to securing the borders, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) intercepted Okuneye Idris Olarenwaju otherwise known as Bobrisky at the Seme Border over an attempt to Exit the Country.”
Udo added that: “The Service wishes to inform the public that Okuneye Idris is a person of interest over recent issues of public concern.
“He is undergoing interrogation and will be handed over to the appropriate Authorities for further action.
“The Service assures the public that it will continue to be civil and professional in its statutory responsibility of manning the Country’s Borders.”
Bobrisky Arrested by NIS at Seme Border
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