NAN Staff Seek Urgent Protection Over Alleged Land Grabbing, Threats in Ibadan

By: Michael Mike

Tension is mounting in Ibadan as staff members of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) have formally petitioned the Oyo State Real Property Protection Agency over what they describe as a brazen invasion of their legally acquired housing estate land.

The affected workers are alleging forceful entry, destruction of property and threats to life on a 35-acre parcel of land located at Butubutu Village in Ona-Ara Local Government Area, on the outskirts of Ibadan.

In a petition dated December 11, 2025, and signed by their solicitor, Ademola Sodamade, the employees accused suspected land speculators of unlawfully encroaching on the property, dismantling boundary beacons and signposts, and damaging installations on the site. The petition named Mr. Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Mrs. Oluwamayowa Ayinde and Mr. Adewale Owoade among verified landowners under the scheme.

According to the petitioners, the land was collectively purchased between 2013 and 2014 through a cooperative housing arrangement established by staff of the NAN Ibadan Zonal Office. Following the acquisition, the land was surveyed, partitioned and allocated to contributors — most of them employees of the agency — after due documentation and perfection of title.

However, the workers alleged that in recent months, a group led by a man identified as Mr. Kazim, popularly known as Abija, forcefully entered the estate without authorization. They claimed the group uprooted survey pillars, removed signposts, destroyed farm produce and openly threatened violence against legitimate owners who attempted to challenge the encroachment.

The petition further alleged that the invaders were making efforts to resell portions of the land to third parties, raising fears of multiple claims and prolonged litigation.

Chairman of the NAN Housing Estate Scheme, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, described the development as distressing and dangerous. He said the housing project was conceived more than a decade ago to enable staff members become property owners through structured monthly contributions.

“It is alarming that hoodlums would invade land legitimately purchased by hardworking Nigerians, destroy installations and issue threats to kill anyone who resists them,” Balogun stated. “We are law-abiding citizens, and we expect the government to protect our rights and investments.”

The petitioners said copies of their complaint — along with purchase agreements, survey plans, photographs and other supporting documents — had also been forwarded to the Olubadan Committee on Land Grabbing, the Office of the Deputy Governor and the Chief Press Secretary to the Oyo State Governor.

The workers are now calling for immediate intervention to halt further encroachment, restore boundary demarcations and guarantee the safety of landowners.

The incident once again brings to the fore the persistent challenge of land grabbing and property disputes in parts of Oyo State, where enforcement of real property protection laws has become critical to preventing violence and safeguarding legitimate ownership.

As of press time, those accused in the petition had not publicly responded to the allegations.

NAN Staff Seek Urgent Protection Over Alleged Land Grabbing, Threats in Ibadan

283 Illegal Refineries Were Dismantled Under My Watch- Audi

By: Michael Mike

After three decades in uniform, including five years at the helm of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Commandant General Ahmed Abubakar Audi has stepped down, declaring that the Corps under his leadership dealt decisive blows to oil theft and economic sabotage across Nigeria.

Speaking at his valedictory address, Audi revealed that no fewer than 283 illegal refineries were dismantled during his tenure, describing the operations as part of an intensified crackdown on crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and related crimes that have long drained the nation’s revenue and damaged its environment.

He said the Corps strengthened its operational capacity through intelligence-led enforcement, strategic deployments and collaboration with other security agencies. According to him, the destruction of illegal refining sites was complemented by arrests, prosecutions and convictions of suspected economic saboteurs, sending a clear message that attacks on critical national assets would not be tolerated.

Illegal refineries — often makeshift facilities hidden in creeks and remote communities — have been blamed for massive crude losses, environmental pollution and fires. Their operations not only undermine government earnings but also worsen insecurity in oil-producing regions. Audi maintained that disrupting these networks required persistence, improved surveillance and the commitment of personnel across commands nationwide.

Beyond the anti-oil theft campaign, Audi said the NSCDC expanded its mandate in protecting critical infrastructure, managing disaster response efforts and supporting humanitarian interventions. He noted that the Corps repositioned itself as a frontline agency in safeguarding national assets while responding to emerging internal security threats.

Reflecting on his 30-year career, Audi expressed gratitude to officers and men of the Corps, urging them to remain disciplined, professional and patriotic. He emphasized that the gains recorded in the fight against economic sabotage must be sustained and built upon by the incoming leadership.

Security analysts say his exit comes at a time when the battle against crude oil theft remains a top national priority, with authorities under pressure to boost oil production and stabilize revenues. Whether the momentum recorded under Audi will be sustained now rests with his successor, as the Corps continues to confront one of the country’s most entrenched economic crimes.

283 Illegal Refineries Were Dismantled Under My Watch- Audi

Fourteen Abducted Victims Released in Maru, Zamfara State; Two Killed in Captivity

By: Zagazola Makama

Fourteen victims abducted in December 2025, including six family members of Inspector Hussaini Abubakar of Maru Police Division, have been released by their captors.

Zagazola reliably gathered that the release occurred at about 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 26, 2026. Unfortunately, two of the victims, identified as Bashir Marafa, aged 45, and Halliru Kabiru, aged 50, were killed while in captivity.

Sources added that a pregnant woman among the abductees delivered a baby girl while in captivity. The victims are currently receiving medical attention at the General Hospital, Maru.

Fourteen Abducted Victims Released in Maru, Zamfara State; Two Killed in Captivity