Crime
Army troops foils major bunkering operation along Lagos waterways, recovers trucks, arrest 15 suspects
Army troops foils major bunkering operation along Lagos waterways, recovers trucks, arrest 15 suspects
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have dismantled a suspected large-scale oil theft syndicate operating along the Lekki–Ibeju coastal axis of Lagos State, arresting 15 suspects and recovering multiple vehicles, marine equipment, and pumping devices used in illegal petroleum siphoning.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation was conducted in the early hours of April 17, 2026, by troops of 65 Battalion under the 81 Division, following sustained human intelligence and surveillance on suspected crude oil and refined product theft activities in the area close to the Dangote Refinery corridor.
According to the sources, the troops deployed from Bonny Cantonment moved into the Lekki Free Zone general area after intelligence indicated that a coordinated illegal bunkering operation was ongoing at a creek location linked to offshore barge activities.
The sources explained that upon arrival at about 1:30 a.m., troops discovered that suspected bunkerers were actively siphoning petroleum products from a vessel positioned offshore. The product was reportedly being transferred through an improvised pipeline system into a waiting tanker truck stationed onshore.
The illegal operation, according to the sources, involved the use of floating hoses, pumping machines, and a concealed offshore barge system, designed to move petroleum products from sea-based installations into land-based storage and transport vehicles.
Troops reportedly intervened and arrested 15 suspects at the scene, while the illegal pumping activity was immediately halted. However, due to the tidal conditions and sea wave intensity at the time of the operation, troops were unable to physically access the offshore barge believed to be part of the criminal network.
Recovered items from the scene include a Mack tanker truck, a Lexus RX 350 SUV, a Ford Ranger pickup vehicle, a pumping machine, a 40HP Yamaha speedboat engine, and a large quantity of industrial hose pipes suspected to have been used for product transfer.
Security sources further disclosed that the operation followed earlier tracking of suspicious movements in the area, including reports of illegal connections suspected to be siphoning petroleum products from high-value industrial supply points within the Lekki Free Zone environment.
All arrested suspects and recovered exhibits have been taken into custody for detailed investigation aimed at identifying the broader network behind the operation, including offshore collaborators and land-based logistics support units.
Military said preliminary investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of damage, ownership of vessels involved, and possible collusion with external actors operating within the maritime corridor.
Security forces have also intensified surveillance across coastal routes and industrial installations in Lagos State as part of wider efforts to curb crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal petroleum product diversion.
The military assured that follow-up operations will continue to target remaining members of the syndicate and dismantle all associated logistics chains supporting illegal bunkering activities in the region.
Army troops foils major bunkering operation along Lagos waterways, recovers trucks, arrest 15 suspects
Farmer injured in alleged attack by herders in Bokkos
By Zagazola Makama
A female farmer was injured after she was allegedly attacked by suspected Fulani herders at Josho village in Daffo District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The incident occurred at about 5:15 p.m. on Sept. 16, 2026, when troops of Sector 5, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), responded to a report of an attack on the farmer, identified as Mrs Sarah Luka.
According to the report, the attack followed an alleged dispute after Luka resisted cattle grazing on her farmland.
Troops who arrived at the scene found the victim with injuries, while the suspected attackers had fled before their arrival.
Luka was evacuated to a hospital for medical attention.
Security personnel have commenced efforts to track and apprehend the fleeing suspects for further investigation and appropriate legal action.
Farmer injured in alleged attack by herders in Bokkos
South African Woman Bags 40 years for 5.75kg Heroin at Nigerian Airport
By: Michael Mike
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday sentenced a 38-year-old South African woman to 40 years imprisonment for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria using her three-year-old son as cover.
Justice Obiora Egwuatu convicted Ms. Will Jessica Ann on two counts of importation and conspiracy to import heroin in charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/422/2026, which she pleaded guilty to.
The court sentenced her to 15 years on count one and 25 years on count two. The sentences will run concurrently. She will effectively spend 25 years in jail.
Ann was arrested on July 6, 2026, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
NDLEA said she concealed 14 large blocks of heroin in two checked-in bags and travelled with her toddler to evade security screening.
According to the agency, she initially denied owning any checked luggage. Officers, however, linked two bags containing the drugs to her through baggage tags that tallied with claim tags attached to her passport.
She later admitted ownership, claiming she forgot she checked in the bags. She told investigators she flew in from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.
Intelligence, NDLEA said, shows she is a member of a transnational drug trafficking organisation operating along the Cambodian-South African axis with her husband and partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager.
De Jager, who is based in Cambodia, was arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2026, while attempting to traffic 3.2 kilogrammes of illicit drugs to Hong Kong.
Reacting to the conviction, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), said the judgment demonstrates the judiciary’s resolve to support the agency’s war against drug trafficking.
Marwa said the conviction reinforces the agency’s position that Nigeria will not be a soft landing for international drug cartels.
He said the arrest of the convict’s partner three weeks after her arrest in Abuja underscores the strength of intelligence-sharing and collaboration between NDLEA and its foreign partners.
He said the agency will continue to strengthen airport interdiction and international collaboration to dismantle trafficking networks using Nigeria as a corridor.
Marwa warned that anyone, regardless of nationality, caught trafficking illicit drugs through Nigeria will face the full weight of the law.
South African Woman Bags 40 years for 5.75kg Heroin at Nigerian Airport
Kidnapped woman escapes abductors in Plateau, receives treatment for minor injuries
By: Zagazola Makama
A woman who was kidnapped by suspected armed robbers along the Kassa–Barkin Ladi highway in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State has reportedly escaped from her abductors and is receiving medical treatment.
The victim was abducted on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, after suspected armed robbers blocked the highway with stones and intercepted vehicles along the route.
Security sources said the woman managed to escape from her abductors in the early hours of Wednesday, Sept. 16, and subsequently made her way to safety.
She is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Heipang, where she is being attended to for minor injuries reportedly sustained during the incident.
The development followed an earlier response by troops of Sector 4, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), deployed at the Alpha Guard location, who cleared the highway after discovering an ash-coloured Sharon vehicle without a registration number at the scene.
Sources said a security team has been dispatched to independently verify the circumstances of the woman’s escape and establish the location from which she escaped, as well as gather further evidence.
Security forces are also expected to intensify efforts to identify and apprehend the suspected kidnappers operating along the Kassa–Barkin Ladi axis.
Kidnapped woman escapes abductors in Plateau, receives treatment for minor injuries
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