Category: The Nation – Nigeria

Big Brother Naija housemate, Imisioluwa Ayanwale, popularly known as Imisi on Sunday, October 5, won the ’10/10′ edition of the reality TV show.

The 23-year-old winner beat other top nine finalists to emerge the winner on Sunday night.

Here are 14 things to know about BBnaija season 10 winner Imisi:

1. Imisi’s full name is Imisioluwa Opeyemi Ayanwale.

2. She was born on January 24, 2002, and is 23 years old.

3. She hails from Oyo State, Nigeria.

4. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius.

5. Imisi is a graduate of the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), dispelling rumors that she was a university dropout.

6. She is a fashion designer, actress, and a script writer.

7. She gained popularity for her vivacious and entertaining personality on the show, earning praise from fans.

8. She has a knack for narrating events in the house, a habit that some housemates found irritating but viewers enjoyed.

9. Imisi made it to the Top 9 finalists of the ’10/10′ season before the grand finale.

10. She went viral for her response to Biggie when told to speak English during a presentation, with the phrase ‘Speak English’ trending online.

11. Her house relationships were tumultuous, especially her interactions with Faith, which often turned confrontational.

12. She shared heartbreaking personal stories on the show, including the loss of a child during a past relationship.

13. Known for her bold honesty and assertive nature, Imisi isn’t afraid to speak her mind, a trait some people find irritating.

14. In a post-eviction interview, she stated that she has four distinct personalities, including ‘Opeyemi,’ ‘Ayinke,’ ‘Eniola’ and ‘Imisi’.

Ahead of the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has summoned an emergency meeting to address the growing crisis within its ranks.

The move followed a lawsuit filed by the House Minority Leader, Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda, against all minority parties, alleging a plot to remove him without due process in violation of the 1999 Constitution and the standing orders of the House.

Following the suit, the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice J.O. Abdulmalik, granted an interim injunction directing all parties, including the National Assembly and the House leadership, to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the matter.

A notice of the emergency meeting, signed by PDP Caucus Leader Hon. Agbedi Frederick, Labour Party Caucus Leader Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, NNPP representative Hon. Muktar Umar-Zakari, and YPP Leader Hon. Peter Uzokwe, scheduled the session for 8 p.m. on Monday, October 6, 2025.

The notice, addressed to all minority members of the House, reads in part:

‘You are hereby invited to an emergency meeting to discuss recent developments in the minority leadership, particularly to review the lawsuit instituted by Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, against all members of minority parties in the 10th House of Representatives.’

The agenda of the meeting focuses on preparing a ‘response to the lawsuit instituted by the Minority Leader’ and addressing any other business (AOB).

Earlier on Saturday, The Nation reported that the Federal High Court halted alleged moves by some Minority Caucus members to remove Chinda (PDP, Rivers) over his perceived closeness to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The court’s interim order, issued following a suit filed on behalf of Chinda by Dr. J.Y. Musa (SAN), restrained all parties from taking further action until the case is decided.

Defendants in the suit include the National Assembly, the Clerk to the National Assembly, the House of Representatives, the Speaker, the Clerk of the House, and the leadership of the PDP, NNPP, Labour Party, APGA, SDP, ADP, and YPP.

Chinda is seeking an order restraining the Defendants, their servants, privies, officers, agents, members, howsoever described, from removing him as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives without compliance with the due process of the law or accepting/recognising any exercise by any person(s) purportedly removing him from his position as the Minority Leader of the House.

In his ruling, the Judge said, ‘It is my considered firm opinion that to ensure all the parties listed in these processes have equal playing ground by virtue of their constitutional rights enshrined in Section 36 (1) of the 1999 Constitution Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended), as well as the need to protect the res sought in the application. It is hereby ordered as follows:

‘That the applicant shall forthwith serve on all the Defendants/Respondents the Motion on Notice with Suit No:- FHC/ABJ/CS/1936/2025 filed on 16th September 2025, along with all relevant processes filed in this matter, so as not to foist a fait accompli on the outcome of the reliefs sought in this application which are also same reliefs prayed in the Motion on Notice with Suit No:- FHC/ABJ/CS/1936/2025.

‘THAT the hearing of the Motion on Notice with Suit No:- FHC/ABJ/CS/1936/ 2025 filed on 16th September 2025, shall pursuant to Section 6 (6) (b) of the 1999 Constitution Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended) be EXPEDIENTLY resolved on its MERIT by this Honourable Court for the attainment of Justice in this matter.

‘That all the concerned parties listed in this application SHALL maintain STATUS QUO in respect of the res prayed on the face of the motion ex parte pending the hearing and determination on its merit of the Motion on Notice with Suit No:- FHC/ABJ/CS/1936/2025 filed on 16th September 2025.

‘That all the Defendants/Respondents SHALL be served with Hearing Notices in respect of this matter.’

Anyone conversant with how our oil sector functions would have known that the purported truce brokered by the Department of State Service (DSS) early last month between Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) would not last because what is on the surface is not just the issue. There is high-wire financial and other considerations that led to the impasse between the refinery and the union

That explained why, almost immediately after the resolution of the dispute between the refinery and NUPENG, the other major union in the oil sector, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) began its own strike. The strike was initially called, again, over Dangote Refinery’s alleged sack of 800 Nigerian workers for joining PENGASSAN, and replacing them with foreigners.

The refinery confirmed the job cuts and described them as a ‘reorganisation exercise’ aimed at improving efficiency. But it said it never replaced Nigerians with foreigners as alleged by PENGASSAN, which was joined in solidarity in the strike by NUPENG.

I knew there was not going to be any respite after the NUPENG and Dangote deal. Even now, it does not seem to me that we have got to the end of the matter, despite the deal that made PENGASSAN to suspend its two-day strike started September 28, and ended on October 1.

I saw all of these coming because one does not have to be a prophet to know that what is rearing its ugly head in the oil sector would eventually come to pass. That was why I had asked several times on this page, somewhat rhetorically, why things that are as soft as bean cake in the mouths of people in other parts of the world become tough bones in the mouths of Nigerians, when Dangote Refinery and the former management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) quarrelled shortly before the then group chief executive officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, was sacked on April 2. The flip-flop policies of the NNPCL started causing disruptions in the price of fuel which had started to decline and stabilise. Things only took a dramatic turn as the NNPCL refused to renew the naira-for-crude deal with Dangote Refinery.

What I am saying is that what we seem to be having, even now, is peace of the graveyard. As a Yoruba proverb says, ‘oku te sin leekan, ese e si wa nita’ (the legs of the corpse you buried are protruding outside the grave).

When the present crisis began about three weeks ago, some allegations were made against the unions in the oil sector. One that stunned me most was the one that NUPENG collects about N70,000 on every loaded truck at the NNPCL depots.

Some experts have done the calculations of the average number of trucks loaded daily and multiplied by the N70,000 or N75,000. I couldn’t believe my ears when I first heard about this and the first question that came into my mind was ‘owo kinni’ (what is the money for?)

ýWeeks after, I have not seen anyone deny that allegation or say what the money is all about. Mum has been the word from NUPENG until PENGASSAN came up with its own strike. ý Ordinarily, our anti-graft agencies should have been interested in this and call for NUPENG’s books for scrutiny.

The truce reached on the two occasions between the oil unions and Dangote Refinery reminds me of the joke a colleague used to crack many years ago about an undergraduate student who was suspended for breaking one of the university’s rules. The young man was asked to bring his parents. It happened that only the father went with him, and he was a stark illiterate.

When they got to the vice-chancellor ‘s office, he told the father what the son did. The father agreed that his son did not do well and simply asked him to prostrate and apologise to the vice-chancellor. As soon as he did, the father asked him to take his bag and baggage to his hall of residence and sin no more, and thanked the vice-chancellor for his magnanimity! Is that how it works?

If the unions in the oil sector were truly patriotic, with power of strike that they deploy at will, our refineries should not have been dormant for the decades they have been. How else do you explain it: refineries are not working and the workers were getting paid for doing nothing? I saw figures that some experts quoted as what they collected as salaries and other emoluments running into trillions of Naira, for doing practically nothing over the years. As a matter of fact, they were still going on trainings abroad, according to some accounts, and NNPCL under successive governments was releasing funds for the travels and other emoluments.

The oil unions saw nothing to go on strike over all those years of the locust. Their members were getting salaries and the bank alerts were coming by way of check-off dues paid by the members, which, really, seemed the basic concern of the unions and their leaders.

It was so easy for both the unions and the respective managements of the NNPCL to be chummy because, again, permit me to fall back on another Yoruba proverb: ‘ko s’aremo lomo elede, gbogbo won lo nyi’ra mere’ (there is no difference between the first and last borns of pigs as they all play happily together in the mud).

Both the NNPCL officials and the unions were all united by the monies they all made off Nigerians’ misery, despite the fact that the refineries were not working.

If care is not taken, the oil sector unions may be looking forward to such abnormality of ‘oga ta, oga o ta, owo alaaru a pe’ (it is not the truck pusher’s business whether his client sells or not; his (the truck pusher) will get his money complete even now that the sector has been fully liberalised!

And, before you say Jack Robinson, the unions would call their members out on strike, saying it is not their members’ business whether Dangote Refinery is functioning or not. They would be deaf and blind to the reality that they are no longer dealing with a government entity. It is only government that can continue to spend public funds the way the unions are used to: paying salaries without productivity. As we all know, government’s money in Nigeria is like a mad man’s leg which anyone can always go to cut a piece from because it belongs to no one in particular! Or, is the mad man himself not ‘government pikin’ in our country?

It would be naive, mischievous or simply fool-hardy for anyone to expect Dangote Refinery to leave distribution of its products in the hands of NUPENG as we now know it. That would tantamount to committing business suicide. Even at a point, the Federal Government began to buy fuel tankers because it did not want to leave that in the hands of unions that would declare strike overnight and cripple its activities over mundane matters.

The owner of the refinery has studied the sector very well; and you cannot blame him. You don’t invest over $20billion in a project and some people without a dime in it would come and ruin it for you, just because they are involved in the distribution of the products.

I had said it before, that we would see strange developments in the oil sector because, one; many of the players in the sector have been so used to importation and all its trappings and they cannot imagine how all of that would end overnight. The old regime profited them and it is impossible for them to contemplate that all that is over now. Seeing fuel pumps dispensing fuel for one year without disruption is enough to give them heartache. We cannot rule that out in the strike we just witnessed.

The fact of the matter is that it can no longer be business as usual in the oil sector because of the dynamics of ownership that has changed hands.

Newspaper owners in the country would not forget their experiences with newspaper agents; people who have no investment in the multi-billion business but want to determine what happens in the business, including how much the newspaper should be sold, just because they are involved in the distribution process.

With the refinery investing N720 billion on 4,000 tankers, the signal should be clear to the oil unions that they are dealing with someone with the muscle to drive his company with little push, that not even the labour unions would wield any significant influence beyond getting their check-off dues from their members, not from the refinery or Nigerians that would bear the N75,000 per truck that they claim NUPENG alone corners.

Ordinarily, these trucks would not have been necessary if successive governments had maintained the oil pipelines in the country.

Without doubt, NUPENG has turned full cycle from the progressive NUPENG of the Frank Kokori’s days to what it has become today. The NUPENG that Kokori led from 1982 to m1999 was one that fought on the side of the Nigerian people against our military overlords who were not ready to gift us democracy in spite of their rhetoric to do same. Unlike today’s union leaders, when the union called workers out for strike then, the nation caught cold because it was not used like a toy that it has become. Nigerians would not forget the heroic role the union played in the struggle to send the soldiers to their barracks, leading to the democracy that we enjoy today.

In spite of the fact that the NUPENG’s leadership did suffer in the course of the democratic struggle, they lived a Spartan lifestyle. We never heard they collected huge sums on every truck of fuel. Not so today’s labour leaders; the very extravagant lifestyle that they condemn the politicians for, they are also living in their own fiefdoms.

In fact, if the NUPENG and PENGASSAN leaders think deeply, they would realise that Nigerians no longer see them as the pristine conscience of the nation that they used to be, especially in their ongoing fight with Dangote Refinery. Ordinarily, they should have been the toast of the man on the street, with the full weight of Nigerians behind them. Fighting for Nigerians is not the same thing as fighting for selfish or parochial interests.

The earlier the unions in the oil industry realised that things have changed in that industry from one in which government was the dominant player and adjust accordingly, the better for them. ýAt the rate they are going, it is only a matter of time for them to demystify themselves, preparatory to their inglorious slide into irrelevance and obscurity.

Labour leaders in the oil sector should thank God for democracy. In some other climes, they would be in the dock for economic sabotage.

Now, you may ask me; where do I place monopolistic tendencies in all of these? That is a business left for the Federal Government to address. It is its duty to seek a delicate balance between some spoilt unions and business investment, not Dangote’s.

The Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Adamu Ahmed, has revealed that the institution spends nearly ?4 billion annually on energy, describing it as ‘crippling and unsustainable.’

Speaking during a press conference to mark the university’s 63rd anniversary at the Senate Building, Main Campus in Samaru, Zaria on Saturday, Professor Ahmed said the high energy bill was hampering academic activities and research.

He disclosed that to cushion the burden, ABU had taken bold steps towards self-reliance, challenging its staff and students to innovate while seeking partnerships for sustainable energy solutions.

According to him, the Federal Government has also acknowledged the crisis, providing an initial ?1billion intervention last year through TETFund, and approving another project to deliver 10 megawatts of renewable energy to the institution.

‘We’ve also reached out to our alumni, particularly the SBS class of 1975, who are already implementing a solar-powered project for one of our CBT centres,’ Ahmed said. ‘We’re taking our destiny into our own hands while expecting continued support from outside.’

The Vice Chancellor reiterated that ABU was founded to serve as a bridge of unity and progress for Nigeria, explaining that the late Premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello, intended the university to educate both the North and South without ethnic or religious barriers.

He lamented, however, that insecurity and poverty had undermined the North’s development and disrupted educational growth, insisting that ABU would now focus on addressing these challenges through research, agriculture, and policy advocacy.

Highlighting ABU’s vast agricultural assets, including the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), NAPRI, and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, he said no other West African university had such capacity to drive agricultural and economic recovery.

The Vice Chancellor also stressed that insecurity could not be solved by force alone, advocating for non-kinetic approaches that encourage dialogue, understanding, and community-driven peacebuilding. ‘We have the capacity, the research, and the networks,’ he said. ‘And we are ready to lead the charge in finding lasting solutions.’

He noted that from its humble beginning in 1962 with just four faculties, 15 departments, and 426 students, ABU has grown into 18 faculties, 110 departments, seven institutes, four colleges, and 17 research centres, making it the largest university system in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ahmed said ABU had earned global recognition with the Times Higher Education ranking it the best public university in Nigeria in 2025, while it also received the JAMB award for internationalisation and diversity. It is, he added, one of only three Nigerian universities that made the QS 2025 World University Rankings.

He disclosed that the university has also won three World Bank Centres of Excellence grants worth over $15 million, and a pound 5 million Horizon grant for an artificial intelligence project developing microscopes to improve the diagnosis of neglected parasitic diseases.

Thousands of women from various local government areas and communities around Warri, Delta State, converged on Urhobo College, Warri, to receive packs of food items from Glo Foundation in its ‘Giving Back Together’ initiative.

The event was in continuation of the special intervention programme by Globacom to support the most vulnerable segment of society with essential food items to cushion the effects of the economic situation.

At the programme, women, including the aged and widows from far and near communities such as Warri North, Warri South, Aladja, Ughelli South, Udu, and Uvwie local government areas, gathered immediately after the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise to benefit from the scheme.

Speaking at the event, Globacom’s head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Mrs Jumobi Mofe-Damijo, stated that having successfully held similar food donation programmes in some other states, it was the turn of women in Delta to also be part of the programme.

She explained that the food drive had become a quick, go-to route for the company to reach out to the largely female population, who constitute the bulk of the disadvantaged in every society.

‘Our Food Drive is not just for anyone. It is targeted at the most vulnerable segment of the Nigerian society, that is women and children. When we help them, we are helping the society at large,’ she enthused.

Each food pack distributed had 5 kilograms of rice, 5 kilograms of Gaari, semovita, spaghetti, vegetable oil, sachets of tomato paste, sardines, seasoning cubes, noodles, and other essential items that the women would find useful at home.

The beneficiaries sang and danced in gratitude to Globacom for the initiative. Princess Omo-Udoyo, from Ughelli North, felt so joyful being a beneficiary. ‘I have not seen this before. I thank God and the Glo Foundation for this gift’, she said.

For Mrs Esther Okoro who hails from Otu Jeremi, Ughelli South, it was just prayers that she kept offering when asked about the package she received. Said she: ‘God will lift the company and people who have done this. He will lift them higher and higher. They will never lack anything. For doing this for us today, I say may God protect them. You will always go higher.’

The Globacom Food Drive initiative is also planned to berth in other key cities across the country in the months ahead where more women will also benefit.

The striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) Chapter in Ondo State have decried what they described as the deplorable state of infrastructure and gross underfunding of the state-owned institution under the Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa-led administration.

The union members, currently on strike over alleged non-payment of salaries and arrears, said the continued neglect of the university had severely affected the welfare of academic staff and crippled the institution’s growth

Addressing journalists in Akure, the AAUA-ASUU Chairperson, Comrade Boluwaji Oshodi, lamented that the university had suffered ‘serious neglect’ from successive governments in the past six years, especially, in terms of funding, which has resulted in a huge backlog of salary arrears and allowances running into billions of naira.

Oshodi explained that several meetings were held with the university management to resolve the issues until it became clear that the root problem was ‘inadequate funding,’ citing low monthly subventions and the non-release of capital grants by the state government.

He noted that ASUU had written several letters dated May 3 and June 10, 2025, requesting a meeting with Governor Aiyedatiwa but received no positive response.

According to Oshodi, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and lecturers’ offices have become inhabitable, with leaking roofs and collapsed structures worsening the learning environment.

‘The neglect of the university has greatly affected the welfare of the academic staff of this great university. The following are currently being experienced by the University: Bad access road to the university – There are two roads linking the University to the Owo-Ikare major highway. The two roads are in deplorable conditions such that it is difficult to believe that they actually lead to a university.

‘Poor infrastructure in the university: Lecture rooms, laboratories, and library need some urgent face lift. Lecturers’ offices are the worst hit. The faculty of Arts, a two-storey building, for example, has been abandoned by staff accommodated on the second floor because the inner roofs of most offices have collapsed and are usually flooded anytime it rains. The same thing is happening to the Faculty of Education. The roof is leaking, making the offices on the last floor become inhabitable anytime it rains,’ he said.

He further revealed that the state government had not released any capital grants to the university in the past seven years, despite yearly budgetary appropriations by the State House of Assembly.

The ASUU chair also revealed that since the withdrawal of TETfund intervention by the immediate past administration, the institution had witnessed a severe infrastructural decline.

He noted that the current monthly subvention of N223,125,000 was far below the N555-N600 million required for salaries and overheads.

Oshodi added that although the government once invited the university management led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Olugbenga Ige for a meeting where it was agreed that a verification team from the Ministry of Finance would visit the school by July 2025.

However, he noted that no such visit had taken place.

‘After over two months of waiting, the state government has neither sent the verification team nor invited the union for any further talks. As of today, October 3, 2025, our members are being owed two months’ salary (August and September 2025), in addition to huge outstanding arrears,’ he said.

He listed the outstanding liabilities as Excess workload arrears (2009-2013: 70%, 2014-2020: 100%) – Over ?4.5bn, promotion/annual increment arrears (2021/2022)- N65m, promotion/annual increment arrears (2022/2023)-N200m outstanding minimum wage arrears (2014)-N276,664,779.96, Outstanding minimum wage arrears (2019)- N1,939,346,017.32, third-party deductions (March-August 2025)- over N24m, cooperative deductions-NOver N102,142,742.10

Oshodi, therefore, called on Governor Aiyedatiwa to urgently intervene and salvage the institution from what he described as ‘looming total collapse.’

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Education in the state, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun, told The Nation that the issues raised by the striking lecturers were being addressed.

Ajibefun, who pleaded with the ASUU members to exercise patience with the government, added that the Governor Aiyedatiwa led administration has been investing much in education in the state.

‘We shall be meeting the lecturers and union leaders soon to address these issues. One thing is that the governor is a lover of education and he is not relenting in investing in the sector. So, all their grievances would be resolved soon,’ he said.

The ancient city of Ile-Ife welcomed the world to the grand finale of the 2025 Olojo Festival on Saturday, September 27.

Recognised as one of the most sacred celebrations in Yoruba land, this year’s edition was elevated by the presence of Seaman’s Schnapps – Nigeria’s number one original prayer drink – which proudly served as the official prayer drink used for libation and prayers.

Earlier, His Imperial Majesty, Oonirisa Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), received the Seaman’s Schnapps team ahead of his sacred seclusion and expressed gratitude for the brand’s consistent support of the festival and its role in promoting Yoruba heritage.

‘Seaman’s Schnapps has stood with us year after year, showing dedication to this festival and the upliftment of our culture. Such loyalty is worthy of honour, and it strengthens our resolve to preserve these traditions for generations to come. We deeply appreciate this commitment.’

The festival reached its spiritual peak as the Oonirisa emerged from seclusion in a symbolic procession. With chants echoing through the city, Seaman’s Schnapps was poured in prayers and blessings, reinforcing its place in Yoruba spirituality and tradition.

At the Seaman’s experience stands, elegantly branded hostesses welcomed guests, while traditional chanters and ewi performers filled the air with rhythm and reverence. Visitors enjoyed Seaman’s Schnapps, creating a rich fusion of flavour, culture, and celebration.

Mr. Gbemileke Lawal, Marketing Manager, Nigeria Distilleries Limited, said: ‘Olojo Festival is a timeless celebration of Yoruba identity and heritage. Seaman’s Schnapps is proud to serve as the prayer drink at its centre. Our role is to honour tradition and strengthen the link between the past and present.’

Mrs. Nnenna Uche-Onyenacho, Senior Brand Manager, Seaman’s Schnapps, added: ‘Seaman’s Schnapps is more than a drink – it is a cultural icon. Seeing people connect with our brand during this sacred festival reinforces our responsibility to protect heritage while creating significant experiences.’

The 2025 Olojo Festival brought together Yoruba monarchs, dignitaries, cultural enthusiasts, and visitors from around the world. Through every libation, chant, and raised glass, Seaman’s Schnapps reaffirmed its role as the drink of honour, prayer, and blessings – a true bridge between the ancestors and today’s generation.

Several travellers were killed and abducted on Friday evening when heavily armed bandits attacked commuters along the Mayanchi-Anka Road in Zamfara State.

Eyewitnesses said the gunmen laid siege to the busy highway, halting vehicles and forcing passengers into the surrounding bushes.

One of the survivors, Malam Muhammad Ahmad, who narrowly escaped, recounted the horrifying encounter.

‘The bandits blocked us on the road and kidnapped many people,’ he said. ‘Some of us scattered and ran into the bushes. Those who managed to escape did so by hiding in farmlands covered with tall crops.’

Ahmad added that his colleague, Abubakar Lawali Sardauna, was shot dead after resisting abduction.

‘He refused to go with them, saying he would not follow the bandits to the bush. They killed him on the spot,’ Ahmad said.

As of press time, the number of abducted victims could not be confirmed as efforts to reach the Zamfara State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, were unsuccessful.

The Mayanchi-Anka axis has long been a hotspot for bandit attacks, with residents and motorists repeatedly urging security agencies to intensify patrols and restore safety to the volatile route.

Troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, have intensified their fight against oil theft in the Niger Delta, destroying eight illegal refineries and seizing over 18,000 litres of stolen crude oil in a series of coordinated operations across Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Bayelsa states.

The Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, confirmed the development in a statement, noting that the operations – carried out in collaboration with other security agencies – also led to the arrest of several suspects.

According to him, troops dismantled a newly constructed illegal refining site around Joinkrama 4 in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovering over 3,500 litres of stolen crude oil. Other items destroyed included receivers, ovens, drums, and connecting pipes used for illicit refining.

‘Additionally, acting on credible intelligence, troops intercepted a red Mercedes-Benz vacuum truck with registration number AHD 925 XA loaded with over 3,200 litres of stolen crude along Aba Road in Oyigbo LGA. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled upon sighting the troops,’ Danjuma said.

He added that clearance operations conducted along the fringes of the Imo River also resulted in the deactivation of another illegal refining site, where troops recovered three drum pots, two drum receivers, and over 2,000 litres of stolen crude oil stored in sacks. Further seizures were made at Odogwa in Etche LGA, Obeama Uzomiri Waterside in Oyigbo LGA, and Obiafor Oil Field in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA.

In Akwa Ibom State, troops intercepted two Toyota Camry vehicles with registration numbers ANA 495 CK and AKD 233 EQ, conveying 120 nylon bags containing more than 3,600 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) along Ikot Okoro, Abak LGA. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the operation.

Similarly, in Bayelsa State, around Biseni Community along Kemezia Road, troops discovered over 950 litres of stolen petroleum products hidden in an abandoned building at No. 70, Yenagoa LGA.

Danjuma said the General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Eric Emekah commended the troops for their commitment and resilience, urging them to sustain the momentum.

He also warned criminal elements to desist from acts of economic sabotage and embrace legitimate means of livelihood, affirming that the division would continue to ensure that ‘the forests remain green and the waters blue’ through zero tolerance for oil theft and related crimes.

Stakeholders in the maritime industry have urged the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to exercise caution in its reported plan to review Cargo Survey (CS) contracts awarded in 2019 for a 10-year duration.

The contracts, which have been in operation for over five years, are scheduled to expire in 2029.

In a letter dated September 2025, NPA Managing Director, Abubakar Dantsoho, said the planned review was aimed at enhancing operational needs and efficiency.

Representatives of the industry, under the aegis of the Maritime Integrity Movement, appealed for broader consultation with affected companies before any major changes are implemented.

Convener of the group, Lucky Abegunde, said the NPA should ensure that all actions related to the contracts align with due process and the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

He noted that maintaining transparency and fairness in procurement procedures would help strengthen investor confidence and prevent disruptions in port operations.

The group further advised that any review of the contracts should be handled in a way that protects government interests while sustaining efficiency within the maritime sector.