The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • Police bust cult members from Edo, Lagos, Osun in Ondo

    Police bust cult members from Edo, Lagos, Osun in Ondo

    …arrest 25 suspects during initiation

    …recovers SUV highlander, motorcycle from cult leaders 

    Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have foiled an alleged cult initiation ceremony at Uso community in Owo Local Government Area of the state, arresting 25 suspected members of a proscribed cult group.

    The suspects were alleged to be members of the outlawed Black Axe confraternity, also known as the Neo Black Movement (NBM), while their arrest followed credible intelligence received by the police from concerned citizens.

    According to the police, the suspects reportedly travelled from Lagos, Osun, and Edo states to Ondo State to participate in the initiation of new members into the cult group before they were caught and apprehended. 

    Their arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, and made available to journalists in Akure, the state capital.

    “Acting swiftly on the information, operatives of the Command were mobilised and deployed using intelligence-led tactics to disrupt the planned initiation. 

    “The operation resulted in the arrest of twenty-five (25) suspects, drawn from Ondo State, Osun State, Lagos State, and Edo State, at the scene of the initiation,” Abayomi said. 

    He disclosed that one Toyota Highlander SUV and one unregistered Daylong motorcycle were recovered during the operation, adding that the suspects are currently in police custody.

    Abayomi further revealed that the suspects have allegedly confessed to their involvement in cult-related activities and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

    Commending the operatives, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Adebowale Lawal, lauded his men for their swift response, professionalism and dedication, stressing that the command would not relent in its fight against cultism across the state.

    Lawal also expressed appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, for his strategic leadership and continued support, which he said had strengthened the command’s anti-cultism operations.

    The Ondo police boss, however, advised youths to shun cultism and other criminal activities, warning that such acts only lead to grave consequences. 

    He reassured residents of the command’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in the state and urged the public to continue providing credible information to aid crime prevention.

  • Police confirm killing of suspected thug in Bauchi

    Police confirm killing of suspected thug in Bauchi

    The Bauchi Police Command has confirmed the death of a suspected political thug, Bello Al-amin Waziri, popularly known as Al-amin Koyi, in what operatives described as a reprisal attack by a rival gang.

    The Command also announced the arrest of three suspects allegedly linked to the violent attack, alongside the recovery of two dangerous weapons used during the incident.

    According to the spokesman of the Command, CSP Mohammed Ahmed Wakil, in a statement issued on Wednesday, the incident occurred on November 8, 2025, at about 10:50 p.m., following a distress call to the Divisional Police Officer of C Division, CSP Abubakar N. Pindiga.

    The statement detailed that a group of suspected thugs — including Nazifi (aka Maikare), Aliyu Abubakar (aka Bigi), 19; Sadiyo Aliyu, 21; Al-Amin Bolatu; Baba Budi; Boda; Ishe; Suleja; and Ada’u (aka Adahama), all from Anguwan Makafi — allegedly stormed Unguwan Dawaki in Bauchi LGA armed with machetes and other weapons.

    They reportedly attacked members of the community, inflicting serious injuries on one Abba, popularly known as Hitler, said to be a neighbour of their initial target.

    Police operatives from C Division, led by the DPO, were said to have responded immediately.

    On arrival, they found that some of the suspects had been subjected to mob action. Bello Al-amin Waziri was found unconscious and was rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), where he was later confirmed dead.

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    Continuing, Wakil revealed further that operatives arrested one Sadiq Aliyu Abdullahi, 19, known as Nahau — believed to be at the centre of the dispute — in addition to recovering two machetes.

    Two other accomplices, Umar Salisu (aka Sarka) and Aliyu Abubakar (aka Abba Bigi), were also apprehended.

    Preliminary investigations by the Police revealed that the suspects had earlier clashed with youths from Unguwan Dawaki and Unguwan Makafi, prompting a retaliatory attack.

    They reportedly injured Abba (aka Hitler) during the first attack and returned the following day, targeting Al-amin Koyi.

    During the confrontation, Sadiq Aliyu Abdullahi attempted to rescue his friend but was attacked, resulting in three of his fingers being cut off. Al-amin Koyi was stabbed to death in the same incident.

    The Command confirmed the arrest of Sadiq Aliyu Abdullahi, 21; Aliyu Abubakar, 23; and Umar Salisu, 23 — all from Anguwan Makafi.

    Efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining suspects who fled the scene.

    Reacting to the incident, Commissioner of Police, CP Sani-Omolori Aliyu, condemned the rising incidents of youth violence, mob action, and thuggery.

    He warned that such acts are criminal and punishable under Nigerian law.

    He ordered the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for thorough investigation and prosecution.

    The Command urged residents to report criminal activities promptly and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

  • Bandits abduct five nursing mothers, rustle 50 cows in Kano community

    Bandits abduct five nursing mothers, rustle 50 cows in Kano community

    Bandits have kidnapped five breastfeeding women in Yan Kwada village of Faruruwa, Shanono local government area of Kano state, leaving their babies to cry throughout.

    The gunmen, who rode on motorcycles, also rustled 50 cows and an unspecified number of goats and sheep.

    The attackers invaded the community on Sunday at 9 pm, carrying out house-to-house raids, witnesses said.

    The Chairman of the Community Security Forum (CSF) of Faruruwa, Alhaji Yahya Bagobiri, confirmed the incident to newsmen on Monday.

    Bagobiri expressed dismay that the attack was carried out despite the deployment of armed military personnel and other security agents in the area.

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    He disclosed that one of the kidnapped nursing mothers, however, escaped from the bandits and found her way back to Yan Kwada.

    Bagobiri lamented that in the last three weeks, even as the military men and other security personnel were drafted to Yan Kwada, the village had been under daily attacks and rustling of their animals.

    Many of the residents are fleeing the area, he said.

    “We continue to see these attacks almost daily, despite the presence of the military and other security forces.

    “Even yesterday (Sunday), we heard that bandits were coming to attack, and we alerted the security, but nothing was done until they came around 9 pm.

    “They raided homes and whisked away five nursing mothers. One of them luckily escaped back to her family, but we don’t know the whereabouts of the remaining four women whose babies, who want to be breastfed, have continued to cry.

    “What the bandits did was that, anywhere they saw a nursing mother, they threw away the baby and took away the mother,” the CSF chairman said.

    He appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to come to their rescue before the affected community became a ghost town.

  • Ogun police arrest 2 Cameroonians for alleged kidnapping, human trafficking

    Ogun police arrest 2 Cameroonians for alleged kidnapping, human trafficking

    The Ogun Police Command has arrested two members of a Cameroonian human trafficking syndicate allegedly involved in luring and kidnapping unsuspecting victims under the pretext of visa processing.

    Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Friday.

    Odutola said the suspects, identified as Ndzana Kamga Isidore and Tingue Stephen, were apprehended by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit at Mowe.

    She said they were arrested following a distress call from a Cameroonian victim who escaped captivity.

    She explained further that the victim was deceived from Cameroon into Nigeria on Sept. 29 by one Donald, who is also a Cameroonian, and promised to help her secure a Canadian visa.

    “Upon her arrival at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, she and her 23-year-old sister were taken to  Mowe area in Ogun  where they were held hostage.

    “Following credible intelligence, our tactical team stormed the criminal hideout at Pakuro, Mowe, and rescued one victim, Kengne Maeva, unhurt.

    “Two suspects were arrested at the scene, while the principal suspect, Donald, is currently at large,” said Odutola.

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    According to her, preliminary investigation revealed that the victims’ family members had paid a ransom of 3.6million CFA Francs into the bank account of the fleeing suspect, Donald.

    According to her, the Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, has ordered sustained surveillance on similar criminal trends and directed tactical commanders to collaborate with community leaders and development associations to report suspicious foreign nationals renting apartments.

    Odutola reiterated that the Ogun Police Command remains committed to protecting lives and property and will continue to ensure that criminals find no hiding place in the state.

  • Police arrest taxi driver for multiple rape, assault cases

    Police arrest taxi driver for multiple rape, assault cases

    Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a commercial taxi driver, Adedayo Ben Adegbola, who was allegedly involved in a series of rape, assault, and armed robbery incidents targeting female passengers across the state.

    According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the suspect, who had been featured in viral social media posts by some of his victims, was apprehended on October 31, at about 9:40 a.m. by detectives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti.

    The arrest followed a directive from the Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, mandating a detailed and discreet investigation into multiple complaints filed by victims.

    The police disclosed that a red Toyota Corolla, with registration number JJJ 226 HT, allegedly used by the suspect to perpetrate the crimes, was recovered from his possession and secured as an exhibit.

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    “The suspect is currently in custody while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other accomplices connected to the crimes. The Command urges any additional victims of the suspect’s criminal activities to report to the SCID, Panti, to assist with the investigation. Their identities will be protected,” SP Adebisi stated.

    Preliminary findings revealed that Adegbola, described by investigators as a “vicious and notorious serial offender,” allegedly attacked several unsuspecting female passengers, committing acts of rape, indecent assault, and armed robbery.

    Commissioner Jimoh reaffirmed the Lagos Police Command’s commitment to justice and the protection of residents.

    “We are determined to ensure that justice is served for the survivors and maintaining the security of Lagos State,” he said.

    He further noted that updates on the investigation will be provided in due course.

  • Officers arrested as suspect dies during interrogation

    Officers arrested as suspect dies during interrogation

    Some residents in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State have the death of a middle aged man, Wisdom Akobundu, in police custody.

    The Nation learnt that in an attempt to stop the angry youths from gaining entry into the police station, the police personnel resorted to shooting sporadically into the air to scare the youths away.

    This forced some shop owners around the area to close abruptly.

    Commissioner of Police (CP), Danladi Isa, while sympathising with the Bende people over the unfortunate incident, said that the policemen involved in the act have been arrested and handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Umuahia.

    CP Isa stated that the command would charge those found culpable to the court as soon as investigation was concluded.

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    Chairman of Bende Local Government Area, Deacon Uwabunkonye Bassey, expressed deep shock and sadness over the death of Akobundu.

    One of the protesters who spoke to journalists alleged that the deceased, Akobundu, was invited for questioning by a yet-to-be identified policeman over a case involving theft of property.

    According to the source who pleaded anonymous, Akobundu was accused of buying stolen property from scavengers.

    It was learnt that Akobundu slumped after the police team brutalised him during interrogation.

    He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, where he was pronounced dead.

    The youths trooped to the police station to demand justice for the deceased.

    An elder brother of the deceased, Okorie Festus, expressed “deep pain and anger over the cruel and conspired death of my brother in police custody.

    “Evans Onyeka, a police officer, invited my brother to the Bende Police Station and he went there alive, strong, and without trouble. Hours later, we were told he was dead.

    “Let it be known: the story being circulated by the police is false. My brother had never been involved in any police case or admitted to any hospital before this tragedy.

    “I was called and told my brother was in police custody, but before I got there, they had already taken him to the hospital without any notice to me or any member of our family.

    “More painfully, from what we’ve gathered and seen, the whole scene clearly shows that my brother, Ako, died right inside the police station before they hurriedly went to get a bus to take him to the hospital. Any attempt to twist or hide this story will not stand.

    “Officers Evans and Austin, who served in Bende for long and know both of us, very well, were there. Yet, they never called me or any of my family members. That silence is suspicious.

    “We demand answers. The DPO, DCO, Inspector Evans, Austin, and every officer on duty that day must tell us what killed Ako my brother, my blood, a peaceful and responsible young man. They should not cover this. The truth must come out, and justice must be served.”

  • NAPTIP busts child trafficking syndicate in Benue

    NAPTIP busts child trafficking syndicate in Benue

    • 26 children sold for up to N3m each rescued

    • Ondo Police rescue five expectant mums in ‘baby factory’ raid

    The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has uncovered a large-scale child trafficking syndicate in Benue State, allegedly run by the founder of a high-profile NGO and orphanage operator.

    The agency also rescued 26 children during the operation with over 270 others allegedly sold between N1 million and N3 million being traced.

    NAPTIP in a statement yesterday said the operation followed a petition on May 1, by a man who reported that his four-year-old son was taken away by his mother-in-law and handed over to an NGO without his consent. He reported that when he insisted on knowing the whereabouts of his son, he was told he could only see him after three years.

    His complaint triggered a far-reaching investigation that exposed the network’s operations across Benue, Abuja, Nasarawa, Enugu and Lagos States.

    The principal suspect, a 60-year-old founder of the National Council of Child’s Right Advocates of Nigeria (NACRAN), Benue State, was arrested alongside three others.

    Arrested alongside the alleged kingpin were a 34-year-old female accomplice, and two other orphanage operators in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and Nasarawa State, where some allegedly trafficked children were recovered.

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    NAPTIP’s spokesman, Vincent Adekoye, alleged that the suspects ran a deceptive initiative tagged “Back to School Project”, which they used to lure unsuspecting families in crisis-hit rural communities of Benue, especially in Daudu, Yelwata, and Ngban areas of Guma Local Government Area.

    He said: “Under the guise of sponsoring children’s education, the syndicate allegedly collected over 300 children from displaced or impoverished parents, many of whom were made to sign dubious consent forms or verbally agree to release their wards.

    “The children, aged between one and 13, were then moved to orphanage homes in Abuja and Nasarawa, where they were allegedly sold to couples for between N1 million and N3 million each under the pretense of adoption.”

    The agency said a complainant alleged that he paid N2.8 million as adoption fee and N100,000 consultancy charge to a member of the syndicate, adding that the identities of many rescued children had been changed, making tracing efforts difficult.

    It said some of the orphanages served as holding centers, while others were directly involved in the sales. It said the children were trafficked to Abuja, Nasarawa, Enugu, and Lagos states.

    Four homes located at Kagini, Kubwa Expressway, Abuja; Masaka Area 1, Mararaba, by Abacha Road; and Mararaba, behind the International Market, have been linked to the syndicate and are currently under investigation, NAPTIP said.

    The agency’s Director General, Binta Adamu Bello, described the case as “unbelievable and mind-boggling,” warning that the commercialisation of children under the guise of orphanage or adoption services must stop.

    “Our children are not commodities to be sold to the highest bidders. It is painful that some unpatriotic individuals use their social standing and recognised organisations to exploit vulnerable families in crisis-prone communities. This is unacceptable, and those responsible will face the full wrath of the law,” she said.

    Bello noted that NAPTIP’s renewed crackdown on orphanage operations nationwide followed growing reports of illegal adoptions and trafficking under the cover of child welfare.

    NAPTIP reaffirmed its commitment to tracing the remaining trafficked children and dismantling all networks involved in the illicit trade, added Adekoye.

    Relatedly, operatives of the Ondo State Police Command uncovered a suspected “baby factory” and human trafficking syndicate in Ore, where children are sold between N400,000 and N600,000.

    Five pregnant girls were rescued from the facility which was raised following a report by a teenager (names withheld) who alleged that she was lured to Ore from Ikot Ekpena, with a job offer, a statement by the command’s spokesman, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, said yesterday.

    The police said that the pregnant teenager, reported that she was taken to a supposed clinic which turned out to be a baby factory, as she met several expectant teenagers in the facility who were held for exploitation.

    According to the police, the victim was being taken to a hospital for scan on the instruction of the facility’s owner identified as Ada Clement, when she managed to escape and sought refuge at the Ore Police Station.

    “Acting swiftly on the report, operatives from Ore Division, in collaboration with the Gender Unit, raided the said facility, leading to the successful rescue of five pregnant girls and a baby boy,” Ayanlade stated.

    He added that one of the victims had already given birth and is currently receiving post-natal care at the General Hospital, Ore, while the others were in protective custody of the police.

    Preliminary investigation, according to Ayanlade, revealed that the prime suspect, Clement, and her accomplices allegedly confessed to operating the baby factory, where young pregnant girls were kept until  delivery. He said the babies were sold to individuals seeking children, adding that a girl child was sold from N400,000 and a male from N600,000.

    The spokesman said the case had been moved to the command’s Gender Unit for continuation of investigation, adding that the Commissioner of Police (CP) Adebowale Lawal, has ordered the arrest and prosecution of all members of the trafficking ring.

  • Seven cult-suspects arrested

    Seven cult-suspects arrested

    Seven persons have been arrested by a joint team of the Nigeria Police Force and the Anambra State security outfit, Agunechemba, ahead of the November 8 governorship election in the state.

    According to the Police Command, the suspects who believed to be cultists, were being recruited by some political groups to cause unrest and rig the forthcoming election.

    They were apprehended in the early hours of Sunday at Obinagu, Abagana, in Njikoka Local Government Area, during an initiation ceremony in one of their hideouts.

    This was contained in a statement yesterday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Tochukwu Ikenga, and made available to reporters in Awka.

    Items recovered from the suspects included a 25-litre keg containing a red liquid substance, red ritual cloth, two wooden drums, and footwear belonging to the suspects.

    “Preliminary investigations revealed that the initiation ceremony was part of their preparation and grooming for election-related thuggery in Njikoka and Anaocha Local Government Areas,” the statement read.

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    “The suspects attempted to flee upon sighting the operatives, but were apprehended after a swift chase. Investigation is ongoing to identify and arrest other fleeing members of the group and to uncover linked cult cells within the area,” Ikenga added.

    The Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to maintain law and order, warning that the Police would not tolerate any activity capable of disrupting peace, particularly in the build-up to the governorship election.

    He also urged parents, community leaders, and youth groups to intensify moral guidance and discourage young people from engaging in cultism and political violence.

  • NDLEA arrests Pretty Mike, 100 others over drug party

    NDLEA arrests Pretty Mike, 100 others over drug party

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raided Proxy Night Club in Victoria Island, Lagos, arresting over 100 persons, including popular socialite Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, better known as Pretty Mike, during a drug party in the early hours of yesterday.

    Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, said the raid followed credible intelligence about a planned drug party at the club, located at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island.

    He said NDLEA operatives infiltrated the event around 11 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, and disrupted the gathering at about 3 a.m., acting on standard operating procedures.

    Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud (a potent strain of cannabis) and nitrous oxide (commonly known as laughing gas), were recovered from the club’s store and from suspects at the venue. All the individuals arrested are currently being profiled and screened in custody.

    Meanwhile, in a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, uncovered 70 parcels of cocaine weighing 3.6 kilograms, concealed in body cream containers and destined for the United Kingdom, he said.

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    The consignment, disguised as personal effects and bound for London aboard an Air Peace flight on October 14, was presented for export by a cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who was promptly arrested, the statement indicated.

    Further investigations led to the arrest of Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, a healthcare worker, and Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, Chief Executive Officer of Mutiu Adebiyi and Co Travel Agency, who were both linked to the drug shipment.

    Similarly, Babafemi said NDLEA operatives at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, intercepted a 35-year-old Lesotho national, Lemena Mark, attempting to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a diabetic coffee-tea pack to the Philippines via Ethiopian Airlines on October 22.

    In Kwara State, the agency arrested Umar Abubakar, 40, at Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area, after discovering 21,950 capsules of Tramadol 250mg hidden inside a 100-litre water heater on October 21.

    The agency also made multiple arrests in other states. In Taraba, Auwal Musa, 26, and Salihu Bala, 22, were arrested at the Dan-Anacha checkpoint with 450,000 pills of Tramadol and Exol-5, while transporting the drugs from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mubi, Adamawa State.

    NDLEA patrols along the Okene–Lokoja highway in Kogi State seized 162.2 kilograms of skunk on October 24, and another 128 kilograms were recovered from Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in Keffi, Nasarawa State, two days earlier, the statement disclosed.

    In Lagos, a mother of two, Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, was arrested at her Lekki residence on October 17 with 500 grams of Canadian and California Loud, which she distributed to clients across Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and VGC. Another suspect, Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe, was arrested at Solomade Estate, Ikorodu, where operatives recovered 275 litres of “skuchies”, a psychoactive mixture made from blackcurrant drink, cannabis, and opioids.

    In Abia State, a 75-year-old man, Echendu Onuoka, was arrested at Ovum village, Obingwa LGA, with 4.7 kilograms of skunk, while a 60-year-old woman, Aukana John, was caught with 225 grams of the same substance at Apanta village.

    Further operations led to the seizure of 150 kilograms of skunk during a raid at Lot Camp, Ikun Akoko, Ondo State. In Kaduna, Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Ahmed Tijjani, 35, were arrested with 234.5 kilograms of cannabis, while two others — Isah Usman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18 — were nabbed with 8,600 pills of Tramadol 225mg and Rohypnol along the Abuja–Kaduna highway.

    The statement indicated that at the Seme border, Jacob Ojugbele was arrested with 55 kilograms of skunk at Ashipa, Badagry, while Amusa Oluwabukola was caught with 121.3 litres of skuchies at Itoga, Badagry.

    In Zamfara State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Gummi–Anka road on October 20 arrested Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, with an AK-47 rifle and 1,746 rounds of ammunition meant for AK-47 and GPMG rifles. He was allegedly transporting the weapons from Sokoto to Bagega forest in Anka LGA. The suspect and the recovered items have been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation, Babafemi said.

    Meanwhile, the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued nationwide, with sensitization programmes held in schools, religious institutions, and workplaces across Oyo, Kebbi, Enugu, Benue, Taraba, Rivers, and Kano States.

    Babafemi added that NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers of the MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme, and Zamfara commands for their successful operations and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced and robust approach to drug control across the country.

  • Troops arrest 28 oil thieves, recover 290,000 litres of products

    Troops arrest 28 oil thieves, recover 290,000 litres of products

    Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies have arrested 28 suspected oil thieves, dismantled four illegal refineries and seized over 290,000 litres of stolen products in the Niger Delta.

    The acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, confirmed the development in a statement he released in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Danjuma said at Okrika in Okrika Local Government Area, the operatives intercepted two wooden boats which were loading Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from a vessel offloading the product at a jetty.

    He said two boats were also intercepted at Okrika, with one loaded with over 33,000 litres of stolen products at a jetty in Okrika, adding that another wooden boat loaded with over 5,000 litres of stolen products was also found in the area.

    Danjuma noted that following a tip-off on illegal oil bunkering activities around a pipeline after Sterling Global Company Road, Akpabo, at Elele Alimini in Emohua LGA, the troops stormed the area and impounded a tanker with registration number Rivers JJN 287 ZU coming out of the pipeline right of way.

    He said he vehicle was suspected to have loaded about 90,000 litres of stolen products from the site and confirmed that two suspects, the driver and his motor boy, were taken into custody.

    He further explained that at Okolomade in Abua/Odual LGA, over 2,600 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) were recovered by the troops.

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    Danjuma said along Imo River, the troops deactivated two illegal refining sites and seized three drum pots, three receivers, and over 2,500 litres of stolen crude around Obuzor, Asa Asa in Ukwa West LGA of Abia State.

    He noted that at Orashi River waterside, two wooden boats were intercepted with over 700 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosene recovered adding that six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures.

    In Delta State, the troops, who were said to have acted on credible intelligence on the activities of oil thieves along the PAN Ocean Pipeline right of way in Ethiope East LGA, closed in on criminals, who on sighting them fled the area.

    “However, one suspect was arrested and various items recovered. These included vandalized pipes, hoses, a large quantity of Bagco sacks, and leather materials. Others included one Peugeot 406 car, a Camry car, one Toyota Jeep, as well as a lorry van loaded with over 1,650 litres of stolen products”, the statement said.

    He added that the troops on pipeline surveillance along the Midwestern Oil and Gas Pipeline Rright of way at Umusan-Obodogwa in Ndokwa West LGA intercepted a Mercedes-Benz truck with registration number Enugu VE 174 ENU conveying 24 pieces of 14-inch pipes and three gas cylinders.

    While saying that two persons were arrested, Danjuma explained that the pipes were suspected to have been vandalized from the SEPCO Oil and Gas pipeline at Kwale.

    He said that around Eruemukohwarien in Ughelli North LGA, a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number Delta PTN 926 XA was intercepted for conveying 10 drums filled with 2,500 litres of condensates, adding that the driver was arrested.

    Danjuma said in Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states, the troops scaled up both kinetic and non-kinetic operations, effectively dominating the operational landscape and denying criminal elements the freedom of action.

    He quoted the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen..Emmanuel Eric Emekah, as commending the troops for their exploits.

     The GOC further charged them to sustain the operational tempo in clamping down on economic saboteurs and other associated crimes in the Niger Delta Region.