Crime
EFCC May Probe Defaulters As FG Revokes 1,263 Mining Licences Over Unpaid Service Fees
EFCC May Probe Defaulters As FG Revokes 1,263 Mining Licences Over Unpaid Service Fees
EFCC may probe defaulters as FG revokes 1,263 mining licences over unpaid service fees. The federal government has revoked 1,263 mining licences over unpaid service fees.
Segun Tomori, special assistant on media to the minister of solid minerals development, announced the revocations in a statement on Sunday.
Tomori said the licences will be deleted from the electronic mining cadastral system portal managed by the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office (MCO).
The special assistant said the cancelled licences comprises 584 exploration licences, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licences, and 470 small-scale mining leases.
He said the move is aimed at opening up the areas to fresh applications from investors seeking new opportunities in the mining sector.
“The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3,794 including, 619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year,” Tomori said.
“This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitizing the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.”
According to the statement, the approval for the revocations followed recommendations from the MCO.
‘ANNUAL SERVICE FEES OWED MUST BE PAID’
Speaking on the development, Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

EFCC
“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites is over,” the minister was quoted as saying.
“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind.”
The minister also warned that the revocation does not imply that the government has forgiven outstanding annual service fees owed by licensees.
Alake added that the list of defaulters would be forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure payment or face legal consequences.
“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities,” he said.
In his recommendation to the minister, Simon Nkom, director-general of the MCO, disclosed that 1,957 initial defaulters were identified when the MCO published its intention to revoke licences in the federal government gazette on June 19, 2025.
He said the gazette was distributed nationwide to sensitise licensees and encourage compliance within 30 days — a timeline he said align with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.
Nkom said delays in the final revocation were due to complaints from several licensees who claimed to have paid through Remita, which had to be reconciled.
Crime
Navy Dismantles Illegal Refining Capacity, Destroys Site With 3 Storage Tanks in Rivers
Navy Dismantles Illegal Refining Capacity, Destroys Site With 3 Storage Tanks in Rivers
The Nigerian Navy, through FOB BONNY, has dismantled an illegal refining site discovered in Promise Land Community along Nanabie Creek, Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State, further denying criminal operators the infrastructure required to process stolen crude oil.
Eereporter.com
The site was discovered on 30 September 2026 following credible intelligence and comprised one large cooking pot and 3 large storage tanks intended for illegal refining activities. On 2 October 2026, the Commanding Officer, FOB BONNY, Captain SMC Umeh, led a team to the location, where the illegal refining site and associated equipment were destroyed in accordance with established regulations.
The intervention represents a further disruption of illegal refining capacity within the Bonny area, particularly by removing infrastructure that could be used to process and store stolen crude oil. It also follows recent operations by FOB BONNY under Operation DELTA SENTINEL that uncovered substantial volumes of suspected stolen crude oil and associated illegal refining infrastructure within its Area of Operations

Oil
The Nigerian Navy has continued to strengthen surveillance and monitoring across the area to prevent the establishment or reactivation of illegal refining sites and deny criminal operators the infrastructure required to sustain crude oil theft and related activities.
ABIODUN FOLORUNSHO
Navy Captain
Director Naval Information
Nigerian Navy
Eereporter.com
Crime
Nigerian Police Foil Bandit Attack in Sokoto, Recover Rocket Launchers
Nigerian Police Foil Bandit Attack in Sokoto, Recover Rocket Launchers
The Sokoto State Police Command has foiled an attempted bandit attack on Tsabre community in Isa Local Government Area, recovering two rocket launchers and other items abandoned by the fleeing attackers.
Eereporter.com
The incident occurred around 1am on Friday when the armed men reportedly invaded the village and opened sporadic gunfire, causing panic among residents.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Rufa’i, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
He said the Divisional Police Officer in Isa, upon receiving a distress call, immediately mobilised tactical teams, including operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and Violent Crime Response Unit, to confront the attackers.
According to him, the police engaged the bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat into a nearby forest.
“The tactical teams engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel that lasted for some time. Due to the superior firepower and tactical positioning of the police operatives, the bandits were overpowered and forced to escape into the nearby forest with their casualties,” Rufa’i said.
He added that the police subsequently combed the surrounding bushes and recovered two rocket launchers and two empty AK-47 magazines.
Other items recovered included a Techno keypad phone without a battery, a touch light, an Army jungle hat, a sweater cap, five pairs of sandals and a rain jacket.
The Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Shaffa, commended the officers for their swift response and courage during the operation.
Shaffa reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

Police
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons and activities to the police.
The CP further appealed to residents to report anyone with suspected gunshot wounds seeking medical attention to the nearest police station, as efforts continue to track the fleeing attackers.
Eereporter.com
Crime
Navy Rescues 2 Kidnapped Victims, Recovers Stolen Outboard Engines in Akwa Ibom
Navy Rescues 2 Kidnapped Victims, Recovers Stolen Outboard Engines in Akwa Ibom
The Nigerian Navy has rescued 2 kidnapped victims and recovered several stolen outboard engines during an operation against sea robbery and kidnapping in the Ibeno general area of Akwa Ibom State on 30 September 2026.
Eereporter.com
The operation followed credible information on the activities of suspected sea robbers and kidnappers targeting fishermen and forcibly taking away fishing boats and outboard engines. In response, the Nigerian Navy Ship JUBILEE Maritime Quick Response Team, Ibeno, swiftly mobilised to the area to counter the threat.
During the operation, the naval team encountered 2 boats suspected to be operated by the criminals, prompting the occupants to flee into adjoining creeks. In the ensuing pursuit, the suspects abandoned one of the boats containing several stolen outboard engines and the 2 kidnapped victims, who were immediately rescued by the naval team and escorted to safety. The recovered outboard engines were secured for verification and further necessary action, while efforts are ongoing to locate and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The successful operation underscores the Nigerian Navy’s sustained commitment to Search and Rescue (SAR), the protection of lives and the security of legitimate maritime activities across Nigeria’s waters. Through its network of ships, bases, surveillance systems, maritime quick response teams and other operational elements, the Nigerian Navy continues to maintain a presence across the maritime domain, enabling timely responses to distress situations and emerging security threats.

Navy
The operation also demonstrates the importance of credible intelligence and community support in enhancing maritime security. The Nigerian Navy therefore encourages coastal communities, fishermen and other maritime stakeholders to continue providing timely information that could assist in preventing criminal activities and responding rapidly to persons in distress.
The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain and will continue to sustain proactive patrols, Search and Rescue operations, and intelligence-driven interventions aimed at protecting lives and property while denying criminal elements freedom of action in the nation’s waterways.
Eereporter.com
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