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Nigerian Navy Ready for Tougher Crackdown on Piracy, Oil Theft in Cross River

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Nigerian Navy

Nigerian Navy Ready for Tougher Crackdown on Piracy, Oil Theft in Cross River

The Nigerian Navy has vowed to sustain stronger operations against piracy, sea robbery, crude oil theft, illegal oil bunkering, smuggling and other forms of maritime criminality in Cross River State.
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The Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Chiedozie Okehie, made this known on Thursday during the closing ceremony of the three-day maiden Intra-Command Maritime Tactical Live Firing Exercise, codenamed Exercise Littoral Fury, held in Cross River State.

Okehie said the exercise was designed to expose naval personnel to realistic operational situations and improve their ability to respond rapidly and effectively to maritime security threats.

He said the exercise would also strengthen joint and coordinated responses among security agencies operating within the maritime environment.

According to him, the littoral environment presents unique operational challenges that require specialised skills, appropriate tactics, effective communication and seamless coordination among security agencies.

“The littoral environment presents unique operational challenges that require specialised skills, appropriate tactics, effective communication and seamless coordination among security agencies,” he said.

The Eastern Naval Command chief added that the command had continued to leverage technology, innovation and intelligence-driven operations to enhance its capacity to detect and respond to maritime crimes.

Representing the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim, said the exercise demonstrated the Navy’s operational readiness, tactical agility and discipline.

Ibrahim said the exercise was part of efforts to develop a modern, agile and professional naval force capable of protecting Nigeria’s maritime interests and advancing national security objectives.

He said the exercise enabled participating gunboats, air assets and operational units to test their weapon systems, improve inter-service communication and validate joint littoral manoeuvre doctrines.

According to him, realistic training remained essential to maintaining maritime dominance and ensuring that naval personnel remained mission-ready.

Ibrahim said the location of the exercise at Dayspring Island was significant, noting that the area was previously one of the biggest militant camps but had now been occupied by the Navy.

He said the Navy’s presence would improve the security of lives and property and boost commercial activities around the Calabar and Dayspring channels, including the waterways leading towards Cameroon.

“By the presence of the Navy here, it’s going to increase commerce; it will provide safety of lives and property,” Ibrahim stated.

He added that improved security would increase confidence among residents, facilitate commerce and potentially generate more revenue for the Federal Government.

Ibrahim said the exercise also provided an opportunity for personnel to train with different weapons, ranging from 9mm pistols to automatic grenade launchers, as they simulated scenarios encountered during maritime patrols.

He urged the personnel to apply the lessons learnt during the exercise to their daily patrols and operational duties.

Navy Captain Mohammed Lawal commended the leadership of the Eastern Naval Command and participating personnel for the successful conduct of the exercise.

Nigerian Navy

Nigerian Navy

Lawal said the exercise demonstrated tactical operational readiness, precision marksmanship and maritime power projection across land and sea environments.

He also commended sister services, security agencies, umpires, local organisers and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force’s 305 Special Mobility Group for their contributions to the exercise.

According to him, participating officers and ratings demonstrated weapon proficiency, physical endurance and tactical discipline throughout the exercise.
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Crime

Navy Dismantles Illegal Refining Capacity, Destroys Site With 3 Storage Tanks in Rivers

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Troops Destroy 56 Illegal Refining Sites

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.
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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

Troops Destroy 56 Illegal Refining Sites

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
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Economy

President Tinubu Tells EFCC: You Have Justified my Confidence in You

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EFCC Arraigns Gidado Ibrahim

President Tinubu Tells EFCC: You Have Justified my Confidence in You

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has applauded the efforts and performance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in tackling economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption in the country, stressing that it has justified the confidence reposed on it.
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He gave this commendation on Friday, October 2, 2026 in Awka, Anambra State at the commissioning of a new Zonal Directorate of the EFCC. The President pointed out that there are evidential proofs of the success of the Commission in convictions, recoveries and other landmark achievements

Represented by Honourable Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker, House of Representatives, Tinubu noted that “supporting the EFCC is not particularly difficult. The agency has consistently demonstrated that the confidence reposed on it is well founded. Without mincing words, the evidential proof of the EFCC’s success speaks loudly in convictions secured, assets and properties recovered”

He affirmed that the strides of the Commission are in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of his administration.

“When we came in three years ago, I highlighted nine major focal areas of my administration. Two of which are reforming the economy for sustained and inclusive growth and promotion of good governance. The anti-graft agency compliments this agenda as they are focused on accountability and transparency and appropriate deployment of resources”, he said.

At the commissioning, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede restated the commitment of the Commission to preventive frameworks in tackling economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption in the country.

According to him, the Commission will continue its focus on making corrupt practices difficult by blocking avenues through which they may happen.

“This new Directorate will not only enforce the law professionally and courageously, it will be high on corruption prevention. It will engage government institutions, businesses, financial institutions, professional bodies, schools, markets, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, religious bodies and communities. It will educate stakeholders, build relationships and mobilise the people to own the fight against all forms of corrupt practices in the zone”, he said

He assured Nigerians that the EFCC would not relent in the pursuit of its mandate, recalling the achievements of the Commission in the last 34 months and describing them as impressive progress.

“The pursuit of our mandate has been our dominant engagement and in the past few years, we have made impressive progress. Between October 2023 and July 2026, the Commission received 49, 673 petitions, investigated 39, 615 cases, filed 14, 476 cases in court and secured 10, 872 convictions. This gives a conviction-to-filing ratio of 75.1 percent. In the first half of 2026 alone, we recorded 1, 370 convictions from 1, 889 filings. The Commission also recorded recoveries of N1, 233, 612, 040, 411. 11, $684, 478, 457. 32, £373, 905. 78, €9, 343, 803. 66 inn addition to recoveries in other currencies”, he said.

He noted that at the institutional level, the Commission has made radical reforms that have been yielding optimal results as there are consequential improvements in the agency’s processes and procedures, which partly explains the impacts the EFCC has made and will continue to make in all the matrices of law enforcement.

“Reforms that have strengthened the Commission during the period include new guidelines on arrest and bail, a review of sting operations, the establishment of the Department of Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, the Security Department, the Immigration and Visa Section and the Cybercrime Rapid Response Centre”, he said.

While charging Ndi Anambra on whistleblowing, the anti-graft czar said that the Commission has established channels through which members of the public can submit petitions and provide information. He noted that the Commission’s Eagle Eye App allows citizens to provide details of suspected wrongdoing and makes the provision of an informant’s personal details optional. “However, whistleblowing must be responsible and based on facts. It must not become an instrument for settling scores”, he said.

EFCC Arraigns Gidado Ibrahim

EFCC

He thereafter said that Anambra and Imo States deserve effective and responsive institutional presence as they are renowned for enterprise, innovation, commerce and an extraordinary culture of industry, adding that these legitimate activities must be protected from fraud, cybercrime, money laundering, investment fraud, diversion of public resources and other forms of economic and financial crimes. “Therefore, our coming to Awka is beyond geographical expansion. It is about taking the mandate of the EFCC closer to the people and closer to the economic activities we are meant to protect”, he said.

In their remarks, His Excellencies, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State and Senator Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State said that they were pleased with the activities and management of the EFCC under the leadership of Olukoyede. They pledged their support to the Commission as it opened a new Zonal Directorate in their domain.

The commissioning of the new Directorate witnessed massive turn out of distinguished Nigerians, including members of the National Assembly, civil society organisations, community leaders, students, media among others.
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Security

Nigerian Air Force Celebrates Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day with Families in Lagos

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Nigerian Air Force

Nigerian Air Force Celebrates Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day with Families in Lagos

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) marked Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary with a family-centred celebration at the ATO Field, NAF Base Ikeja, Lagos, bringing together children and families of personnel in an atmosphere of patriotism, unity and camaraderie.
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The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, represented by the Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal AA Suleh, joined the celebration and presented gift items to the children. The event, facilitated by the Commander, 651 Base Services Group, Air Commodore MA Imam, featured games, music, cultural displays and other recreational activities.

Nigerian Air Force

Nigerian Air Force

The celebration reinforced the NAF’s commitment to personnel and family welfare as a key enabler of morale and operational effectiveness, in line with the CAS Command Philosophy, while reaffirming the NAF’s commitment to standing with Nigerians and contributing to a stronger, safer and more prosperous Nigeria.
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