metro
Oil theft: Navy arrest Tompolo’s men at Lekki Waters
Oil theft: Navy arrest Tompolo’s men at Lekki Waters
The Nigerian Navy on Tuesday allegedly aborted an attempted oil theft at Lekki Waters and arrested four men identified as men of TANTITA Security Service, owned by a Niger Delta ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
They were arrested by men of the Nigerian Navy stationed at FOB LEKKI at waterways near the Itolu community, Lekki after the residents of the area raised the alarm following gunshots from the waterside.
While parading the suspects on Wednesday, the Commander of NNS Beecroft, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, said they were arrested while they were attacking a local from whom they tried stealing a boat engine.
Oguntuga said, “In a swift response to a distress call, the Nigerian Navy stationed at FOB Lekki foiled an attempted oil theft operation on the waterways near Itolu community, Lekki, in Lagos State.
“The incident occurred in the early hours of August 29, 2023, when local youths reported gunshots in the vicinity of the community.
“Reviewing the information, naval patrol teams immediately launched a response operation. Upon arrival at the scene, the naval team met four individuals dressed in black polo shirts with TANTITA inscribed on the back, trying to recover a dismantled outboard engine from a local. The team recovered the engine and apprehended the four Tantita employees.”
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“It was after this arrest that the patrol team realised that the four individuals were part of a movement of a large wooden boat with two fibre boats. The four arrested individuals beckoned on the two fibre boats to approach them but when they noticed NN patrol teams, the boats altered courses fled away, and abandoned the large wooden boat laden with 11 x 1000L Geepee tanks with product suspected to be stolen crude oil.
“The arrested individuals have been identified as Asonja Goddey (28), Obajimi Oluwaseyifunmi (38), Awoowo Aribo (35), and Oluwadaisi Balogun (40), all hailing from Igbokoda in Ondo State. The owner of the boat they were trying to forcibly employ, Ishola Ojubuyi (42), is also taken into custody.
“The Nigerian Navy has initiated an investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly the possession of firearms used in the community, economic sabotage, how the product came from Ondo State to Lagos State as well as attempting to steal a boat engine from the locals.
“Also, one Mr Owoye Omotuyi who was identified as a Tantita staff member, came to secure the release of the four apprehended, claiming they were Tantita employees. All suspects along with the confiscated exhibits will be handed over to appropriate agencies for further necessary action and prosecution,” he added.
Meanwhile, the security outfit’s Ondo State Coordinator, Idowu Asonja, in a press statement on Wednesday alleged that their men were after the real culprits who owned the wooden boat laden with crude products.
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Asonja also alleged that the NAVY was paid to guide the vessel.
He said, “It is a pathetic and worrisome moment in the western corridor of the Niger Delta states as Nigerian Navy officers arrested four of the Tantita security guards in Ondo/Ogun Zone after the Tantita guards successfully apprehended a wooden vessel fully loaded with crude oil.
“This afternoon, it happens that the Navy security initially were parading a wooden vessel loaded with crude oil, after a while, they released the vessel which was fully loaded with crude oil by some oil thieves.
“Meanwhile, the Tantita security guards were monitoring the matter and later bombarded the vessel after discovering that the Navy officers were paid to guide the vessel. This notorious act/display by the Navy officers provoked the Tantita guards in the area to pursue the vessel, which they later succeeded in arresting.
“To our greatest surprise, the owners of the vessel ran away and came back to the scene with some Nigerian Navy officers working at the Dangote Refinery, which resulted in a conflict and finally, the Navy officers attacked my men, later arrested four of the Tantita security guards from Ondo zone, and set free the wooden vessel.”
Federal Government on August 22, 2022, awarded the contract of protecting oil pipelines to TANTITA Security Service, but there has been controversy over the contract with Nigerians disagreeing on whether it should be revoked or not.
Oil theft: Navy arrest Tompolo’s men at Lekki Waters
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metro
No Lives Lost as Responders Contain Dual Fire Outbreaks Across Lagos
No Lives Lost as Responders Contain Dual Fire Outbreaks Across Lagos
Firefighters control blazes in Ikorodu and Surulere while clearing major highway obstructions over a busy emergency weekend.
Two separate fires destroyed several shops in Ikorodu and Surulere on Monday, causing significant property loss for local traders. Official reports confirm that while merchandise and equipment worth millions of naira were lost, no one was injured or killed in either incident.
The first incident occurred early Monday morning at Adamo Bus Stop in Ikorodu. Investigators found that faulty electrical wiring sparked on the roof of a salon, allowing flames to spread to two nearby stores.
Emergency teams arrived promptly to extinguish the fire and cool the surrounding structures so the flames would not return. Later that morning, another fire broke out on Olatunde Onimole Street in Surulere, destroying two retail spaces that housed a furniture business and a grocery store.
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Emergency teams also assisted drivers dealing with transit disruptions across the city, including towing disabled trucks off busy roads and aiding passengers after a commercial bus overturned on the Third Mainland Bridge.
LASEMA leadership praised the teamwork of police officers, paramedics, and traffic managers who kept the public safe. State authorities continue to remind shop owners and residents to inspect their electrical systems regularly and keep equipment properly maintained to protect their workplaces.
No Lives Lost as Responders Contain Dual Fire Outbreaks Across Lagos
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metro
Plateau Attacks: Gunmen Kill Passengers, 13 Dead Across Three LGAs
Plateau Attacks: Gunmen Kill Passengers, 13 Dead Across Three LGAs
At least 13 people have been killed in a fresh wave of violence across Plateau State, with gunmen attacking a commercial bus in Jos South Local Government Area and separate communities in Mangu and Riyom LGAs.
The attacks, which occurred between Saturday and Monday, September 12 and 14, 2026, have heightened fears of renewed reprisal violence in communities already affected by prolonged tensions and recurring clashes.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred at Dungus Kuru T-junction, near Science School in Jos South, where gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus travelling from the Farin Lamba axis towards Jos.
The attack reportedly occurred at about 8:30pm on Sunday as the vehicle was moving through the area. The assailants opened fire on the bus before fleeing, leaving several passengers dead and others injured.
An initial military account put the death toll at six passengers, comprising five males and one female, while two others sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to hospital.
Troops responding to a distress call subsequently moved into the area and began operations to track down the attackers.
However, subsequent accounts from community sources placed the number of people killed in the bus attack at nine, saying some passengers who initially survived the shooting later died from their injuries.
The Berom Youth Moulders, through its spokesman, Rwang Tengwong, reportedly said one of the victims was a member of Operation Rainbow, a local security initiative operating in Plateau State.
The differing casualty figures could not immediately be reconciled, as security authorities were still working to establish the full circumstances and final toll of the attack.
The Plateau State Police Command also confirmed that attacks had occurred but indicated that investigations were ongoing and that further details would be provided after the facts had been established.
The identities and motive of the attackers remained unknown as of Tuesday, while security agencies continued efforts to locate those responsible.
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The Dungus Kuru bus attack came amid a series of other deadly incidents reported in parts of Mangu Local Government Area, further raising concerns about the possibility of retaliatory attacks.
In Alohom community in Mangu, three young Fulani herders were reportedly killed in an attack.
The victims were identified as Garzali Shaibu, 18; Bashiru Yakubu, 14; and Salim Abubakar, 15.
Security reports indicated that 36 cattle were also killed, while another 12 sustained gunshot injuries. Two other members of the herding group were initially reported missing.
Troops deployed to the area reportedly recovered the bodies of the three victims.
Members of the affected Fulani community alleged that suspected Mwaghavul militia were responsible for the attack. The allegation, however, had not been independently established by security authorities, and no particular group had been officially identified as responsible.
The violence reportedly continued in Vodni community in Mangu LGA, where suspected attackers killed two people and injured several others.
Reports on the incident also indicated that children were among those affected, with five children reportedly found injured inside a house after troops responding to a distress call arrived in the community.
The injured children were evacuated to Mangu General Hospital for treatment.
Another attack was reported in Tahoos in Riyom Local Government Area, where two people were reportedly killed.
The incidents across Jos South, Mangu and Riyom brought the reported death toll from the fresh violence to at least 13, although community accounts suggested that the figure could be higher.
The latest Plateau violence has renewed concerns about the fragile security situation in the state, particularly in communities where disputes involving farming and herding populations have previously triggered cycles of attacks and reprisals.
The killing of passengers travelling in a commercial vehicle has also raised fresh concerns about the safety of motorists and commuters using roads connecting communities around Jos South and neighbouring local government areas.
Residents fear that the latest killings could lead to retaliatory attacks if security agencies fail to identify the perpetrators and prevent further violence.
Security forces operating under Operation Enduring Peace have continued patrols and responses in affected areas, while authorities are expected to intensify surveillance and efforts to apprehend those responsible.
Community leaders and security agencies are also under pressure to prevent the latest incidents from escalating into wider communal violence and to protect residents, farmers, herders and commuters across vulnerable areas.
For now, investigations into the Dungus Kuru attack and the other incidents are continuing, while authorities work to establish the final casualty figures, identify the perpetrators and determine the motives behind the attacks.
Plateau Attacks: Gunmen Kill Passengers, 13 Dead Across Three LGAs
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metro
Police Arrest Mother Over Alleged Brutal Abuse of 7-Year-Old Girl in Anambra
Police Arrest Mother Over Alleged Brutal Abuse of 7-Year-Old Girl in Anambra
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 32-year-old woman, Mrs Ogechi Ofoma, following the alleged brutal physical abuse of her seven-year-old daughter in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
The incident was reported to the police on the evening of Sunday, September 13, 2026, after the child was reportedly found with severe bodily injuries in the Awada-Obosi area.
According to the police, security personnel from the Ibollo Community and concerned residents intervened after becoming aware of the alleged abuse. The intervention led to the rescue of the child and the arrest of her mother.
Preliminary findings indicate that the girl suffered serious physical injuries. The police said the injuries were reportedly inflicted with a hot knife, although investigations are still ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault.
The child has been taken under the care and protection of relevant authorities, while the Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare is working with the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, to facilitate urgent medical attention and welfare support for the victim.
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The police have commenced an investigation into the incident to determine what led to the alleged abuse and whether any other person was involved.
Mrs Ofoma remains in police custody as investigators work to establish the full circumstances of the case and determine the appropriate legal action.
The intervention by the Ibollo Community security personnel and residents has also drawn attention to the role of communities in protecting children and reporting suspected cases of child abuse.
Cases involving children who suffer physical violence can require intervention from law enforcement, social welfare authorities and other child-protection agencies to ensure the victim’s immediate safety and access to appropriate care.
The Anambra Police Command commended the community members who responded to the situation and helped secure the child’s rescue.
The case comes amid continuing concerns over child abuse in Nigeria, particularly physical violence against children who may be unable to protect themselves or report their experiences.
Authorities are expected to establish the nature and extent of the girl’s injuries, examine available evidence and determine whether additional suspects should be questioned or arrested.
The outcome of the investigation will determine the next legal steps in the case.
Police Arrest Mother Over Alleged Brutal Abuse of 7-Year-Old Girl in Anambra
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