metro
Navy seizes six million litres of stolen crude from illegal refiners

*Buhari mourns over 100 persons killed in Imo explosion, says it’s national disaster
The Nigerian Navy says it has seized 6, 000, 000 litres of stolen crude oil estimated at N264 billion.
This came just as President Muhammadu Buhari expressed “shock and trauma” over the death of over 100 people in an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in Imo State.
Following the alarming increase of crude oil theft, the President had directed the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva; the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), Mallam Mele Kyari, as well as the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, to ensure that the criminal activity was brought to a stop.
Buhari’s directive followed public outrage against the massive stealing of Nigeria’s crude oil, which had hobbled the country’s ability to meet the quota allocated by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Owing to the directive, the naval troops disclosed that they recorded more arrests and seizures between April 15th and 23rd, 2022, being the third week of the operation.
A statement issued by Naval Headquarters stated that the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) DELTA in Warri, deactivated an Illegal Refining Site (IRS) around Sara creek.
The IRS had 16 ovens, 16 metal storage tanks and three wide pits filled with about 500,000 litres of illegally refined AGO, as well as 700,000 litres of stolen crude oil, a generator and 4 pumping machines.
Also, the statement revealed that an IRS at Asugbo creek in Warri was discovered with six ovens, 12 metal storage tanks and five large pits all containing about 600,000 litres of stolen crude oil including 200,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and about 150,000 litres of sludge.
Similarly, sequel to series of air reconnaissance, Forward Operating Base (FOB) FORMOSO in Bayelsa State on April 19, 2022, raided an IRS at Ereweibio creek in Brass LGA.
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Accordingly, seven large cooking ovens, 10 large metal storage tanks and drums all laden with about 400,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and 20,000 litres of suspected illegally refined PMS were discovered.
The site also had five large pits holding approximately 700,000 litres of stolen crude oil. Equally, two pumping machines, one gasoline generator, one submersible pump and one chainsaw machine were discovered at the site and destroyed in situ.
According to the statement, on April 21, 2022, an IRS at Lelemu creek in Warri South-West was discovered. During the operation, 19 ovens, 26 metal storage tanks and two dugout pits laden with about 250,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil and 50,000 litres of illegally refined AGO were destroyed.
To ensure effective deactivation of IRS, NNS DELTA on 21 April 2022 conducted swamp buggy operations during which an earlier identified IRS around Egwa creek in Warri was destroyed.
During the operation, 16 ovens, 31 metal storage tanks and seven large pits all filled with about 850,000 litres of stolen crude oil were equally deactivated.
Relatedly, on 22 April 2022, around Lelemu creek in Warri South West LGA of Delta State, personnel under NNS DELTA again discovered 22 IRS ovens, 12 metallic storage tanks and 5 large pits all containing about 150,000 litres of stolen crude oil.
“At another IRS off Lelemu creek, 19 ovens, 42 storage tanks and 14 large pits containing about 300,000 litres of stolen crude oil, as well as approximately 200,000 litres of illegally refined AGO, 100,000 litres of illegally refined DPK and 100,000 litres of suspected crude oil sludge were all destroyed,” it added.
In a related development, NNS LUGARD at Kogi State in the course of OPDDB discovered an IRS on 22 April 2022, at a location off Akili-Ozizor community of Ogbaru LGA, Anambra State.
During the operation, four locally fabricated ovens, seven metal storage tanks, four large pits of which two were for storage of about 48,000 litres of stolen crude oil were all destroyed.
On the same day, NNS VICTORY in Calabar raided tanker garage along Harbour road in the city and seized a storage tank containing about 45,000 Litres of suspected illegally refined AGO. Also, a tanker laden with 33,000 Litres of suspected locally refined AGO was seized and the owner was arrested. Furthermore, about 58 drums of locally refined AGO were also seized.
Additionally, NNS SOROH at Yenagoa, on Saturday 23 April 2022 intercepted a wooden boat at Otuokpot Area along Kolo creek.
“The wooden boat was laden with 60,000Litres of illegally refined AGO together with over 100 sacks of same product. Items on the boat which included one pumping machine, one Yamaha 40HP outboard engine and one locally made boat Anchor with the products were destroyed at Ogbia waterside,” it stated.
The base also conducted a search on a Market Boat heading for St Nicolas Axis from Akassa area.
About 2,500 litres of suspected illegally refined products stored in gallons and sacks were hidden inside the boat. Accordingly, same were evacuated for destruction. Likewise on the same day, personnel under NNS DELTA on patrol around Jones creek in Warri South West LGA raided an IRS and discovered 33 ovens, 42 metal storage tanks and seven wide pits all filled with about 1,200,000 litres of stolen crude oil, 250,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and about 100,000 litres of sludge.
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Furthermore, combing of the area off Jones creek led to the discovery of another IRS with five ovens, two metal storage tanks and eight large pits with about 150,000 litres of sludge. Both IRS off Jones creek with the discovered items and products were destroyed in situ.
The statement affirmed that over 6,000,000 litres of products valued over N3 billion from oil thieves and economic saboteurs.
“The migration by operators of IRS from the South South geopolitical zone to the South East also come to the fore. “This development will in no way deter the Nigerian Navy from ensuring zero tolerance for COT, IRS, illegal bunkering and related economic crimes in the Nation’s maritime environment and adjoining territory”, it said.
Buhari Mourns Over 100 Persons Killed in Imo Illegal Refinery Explosion, Says It’s National Disaster
Meanwhile, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, Buhari, who described the unfortunate incident that occurred in Ohaji/Egbema of Imo State as a, “catastrophe and a national disaster,” called on the security agencies to intensify their clampdown on oil theft.
Many people were reportedly burnt beyond recognition by the explosion. It was learnt that the police were now looking for the owner of the unlawful refinery.
Dozens of people were thought to have been working at the refining plants when they were caught in the huge fire.
The death toll continued to rise as emergency workers went through the scene. Ifeanyi Nnaji of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) told the British media organisation, BBC Igbo, that the number killed now stood at 109.
“We learnt many bodies are in nearby bushes and forests as some illegal operators and their patrons scampered for safety,” Nnaji said.
While offering his condolences to the families of the victims, the president demanded that those responsible for the explosions must be caught and brought to justice.
In the statement, titled, “Imo ‘Refinery’ Deaths, a National Disaster,” Buhari urged community leaders and the security personnel in the area to prevent a reoccurrence of such incidents.
The statement said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the nation’s armed forces, security and intelligence agencies to intensify the clampdown on illegal refineries following the reported deaths of tens of people Friday night after an illegal refinery exploded at Abaezi forest in the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
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“Reacting to what he described as a catastrophe and a national disaster, Buhari said responsibility for the loss of lives and property must squarely lie with the sponsors of the illegal refinery, who must all be caught and made to face justice.
“In conveying the condolences and the full depth and range of the nation’s shock and trauma to the families of the victims, the Ohaji/Egbema community and the government and people of Imo State, the president urged community leaders, the police, and the secret service to never allow the occurrence of the heart-breaking incident in any part of the country again.”
The damage to fishing and farming in oil-rich communities caused by the oil industry over the decades has led some to find other ways to make money from the oil business. Illegal refining is attractive in some oil-producing communities, as it is seen as somewhat easy to manage, despite efforts to halt the practice.
The authorities have been struggling to curb the proliferation of illegal plants where stolen crude oil is refined. The president ordered security forces to intensify efforts to shut these refineries.
It is not yet clear what caused the explosion that happened overnight into Saturday, but accidents like this have been common in the past at similar dangerous sites where safety measures are not enforced.
There have been concerns over a lack of precautions at such facilities as well as over the environmental pollution they cause. But Nigeria’s official oil refineries do not work to capacity, causing frequent fuel shortages and price increases across the country, and making the unlawful business very lucrative.
metro
Nigerian varsity student hospitalised after hot water attack

Nigerian varsity student hospitalised after hot water attack
A female student of Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, Chinedu Nwagbuo, has been hospitalized in Umuahia following an attack by another student who poured hot water on her.
Nwagbuo, a 200-level student, was reportedly scalded during an altercation with a 100-level female student.Although specific details surrounding the incident remain unclear, it was gathered that the hot water caused burns to the upper part of her body.
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According to a report by Daily Post, the suspect has been taken into custody by the police to aid ongoing investigations, while friends, relatives, and fellow students have continued to visit Nwagbuo at the hospital.
The university management is yet to officially comment on the incident.
Nigerian varsity student hospitalised after hot water attack
metro
Tinubu’s ex-adviser writes him to step aside in 2027

Tinubu’s ex-adviser writes him to step aside in 2027
A former Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of the Vice President, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, has written President Bola Tinubu to ask him to “step aside (in 2027) not for your opponents but for a generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas”.
The letter: Your Excellency, Mr. President, I had hoped I would have the opportunity to meet you one-on-one for the first time since you approved my appointment as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of the Vice President about 18 months ago. It would have afforded me an excellent opportunity to offer what might have been the only significant advice I could give you directly in return for the salary you paid me. I had also hoped that an audience with you would provide the chance to explain why I insist on resigning, despite efforts to dissuade me by the Vice President, some Ministers, key officials in your administration, and a host of people I hold in the highest esteem. Well, all that is now history.
Still, please allow me to thank you for approving my appointment and for the privilege of serving my country once again as a public officer. To be honest, for someone at 70 who did not campaign for you, is not a member of your party, and who had gained some reputation for sustained criticism of your APC predecessor’s eight years of deeply damaging governance, your approval that I should come on board gave the impression of a willingness to tolerate inclusiveness and diversity, as well as some regard for merit. I am particularly grateful to the Vice President, who went to great lengths to convince me that staying in place was a better option than resigning.
I must be honest in saying I had many misgivings about accepting the invitation in the first place. Your “Emi Lokan” mantra suggested to me a worrying desire to lead, driven mainly by the urge to satisfy personal ambition. I felt that after the Buhari misadventure—for which the country continues to pay a steep price—the last thing we needed was another leader driven purely by a personal quest for power. Many well-meaning people advised me that I would not fit into your administration for various reasons, the most common being that you might end up as Buhari 2.0—or worse—and I would shift from being a vocal critic to an active or silent collaborator.
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It was tempting to sit it out and wait—either to critique you if you failed to provide the leadership the nation needs or commend you if you succeeded in turning the country around. In the end, I thought it better to help put out the fire than curse those who lit it. I joined your administration as an Adviser with my eyes wide open, at the cost of valuable relationships and under intense hostility from social media ‘politicians’ who assume every political appointee is in it for personal gain (read: lots of money, most of it stolen).
Vision
My long career in the federal public service taught me that the Office of the Presidency has a long-standing tradition of treating the Vice President’s office at best as a constitutional liability, and at worst, as a suspicious appendage constantly scheming to take the number one position. When you pushed the nation into the deep end with your inaugural announcement on subsidy removal, a few of us with experience in policy design and public administration knew the country would need the best hands to manage massive change and transition.
You inherited a badly damaged economy and a severely stressed population. Without a clear and sustained vision, and failing to translate the May 29 momentum into consistent leadership, your administration was bound to face turbulence. The idea of another four or eight years of poor governance after Buhari’s era was too alarming to contemplate. You needed some basic elements to succeed.
First, you needed a clear vision of your goals and the challenges you had to overcome. Unfortunately, it seemed you were too busy chasing political dominance, relying on your old Lagos circle to supplement a vision that was lacking. Your Renewed Hope Agenda is not a vision—it is a set of campaign promises, not a structured governance strategy worthy of your experience, however dated. You needed to appoint men and women who shared a compelling vision—not merely loyal party members and political jobbers. Your initial appointments reflected more politics than quality. Though there was some improvement later, the effort was tepid. As things stand, more than half your cabinet has no business managing an administration tasked with improving security, livelihoods, or public trust.
You needed to embody and uphold personal integrity, good health, and strong commitment to the demands of your office—hard work, fairness, and humility. Yet your closed-door style of leadership, your apparent indifference to complaints of ethnic bias in appointments, and the perception that you frequently run the country from abroad while attending to personal matters, have created the image of an isolated leader heading an insular administration.
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Your inner and secondary circles do not reflect the discipline or inspiration necessary to transform Nigeria. Pandering to political interests at the expense of good governance has deprived you of the tools to make a greater impact. You needed to act as a democrat in a federal system—something even the best global leaders struggle with. It appears your experience in governing Lagos, playing the kingmaker, and resisting premature power grabs did not prepare you for the complex demands of national leadership—balancing self-interest with the challenges of inclusive governance and statesmanship.
Between you and Buhari
You needed to create a balance between the past you wanted to reform and the future you hoped to shape. Instead, you’ve created a situation where citizens debate whether life under you is worse than under Buhari, or better only in economic jargon that doesn’t reflect their suffering. You needed to build a team driven by urgency, purpose, and a deep understanding of the scale of your mission—not one content with the routine and mediocrity inherited from the past. That team never materialised.
You needed a strong engagement strategy—one capable of building national consensus or at least neutralising hostility. Instead, you’ve appointed a crowd of spokespersons who often confuse rather than clarify your policies. You’ve ignored legitimate dissent, choosing instead to engineer a pliant legislature, thereby robbing the nation of robust democratic discourse. Your record on security and institutional reform is unimpressive.
These are harsh truths, Mr. President—but few will tell you even their diluted versions. Now your administration is being pushed toward prioritising the 2027 elections over governance. But improving governance, revisiting priorities, refining policies, instilling fiscal discipline, addressing grievances, combating insecurity and corruption, and fostering national unity should be your focus.
Two years is a long time—you can still achieve much. But if you shift attention now to electoral ambitions, you risk losing both governance momentum and public goodwill. If you win again without reforming your style and strategy, you may spend four more years preserving failure. If you lose, your legacy could be wiped out in an instant.
You hold what your opposition lacks: the power to reduce the harshness of life for the average Nigerian. Use it well. Watch 2027, yes—but don’t become consumed by it. The North is drifting from your leadership under the weight of economic hardship, insecurity, and alienation. The East remains politically disengaged, while the South-South is fragmented. The South West has been lukewarm, and its privileged position may become a burden. The North East is deeply wounded and can no longer be taken for granted.
Step aside
Mr. President, I urge you to reflect deeply on the legacy you want to leave and how history will remember you. Insisting on running for a second term could be a grave mistake. Your name is already etched in Nigeria’s history. Use the time until 2027 to shape your legacy—not just extend your tenure.
Step aside—not for your opponents, but for a new generation of Nigerians who can carry the nation forward with fresh energy and ideas. Our generation has done its time. It would be a masterstroke if you and your party yielded the field to new voices and new leadership. That way, you could catalyse a peaceful, historic transformation and inspire a new political culture rooted in merit, unity, and progress.
Mr. President, these and a few more thoughts are what I would have offered you in person. You do not have the reputation of being overly conservative. I hope you still possess the fire to challenge the status quo. Perhaps, this is the role destiny has prepared for you.
I offer this advice with sincerity and hope—believing that one leader can change the course of a nation. That leader could be you. Many who’ve worked with you say you mean well for Nigeria. That’s why I ask, respectfully and firmly: Mr. President, please do not run again in 2027.
Tinubu’s ex-adviser writes him to step aside in 2027
metro
Oluwo replies Olubadan over Osun/Oyo boundary claim

Oluwo replies Olubadan over Osun/Oyo boundary claim
The Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale, has faulted the purported claim by the palace of Olubadan, Oba Akinloye Olakulehin, that Odo Oba is the boundary between Ibadan in Oyo State and Iwo in Osun State.
Oluwo described the claim as false, incoherent, blatant distortion of facts and a deliberate plot to heighten the tension of the original land owners and cause chaos in the affected areas.
According to Oluwo, no one has the right to make such a pronouncement when the matter is before the National Boundary Commission (NBC), saying that such a statement is synonymous with contempt of the Federal Government and a sabotage on the effort of the AIG Zone XI, Emuobo Fred Ekokotu, who have intervened and invited the two parties to respect the status quo.
He advised the palace of Olubadan to respect the government represented by the police and the NBC and restrain from comments likely to fuel further destruction in the area.
Oluwo affirmed Papa Ebira as the established boundary of Iwo with a map officially demarcated in 1991 when Osun was created out of the old Oyo State.
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He revealed the affected villages such as Paku, Ogunajo, Oloola Molamu, Papa, Tifede, Ejemu are all ancestral villages of Iwo with Osun State Government facilities and polling units presence.
A statement released by Oluwo and made available to newsmen through his press secretary, Alli Ibraheem, on yesterday reads: “I read the statement credited to Olubadan palace, Oba Akinloye Olakulehin, that Oba River is the boundary of Iwo with Ibadan, with dismay, coming at a critical moment when the AIG Zone XI, Emuobo Fred Ekokotu, is making a concerted efforts to restore peace in the affected villages. Just two days ago, he invited the two parties to his office and tentatively directed the duo to stay off the affected villages.
“As a peace-loving father to the nation, I calmed the people of these villages. I encouraged them to respect the decision of the AIG and await the report of the National Boundary Commission. Any other message is an affront on the NBC and the police representing the government in resolving the dispute permanently.
“For record purposes, Papa Ebira is the boundary of Iwo with Ibadan, well demarcated in the map since 1991 when Osun was carved out of Oyo State. The disputed villages are ancestral properties of Iwo even before the creation of Ibadan. And there was never a time in history when Iwo and Ibadan fought and won part of each other’s land.
“Leaders of most of the warlords who fought for Ibadan hailed from Iwo. Balogun Ali Iwo, Ogun mola, Oderinlo and a few others migrated from Iwo to Ibadan.
“The appropriate time has come to permanently resolve the land dispute. Let’s conduct ourselves and encourage our subjects to be law abiding. No one is greater than the government. We should allow the government to do their job. Peace is priceless and should be promoted,” Oluwo said.
Oluwo replies Olubadan over Osun/Oyo boundary claim
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