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Police arrest 3 alleged pipeline vandals in Imo

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Nigeria Police Force
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The Police Command in Imo has confirmed the arrest of three suspected pipeline vandals with petroleum products suspected to be adulterated.

The State Commissioner of Police (CP), Abutu Yaro, made this known in a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson, CSP Mike Abattam, on Friday in Owerri.

Yaro stated that the Police Command’s tactical teams, acting on a tip off, intercepted a syndicate that specialised in vandalising pipelines in the state along Port Harcourt Road,  Owerri, on August 3.

“The syndicates used a white coloured Ford Bus with registration number Lagos, SMK 819 GY, fully loaded with vandalised petroleum products suspected to be adulterated diesel tied in cellophane bags.

“The driver of the vehicle, on sighting the police quickly jumped out of the bus and ran into the bush, abandoning the bus which was later recovered.

“The tactical teams, after a diligent intelligence gathering  revealed that the syndicate uses one Okwusyco filling station located on Port Harcourt Road as their operational base and discharge point of  adulterated petroleum products,” he said.

Yaro said the command’s tactical teams also busted another syndicate of vandals at Akachi Road Owerri, where the suspects, Onuoha Chibuike (27), Musa Zayanu (27) and Uzokwu Temple (36) were arrested.

The commissioner said the Police recovered three pumping machines, one shovel and large quantities of adulterated petroleum products concealed in cellophane bags.

Meanwhile, the CP has constituted a high powered investigation team with the mandate to patrol vigorously in all pipeline locations and to fish out the syndicates involved in pipeline vandalism in the state. (NAN)

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101-Year-Old Great-Grandmother Arrested For Selling Cannabis in Ogun, NDLEA Nabs N4.4BN ‘Loud’ in Lagos Ports

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 101-year-old great-grandmother, Esther Ogunmabo, for allegedly dealing in cannabis in Ilisan, Ogun State, even as the agency intercepted more than 1.49 tonnes of “Loud” worth over N4.4 billion at Lagos ports.

The arrest and seizures were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday as part of the agency’s latest nationwide crackdown.

Ogunmabo was arrested on August 15, 2026, with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
According to the NDLEA, she admitted selling the substance in small quantities.

The centenarian reportedly told investigators that she resorted to drug dealing after a fire destroyed her provisions shop. She also disclosed that her daughter, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with cannabis every four days.

Following the arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and subjected to counselling because of her advanced age. Her daughter was subsequently arrested.

In a separate operation in Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat allegedly heading towards fishing settlements in Cameroon. Three suspects were arrested with about 42.622 kilogrammes of illicit drugs.

The seizure included about 42.06kg of skunk, alongside other quantities of cannabis and 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu.

The agency also announced what it described as its first seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor.

Two containers containing cannabis indica, popularly known as “Loud,” were intercepted at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.
One container, declared to contain dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries, was found to contain 1,090.5kg of the illicit substance.
A second container yielded another 400kg, bringing the combined quantity to more than 1.49 tonnes with an estimated street value exceeding N4.4bn.

The NDLEA said its operatives also recovered methamphetamine, skunk, opioids and other illicit substances during intelligence-led operations across Seme in Lagos State, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and the Federal Capital Territory.

The agency said the operations highlight the increasingly varied methods allegedly used by traffickers to move narcotics, including concealing cocaine in food items and disguising large consignments in containers declared as legitimate goods.

The NDLEA said it would continue to intensify operations against drug trafficking networks across the country, targeting both street-level dealers and larger supply chains involved in importing and distributing illicit substances.

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EFCC Arraigns Two for Alleged Unlawful Supply of Bank Access Codes: One pleads guilty, 2nd pleads not guilty

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The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, arraigned Gideon Bakpa Aghogho and Oscar Ebere Chukwuebuka before Justice F.N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos,  for  alleged unlawful supply of bank access credentials.

The defendants were arraigned alongside one Scott, who is currently at large, on an eight-count charge bordering on the unlawful supply of access credentials to a bank database.

The offences are contrary to Sections 27 and 28(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.

One of the counts reads: “That you, GIDEON BAKPA AGHOGHO, OSCAR EBERE CHUKWUEBUKA, along with an individual identified as SCOTT (at large), conspired unlawfully between 24th and 26th July 2026 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by supplying for use the access code of GIDEON BAKPA AGHOGHO to the FCMB system using the local Administrative Credential (ITSD), which is capable of allowing access to the FCMB Virtual Center Platform, with the intention of committing an offence, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 27 and 28(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, and punishable under Section 28(2) of the same Act.”

Another count alleged that Aghogho, between April and May 2025 in Lagos, knowingly and without authority disclosed access credentials, including the bank’s server IP and domain credentials, to gain access to FCMB’s database in exchange for $15,000.

The first defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges, while the second defendant pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them.

Following the first defendant’s plea, prosecution counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, asked the court for a date to commence trial and prayed that he be remanded in a correctional facility.

In respect of the second defendant, the prosecution sought to review the facts of the case against him following his guilty plea.

Justice Ogazi subsequently adjourned the matter until August 27, 2026, for a review of the facts and other proceedings. The judge also ordered that the defendants be remanded at a Correctional centre.

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EFCC Recovers N4.4bn Worth of AGO from Mamemo Ibru in Lagos

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Following investigation into an alleged case of stealing and criminal conversion, the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, August 17, 2026 recovered 2.3 million litres of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, valued at N4.485 billion from Mamemo Ibru of Ibafon Oil and Gas.

The recovery followed a petition submitted by Prudent Energy and Services Limited, alleging that petroleum products entrusted to Ibafon Oil and Gas for storage had been unlawfully converted, resulting in a significant shortfall in the company’s stock.

The petitioner also alleged that periodic withdrawals were made from the stored products until the outstanding balance stood at 2,574,031 litres.

However, during a subsequent physical measurement and reconciliation exercise, only 206,761 litres remained in the storage tanks, leaving a deficit of 2,367,270 litres.

Investigation revealed that Ibafon Oil and Gas is involved in the purchase and sale of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and also stores its petroleum products at the same depot alongside products belonging to its customers.

It was further revealed that Ibru allegedly used his position as the owner of Ibafon Oil and Gas to truck out petroleum products in excess of the quantity owned by the company, thereby converting the petitioner’s products for his own use.

Following the Commission’s intervention, the suspect handed over the recovered products to the petitioner, Prudent Energy and Services Limited.

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