Niger Delta

Customs Intercepts IED Raw Materials, Other Contrabands Worth N1.6bn

Published

3 years ago

September 29, 2023

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted raw materials used in the production of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other contraband goods at its “Zone C’’ between July 25 and September 23.
The zone covers the six states in the South-South geopolitical zone and the five states in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
Major explosive device intercepted was “Superpower 90’’, Acting Comptroller of Customs in the Zone, Mr Kayode Kolade, a Deputy Comptroller of Customs, said in Benin on Monday.
Superpower 90 is a cap sensitive emulsion explosive having superior rock crushing capability designed for tunnel blasting and all kinds of underground and aboveground blasting operations.
Kolade expressed worry at the smuggling of explosives into a country grappled with insecurity challenges.
He called on smugglers of explosives to desist in the interest of humanity or face the full wrath of the law.
“We all know the security implications if these explosive components get to their destination unchecked.
“Superpower 90 is designed for priming applications and also used as a column explosive in surface and underground mining and general blasting.
“The high detonation velocity and the robust nature of Superpower 90 make it an ideal primer for the initiation of column charge.
“The disaster that could be caused if dynamites and landmines are detonated using these items is better imagined”, he said.
The NCS also arrested nine suspects linked with the seizures during the period, Kolade said.
It put duty payable on the seizure of the contraband items at N1.59 billion and demand notices raised based on infractions at N54.24 million.
Kolade listed intercepted contraband as an armoured bullion van, 417 sacks of Indian hemp weighing 9,194kg and 627 compressed parcels of the same weed, weighing 1kg each.
Also seized were 761 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing; 883 cartons of unregistered or expired medicaments, including tramadol, 100 cartons of wines, and 5,737 pieces of used tyres.
Customs also seized 335 cartons of foreign tomato paste and 300 cartons of foreign spaghetti during the period, Kolade said.
“The armoured bullion van without customs documents and End User Certificate was intercepted on the Okada-Benin Expressway, while the wines and tomato pastes were intercepted on Ewu-Ibilo Road in Edo.
“The rice was intercepted at the Calabar/Akwa Ibom axis and on Okada-Benin Expressway while the 417 sacks and 627 parcels of Indian hemp were intercepted on Okada-Benin and Ewu-Auchi Expressways, respectively.
“The bales of used clothing were concealed in trucks and buses and were intercepted on the Umeikaa-Aba Road and on Okada-Benin road.
“The cough syrup with codeine and unregistered medicaments were intercepted on the Benin-Onitsha Expressway.
“The used tyres were intercepted at Cross River waterside area and on the Okada-Benin Expressway”, he added.
Kolade called on the media to join the Customs Service in the advocacy campaign against smuggling as it had deleterious effect on the nation’s economy.
“All well-meaning Nigerians should support the service with necessary information that could assist in nipping smuggling in the bud in the interest of our fatherland”, he stressed.
The comptroller warned all economic saboteurs that plan to use the last quarter of the year for nefarious activities to have a rethink as the Customs Service would ensure they count losses.
“No amount of distraction will stop us from carrying out our statutory responsibilities; not even the attacks we encountered in September”, Kolade assured.

Niger Delta

Police Detain 7, Recover Arms In A’Ibom

Published

37 minutes ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has detained seven suspects and recovered firearms after raiding a criminal hideout in Ndiya Mfia, Ikono Local Government Area.of the State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, made the disclosure in a statement in Uyo on Wednesday.

John said that the breakthrough which occurred at about 6.00a.m on Wednesday, followed credible intelligence from members of the public.

“We reliably gathered that criminal suspects were hibernating in a compound disguised as worshippers.

“In a decisive operation, our personnel conducted a thorough search of the premises which led to the detention and recovery of arms,” she said.

According to her, the operation was in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police to decisively combat crime in the country.

The police spokesman further said that two locally made double-barrel guns, five expended cartridges, four motorcycles and three generators were recovered during the operation.

She also listed 10 mobile phones, one police crest, four jungle boots, one peak cap, saw blade, spanner, number plates, machetes, a special force vest as other items recovered.

“We also found bottles of suspected spiritual oil and one enlarged photograph linked to an ongoing investigation,” she said.

John said that preliminary investigation suggested that the location was being used as cover for criminal operations.

She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, has directed a comprehensive investigation on the matter in order to apprehend the principal suspect.

John expressed the commitment of the Command to rid the state of crime, and urged members of the public to always support the police with timely and credible information.

Niger Delta

Otu Launches Grassroot Security Network In C’River

Published

1 hour ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has launched a grassroots security intelligence network, named, ”Homeland Safety and Security Agency,” to strengthen community-based surveillance and enhance safety across the state.

Otu, who inaugurated the agency’s office in the Southern Senatorial District of the state on Monday, in Calabar, said similar offices were being inaugurated in the Central and Northern Senatorial Districts.

The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Emmanuel Ironbar, said the officials of the agency would serve as first point of call before matters would be escalated to main security architecture in the state.

He described Homeland Security as an intelligence-driven structure focused on neighbourhood monitoring and early threat detection through coordinated local efforts.

He said the initiative constituted the directors and field operatives, tasked with gathering and forwarding intelligence to relevant security agencies for prompt action.

Otu noted that the network would serve as a first point of contact before intervention by conventional security agencies.

“It is important that we enhance monitoring of movements across our communities, border areas, and riverine zones to identify suspicious activities and enhance security response.

“The state government will provide necessary gadgets and communication tools to improve efficiency and real-time intelligence sharing,” he said.

Otu called for public cooperation, stressing that ‘’security is a collective responsibility requiring timely information from residents.’’

He said, ‘’to ensure that the security outfit works like a model unit, proper screening would be conducted on the volunteers to weed out undesirable elements from the system.’’

The Tide’s source reports that the Governor handed over 14 motor bikes to the agency’s southern Senatorial district office to enhance their efficiency.

On his part, the Director-General, South of the agency, Mr. Michael Nsan, said the volunteers had played key roles in reducing crime through coordinated patrols and intelligence sharing.

Nsan said over 1,300 volunteers currently supported the operations with additional informants providing critical information across communities.

“Crime rates dropped significantly during the last festive period due to our collaboration with law enforcement agencies in the state,” he said.

The Director-General said volunteers would undergo training and screening, with plans underway for formal recruitment through a government employment portal.

According to him, communication tools, including walkie-talkies, and patrol motorcycles had improved rapid response to security incidents.

He commended the governor’s commitment, noting that the initiative would further strengthen security architecture and community safety across the state.

The source reports that some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion were traditional rulers and government officials.

Niger Delta

Edo Defends 18-month Record, Cites Gains In Other Sectors

Published

1 hour ago

April 10, 2026

The Tide

The Edo State Government has defended its performance in office so far, saying ongoing projects in infrastructure, healthcare, education and security showed clear progress despite criticism from the opposition.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the State, Prince Kasim Afegbua, stated this at a news conference held in Benin on Wednesday.

Afegbua said the Statement Governor, Monday Okpebholo, had been focused on addressing inherited challenges rather than engaging in propaganda.

He described the recent protests against the government as driven by “faceless actors,” questioning the credibility of those behind the protests.

The Commissioner also dismissed claims that the state was stagnating.

“The current Edo narrative is cheering news to the average Edo mind. We are not into propaganda. What we are doing, you can see for yourselves”, he said.

Afegbua anchored the government’s defence on infrastructure, pointing at the ongoing and completed road projects across the state.

He also listed the near-completion of the Ramat Park flyover and a second flyover at Aduwawa Junction as some of the new infrastructural developments being carried out by the Okpebholo administration.

He also cited rehabilitation works on Sapele Road, previously abandoned, as well as multiple urban and rural road projects, spanning Edo South, Central and North Senatorial Districts.

“In 18 months, we can beat our chest that the Governor has done so much to advance critical infrastructure”, he said, noting that road construction was being accelerated despite early rains affecting timelines.

Afegbua also highlighted interventions in the education sector, stating that about 6,500 teachers had been recruited, alongside rehabilitation of dilapidated schools previously lacking basic facilities, such as desks, roofs and toilets.

“Today, you can go around and see the difference,” he said.

The Commissioner added that completed school projects had risen from 68 at the administration’s one-year mark to nearly 80.

In healthcare, he said the state government had expanded primary healthcare access by already constructing 75 centres, with a target of 160 within four years.

He said many of the facilities had been equipped to deliver immediate services at the grassroots, while work had resumed on Stella Obasanjo Hospital which, he said, was inherited at 55 per cent completion.

“We are strengthening primary healthcare because it is the first point of contact for our people,” he said.

On higher education, Afegbua disclosed that the state recently committed N2 billion to infrastructure development at Edo State University, Iyamho, while also increasing its monthly subvention from N100 million to N250 million.

Government, he said, had also provided buses to support students’ mobility.

Beyond infrastructure and social services, he pointed at the economic support initiatives, including a N1 billion interest-free loan scheme for market women and another N1 billion set aside for students’ bursaries.

All these, he noted, were aimed at easing economic pressure and expanding access to education.

While acknowledging that security incidents had shifted from urban centres to the hinterlands, Afegbua, however, maintained that overall security had improved significantly in the state.

“The way kidnapping was rife when we took over, I think it has dropped maximally,” he said, citing bush-combing operations, arrests and destruction of criminal hideouts.

He also stated that government had procured over 100 Hilux vans and 300 motorcycles for security agencies.

Similarly, he said government had supported the local vigilante operations and established a rapid response mechanism for road maintenance and emergency interventions.

Afegbua further said that local governments had been empowered with heavy-duty equipment to open rural roads and improve mobility, describing the decentralised approach as critical to grassroots development.

“We need the cooperation of everyone. Security is not just about government; it is about collective responsibility,” he added.

Responding to concerns about transparency, particularly around contract costs, the commissioner insisted that all projects followed due procurement processes and were approved by the State Executive Council.

“If you check with the Ministry of Works, you can always get the cost of those contracts,” he said, stressing that the administration was prudent in resource management.