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‎The Nigerian Navy has intensified its crackdown on crude oil theft, arresting a vessel allegedly involved in illegal oil bunkering and taking 12 crew members into custody during an intelligence-led operation in Akwa Ibom State.
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‎The operation, conducted under Operation DELTA SENTINEL, saw naval personnel intercept the vessel, MT FILIA, at the UTUE Terminal while it was allegedly siphoning crude oil from an oil well terminal jacket.
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‎Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the successful operation followed credible intelligence generated through the Navy’s surveillance systems and continuous monitoring by its operational platforms.
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‎He disclosed that preliminary investigations showed the vessel was carrying about 32.82 metric tonnes of fuel oil and 650 metric tonnes of crude oil without lawful authorisation or the required documentation.
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‎According to him, the vessel, its 12 crew members and the recovered products have been taken into custody pending further investigation and possible prosecution.
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‎Reacting to the development, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, praised the officers and ratings who carried out the operation, describing their professionalism and vigilance as commendable.
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‎He reaffirmed the Navy’s determination to stamp out crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other maritime crimes that continue to undermine Nigeria’s economy.
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‎The Naval Chief said Operation DELTA SENTINEL has continued to deliver measurable results through intelligence-driven operations, robust surveillance and collaboration with other security agencies and key stakeholders.
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‎Folorunsho recalled that between April and June 2026, the Navy recovered more than 4.7 million litres of petroleum products, dismantled 58 illegal refining sites, destroyed 239 dugout pits and 13 refining ovens, and arrested 91 suspects linked to crude oil theft.
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‎He added that the sustained operations coincided with Nigeria’s crude oil production rising to 1.89 million barrels per day in July 2026, surpassing the country’s OPEC production quota.
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‎The Nigerian Navy assured Nigerians that it would sustain operations aimed at protecting the nation’s oil and gas assets and urged members of the public to continue providing credible information to support the fight against maritime crimes.

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The Nigerian Army has declared one of its personnel, Private Mohammed Yusuf Amutu, wanted over allegations that he unlawfully sold and supplied military uniforms to terrorists and other criminal elements.

The Army disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by the Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps (NAOC), saying the soldier, who was serving at the Nigerian Army Ordnance Kits Factory, allegedly absconded from his unit on June 3, 2026.

The statement, signed by the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations at the NAOC Headquarters, Major Oluwatope Dorcas Aluko, said preliminary investigations indicated that Amutu was allegedly involved in the unauthorised sale and distribution of military uniforms.

According to the Army, the soldier has been declared wanted by the appropriate military authorities, while efforts are ongoing to trace, arrest and subject him to a comprehensive investigation. It added that any disciplinary measures would be taken in accordance with existing military laws if the allegations are established.

“The Headquarters Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps has zero tolerance for misconduct, indiscipline, or any act capable of compromising the operational effectiveness, integrity and reputation of the Nigerian Army or threatening national security,” the statement said.

The Army stressed that any personnel found to have assisted terrorists, criminal groups or other non-state actors through the unauthorised sale, diversion or distribution of military uniforms, accoutrements or other controlled items would face the full weight of both military and civil laws.

It appealed to members of the public to assist security agencies with credible information that could lead to the arrest of the wanted soldier, urging anyone with useful information to report to the nearest military formation or other security agency.

The Army reiterated its commitment to accountability, professionalism and the safeguarding of military assets, assuring that all allegations of misconduct involving its personnel would be thoroughly investigated and that anyone found culpable would be held accountable in line with the law.

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The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) yesterday said human trafficking has evolved beyond sexual exploitation and forced labour into cyber-enabled scam operations, with tech-savvy young graduates now the fastest-growing group of victims.

Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, disclosed this at a press conference ahead of the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, themed “Trapped Behind the Scam.”

Bello said the agency rescued 156 trafficking victims between January and July, in addition to over 300 victims repatriated from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in 2025. She said NAPTIP has also disrupted several trafficking-linked scam centres nationwide.

According to her, young Nigerians, particularly skilled graduates, we’re being lured abroad with false job offers in IT, digital marketing, cryptocurrency trading, gaming and telecommunications.

On arrival, mostly in parts of Asia, their passports are seized and they are coerced through violence, debt bondage or psychological pressure into running online scams targeting victims worldwide.

The victims themselves become prisoners trapped behind computer screens, false promises, organised criminal networks, and fear, Bello said.

She said criminal networks now exploited social media, encrypted platforms, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence to recruit and control victims, adding that large scam compounds operate mainly in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, with similar hubs emerging in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. Victims there are coerced into romance scams, crypto and investment frauds targeting victims in the U.S., UK, Canada and Ethiopia, she added.

Citing global data, Bello said over 300,000 people are trafficked into scam operations across Southeast Asia annually, generating an estimated $64 billion, with victims drawn from 66 countries.

On prosecutions, she said NAPTIP has secured 839 convictions since its establishment, including 47 recorded this year. She urged Nigerians to verify overseas job offers and avoid unofficial recruitment channels.

Also speaking, UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure, said trafficking thrives where legitimate opportunities are scarce, noting that job seekers and young people are most vulnerable to exploitation. He called for stronger investment in youth skills development, job creation and inclusive economic growth as a frontline defence against trafficking, alongside law enforcement.