Less than a week after a major explosion rocked the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana LGA of Rivers State, another blast has reportedly occurred at the Soku oil facility in Akuku Toru LGA. The Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), a grassroots NGO with deep networks in the Niger Delta, confirmed the incident on Sunday. In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr. Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, YEAC revealed that its youth volunteers reported an early morning explosion at the Soku oil facility, operated by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited. According to the statement: “An explosion accompanied by fireballs was heard and seen in the sky from the facility area, which is difficult to reach. The fire is still ongoing as of the time of this report.” The cause of the latest explosion remains unclear, with speculations ranging from equipment failure to sabotage or a deliberate attack. This marks the third explosion at oil facilities in Rivers State within a week. The first occurred in Ogoni, while the second took place in Oga/Egbema/Ndoni LGA—an incident referenced by President Bola Tinubu in his March 18 nationwide address, during which he declared a six-month state of emergency in the state. In response to the escalating crisis, the President suspended the Rivers State House of Assembly, Deputy Governor, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, citing the governor’s alleged failure to protect vital oil infrastructure. This decision followed a viral video in which some youths issued threats over Fubara’s possible impeachment. YEAC-Nigeria has called for an urgent investigation into the Soku explosion. The group urged the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) to conduct a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) to determine the cause.

The Imo State Police Command has arrested 64-year-old Barrister Donald Mbamah for allegedly shooting and killing 16-year-old Paul Victor, a student of Urban Development Secondary School, Owerri. Imo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Henry Okoye, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued in Owerri on Friday. The tragic incident occurred on Monday, March 17, 2025, when the teenager reportedly jumped over Mbamah’s fence to retrieve a football. An eyewitness stated that the lawyer shot him in the buttocks. Victor was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries on March 20, 2025. According to the statement: “The Imo State Police Command has arrested Barrister Donald Mbamah, a 64-year-old man, in connection with the shooting of a 16-year-old student, Paul Victor, on March 17, 2025. The incident occurred at approximately 12:34 PM at Mbamah’s residence in Area N, World Bank, New-Owerri. The victim, a student of Urban Development Secondary School, was allegedly shot in the buttocks under circumstances that are still under investigation.” “Police operatives from the New Owerri Division, led by the DPO, swiftly responded to a distress call from a concerned neighbor who heard the gunshot. They arrived at the scene, apprehended the suspect, and rushed the victim, Paul Victor, to General Hospital, Umuguma, for treatment. Despite efforts to save him, he was confirmed dead on March 20, 2025.” The police further stated: “Following the incident, Barrister Donald Mbamah was transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for questioning. A thorough investigation is ongoing, and the police are working to recover the alleged firearm used in the shooting. Photographs were also taken at the crime scene as part of the investigation.” “The Imo State Police Command expresses its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and assures the public that justice will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. The suspect will be arraigned in court once investigations are completed and sufficient evidence is gathered.” The command urged the public to remain calm and allow the authorities to handle the case through legal channels, warning against any attempts to take the law into their own hands.

A petrol-laden tanker exploded on Wednesday at Karu Bridge along the Abuja-Nyanya-Keffi Road in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sparking a massive fire that destroyed at least 30 vehicles. Several motorists were feared dead. The explosion occurred when the tanker, carrying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), lost control and crashed on the bridge, igniting a blaze that rapidly engulfed nearby vehicles. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as motorists and passengers scrambled to escape the advancing flames. Military personnel and emergency responders swiftly arrived at the scene, working to contain the situation, manage the movement of people, and ensure public safety. Security officials have cordoned off the area, diverting traffic to aid firefighting and rescue operations. As of the time of this report, the exact casualty count remains unknown, but multiple fatalities are feared, and rescue efforts are ongoing.

A second major explosion has rocked an oil facility in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA) of Rivers State, less than 12 hours after a similar incident. The blast occurred on Tuesday morning at a manifold connecting a federal pipeline in Okwawriwa, ONELGA, sending massive flames into the sky. Eyewitnesses report that the affected facility transports petroleum products from Seplat, Agip, and Shell to ONELGA, parts of Imo State, and Brass in Bayelsa State. Fortunately, the site is far from residential areas, reducing the risk of casualties. This latest explosion follows an earlier one at the Trans-Niger Pipeline, operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which transports crude to the Bonny Terminal. The Bodo, Gokana LGA incident has already prompted a police investigation. The Rivers State Police Command confirmed that two individuals are being questioned in connection with the Trans-Niger Pipeline explosion. While the exact causes of both incidents remain unknown, authorities are working to uncover the circumstances. The back-to-back explosions have sparked concerns about their impact on the oil and gas industry, the environment, and local communities. Many suspect sabotage and are calling for a thorough investigation to determine the root cause and prevent future occurrences.

An explosion has struck the Trans-Niger Pipeline in Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area, Rivers State. The affected section of the pipeline is engulfed in flames, though the cause of the blast remains unclear. Authorities have yet to confirm if human interference was involved, particularly amid recent militant threats to attack oil facilities over the Federal Government’s withholding of Rivers State’s allocation due to the ongoing political crisis. The explosion reportedly occurred Monday night along the vital export pipeline that channels crude to the Bonny Terminal.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested 17 suspects linked to renewed attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta. In a statement on Monday, NSCDC spokesperson Afolabi Babawale said the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) apprehended the suspects after they allegedly attacked NSCDC operatives and personnel of Tantita Security Services, a private firm contracted for pipeline surveillance. The attack led to the killing of Assistant Superintendent Umar Aliyu (Service No. 6363) and the theft of a Tantita Security Services speedboat. Commandant A.S. Dandaura, head of the special intelligence squad, disclosed that the suspects, identified as a high-profile syndicate of 17 sea pirates, were arrested on March 6, 2025, during a coordinated intelligence-led operation at Tonogbene, Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. List of Arrested Suspects: - Ziakede Amatu - Aaron Ekogbene - Abilene Adeseotu - Toukekenme Emmanuel Police - Ken David Timiprey - Ekogbene Isaac Pius - Guy Tigan Victor - Timothy Ebibakote - Odebor Abade Joseph - Zikena Kingsley - Kelly Babylon - Dide Tuboukebuleye - ThankGod Ezu - Godwin Aseyapwayei - Timis Tokoni Recovered Items: - One AK-47 rifle - Two empty AK-47 magazines - Charms - 15 Tantita Security uniforms - 15 Tantita Security T-shirts - 15 black boots Dandaura recounted an earlier attack on January 21, 2025, when suspected vandals and sea pirates ambushed a joint task force of NSCDC operatives and Tantita Security personnel at their base in Torugbene II, Ekeremo LGA, Bayelsa State. The attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons, opened fire on security personnel and civilians, killing ASC Umar Aliyu and stealing his AK-47 rifle. A Tantita Security operative, Ebikame Seimeneyefa, was also shot, and the company’s speedboat was hijacked. Following intensive operations and collaboration with other security agencies, authorities tracked down the 17-man gang, led by Ziakede Amatu—a notorious vandal, kidnapper, and armed robber from Norgbene community in Ekeremo, Bayelsa State. Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had previously attacked the residence of Minister of State for Petroleum, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, on January 1, 2025. Amatu admitted to engaging in illegal petroleum refining in Abonema, Rivers State, in 2023 under the command of a fugitive known as Emergency. Before disappearing, Emergency had hidden seven AK-47 rifles in the forest, which Amatu later retrieved for "community protection" on the advice of local elders. Investigations further revealed that Amatu had unsuccessfully attempted to join Tantita Security Services. After being rejected, he and his gang procured Tantita uniforms to impersonate security operatives while carrying out attacks on oil installations. The suspects allegedly aimed to sabotage Tantita Security’s operations and discredit its chairman, Ekpemupolo Owiezide Government (alias Tompolo), after failing to secure subcontracts for surveillance. Their actions escalated into the deadly attack on NSCDC and Tantita operatives, which resulted in the killing of Officer Aliyu.

The Delta State Police Command has reportedly killed four suspected kidnappers and recovered an AK-47 rifle along the railway line in Agbarho. State police spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Asaba, the Delta State capital. “Operatives of the CP Special Assignment team who had earlier arrested one suspect when he was seeking to buy AK 47 rifle ammunition on March 9, 2025. “The suspect during interrogation revealed the location where the rifle was hidden. The operatives stormed the bush along the railway line in Agbarho, where the gang members upon sighting the police engaged the team in a fierce gun duel, during which four suspected kidnappers sustained serious gunshot injuries. “The injured suspects were taken to the general hospital Ughelli for treatment but were later confirmed dead by the doctor. and their corpses have been deposited at the hospital morgue while the effort to trail and arrest the fleeing hoodlums is ongoing,” he said.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has yet to respond to allegations of threats made against it by a Lagos-based corps member, Ushie Uguamaye, following her criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In a viral video posted on her TikTok account, *talktoraye*, on Saturday, Uguamaye expressed frustration over Nigeria’s deteriorating economic conditions, citing high inflation and widespread hardship. She also criticized President Tinubu, calling him a “terrible leader” and questioning the government’s efforts to improve citizens’ welfare. Beyond her critique of the administration, Uguamaye described Lagos as a “smelling state” with “poor living conditions.” Her remarks sparked widespread discussions online, contributing to the video’s rapid spread across social media. Following the viral video, Uguamaye released another clip, alleging that NYSC officials had pressured her to delete her earlier post. She insisted that she had only spoken the truth about the country’s situation. Uguamaye wrote, “Dear Nigerians, I am already getting threatened by the NYSC board to stop speaking on this issue. In less than 24 hours, I’m already getting threatened by the government, starting with the NYSC board! “Dear Nigerians, they have my address. In case you guys don’t see me online, please you know who to hold accountable. I didn’t do anything wrong. I just asked that they work on the inflation. “Why can’t I speak up? Being an NYSC corper doesn’t mean I signed up for my right to complain. “Why can’t the government listen to the criticisms of its citizens? They believe they have a chain on me, which is NYSC, and they are using it to hold me. #officialasiwajubat I didn’t do anything wrong. I criticised your government, and I demand that we are being heard.” Uguamaye went further to state that she would not delete the post because it would amount to covering up whatever punishment was meted out to her. She urged the NYSC authorities to desist from threatening her since she had been instructed to report to the office on Monday. “She’s asking people to identify me? I’m not a criminal. Reading the NYSC rules, I didn’t commit any crime. Ask the NYSC lady to stop asking people to point me out. At this point, she’s acting scary. “Dear NYSC, if you say a corper has faulted, you wouldn’t treat them like this and scare them! You are scaring me for my dear life. Please, leave me alone. You told me to report to the office on Monday. Okay! What else? Why are you looking for me? “I just exercised my right to use the ‘Freedom of Speech’. This is the right of every citizen. Except they tell me being an NYSC corper removes me from being a citizen.”

A couple, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Bogbon Godwell, residents of Okpe Local Government Area, Delta State, have been arrested by the CP-Special Assignment Team of the state police command for allegedly engaging in gun-running. Sources said that the couple was apprehended around 2:30 p.m. on March 9, 2025. During the arrest, officers recovered a fabricated Beretta pistol and a single live round, reportedly intended for delivery to a client in Sapele. Investigations revealed that the arrest followed a sting operation at the couple’s residence, based on credible intelligence. A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer for the Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, on Thursday, said the wife named, Mrs. Uche Joshua, “admitted to being the dispatcher and she confessed to having delivered several arms as directed by her husband to various clients within Warri and Sapele.” According to the statement, “Further investigation also led to the arrest of one Junior Moses Ogedegbe ‘m’ 30 years of Useifurun community in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State who is also a member of their gang. “Efforts to recover other arms and arrest more suspects are ongoing.”

Delta State Police Command spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, has justified officers’ actions in conducting a thorough search of passengers’ belongings at a checkpoint during a road trip from Benin to Owerri. A viral video posted on Wednesday showed a lady recounting her experience, capturing officers inspecting boxes, luggage, and sealed waybill packages belonging to passengers, including mothers and children. She claimed the travellers were delayed for an hour due to the extensive search. Addressing concerns in a post via X on Thursday, Edafe asserted that the police had the right to inspect all items, including waybills, during stop-and-search operations. He stressed that such measures were crucial for security and questioned whether the criticism would persist had dangerous weapons been found. “What if they had recovered Beretta pistols and ammunition while carrying out this thorough search? Would you be asking this question?” Edafe said. He clarified that while male officers are not allowed to physically search a woman’s body, they have the authority to inspect her belongings. “The police were right and can search all items, including waybills, during the course of stop-and-search duty. And yes, they can search the belongings of a woman. They are only not allowed to search a woman physically if they are male officers, but not their properties. Are we clear?” he added.