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27 illegal refineries dismantled in Rivers, eight suspected pipeline vandals nabbed
The task force set up in Rivers State said it has dismantled 27 illegal refineries operating in the state. The task force in an operation led by Rowland Sekibo dismantled 27 artisanal refineries in Obonoma Creeks in the area. Kpofire in Akuku-Toru, LGA’ had declared total war on artisanal refineries, adding that the creeks of Obonoma, Osama, Soku, Abise and Kula must be free of the criminal business. Addressing newsmen at the Council headquarters, Sekibo, said that four of the sites were destroyed at Agama creek, ten at Fonosama, adding that the operation was on.
Also eight suspected pipeline vandals were arrested in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State by the task force chairman, Rowland Sekibo, in the fight against oil bunkering. Sekibo, who said the action was in line with the directive of the governor of the state, Chief Nyesome Wike, that all LGA chairmen in the State should clamp down on illegal oil bunkering and destroy all artisanal refineries within their domain. He noted that the Council has therefore declared total war on all oil bunkering activities in the LGA and promised to canvass the length and breadth of the creeks to dislodge the operators. Sekibo said: “A total of six (6) locally fabricated ovens/artisanal refineries and five (5) oil reservoirs filled with products suspected to be crude oil and refined petroleum products allegedly owned and operated by one Mr Ikior was discovered. The task force was able to manually dismantle and destroy the ovens to avert any outbreak of fire that will further pollute the already combustible environment thereby adding to the menace of black carbon in the atmosphere rather than diminishing its effect.
“Sunday, 23rd January 2022 which is the day two (2) of the clampdown on illegal bunkering alais “kpofire'” in Akulga, the Taskforce on illegal bunkering with the assistance of the joint team of military and paramilitary personnel invaded yet another camp situated deep in the creeks of Fonosama and Agama in Obonoma Community where we uncovered another four (4) illegal refinery sites and makeshift storage facilities. The owner is the camp is yet to be identified. Monday, 24th of January 2022 which is day three ( 3) o16f the operation, members of the task force and a team of combined military and paramilitary personnel uncovered more sites in the mangrove swamps of Fonosama in Obonoma were a total number of ten (10) locally made refinery and over twenty ( 20) reservoirs containing products suspected to be crude oil and already refined petroleum products were stored. The alleged owner of the site is one Mr Portus. He noted that the task force was able to dismantle the ovens and the makeshift huts and confiscate some equipment on the site, adding that the total of 27 illegal oil refineries have been uncovered and destroyed within the Obonoma community. He said that the team in their operation arrested a suspected pipeline vandals, adding that they were apprehended with their equipment while they were in operation. He said; “The task force on illegal bunkering and the local security vigilante ( Akulga OSPAC ) on monday night, intercepted and apprehended eight ( 8) pipe line vandals who were caught in the act of vandalising oil facilities. The suspects were intercepted at Boro creek in kula community and are currently in the custody of the Police.
“As a responsible government, we believe there is no justification for the magnitude of economic sabotage and environmental degradation caused by the perpetrator of this crime against the collective interest and well-being of the citizens of this state, and we condemn in its entirety the criminal conduct of these oil thieves and their sponsors.” He warned paramount ruler and chiefs to desist from the supporting the business, maintaining that no matter how highly placed any Chief that is fingered in the illicit business in any of the communities in the area would be made to face the wrath of the law.
News
Cardano rises as midnight launch triggers rally
Cardano (ADAUSD) climbed amidst tight trading activities in the crypto market, up by 1.05% in the past 24 hours, showing resilience near key support.
The price ticked up on Sunday amidst negative movements in the global crypto market. The gain has reduced its negative movement in the week to 1%. Cardano is showing strength with a $70 million ADA treasury push and a bullish December setup, but it faces key resistance amidst competing traders.
The token is trading at $0.4165 at the time of filing the report on Sunday, gaining more than 1% on the day as volume traded reached $359.252 million. The token is in a notable correction from its November highs. Recent trading activity reflects pronounced investor caution. Over a 30-day period, ADA has declined approximately 15%, mirroring the broader pressure on risk assets from macroeconomic uncertainties.
Sentiment trades mixed, as retail and mid-sized investors are accumulating at lows, but large holders remain sceptical. Cardano’s privacy-centric Midnight Network went live after years of development, introducing NIGHT – the first native asset on Cardano.
According to crypto analysts, Short-term speculation around NIGHT airdrops and interoperability boosted ADA demand. ADA rebounded from $0.371–$0.416 after testing an ascending trend line connecting 2023–2025 lows. Traders interpreted the bounce as a bullish divergence, but ADA remains below critical resistance of $0.5113 and its 200-day EMA of $0.68.
ADA’s minor rally reflects optimism around Midnight’s launch and oversold technicals, but scepticism about its ecosystem impact and whale selling caps upside. While the price surges, analysts stated that Cardano balances technical hope against macroeconomic headwinds, with Midnight’s adoption trajectory and $0.51 resistance serving as critical watch points.
While governance upgrades signal maturing decentralisation, crypto analysts are still querying whether ADA can leverage these developments to reverse its 2025 underperformance.
News
NDLEA intercepts 7.6m tramadol pills, 76,273kg Colorado
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has recovered over 7.6 million pills of tramadol and a total of 76,273.4 kilograms of different strains of cannabis.
The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Babafemi said that the drugs, including Colorado, Loud and Skunks, had several members of drug trafficking organisations linked to the seizures arrested.
He said that out of the total opioids seized during the raids, not less than 3,874,000 pills of tramadol, 225mg and 100mg, and others, as well as 252.2litres of codeine syrup were recovered. He said that they were recovered from a warehouse at Oko market, Asaba, Delta, on Saturday. He also said that no fewer than 1.2 million tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from a suspect on December 3.
This, he said, was when NDLEA operatives on patrol at Orogwe, along the Onitsha-Owerri road, Imo, intercepted his vehicle conveying the consignment, which was loaded at Aba, Abia, and heading to Onitsha, Anambra. Meanwhile, in Adamawa, NDLEA officers on December 1 intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus marked MGU 554 XB along Maraba-Mubi, coming from Jos, Plateau state, and heading to Mubi, with a total of 1,577,112 capsules of tramadol.
“Other drugs intercepted were Exol-5 tablets, all concealed inside jumbo bags mixed with new rubber sandals and slippers. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure. Similarly, another 27-year-old suspect was nabbed along Zaria-Kano road, Kano state, with 197,000 pills of exol-5,” he said.
The NDLEA chairman, Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the SOU commands in Delta, Adamawa, Imo, Ondo, Lagos, and Kano for the arrests and seizures. Mr Marwa said that their operational successes, along with those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, were well appreciated. NAN
News
Lagos, Kaduna, Oyo, FCT, Ogun top 2025 subnational ease of doing business report
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has released the 2025 Subnational Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) Report, with Lagos emerging as the best-performing state, scoring 85.6 per cent.
The report released by the director-general of PEBEC, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, has Kaduna in second position with 65.1 per cent. Oyo, FCT, and Ogun rounded up the top five with scores of 62.7 per cent, 61.0 per cent, and 59.9 per cent, respectively. Others include Enugu (56.2 per cent) in sixth position, with Plateau (56.2 per cent), Ekiti (55.8 per cent), Kano (54.8 per cent), and Nasarawa (53.4 per cent) rounding out the top 10 states.
The EoDB report is a comprehensive data-driven assessment of how Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT are shaping business competitiveness through regulation, infrastructure, and administrative efficiency.
The report assesses performance across 16 indicators and 36 sub-metrics covering electricity, infrastructure, digital connectivity, land administration, taxation, trade logistics, justice delivery, investor support and skilled labour readiness.
According to the DG, these states distinguished themselves through consistent reform momentum, improved digital processes, and more predictable regulatory environments. “The 2025 Report also highlights five priority interventions states can implement immediately. These include establishing investor aftercare systems, strengthening MSME credit enablement, harmonising interstate trade rules, upgrading commercial justice processes, and improving power reliability for industrial clusters,” she said.
According to her, PEBEC will continue to support state-led reform adoption, particularly under the $750 million State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme. She added that “the 2025 Subnational EoDB Report provides a critical foundation for policy action, investment decisions, and long-term competitiveness across Nigeria.”
The DG said the Subnational Ease of Doing Business Report is available for download at www.pebec.gov.ng/reports
PEBEC had earlier released its 2025 Business Facilitation Act (BFA) Performance Report, covering MDAs’ performance from January to October. This performance report is part of the council’s effort to track and measure the compliance of federal government MDAs with the BFA’s requirements on promoting Transparency and Efficiency of government-delivered services to the business community.
The report presents a data-driven assessment of 69 priority MDAs, drawing on monthly compliance submissions, independent mystery shopping, website audits, ReportGov analytics, and targeted process-verification exercises.
According to the report, the top five performing MDAs include the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), with an impressive 90.6 per cent score, followed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at 89 per cent. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), ranks third with 86.6percent, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) secured the fourth and fifth positions, scoring 85.3 per cent and 84.2 per cent, respectively.
PEBEC, currently chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, was established in July 2016 by the federal government to oversee Nigeria’s business environment intervention. It has a dual mandate of removing bureaucratic and legislative constraints to doing business and improving the perception of the ease of doing business in Nigeria. NAN
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