SR SahelReporters

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja —  The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) says its troops rescued at least 37 abducted persons, neutralised 22 terrorists and arrested several suspected terrorists, kidnappers and arms traffickers across the country between August 20 and 27, 2026. The military also dismantled illegal oil refining operations, intercepted stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products, and recovered several weapons and other items during sustained operations across the country. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, August 28, detailing the activities of the armed forces in the various theatres of operation. 21 terrorists neutralised in Adamawa In the North-East, troops of Operation HADIN KAI sustained offensive operations against terrorists in Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi and Yobe states. The military said troops intercepted eight abductees, comprising three women and five children, around Ngo...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Fire Service (FFS) and Unilever Nigeria PLC have signed separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen collaboration on trade facilitation, safety, intelligence sharing, counterfeiting prevention and economic development. The agreements were signed on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the NCS Headquarters in Abuja. Speaking during the signing ceremony with the Federal Fire Service, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the agreement as a strategic step towards strengthening inter-agency cooperation and advancing the shared responsibility of both agencies to protect lives, property and critical national assets. Adeniyi said the MoU would enhance fire safety standards across Customs facilities, facilitate rapid response to emergencies, promote joint training and capacity building, and improve information sharing on fire prevention and emergency preparedness. “I am very conf...

By Aviashima Toom, ABUJA The Nigerian Navy is seeking to deepen defence-industrial cooperation with Türkiye, with a focus on naval shipbuilding, technology transfer, local production and fleet modernisation. The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, made this known on Thursday when he received the Deputy Secretary of Defence Industries of Türkiye, Mr Gökhan Uçar, at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja. The meeting explored practical areas of cooperation aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s indigenous shipbuilding capabilities and enhancing the operational capacity of the Nigerian Navy. Key areas discussed included naval shipbuilding, defence technology, technology transfer, local production, maintenance and technical capacity development. Vice Admiral Abbas stressed the need for mutually beneficial partnerships backed by sustained engagement and firm contractual commitments to ensure long-term and credible defence-industrial cooperation between both countries. He also e...

Felix Morka, APC National Publicity Secretary.  By Olokor Michael Public Affairs Commentator and Development Advocate In Nigeria’s increasingly competitive political landscape, where public communication has become a critical instrument of political engagement, few personalities have mastered the demands of political advocacy and communication as visibly as Barrister Felix Morka, CON, the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). A lawyer, human rights advocate, urban development specialist and politician, Morka has emerged as one of the most recognisable public faces of Nigeria’s governing party. He understands that defending a political organisation is not simply about speaking loudly or reacting to criticism. It requires facts, preparation, clarity of argument and the ability to explain a party’s policies and positions to a sometimes sceptical public. That combination has defined much of Morka’s public career. The APC describes him as a hum...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the reopening of its nationwide Membership Electronic-Registration Exercise ahead of the 2027 General Elections. The exercise is scheduled to commence on Monday, August 31, 2026, across all wards in the country. In a statement issued on Tuesday, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, CON, called on party stakeholders, supporters and members—both old and new—to participate in the exercise. According to the party, existing members are expected to validate their membership records, while new and intending members are encouraged to register and formally join the APC. The party said prospective registrants must be 18 years or older and possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN). The APC explained that the electronic registration exercise is aimed at digitising its membership register, improving the integrity and accessibility of membership records, and providing reliable data for ef...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), in collaboration with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and UK International Development, has intensified efforts to strengthen its internal anti-corruption framework through a workshop focused on corruption risk analysis, risk mapping and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Speaking at the closing ceremony of the workshop on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the NCS Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, described the exercise as an important step towards strengthening institutional growth, integrity and corruption risk management within the Service. Adeniyi stressed that the assessment was not intended to find fault or apportion blame, but to enable the Service to critically examine its processes, identify vulnerabilities and develop sustainable solutions. According to him, the assessment covered critical Customs operations, including regulatory and ...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Nigerian Navy has disrupted three illegal refining sites in Rivers State as part of intensified operations against crude oil theft and illegal refining activities in the Niger Delta. The sites were uncovered on Friday, August 21, by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH during an operation conducted under Operation DELTA SENTINEL in the Okolomade and Ogbogolo areas of the state. According to a statement signed by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation followed credible intelligence indicating the reactivation of illegal refining activities in the area. The Navy said its personnel discovered two cooking drums, two large ovens, 10 reservoirs and four storage facilities linked to the illegal refining operations. Two makeshift camps, believed to have provided shelter for operators of the illegal refineries, were also discovered. The operation further led to the recovery of approximately 91,000 lit...