SR SahelReporters

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigerian Navy Marines, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army's 403 Amphibious Brigade, have neutralised 34 Boko Haram terrorists in separate offensive operations around the Lake Chad region of Borno State. The operations, conducted under Operation HADIN KAI, were carried out on October 28 and 30, 2026, as part of sustained efforts to dismantle terrorist networks and disrupt their activities in the North-East. In a statement on Saturday, the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the October 28 operation initially recorded eight terrorists killed, but a subsequent Battle Damage Assessment revised the casualty figure to 28. He disclosed that another offensive operation was conducted on October 30 against an identified Boko Haram enclave at Dumba in the Lake Chad area. According to him, the operation followed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions which enabled the military to identify and monito...

By Aviashima Toom For decades, the Niger Delta has remained central to Nigeria's economic survival, supplying a significant portion of the crude oil that sustains the nation's economy. Yet, beneath the wealth generated from its natural resources lies a troubling contradiction: communities sitting on oil reserves often bear the greatest environmental and economic consequences of petroleum exploration. In Uzere Kingdom, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State, this contradiction has once again become painfully evident following an oil well blowout that has raised serious concerns about environmental degradation, public health, livelihood security and corporate accountability. The incident, involving Well 14 in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30, operated by Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited, reportedly began on June 26, 2026. What should have been an emergency requiring swift technical intervention has developed into a prolonged environmental concern, drawi...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja The Nigerian Navy has recorded fresh operational successes in Kogi and Rivers states, rescuing 13 kidnapped victims and arresting six suspected drug peddlers in separate operations. The Navy disclosed this in a statement signed by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, on Wednesday. In Kogi State, 13 kidnapped victims were rescued along the Itobe–Anyigba Highway in Ofu Local Government Area on August 10, 2026. The rescue followed a coordinated search operation involving personnel of the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force and local vigilantes after a reported kidnapping incident along the highway. According to the Navy, the victims were handed over to relevant security authorities for screening and necessary assistance. The joint security team, however, encountered resistance from suspected kidnappers during the operation. The encounter resulted in the death of one vigilante personnel, while a police offic...

By Aviashima Toom, abuja The Nigerian Navy says it has intercepted about 17,000 litres of suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, in Rivers State. The operation was carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder under Operation Delta Sentinel, the Navy’s ongoing campaign against crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering. According to a statement by the Director Naval Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Captain,  Abiodun Folorunsho in Abuja said, the product was intercepted along the Onne-Okrika waterways, where personnel stopped a speedboat conveying the suspected illegally refined AGO. The speedboat and the recovered petroleum product have been taken into custody in line with established anti-crude oil theft procedures. The Navy says efforts are also underway to identify and apprehend those behind the illegal operation. It says the latest interception is part of its broader efforts to disrupt the illicit petroleum supply chain, protect critical oil and gas...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  Troops of the Nigerian military under Operation HADIN KAI have neutralised 48 terrorists and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition following successful operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno and Yobe states. The operations, conducted between October 29 and 30, 2026, involved the foiling of coordinated terrorist attacks on military positions in Bitta, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, and the North East Theatre Training School (NETTS), Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State. In Bitta, troops, supported by air assets, successfully repelled an attempted terrorist assault on the night of October 29, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers and disrupting their planned offensive. Similarly, troops launched a counter-offensive against a large concentration of ISWAP fighters who attacked NETTS in Buni Yadi on October 29, with the engagement extendi...

By Aviashima Toom The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to troops’ welfare and family well-being, describing them as critical components of its transformation agenda and operational effectiveness. Shaibu made this known on Thursday, October 29, 2026, during the commissioning of the newly constructed Nigerian Army Space Command Headquarters at Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja. The Army Chief said sustained investments in accommodation, healthcare and modern infrastructure were aimed at boosting personnel morale and providing a conducive working and living environment for soldiers and their families. He explained that the initiatives were consistent with his Soldier First mantra and the command philosophy's emphasis on Sound Administration. On the strategic importance of the Space Command, Shaibu said the integration of space-based assets with unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and other emerg...

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja  The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) strengthened business relations and enhanced trade facilitation with the US Chamber of Commerce, the US-Africa Business Centre (USAfBC), and the American Business Council (ABC) at a quarterly meeting in the NCS Headquarters' ICT Auditorium, Maitama, Abuja.  During the meeting, held on 28 October 2026, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Tariff and Trade, Caroline Niagwan, said the visit will strengthen collaboration and economic cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. Niagwan reaffirmed the Nigeria Customs Service’s commitment to institutional reforms, operational efficiency, digital transformation, and enhanced stakeholder engagement. Delivering the CGC's message, she stated, "Our objective is to build a modern, transparent, and responsive Customs administration that facilitates trade wh...