At least 37 suspected oil thieves have reportedly died after inhaling a substance believed to be petroleum fumes during an alleged oil theft operation in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Thursday, September 3, 2026, around Okari Jetty.

According to reports, more than 100 people, mostly youths from Okrika and neighbouring communities, had converged on the area to allegedly siphon petroleum products from a pipeline linked to the Indorama Eleme Petrochemical facility and the Port Harcourt Refinery.

The suspects were said to have arrived in boats and were loading the products when a strong smell suddenly spread across the area.

Several of the youths reportedly collapsed after inhaling the substance, with some falling into the river.

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While 37 people were said to have died, several others who escaped the scene were reportedly taken to hospitals for treatment after developing serious respiratory complications.

However, details surrounding the incident remain unclear, and authorities have not independently confirmed all the reported figures or the exact substance responsible for the deaths.

The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Blessing Agabe, confirmed that an investigation had commenced.

According to Agabe, the victims were reportedly involved in an attempt to steal crude oil, although no formal complaint had been received by the police at the time of the report.

She said the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine the facts.

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The incident has once again highlighted the dangers associated with illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft, particularly in communities located around petroleum infrastructure.

Two police officers dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force over the alleged killing of a 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt graduate, Anthony Obodo, have been remanded in custody by a magistrate’s court in Port Harcourt.

The officers, Corporals Alfred Louis and Michael Ejekwu, were arraigned before the court on Thursday and ordered to be remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.

Obodo was allegedly shot dead on August 27, 2026, around Ada George Junction in Port Harcourt.

Their arraignment followed their dismissal from the police force over their alleged involvement in the incident.

Two other officers linked to the killing, identified as Fabian Kpeanabari and Assistant Superintendent of Police Solomon Nwogu, were not arraigned alongside the two corporals.

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Nwogu is reportedly still at large.

When the matter came before the Chief Magistrate, Helen Hardy, on Thursday, the charges were not read to Louis and Ejekwu, and they did not enter any plea.

The magistrate instead ordered that the two defendants be remanded at the correctional centre and directed that the case file be forwarded to the Chief Registrar for reassignment.

The case was adjourned until September 22, 2026, for plea and possible trial.

Speaking outside the courtroom, the Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Port Harcourt Branch, Dr Chinedu Maduba, expressed concern that only two of the officers linked to the incident were brought before the court.

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Maduba said he contacted the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, to seek clarification on why the third officer in custody was not arraigned.

According to him, the commissioner explained that Nwogu, being an Assistant Superintendent of Police, required ratification of his dismissal by the Police Service Commission before he could be prosecuted.

Maduba said Adepoju assured him that the process, which could normally take two to three months, would be fast-tracked and completed within a week.

The NBA chairman said the association would continue monitoring the case to ensure that justice was served.

He stressed that while the police officers accused of the killing must face trial, they were also entitled to due process and could only be convicted if the prosecution established their guilt.

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The arraignment came a day after the Rivers State Police Command paraded three officers allegedly connected to Obodo’s killing at its headquarters in Port Harcourt.

During the briefing on Wednesday, Commissioner Adepoju said the fourth officer, who allegedly fled after the incident, had been declared a deserter and would face the same consequences as the other officers if apprehended.

The case has continued to attract attention amid calls for accountability and justice over the death of the young UNIPORT graduate.

By Our Reporter

The House of Representatives committee investigating the activities of the Public-Private Infrastructure and Financing Commission (PFIPC) has uncovered 12 additional agencies it described as allegedly fake, as well as 58 bank accounts reportedly linked to the commission’s Director-General, Adeniyi Adeyemi.

The development emerged during the committee’s ongoing investigation into the activities of the commission.

The lawmakers also accused Adeyemi of allegedly being connected to the widespread forgery of government documents, raising concerns over possible institutional failures and abuse of public office.

Following the findings, the committee called for the prosecution of the PFIPC Director-General, subject to the conclusion of investigations by relevant security and anti-corruption agencies.

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The committee said its findings and supporting evidence would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and necessary action.

The allegations remain subject to investigation and due process.

Gunmen have abducted the All Progressives Congress Chairman of Rogo Local Government Area of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Fanka, killing two people during the attack.

The incident occurred around 11pm on Monday when the gunmen invaded the community and opened sporadic gunfire, forcing residents to flee their homes.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the two victims were killed while attempting to prevent the gunmen from abducting Fanka.

“The two people killed couldn’t stop them from whisking away the party chairman because they were in possession of sophisticated weapons,” the resident said.

The latest incident occurred barely 24 hours after gunmen attacked Rantan community in Bebeji Local Government Area, killing the APC Chairman of Rantan Ward, Alhaji Garba Buba, and another resident identified as Sulaiman Zunduma.

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The Kano State Police Command has launched an investigation into the Rantan attack and commenced efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.

The attacks followed another incident in Chiromawa community in Garun Mallam Local Government Area, where suspected bandits abducted the Sarkin Noman Kano, Alhaji Yusif Nadabo, on Saturday night.

Nadabo was later rescued by the police following a joint response by security operatives and residents. Three residents were reportedly injured during the operation.

The three incidents occurred in neighbouring parts of Kano State within about 72 hours, heightening concerns over the spread of kidnapping and armed attacks across the state.

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Muhammad Matawalle, had on Monday announced that the Federal Government was developing a five-year defence and security plan in response to recent security challenges, including the attacks in Kano.

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As of the time of filing the report, attempts to obtain an update from the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, were unsuccessful. Calls to his telephone were unanswered, while a WhatsApp message sent to him had not received a response.

The Nigerian military has confirmed the rescue of 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in Kogi State.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Monday while giving an update on military operations across the country.

Onoja said the victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the Egume-Ochaja forest stretch in the 2 Division area of operation.

He said 15 of the rescued victims were NYSC members who were among those abducted last week while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State.

The director said the military had also sustained operations against terrorists and criminal elements, particularly in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, following recent abductions in the area.

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He said troops were collaborating with other security agencies and state government institutions through intelligence sharing and identification of areas requiring security intervention.

Onoja cited the rescue of 308 abducted persons, predominantly women and children, from Kainji Lake National Park on Aug. 5 as evidence of the security forces’ capacity to locate and rescue victims.

He assured residents of Borgu and neighbouring communities that military operations would continue until threats posed by terrorists and criminals were sufficiently degraded.

The general urged families of abducted persons to remain calm and avoid actions that could compromise ongoing rescue operations, stressing that credible information remained vital to the efforts of the security agencies.

He said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, remained committed to rescuing abducted persons, protecting civilians and facilitating the return of internally displaced persons to their communities.

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Giving an account of military operations in August, Onoja said troops neutralised more than 332 terrorists and criminals, arrested 373 others and rescued 610 kidnapped victims.

He added that 201 terrorists surrendered to the troops, while 88 arms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition were recovered during the month.

The military, according to him, also recovered 686,800 litres of stolen crude oil products and destroyed 21 illegal refining sites as part of efforts to tackle oil theft and economic sabotage.

Onoja attributed the operational gains to intensified kinetic and non-kinetic operations, improved intelligence gathering and enhanced collaboration among security agencies.

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