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Nigerian Navy, French Allies Unleash ‘Crocodile Lift’ To Secure Gulf Of Guinea.
In a renewed effort to strengthen maritime security across the Gulf of Guinea, the Nigerian Navy (NN), alongside the French Navy and other regional allies, has commenced a multinational amphibious operation codenamed Exercise Crocodile Lift.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to Nivo News, the three-day exercise was officially flagged off on Wednesday aboard the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) KADA at the Naval Base in Apapa. The operation involves more than six warships and over 700 military personnel, including 650 French naval officers, working collaboratively to combat illegal activities within the region.
The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, represented by the Chief of Naval Transformation, Rear Admiral Monday Unurhiere, explained that the exercise aims to enhance the Navy’s amphibious warfare capabilities, operational readiness, and regional cooperation.
“This operation is designed to evaluate the Nigerian Navy’s capacity for amphibious landings while strengthening maritime security partnerships with allied forces,” Ogalla stated. “It will also improve our ability to counter sea robbery, crude oil theft, illegal fishing, and other maritime crimes within our territorial waters.”
He further disclosed that the Nigerian Navy deployed five warships, two aircraft, and two detachments of the elite Special Boat Service (SBS) for the mission, which will feature combined sea maneuvers and simulated amphibious operations with the French Navy.
Ogalla noted that Nigeria has maintained a zero-piracy record since being delisted from piracy-prone nations in 2022, attributing the success to improved surveillance, sustained presence at sea, and consistent joint operations such as Exercise Crocodile Lift.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Michael Oamen, who also serves as the Officer in Tactical Command (OTC) for the exercise, emphasized that the annual training underscores Nigeria’s commitment to maritime safety and regional collaboration.
“Crocodile Lift reflects our dedication to maintaining a secure maritime environment through both kinetic and non-kinetic measures. The Western Naval Command remains steadfast in supporting the Chief of Naval Staff’s vision of a safe maritime domain,” he said.
Representing the French contingent, Captain Arnaud Bolelli, Commanding Officer of the French Landing Helicopter Dock TONNERRE, highlighted France’s strategic interest in ensuring freedom of navigation and safeguarding maritime trade in the region.
“With 650 personnel aboard the TONNERRE, our mission is to enhance interoperability and strengthen collective efforts to combat illegal maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea,” Captain Bolelli stated, adding that the vessel has been deployed in the region for three months as part of France’s long-term security partnership.
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Peter Obi’s Convoy Attack: Police Unmask Arrested Suspect, Disclose What Happened.
The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a suspect over the attack on the convoy of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in Calabar, the state capital.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The incident reportedly occurred at about 2:20 p.m. at the Watt Market Roundabout while the convoy was returning from the palace of the Obong of Calabar to the Metropolitan Hotel, where the party’s presidential town hall meeting was scheduled to take place.
The attack resulted in the windshields of some vehicles in the convoy being smashed.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, identified the arrested suspect as 27-year-old Victor Edet Yellow Duke.
According to the command, a group of suspected hoodlums, allegedly armed with machetes and sticks, emerged from the Calabar Road and Clerks Alley axis before attacking vehicles in the convoy.
The police said the exact number of vehicles affected had yet to be determined.
Officers deployed in the area quickly intervened to contain the violence. Their response, which involved the use of tear gas, resulted in the arrest of Duke, while the other suspected attackers escaped.
The suspect was subsequently transferred to the State Police Headquarters by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for what the command described as a discreet investigation aimed at preventing possible reprisals or further threats to public order.
The police added that normalcy had returned to the area.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to identify and apprehend the other suspects involved and establish the full circumstances surrounding the attack.
The command also cautioned the public against assuming that the arrested man was guilty, stressing that he remained entitled to the presumption of innocence.
“The arrest of a suspect does not amount to a determination of guilt, as the suspect remains entitled to the presumption of innocence pending the conclusion of investigation and any subsequent judicial proceedings,” the statement said.
The police assured residents, political stakeholders and visitors that adequate security arrangements remained in place across the state.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to “providing equal security protection to all political parties, candidates and their supporters, irrespective of political affiliation.”
The command urged members of the public to remain calm, refrain from circulating unverified information and report suspicious activities through established police channels.
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Osun Govt Moves Against Oluwo, Places Monarch Under Close Watch
The Osun State Government has placed the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, under close monitoring over what it described as inflammatory remarks capable of threatening communal and religious harmony.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The government disclosed its decision in a letter issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Office of the Permanent Secretary. The letter, with reference number CD.17/1/VOL.VIII/377, was dated November 2026 and signed by Wale Alliyu on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.
In the correspondence, the government directed the monarch to stop making remarks targeting people of other religious beliefs and fellow traditional rulers.
A copy of the letter was also forwarded to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in his capacity as Chairman of the Osun State Council of Obas.
The government warned that the Oluwo’s alleged conduct was heightening communal tension, encouraging religious and communal division, and undermining the traditional values of his people and the Yoruba race.
In the letter, addressed to the monarch and received by his secretary on Tuesday, the government said it had taken note of several widely publicised statements and pronouncements attributed to Oba Akanbi, which it believed could trigger religious confrontation, conflicts between communities and a breakdown of public peace.
It added that the continued pattern of what it described as crisis-inducing remarks and disruptive behaviour had reached a point that the administration could no longer overlook.
The letter read:
“You cannot, and you must not, conduct yourself in any way that can foment religious crisis through serial attacks on people of other faiths. Your Royal Majesty is also invited to note that just as the traditional stool should not be used to incite religious war, its occupants should also be mindful not to erode the traditional values, culture and tradition of the society over which they preside.
“The government notes with shock and disbelief several statements and public utterances credited to Your Royal Majesty without denial.
“Your activities are raising communal tension, sowing seeds of communal and religious discord and increasingly discrediting the traditional values of your people and Yoruba society, of which your domain is a major part.
“These developments constitute serious threats to the peace, unity and stability of Osun State and your immediate domain.”
The government subsequently outlined a series of cautionary measures aimed at preventing a possible outbreak of religious or inter-community conflict.
It directed the Oluwo to:
- Immediately stop making further attacks against people of other faiths, stressing that every citizen has the right to freedom of religion.
- Refrain from attacking fellow traditional rulers to prevent possible conflicts between communities.
- Protect and promote the culture and traditions represented by the traditional institution he occupies.
- Conduct himself in accordance with the standards and regulations contained in the Chieftaincy Laws and resolutions of the State Council of Obas.
- Comply with the ministry’s cautionary directives, with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs tasked with monitoring his conduct.
- Take note that the State Council of Obas had also been directed to monitor and respond to recent developments in Iwo land.
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Fresh Setback For NDC As Court Blocks INEC From Recognising Gwarzo.
Fresh court documents from the Federal High Court in Kano have provided an explanation for the absence of Aminu Gwarzo, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate in Kano State, from the updated list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Certified true copies of the court processes indicate that INEC was restrained by a court order from publishing the name of any NDC governorship candidate in the state.
The suit was filed by three party members, Garba Isa, Yau Nasiru and Atiku Abubakar, who listed INEC and the NDC as defendants.
The plaintiffs are challenging the emergence of Gwarzo as the party’s governorship candidate and Mustapha Kwankwaso, son of NDC vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso, as his running mate. They accused the Kwankwasiyya leader of imposing the candidates on the party.
Through their lawyer, S.A. Abdullahi, the plaintiffs filed an ex parte application on October 17, 2026.
In a ruling delivered on October 27, Justice Amobeda restrained INEC and anyone acting on its behalf from publishing the name of any NDC governorship candidate in Kano State until the court hears the motion on notice.
The judge also ordered the commission not to alter the final list it released on October 10. He directed that the court processes be served on the defendants and scheduled an accelerated hearing for November 2.
The documents appear to support INEC’s position that Gwarzo had been cleared but could not be listed because of the subsisting court order.
However, the hearing scheduled for Monday could not proceed after Gwarzo’s lawyer applied to join the case as a party.
The court subseq
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