Headline

Navy Rescues 5 Stowaways From Spain-bound Ship In Lagos

Published

2 years ago

August 31, 2023

Five stowaways, who sneaked into a Spain-bound vessel, MSC MARTHA, have been rescued by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Beecroft, at the Lagos anchorage.

The stowaways are Effiong Okon (44), Ayewuni Daniel (27), Ajagboma Asiko (29), Adebanjo Ayewumi (23), and Christian Joseph (25).

Explaining how they were arrested, while handing them over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, yesterday, the Commander, NNS Beecroft, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, said: “About 11.50 pm on August 26, while on our normal routine check of vessels that were transiting in and out of Lagos harbour, we received a call from MSC MARTHA that they observed some unauthorised persons onboard the vessel.

“Immediately the information was received, we informed the FALCON EYE centre, which is the maritime Domain Awareness facility that we use in monitoring the entire maritime environment, which gave details of the information that enabled us to get the coordinates of the vessel.

“On arrival, our men boarded MSC MARTHA and recovered the unauthorised persons, that is the stowaways. We took them out of the vessel and kept them in custody.

“Upon interrogation, they admitted they boarded the vessel through the Rhoda. The Rhoda is a structure at the bottom of the vessel, which controls the direction.

Two of them first entered. When the additional three came, they were surprised to see the first two persons there. But when they realised they had a common goal, they became friends and remained there with the intention of leaving the shores of the country to another country.”

Commodore Oguntuda said three mobile phones, packs of biscuits, sachet water, personal effects and a cash of N7,900 were found on them.

On their part, the stowaways blamed their indulgence on the harsh economy, lamenting how they were struggling to feed themselves and families.

For Okon, he said he opted to take the risky path after he lost his job and all efforts made to feed his family failed.

Headline

Insecurity: US Congressman Riley Moore Reveals Trump’s Mission In Nigeria

Published

15 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

US Congressman Riley Moore has dismissed insinuations that President Donald Trump is attempting to bring war to Nigeria.

Moore made the remark in a post on his verified X handle on Monday.

His comments followed a US military airstrike on a terrorist enclave in north-west Nigeria on Christmas Day, reportedly carried out on the directive of President Trump.

“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death.

“The strikes against ISIS on Christmas, in coordination with the Nigerian government, have given hope to the Christians in Nigeria,” he said.

Recall that the lawmaker had previously stated that President Trump is focused on ending the killing of Christians in Nigeria.

It will be recalled that Moore led a US delegation on a fact-finding mission into alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria some weeks ago.

During his brief stay in the country, Moore travelled to Benue State, where he interfaced with religious and traditional leaders, as well as internally displaced persons.

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Russia Calls up 135,000 Military Personnel

Published

22 hours ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

Russia has enlisted 135,000 conscripts for military service in 2026, following the conclusion of the autumn army draft by the Defense Ministry.

A statement on Monday said most personnel have been assigned to training units and military formations where they will “get a military specialty and learn to operate modern military hardware.”

The conscripts can choose to serve in any of the various military branches and armed services after an assessment of their health condition and the results of psychological examinations.

READ ALSO:Russian Strike On Odesa Region Kills Eight, Injures 27

The ministry disclosed that 680 recruits have joined scientific and research-production units, while 240 from the country’s national teams in Olympic disciplines joined sports companies.

However, military personnel who have served the established term of military service have been discharged and sent to their places of residence.

The latest enlistment confirms Russia is shoring up its troops deployed to the ongoing special military operation in Ukraine ahead of the new year.

A fortnight ago, European leaders reaffirmed their pledge to form a multinational force–under the aegis of the Coalition of the Willing–to assist Ukraine in securing land, skies, and seas.

The pledge is one of the six commitments the EU and heads of state developed for Ukraine’s security and economic recovery support measures.

In an interview with TASS on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned Europe’s insistence on sending military forces to Ukraine.

“We have said many times that our Armed Forces would view them as a legitimate target,” he said, warning that anyone who attacks Russia would face “a devastating blow.”

Headline

How Our Airstrikes Stopped Christmas Attacks In Nigeria — US Lawmaker

Published

3 days ago

December 27, 2025

Editor

Riley Moore, a member of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia’s 2nd District, has linked the absence of Christmas attacks in Nigeria this year to US military airstrikes carried out against Islamist militants on Christmas Day.

In a post on his official X account on Saturday, Moore contrasted the situation with the past two Christmas seasons, during which he claimed Christians were killed in attacks across parts of Nigeria.

The lawmaker noted that this year’s response targeted extremist groups instead of marking another period of violence.

He added that US forces acted decisively against militants in coordination with the Nigerian government.

“For the past two Christmases, Christians have been murdered in Nigeria. This year, thanks to @POTUS, Radical Islamic Terrorists were on the receiving end of 12 Tomahawk missiles as a present.

“The successful strikes on ISIS, in coordination with the Nigerian government, are just the first step to secure the country and end the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Moore wrote.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that American forces had conducted deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in north-western Nigeria.

Trump, who spoke via his Truth Social platform, warned that more attacks would follow if the militants continued killing Christians, adding that the Department of War executed numerous “perfect strikes.”