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Oil Theft: Navy Destroys Over 6,000 Empty Jerrycans, Wooden Boats

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Men of the Nigerian Navy on Wednesday evening destroyed over 6,000 empty jerrycans and three wooden boats used in siphoning Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), known as petrol from Badagry to neighbouring countries.

Speaking with the newsmen before the destruction, Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command (WNC) Operation, said the community, Iyafin, Badagry, is a notorious place for smuggling, according to NAN.

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Hassan said, “Today is [the] seventh day of Operation Water Guard and by the second day of the operation, we have made a massive catch. I promised to bring you to the warehouse of the perpetrators.

“We are here in Iyafin, a community in Badagry and a notorious place for smuggling.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Girls Love Money Too Much – South African Reality TV Star, Malibongwe

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“You can see right behind me that we have thousands of jerrycans. Our mission, here, is to stop the smuggling and we believe destruction of these jerrycans is one of the way to stop this crime.

“We are here to stop smuggling act by these perpetrators and this is our landward and inland incursion towards stopping the crime.

“We are going to do more by extending our reach beyond Badagry because we know it happens all the way towards Ogun State and all.

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“I’m running on government resources and I have the energy. We are making all efforts to cut short the activities of these criminals; I will keep working until they get tired.

“After this community here, we will still focus more on Ashipa Community in Seme,” he said.

READ ALSO: Emotional Liverpool Striker, Luis Diaz Reunites With Dad After 12-day Kidnapping Ordeal

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Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan, the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command Operation addressing community leaders in Iyafin, Badagry.

Hassan, also the Commander, South West Joint Task Force Operation AWATSE, said he would work with his land forces to reduce the smuggling of petroleum products.

He warned those involved in smuggling activities to desist and find legitimate work to do.

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“I think they have had a free ride for a long time. So, now that they have seen our seriousness of deploying helicopters, camera and air sets, with time we will defeat them as long as I don’t stop.

“This is a continuous operation, I have the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral E.I. Ogalla,” he said.

READ ALSO: Oil Theft: Air Strikes Destroy 7 Illegal Refining Sites In Rivers

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The Flag Officer warned community leaders in Iyafin to stop hoarding jerrycans in their houses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) observed that some vehicles loaded with jerrycans were also impounded by the naval personnel on the way back from the destruction.

NAN reports that Operation Water Guard was flagged off on November 9 by the Nigerian Navy, to make the Nigerian waters and borders unattainable for maritime criminals and smugglers alike.

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NAN also reports that the naval officers with the FOC were the Commander, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga and Navy Capt. Adams-Aliu, the Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Badagry.

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Lagos Suspends BRT Lane Enforcement On Eko Bridge, Odo Iya-Alaro

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The Lagos State Government has temporarily suspended enforcement of the Bus Rapid Transit lane along the Eko Bridge and Odo Iya-Alaro corridor to ease growing traffic congestion.

This gridlock is a result of the ongoing structural rehabilitation on the Ogudu-Ifako Bridge expansion joint.

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Special Adviser to the Lagos Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa announced the suspension on Wednesday, describing it as a strategic move to tackle gridlock in affected parts of the city.

This remedial measure, conceived as a palliative response to mitigate commuter hardship, aligns with the Lagos State Government’s forward-thinking and adaptive transportation strategy under the THEMES Plus Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, particularly within the framework of sustainable traffic management and infrastructure modernisation,” Giwa said.

READ ALSO:Lagos Monarch Dethrones Six Chiefs For ‘Impersonating’ Him At Labour Party Campaign

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He explained that the temporary suspension is a transitional and conditional measure aimed at absorbing the anticipated vehicular overflow caused by the partial closure of the Ifako-bound carriageway of the Third Mainland corridor.

We are fully cognizant of the immense strain currently imposed on key ingress routes into the Lagos Mainland. Consequently, this tactical suspension of BRT lane enforcement is a calculated response designed to deliver immediate relief, reduce commuting time, and preserve the fluidity of vehicular movement throughout the duration of the bridge repairs,” he added.

According to him, the directive takes immediate effect and allows general vehicular access to previously restricted BRT corridors on Eko Bridge and Odo Iya-Alaro, particularly during peak travel periods.

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He said this move is expected to expand available road capacity and ease traffic along critical routes.

READ ALSO:Lagos Opens Teacher Recruitment Portal For Two Weeks

Giwa, however, stressed that commercial buses and articulated vehicles must remain in compliance with existing safety rules and loading guidelines to avoid worsening traffic conditions or compromising public safety.

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He also disclosed that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been mobilised to strengthen its presence along the affected corridors.

Enhanced personnel deployment and traffic equipment are now in place to ensure orderly conduct, prevent exploitation of the temporary suspension, and respond promptly to any emergent traffic disturbances,” Giwa stated.

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Lagos Opens Teacher Recruitment Portal For Two Weeks

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The Lagos State Government has announced the reactivation of its teaching job recruitment portal to allow qualified individuals to apply for entry-level teaching positions.

In a notice issued by the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission on Tuesday, the portal will be open for applications from Tuesday, July 1 to Monday, July 14, 2025.

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The Lagos State Teaching Service Commission is set to reactivate its Recruitment Portal as a bold step towards improving access to employment opportunities, equity, and fairness.

READ ALSO:FG Gives Overstaying Foreigners Ultimatum To Regularise Visa

The job portal, which will be accessible for two weeks (Tuesday, July 1st 2025, to Monday, July 14th, 2025), is intended to provide a centralised platform where individuals can apply for State Teaching jobs at the entry level (GL 08) in their relevant fields,” the notice read.

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The move, according to the Commission, is aimed at improving access to employment opportunities in the education sector while ensuring equity and fairness.

TESCOM urged interested applicants with a degree in Education or other relevant qualifications to visit the official portal https://tescomjobs.lagosstate.gov.ng and apply for teaching roles at Grade Level 08.

The notice was signed by the Chairman of the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission.

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FG Unveils N50m Grant To Boost Student Innovation, Entrepreneurship

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The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced a N50m Student Grant Venture Capital Initiative to support scaling student-led enterprises in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

Alausa said the initiative aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry by turning homegrown research into commercially viable products and services.

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The minister made the announcement on Wednesday in Abuja when he inaugurated the Research and Innovation Commercialisation Committee.

READ ALSO:NSCDC, Immigration, Others: FG Postpones Recruitment, Changes Portal

He said the scheme, which will be anchored by TETFund in partnership with the Bank of India, targets undergraduate students in 300-level and above with viable business models and innovations ready for market expansion.

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According to the minister, the development is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of transitioning Nigeria from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-driven one.

We have hundreds of thousands of young geniuses across our institutions. This fund is designed to unlock their potential and help them build globally competitive enterprises,” the minister said.

READ ALSO:FG Gives Overstaying Foreigners Ultimatum To Regularise Visa

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On her part, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described the inauguration as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s education and innovation history.

For too long, research in our tertiary institutions has been reduced to tools for promotion rather than solutions for development. This must change,” she said.

In his response, the Committee Chairman, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, described the RICC as “a matter of national urgency”, noting that Nigeria’s research investment as a percentage of GDP is among the lowest when compared to peer nations.

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