Metro
Nigerian Navy, NIMASA Renew Five-Year Partnership to Strengthen Maritime Security
By David Torough, Abuja
The Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) have renewed their strategic partnership with the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening maritime safety and security across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The agreement was signed at the Naval Headquarters in Abuja in the presence of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMASA, Dr.
Dayo Mobereola; Principal Staff Officers; and senior officials of both institutions.The renewed agreement builds on a partnership that dates back to 2007 and has been sustained through successive renewals. The latest MoU is expected to further align the mandates, capabilities and expertise of the two institutions while improving operational coordination and delivering measurable outcomes in maritime safety and security.
Speaking ahead of the signing, Mobereola described the renewal as a reaffirmation of the shared commitment of NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy to the security, safety, sustainability and prosperity of Nigeria’s maritime domain and Blue Economy.
He stressed that Nigeria’s economic wellbeing is closely linked to the sea, making the protection of the country’s maritime space a national imperative. He also acknowledged the Nigerian Navy’s role as a critical pillar of the nation’s maritime security architecture and its operational support to NIMASA in carrying out its statutory responsibilities.
Abbas, in his remarks, described the renewed MoU as an important milestone in the longstanding relationship between the two organisations, which he said was founded on decades of cooperation and shared national interests.
The Naval Chief expressed confidence in NIMASA’s leadership and progress, reaffirming the Navy’s commitment to supporting the agency in the effective discharge of its mandate over the next five years.
He emphasised that sustained inter-agency cooperation remains essential to securing Nigeria’s maritime space, protecting national interests and creating an enabling environment for the development of the Blue Economy.
Under the renewed framework, the Navy and NIMASA will expand cooperation in key areas including maritime safety and security, marine pollution control, search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, intelligence and information sharing, hydrography, training and professional capacity development.
The collaboration is expected to enhance maritime domain awareness and improve coordinated responses to incidents at sea, while supporting the safety of ships, crew, cargo, passengers and navigation within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
The MoU also provides for greater institutional cooperation through timely intelligence and information exchange, appropriate utilisation of relevant facilities and capabilities, and collaboration in other areas of mutual interest.
To ensure sustained implementation, the agreement will be subjected to regular institutional reviews. The two organisations will also jointly convene an annual Maritime Safety and Security Conference to assess progress, identify emerging challenges and refine their priorities.
The Nigerian Navy said securing Nigeria’s territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone remains central to protecting lives and property, safeguarding legitimate maritime activities, preserving national security and supporting the sustainable development of the Blue Economy.
The Navy further reaffirmed its commitment to working with NIMASA, sister Services and other security agencies to protect Nigeria’s maritime interests and defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The renewed partnership, the institutions said, is expected to contribute to a safer, more secure and prosperous maritime environment for Nigeria and the wider Gulf of Guinea.
Metro
Ondo: Police Arrest Welder in Possession of Locally Fabricated Pistol
The Police Command in Ondo State says it has arrested a suspected welder in connection with the unlawful possession and handling of a firearm in Uso, Owo Local Government Area of the State.
DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the command’s Spokesperson, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Akure, saying the locally fabricated pistol had been recovered.
Jimoh explained that the arrest followed credible intelligence received by the police on Sept.
11, 2026.He said the information received indicated that one Andy Giwa, a welder and resident of Imogun Street, Uso, was allegedly working on a pistol at his workshop.
“Acting promptly on the information, the police operatives attached to Uso Police Division proceeded to the location, where one locally fabricated pistol was recovered.
“The suspect was immediately arrested and taken to the station for preliminary questioning.
“During interrogation, the suspect reportedly claimed that the recovered firearm belonged to an individual whose identity is yet to be established and who is currently at large.
“Efforts have been intensified to identify and apprehend the said individual, while also establishing the circumstances surrounding the possession, manufacture and intended use of the firearm,” he said.
Jimoh also said the Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Felix Ohagwu, directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet and comprehensive investigation.
According to him, the investigation will, among other things, establish the source and purpose of the firearm and determine whether other individuals are connected to the matter.
“The CP commends the concerned citizen whose timely and credible information enabled the police to act swiftly and prevent the firearm from potentially being used to perpetrate crime.
“He urged members of the public to continue supporting the command with credible intelligence, assuring them that the identity of informants will be treated with utmost confidentiality and protected in accordance with established security protocols.
“Ohagwu reiterates the command’s commitment to preventing the proliferation and unlawful possession of firearms in Ondo State.
“The police will continue to deploy intelligence-led policing and proactive operations to identify and disrupt activities capable of threatening public safety.
“Members of the public are encouraged to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons, movements, activities or possession of firearms to the nearest police formation or through the command’s official communication channels.
“Timely and credible information remains a critical component of effective policing and the collective effort to safeguard lives and property across Ondo State,” the spokesperson said. (NAN)
Metro
Kaduna Police Arrest Man over Girlfriend’s Death
The Kaduna State Police Command has arrested a man, Manaseh Bitrus Jatau, in connection with the death of his 35-year-old girlfriend, Rebecca Ojonike Jeremiah, in the Romi area of Kaduna.
The command, in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, said the deceased’s lifeless body was found along Mai Angwa Street, Romi, on September 5, 2026.
According to the statement, the body was discovered at about 7am with cotton wool stuffed in the deceased’s nostrils.
It said police detectives from the Romi Outstation visited the scene and rushed the woman to St.
Gerald Hospital, Kakuri, where a doctor confirmed her dead.The command said her corpse had been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy.
Preliminary investigation, according to the police, showed that Jatau was the last person to call the deceased and had asked her to meet him at Ebano Joint, Romi.
The suspect was subsequently traced and arrested at his workplace, Tomato Jos Company, in the Maraban Jos area of Kaduna.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to having had a fight with the deceased in his room over a phone call from another lady, which resulted in her death,” the statement said.
The police further alleged that Jatau confessed to dumping the deceased’s body in an open field close to his house in an attempt to conceal the incident.
The command said the suspect remained in police custody while investigation continued, adding that he would be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Muhammad, condemned acts of violence and urged members of the public to embrace peaceful resolution of disputes.
He also assured residents of the command’s commitment to securing justice for victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.
Metro
Tinubu in Paris for Continuation of Annual Leave
President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Paris, France, for the next phase of his three-week annual leave in Europe.
Tinubu arrived in the French capital on Sunday and was received by Nigeria’s Ambassador to France, Ayodele Oke, according to a video shared on the official X handle of the president.
The President departed Abuja on Sunday, August 30, 2026, to begin his vacation in London, United Kingdom, before proceeding to Paris.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had announced the vacation in a three-paragraph statement issued on August 30.
The statement, titled “President Tinubu Begins Three-Week Leave”, said the President was expected to return to Abuja after the holiday and join the campaign for the January 2027 general election.
Tinubu’s vacation began a week after the All Progressives Congress, APC, released its Presidential Campaign Council list, with the President and Vice President Kashim Shettima listed as chairman and vice chairman respectively


