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How drunken gang member shot dead 9 DSS officials at Arepo —Agbara robbery kingpin
LAGOS—Leader of the dreaded gang of bank robbers which had been terrorising commercial banks in Lagos and Ogun states in military uniforms has disclosed that his gang never intended to kill nine officials of the Department of State Service, DSS, who went missing last September.
The suspect, identified as Kelly Fotor, an Ijaw native of Arugbo, Ondo State, was arrested last Saturday by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, SIRT, at a wedding ceremony in Sapele, Delta State.
Gun battle with Police and arrest
Vanguard gathered that the suspect, who was at the ceremony with some armed men, had a gun duel with the operatives which led to the killing of one of the policemen, while Fotor and three of his colleagues, were arrested with bullet wounds.
It was gathered that the SIRT operatives, led by CSP, Abba Kyari, who had been on the trail of the gang, trailed Fotor to the wedding ceremony after their last operation at Agbara area of Ogun State where they robbed a bank and left three persons, including a pregnant woman, dead.
Fotor, who sustained a bullet wound during the shootout, told Vanguard while he was being transported for treatment that he was the leader of the South South group of the gang.
He explained that the gang also had a Lagos leader who he identified as Ossy, adding that his gang was made up of 12 men, including himself, with bases in Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa and Ondo states.
Fotor also said his gang normally teamed up with their Lagos group for operations, disclosing to Vanguard that he and his gang were formerly into sea piracy before teaming up with Ossy.
According to him, Ossy is the leader of the pipeline vandals at Arepo and Ikorodu areas.
Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac and Agbara robbery operations
Fotor also said he and his men took part in the Lekki, Ikorodu, Festac and Agbra bank robberies, adding that they made N28 million from Agbara bank robbery.
“I and my group got N14 million share from the Agbara operation, while, Ossy and his group got N14 million. I left Lagos by waters that day after that operation with my men back to Igbokoda, Ondo State, where we shared the money and everyone got his share of the loot.
‘’It was Ossy’s men who usually pick out our targets. They were the ones who picked out all the targets, my job was to give support and my boat is very big and my boat boy is a professional and knows his way around the water very well,” he stated
When Vanguard inquired who was the woman in the group, he explained that there was no woman in the gang.
He, however, said it was one of Ossy’s boys who normally dressed like a woman during operations.
How the DSS operatives were killed
On how they killed the nine DSS officials, Fotor told Vanguard that as commanders of the groups, he and Ossy never intended to kill the operatives when they were captured.
He explained that the operatives stormed their hideout wanting to rescue a woman who they abducted from Festac.
He explained further: “ One of our boys who was heavily drunk met us while we were interrogating the suspects after we captured them and he opened fire on them.
‘’I was at their camp at Ikorodu when the DSS operatives were captured and they brought them before me and Ossy and they knelt down and we interrogated them, but that guy, he was Ossy’s man. He was very drunk, walked in and without asking questions opened fire on all of them and killed them. Neither myself nor Ossy ordered their killing, we never wanted to kill them,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that Fotor and three other suspects arrested along with him have been transferred to Abuja, while SIRT operatives are still combing the area for other members of the gang.
Source: Vanguard
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
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More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
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