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VGN State command, urges officers to imbibe in genuine culture, display professionalism
VGN State command, urges officers to imbibe in genuine culture, display professionalism
By Ifeoma Ikem
The Lagos state Commandant of Vigilante Group of Nigeria Tajudeen Opeyemi has urged its officers to imbibe in genuine culture and display of professionalism
Opeyemi said this at the official installation of the executives and officers of VGN branch of Ikorodu local government, Lagos, recently.
He said that the outfit was a major move by National Assembly to improve the security of lives and properties across the communities and state.
“It is indeed a great privilege to address all as a principal stakeholder of VGN and also witness the inauguration of a symbol of authority where our officers are sworn in as enshrined in the bill establishing Vigilante group of Nigeria by the National Assembly.
“This is a crucial moment in the history of our National life, as a Nation where insurgency, kidnapping, ritual killings, corruption, urban/rural threats, and other violent crimes are the order of the day.
“These are very worrisome and disturbing signals to peace, unity, social and cooperate existence of our great country Nigeria. There is a disconnection between Nigerians and the government of the country.
He said the breakdown of morals and order in the society signify the dislocation of cosmic harmony which requires propitiation or rather a serious punitive measures as a way of promoting brotherliness, humanity and harmony in the country.
“As paramilitary officers, my candid advise to you all is to continue to pay more attention to issues of proper moral conduct, and to always imbibe genuine culture and display of professionalism”.
He advised the VGN officers to always adopt preventative strategies in dealing with crimes and criminality in your domain.
“Always ensure you collaborate with your leaders and synergize with all the security agencies in bringing criminality to the lowest minimum in your local government.
“Any suspect arrested should be handed over to the police after obtaining statement untutored for prosecution while the extract of the statement is forwarded to the state command for records.
“This is in line with the directive from the commander general in his inaugural speech during his visit in Lagos state.
According to him, ‘Our primary focus is not only limited to protection of lives and properties, but also to monitor and manage an inter state border squabbles through our democratic ideology of crime surveillance.
” To achieve all this, it is high time our country political leaders took drastic measures which includes stronger and tougher anti robbery strategy in checkmating all forms of criminality across the country.
” Also it is very necessary at this critical stage of insecurity in the country for the federal government of Nigeria to adopt stronger collaboration with the Vigilante Group of Nigeria in particular with other security agencies in areas of intelligence gathering and sharing to prevent criminality in our various communities.
“Those lapse which were earlier traced to our security operatives in the recent times clearly indicates that community policing is the only alternative and credible source to fight our security problems in Nigeria today, he added.
Olatokunbo Afolayan , the New Commander of Ikorodu in his response said that what Lagosians should expect is a crime free society but that they need information, credible ones from members of the public to ensure that crimes and criminality will be tackled.
He urged everyone to say something when they see something because with information the society will be free.
“We promise that we will do our best to eliminate crime in Ikorodu and its environs and Nigeria as a whole.
“As for Nigeria police and other agencies we are one, we will work hand in hand, what Nigeria needs now is more security, even America and other countries are still fighting crime, but by God’s grace Nigeria security challenges will be thing of the past”.
In his remarks, the Lagos state commissioner of police, CP Abiodun Alabi, fdc said that he would ensure the security of lives and property of the people of the state.
The commissioner who was represented by SP Cyril Nwobudo, gave assurance that they will be synergy between the police and other sister agencies to reduce crime to the barest minimum.
Other security agencies present at the inauguration include, Road Safety Officers, LASTMA, Nigeria legions, Red Cross and Civil defense and many others.
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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