Troops also foiled oil theft worth over N13.4 million, seizing 12,350 litres of crude oil, 840 litres of AGO, and 1,350 litres of DPK, while dismantling two illegal oil refinery sites. Additionally, 12 large crude oil smuggling boats, six crude oil cooking ovens, four dugout pits, five storage tanks, and three oil thieves were apprehended.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, who made this disclosure on Friday, said the operations included the arrest of terrorist logistics suppliers, recovery of weapons, dismantling of criminal networks, and safe resettlement of displaced persons.

Kangwe gave the breakdown zone by zone .

North East: Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, supported by air and hybrid forces, targeted Boko Haram, ISWAP, and JAS terrorists from 16–23 October 2025 in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states. Scores of terrorists were killed, 13 suspects arrested, three kidnapped victims rescued, and arms, ammunition, vehicles, and other items recovered.

North West: Operation Fansan Yamma troops conducted operations in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna states, killing several terrorists, arresting 11 suspects, and rescuing 14 kidnapped victims. Weapons, vehicles, livestock, and other items were recovered.

North Central: Operation Enduring Peace troops operated in Plateau, Kaduna, and Bauchi states, killing some extremists and arresting 24 suspects, while rescuing three kidnapped victims. In a separate raid on 19 October 2025 in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, troops recovered weapons from the residence of a wanted extremist leader, Alhaji Muhammed Sule (aka MP), though the suspect remains at large.

South South: Operation Delta Safe troops foiled oil theft valued at N13.4 million, seizing stolen crude, diesel, AGO, and dismantling illegal refining sites. Related operations in Delta State between 12–22 October led to the arrest of seven criminals.

South East: Operation Udoka troops conducted operations in Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi states from 17–23 October, arresting 12 IPOB/ESN terrorists and rescuing three kidnapped victims, while recovering weapons, ammunition, and vehicles.

Major General Kangye commended the troops’ professionalism and reiterated the Armed Forces’ commitment to denying terrorists, insurgents, bandits, and kidnappers freedom of action across the country. He assured Nigerians that DHQ will continue to provide timely and accurate updates on ongoing military operations.

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Sanwo-Olu unveiled the LSF symbol at a brief ceremony, during a courtesy visit to his office in Lagos House, Ikeja, by the organisers and corporate sponsors of the festival.

Set to run from December 23rd to 25th, 2024, the Lagos Shopping Festival promises an extraordinary 72 hours of non-stop shopping and entertainment events, to further establish the City’ position as Africa’s leading hub for commerce, creativity, and entertainment.

Welcoming the organisers and corporate sponsors of the maiden edition of the Lagos Shopping Festival to the Governor’s Office, Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe narrated how by sheer happenstance, the Ministry had used a fair earlier organized in the month of April in conjunction with another private entity as a proof of concept to test the waters ahead of the Lagos Shopping Festival which is bigger in scope and scale.

He told the gathering comprising representatives of Zenith Bank Plc, Tolaram Group and Guinness Nigeria Plc how the sales recorded in a period of three days surpassed the N250 million sales threshold the organisers had never crossed.

“This is the power of partnership when the government collaborates with private entities. The result is always different,” Aregbe said.

While introducing the concept of the Lagos Shopping Festival (LSF), the festival’s Director of Organisation and Logistics, Ms Damilola Pedro reminded Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu how the Chain Reactions Africa team first did a conceptual presentation to him on a Saturday evening during the Covid-19 pandemic in the year 2020.

“Mr. Governor, this project is your baby. It is one of the legacies you will be giving to Lagos. When we first presented the concept to you four years ago, we wanted to have it for seven days non-stop. But you counselled us to run the maiden edition over a period of three days first. We have been planning and refining the concept. Now is the time for us to join the league of other global cities such as Istanbul and Dubai.”

Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu thanked Chain Reactions Africa for incubating the idea and never giving up despite the many hurdles on the way.

“The movers of this great idea first approached me in 2020 during the Covid-19 like Damilola Pedro said. I was blown away when they made their first presentation to me. Then the third wave of covid hit us again. But since then, they have been relentless. The Lagos Shopping Festival is an idea whose time has come. This December, we will be joining the league of other global cities such as Istanbul and Dubai to stage our own shopping festival.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu further described the Lagos Shopping Festival as more than an event saying “it is a convergence of commerce and entertainment. This festival will not only support local businesses and create opportunities but will also showcase the vibrant spirit of Lagos, making our state a beacon for tourism, commerce and entertainment in Africa,” said the governor.

The Governor further thanked the management of Chain Reaction Africa, Zenith Bank Plc, Tolaram Africa Group, Guinness Nigeria Plc for supporting the idea of a Lagos Shopping Festival that will become a value addition on the state’s tourism calendar and the overall efforts to grow the State’s GDP.

Governor Sanwo-Olu called on Lagosians, visitors, and businesses to participate in the Lagos Shopping Festival, describing it as “a transformative event that will redefine December in Lagos this year and many years to come, offering something for everyone and bringing families, friends, Nigerians in Diaspora and Lagosians together in celebration.”

The unveiling ceremony featured remarks from corporate sponsors such as the CEO of Guinness Nigeria Plc, whose contributions have been instrumental in bringing the festival to life. Speaking on the sideline of the event, Girish Sharma, CEO Guinness Nigeria Plc, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative.

“Lagos is the commercial heartbeat of Nigeria and Africa’s entertainment capital, and the Lagos Shopping Festival captures its essence. We see opportunities in this initiative because it is a creative fusion of commerce and entertainment. This partnership reflects our dedication to fostering economic opportunities and supporting the nation’s vibrant entertainment industry.”

Sharma further said: “we are thrilled to support this groundbreaking event that brings together shopping and entertainment on an unprecedented scale. The Lagos Shopping Festival is an opportunity to celebrate the spirit of Lagos while driving commerce and helping the entertainment industry grow. You know, Guinness is the spirit of the party. So, some of our major brands will be at the festival to help people exhale as we wind up a very challenging year.”

The Lagos Shopping Festival will transform the Mobolaji Johnson Arena on Lagos Island into a dynamic space for shopping, live performances by top artistes, non-stop rave parties, and family-friendly attractions. Discounted shopping opportunities will provide affordability during the festive season, supporting local businesses and ensuring inclusivity for all.

The Lagos Shopping Festival is a flagship initiative supported by the Lagos State Government designed to promote economic and entertainment activities and consolidate the City’s positioning as a premium destination for business and leisure.

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Following the success and remarkable achievements recorded at the three-day Lagos Tourism and Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair, which ended on Sunday, the Lagos State Government, has reiterated its commitment to continuously support Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) to grow businesses. 

Speaking at the final day of the Lagos Tourism and Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair in Ikeja, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Arts, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe, said the trade fair has changed the lives of the vendors and impacted their businesses positively.

The sixth edition of the trade fair, which began on Friday and ended on Sunday at White Stone, Oregun, Ikeja, was organised in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.

Some of the thousands of vendors and participants who took part in the sixth edition of the fair, tagged “Buy, Sell, Network,” described it as a success and remarkable.

They also commended the Lagos State Government, particularly Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for providing opportunities for vendors to transact business successfully during the trade fair.

Speaking to journalists on the last day of the trade fair, Aregbe said Lagos will continue to lead when it comes to art, entertainment, commerce and industry. 

He said, “It has been a great journey. It is indeed a fantastic project and initiative because people are happy. We have been able to create a partnership between Lagos Tourism and the trade fair. We have been able to use entertainment to push our brand. We have been able to use the event to educate the people on the streets of Lagos, and we have seen that Lagos will continue to lead when it comes to commerce and industry. 

“I am happy that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu supported this initiative. The trade fair has changed many of the vendors’ directions for business, sales, and passion. I am happy, and the partnership between Lagos State and Naija Brand Chick is a fantastic one. We have vendors from the UK and different parts of Nigeria. And they all appreciated the Lagos State Governor for giving them the opportunity.”

Aregbe, while stressing the Lagos State Government’s commitment to growing SMEs, said: “The government is not in competition with anybody. We are only complementing and supporting businesses, especially SMEs.

“Lagos is committed to the trade fair because we need to grow our naira. We need to support SMEs. Lagos is huge when it comes to economic and entertainment values in terms of numbers, and we need to convert the numbers and values into something meaningful, and that is what we have done in the last three days to support SMEs. 

“Any government or brand that is not supporting SMEs is not ready for business. Lagos State Government has demonstrated and shown other states that SMEs are something that we must show support for, and we must always find a way to support them and give them the nod that they need. And that is what we have done.”

Also speaking, the founder of Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair, Mrs. Nelly Agboju, said the 2024 edition was impactful, especially on vendors. She commended Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration for the success of the Lagos Tourism and Naija Brand Chick trade fair.

She said: “The whole aim of this fair is to help business owners do better in their businesses, grow and meet their customers, get more visible and increase the capacity of their brands, and also help Nigerians in general. 

“On the first day alone, over N300 million was realised. We are excited that the fair was a phenomenon, and we know this has been one of the best fairs ever. 

“It couldn’t have been possible without the partnership of the Lagos State Government and the Ministry of Arts, Tourism and Culture. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Arts, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe, has been so amazing to us. He has supported us. He came around to see the vendors. He made sure everybody was happy. People came out after Ileya and Father’s Day. We are excited to see the results that have come out. 

“This has been one of the most wonderful partnerships I have had in a very recent time. On our own, we do 25,000 in two days, but on the first day at the trade fair, we do 30,000 in one day. It shows capacity when you work with Lagos State. So, this has been an amazing one. We really do appreciate, and we love, the fact that Lagos is for businesses.

Speaking on the success and impact of the trade fair, Bahijja Ahmad Wasai, a vendor dealing in cosmetics, who came from Kano State for the trade fair, said the organisation of the Lagos Tourism and NBC Trade Fair should be a template for the organisation of other trade fairs.

She said, “I have participated in many trade fairs, but this particular trade fair is different from what we are used to. This is something different that we are witnessing. 

“The trade fair was fantastic. It was the best fair in terms of organisation and it was the most intense in terms of sales. This is one of the best trade fairs I have ever witnessed so far. It has been a back-to-back trade with a large population. 

“We will like to thank the Lagos State Government in particular because they have been very supportive from the beginning. The Governor of Lagos State has really tried for vendors in terms of organisation and everything. We will like to see more of this.”

Also speaking, another vendor, Mrs. Blessing Aregbesola, who deals in clothing, said the trade fair was a wonderful experience. “We are so grateful to participate in this exhibition because it has been a wonderful experience. The turnout is massive. It is a great experience. So, we thank Lagos Tourism and Naija Brand Chick. We are grateful to them. 

“We say a big thank you to the Lagos State Government for organising this wonderful event. We appreciate them. We are saying thank you from the depths of our hearts. We appreciate the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his Special Adviser on Arts, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe.”

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