Joint Operations in Kaduna Lead to Major Arrests and Disruption of Terrorism and Gun Running Activities

By: Zagazola Makama

A series of successful joint operations have led to significant breakthroughs in the fight against terrorism and illegal arms trafficking in Kaduna State. Key arrests have been made, including a soldier suspected of collaborating with terrorists and two notorious gun runners.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that At approximately 11:30 AM on 11 September 2024, one Private Dalha Tijani Ibrahim, a soldier attached to the 11 Field Engineer Regiment (FER) on Operation Whirlwind, was arrested by police operatives in the Kwangila area of Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

He was caught delivering military kits to a suspected terrorist group. He had earlier deserted his duty post at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Fatika, which raised concerns about suspicious internal complicity with the terrorists.

Following the arrest of Pte. Dalha, further operations were carried out on 12 September 2024. At around 3:56 AM, Nigerian Police Force (NPF) operatives from Abuja, in collaboration with the Operation Yaki command in Kaduna, intercepted a tinted Peugeot 406 along the Kaduna-Saminaka-Gumau road.

The occupants of the vehicle, Zahardeen Abdulsalam (33) from Jos, Plateau State, and Abdullahi Tahir (35) from Kidandan Village in Giwa LGA, Kaduna State, were found to be in possession of a large cache of ammunition. The search of the vehicle revealed 3,700 rounds of 7.62x39mm and 170 rounds of 7.62x51mm (NATO) ammunition, allegedly destined for delivery to Yellow Jambros, a notorious armed bandit operating out of the Galadimawa Forests in Kaduna State.

These arrests mark a major victory in disrupting the supply chain of illegal arms and curbing the operations of terrorist and bandit groups in the region. Authorities have emphasized the importance of collaboration between security forces and intelligence agencies in successfully intercepting the shipment.

Joint Operations in Kaduna Lead to Major Arrests and Disruption of Terrorism and Gun Running Activities

NSCDC Parades 13 Suspected Abuja Vandals

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has paraded 13 suspected vandals arrested at various locations in Abuja and also recovered some stolen items worth N5 million.

The corps said the success followed intense surveillance and patrol as well as tip off, adding that the intelligence personnel working with the Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Department combed various parts of the nation’s capital city.

The FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, while addressing journalists on Monday, said last week, his command organized a training for the intelligence department where they were taught modern techniques on intelligence gathering and were charged to be proactive in order to rid the FCT of vandals of national assets and infrastructures.

He said: “I am glad to let you know that today. We have 13 suspects arrested in different part of FCT within the FCT between Saturday, 7th September, 2024 and the early hours of Monday, 9th September, 2024, and the following persons were arrested:

“Bitrus Obadiah, Male, 33 years from Obi Local Government of Nasarawa State and his counterpart Girgi Msugh Peter, Male, 32 years from Giwer Local Government area of Benue State were both arrested by our men by 2am on Sunday, 8th September, 2024 around Kukwaba 1 railways overhead bridge on Berger area 1 express way before the finance bridge, vandalizing street light cables and billboards.

“Auwal Umar, Male, 42 years from Kontagora Local Government area of Niger State, Jacob Jibut, male, 39 years from kanke Local Government area of Plateau State and Abdulfatai Aliyu, male, 22 years from Batsari Local Government area of Katsina State were caught in the act of vandalizing armored electrical cables along Nnamdi Azikiwe way, Opposite wonderland around 3.30am of Sunday, 8th September, 2024.

“Timothy Maigida, male, 28 years from kachia Local Government area of Kaduna State was caught in the act of vandalization of armored cables at Mabuchi Motor Park on Sunday, 8th September, 2024 by our vigilant men on patrol. Exhibit recovered are shovel, diggers and armored cables. Upon interrogation he also confessed to the crime.

“Williams Friday, male, 51 years from Ojo Local Government of Lagos State and Sunday Ezekiel, male, 27 years from Kabba Local Government of Kogi State were caught jumping the fence into Hilton Garden premises at Wuse Zone 5 around 4.30am on Saturday, 7th September 2024, by our men on patrol, they are suspected of having criminal intentions.

Lawal Harisu, male 29 years, Sabuwa Local government of Katsina State, Mohammed Yakubu male 24 years from Dandume Local Government of Katsina State and Mohammed Zayyanu Auwal, male 27 years from Chikum Local Government of Kaduna State were apprehended 9.01pm on 8th September, 2024 at Prince and Princess Estate vandalizing iron rods from slabs.

“Mohammed Kabiru, Male 26 years from Warri North Local Governrmnt of Delta State, and Abubakar Mohammed, male 24 years from Soba Local Government of Kaduna State were both apprehended under a flower shrub at Mabuchi around 2am today 9th September, 2024. They were caught holding laterite in their hands and were seen hiding from our men on patrol which was very suspicious. Having laterite in their hands at such an ungodly hour is an indication that they had dug something somewhere and were taking cover when they sighted men of the command.”

He disclosed that among items recovered include; Armored cables, Motor Cycles, Shovels, Diggers, Wrentch, Hack saw, Cutlass, Pieces of Iron Rods, Indian Hemp, Water Pump, Bill boards, Hoes, Knives, among others.

Odumosu warned the criminally minded persons “residing in the FCT to do themselves some good and either desist from acts of criminality or relocate from Abuja as we will leave no stone unturned to fish hem out and ensure they are brought to book.”

NSCDC Parades 13 Suspected Abuja Vandals

NDLEA intercepts UK, Europe-bound Cocaine, Opioids in Female Sanitary Pads, Hair Cream

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted at three courier firms in Lagos consignments of cocaine and pharmaceutical opioids concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads and hair treatment cream loaded in containers heading to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said in one of the logistics companies, not less than 30 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.1 kilogrammes were concealed in hair cream containers were recovered by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, during examination of cargoes going to Ireland last Tuesday. Another consignment of 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 862 grammes also hidden in hair cream containers meant for delivery in UK was equally intercepted at the same company last Tuesday. Another consignment of 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 862 grammes also hidden in hair cream containers meant for delivery in UK was equally intercepted at the same on company last Friday

Babafemi also revealed that, a total of 525 pills of tramadol 225mg and ecstasy (MDMA) concealed in ladies’ sanitary pads going to Cyprus were seized at another courier firm in Lagos by NDLEA operatives last Tuesday, while a shipment of 200 ampoules of promethazine injection and pentazocine injection hidden in food items and herbs heading to London, UK, was also seized by operatives on last Wednesday.

He said operatives equally intercepted another consignment of tramadol 225mg buried in granulated melon that came from Cameroon and going to South Africa last Friday.

He also disclosed that no fewer than 550,000 pills of tramadol were intercepted at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt last Monday during a joint examination of a cargo that came from Delhi, India, with men of the Nigerian Customs Service while a suspect was already arrested in connection with the seizure.

He said in Ekiti state, NDLEA operatives supported by men of the Nigerian Army last Tuesday and Wednesday stormed three camps inside the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve, in Ise/Orun local government area where over 100,000 kilogrammes of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farm land were destroyed, noting that the affected settlements include: Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares; Aba Paanu with 12 hectares and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve.

Babafemi said two suspects: Bala Musa, 42, and Danladi Muhammad, 44, were arrested last Friday malong Toro-Jos road, Kaduna with 305kg cannabis concealed in false compartment of a J5 boxer bus marked YLA 682 XM, while another suspect, Aminu Ayuba, 24 was arrested in possession of 18 kilogrammes of same substance at Makarfi town. Two others: Umar Usman, 40, and Zubairu Kabiru, 45, were arrested along Zaria- Kaduna highway in possession of 1300 tablets of tramadol, all same day.

In Jigawa state, Uzairu Ya’u, 30, was nabbed with 32.6 kilogrammes of cannabis last Thursday at Koran Shehu, while operatives in Kogi last Wednesday intercepted 77,300 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 as well as 1,230 bottles of codeine in a commercial bus driven by Attai Okolo, 68, along Aloma – Ejule road, Ofu LGA, Kogi state.

Another suspect, Mohammed Idris, 56, was nabbed along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway last Tuesday with 42.400 kilogrammes cannabis coming from Lagos enroute Kano, while NDLEA operatives in Borno state arrested Idris Muhammad, 40, at Ramat area of Maiduguri last Thursday with 13,100 pills of tramadol, their counterparts in Kano last Wednesday nabbed Hakilu Usman, 35, with 25.8 kilogrammes cannabis and 3,000 pills of diazepam along Kano – Daura road.

In Taraba, no fewer than 87,790 pills of tramadol were recovered from Musa Adamu, 30, when he was arrested in Zing, while in Osun state, a raid of the home of a drug kingpin, Mayowa Awe (a.k.a Bishop) in Ilesa last Wednesday led to the seizure of 43 grammes of crack cocaine, 23 grammes of methamphetamine, 17.126 kilogrammes cannabis and a locally made pistol.

Babafemi noted that with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile while commending the officers and men of DOGI, PHIA, Ekiti, Kano, Osun, Taraba, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kogi, Bauchi, and Borno Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated.

He however urged them not to rest on their oars but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

NDLEA intercepts UK, Europe-bound Cocaine, Opioids in Female Sanitary Pads, Hair Cream