Crime
NDLEA intercepts ephedrine, skunk, laughing gas consignments at Lagos airport
NDLEA intercepts ephedrine, skunk, laughing gas consignments at Lagos airport
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted various quantities of ephedrine, skunk and nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas concealed in semovita packs and dry pepper being shipped to South Africa and Kenya through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The drugs were being transported by members of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO), some of who were promptly arrested, their mansions raided and their luxury vehicles seized.
A statement on Sunday by spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said read that through credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted a notorious drug trafficker, Suleiman Oba who is a member of a cartel distributing cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and ephedrine between Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.
According to Babafemi, Oba was arrested while attempting to board a Rwanda Air flight to South Africa with two boxes loaded with ephedrine sealed in semovita packs. He said the recovered substance is a precursor chemical and active ingredient in the production of methamphetamine.
He disclosed that Suleiman, who holds a South African passport and married to a South African woman and has lived there for over 20 years, in his statement,, identified Hakeem Salami who equally lives in Lagos and South Africa as the head of the drug ring.
Babafemi said a follow up raid in the house of Salami located at 75 Wosilatu Dawodu Street, Ijesha, Aguda, Surulere area of Lagos State last Monday revealed that he had fled the country on the same day Suleiman was arrested.
The spokesman said however, a white Toyota Venza car with registration number LSR 410 HT, a Mercedes Benz SUV marked LSD 998HP, phones and vital documents needed for further investigation were recovered from the house.
Babafemi recalled that in August 2021, the agency had seized 25.6 kilogrammes ephedrine from a trafficker, Arua Onwuka at the Lagos airport, a seizure that has also been traced to the same cartel whose identified members are currently on the run.
He revealed that an official of the airport, Godwin Shedrack (a.k.a Goddy) fingered as a member of the syndicate is also under investigation.
In the same vein, attempt by another syndicate to export 10.4 kilogrammes skunk concealed with scent leaf and pepper, going to Nairobi, Kenya, was equally thwarted by NDLEA operatives attached to the NAHCO export shed of the airport on Saturday 26th August. A suspect, Ekechukwu Ndubuisi, has already been arrested in connection with the seizure.
Babafemi said another bid to export a consignment of 180 cannisters of laughing gas to South Africa by a freight agent, Oyekola Gbenga for a fee of N2 million was also frustrated by operatives who seized the cargo and arrested the suspect.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Friday 25th August succeeded in arresting a drug kingpin, Ngene Onyedikachi, who recruited the fake couple, Ilonzeh Onyebuchi and Ilonzeh Nonyelum arrested for ingesting 1.82 kilogrammes and 1.5 kilogrammes of cocaine respectively at the Lagos airport on 1st August while on their way to India. The kingpin was picked at his residence located at 28 Afolabi Brown Street, Akoka, Yaba, after an intensive surveillance that lasted 25 days.
Babafemi said during his interrogation, Onyedikachi confessed that the two suspects: Ilonzeh Onyebuchi and Ilonzeh Nonyelum were introduced to him by another member of his syndicate, who he claimed he met at Zion Church in Cele area of Lagos. He explained that the drug was sourced from Guinea Conakry.
He said the suspect revealed that when he got information about the arrest of the fake couple, he threw away his old mobile phone along with the SIM cards to avoid being traced, adding that he became relaxed and refused to leave his house because the two couriers do not know his house since they have only met twice at different locations. He said he was living in India before he returned to Nigeria in 2022 after the Indian authorities discovered that he was using Ivory Coast International passport. A blue Acura Legend car was part of items recovered from his home during his arrest.
Babafemi disclosed that operatives of the Lagos state Command of the agency last Monday arrested a suspect, Peter Iwebema, at Ikorodu with 79 and a half bags of cannabis sativa, weighing 864.5 kilogrammes. He said their counterparts at Tincan port command intercepted 27 parcels of Colorado, weighing 13.5 kilogrammes, adding that the seizure was made from a container, MSMU 5664550 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada during a joint examination with men of Customs Service.
He said the synthetic substance was discovered concealed in a bag hidden in a Ford Edge SUV, which was part of three units of used vehicles and motor parts in the container.
In Sokoto, operatives last Tuesday arrested two male suspects: Nafiu Arzika, 30, and Jamilu Aminu, 35, with 330 kilogrammes skunk, while another suspect, Ismaila Razak, 38, was nabbed with 34.5 kilogrammes of same substance and 9.5 grammes of methamphetamine was seized last Saturday at Olodo area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Babafemi said across the states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, NDLEA Commands intensified the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, worship places, palaces and local communities among others. He said for instance, the sensitization lectures were conducted at Holy Trinity Gospel Church, Ogbomoso, and for Muslim faithful at Jammatul Nasirul Islam mosque, Ilorin; members of the Association of Hair Stylists in Ado Ekiti; leaders of road transport union in Abeokuta; traders at Kwata market, Awka; pregnant women at primary health care centre, Bonny; Dekara district palace, Babana community in Borgu local government area and at Noorul Huda Islamiyya school, Kafin Maiyaki.
He said the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of the agency across the Commands for their efforts in drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities, charged them to remain steadfast.
NDLEA intercepts ephedrine, skunk, laughing gas consignments at Lagos airport
Troops Arrest Suspected Gunrunners in Plateau State
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have arrested two suspected gunrunners during a sting operation in Bokkos Town, Plateau State.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspects, identified as Mr. Kenneth Mayas, 31, and Mr. Bulus Yilfo, 60, were apprehended at a hideout in White House Hotel on Friday while attempting to procure an AK-47 rifle for N1.45 million.
Both suspects hail from Forop District in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
During the operation, troops recovered the cash sum of N1.45 million from the suspects, who are believed to be part of a larger criminal syndicate.
The sources said the arrested suspects and the recovered money are currently in custody for interrogation, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate.
Troops Arrest Suspected Gunrunners in Plateau State
Illicit drugs: NDLEA strengthens airport operations as officers undergo advanced trainings
. Deploy new skills, tools across airports operations, Marwa charges officers
By: Michael Mike
Selected Commanders and officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, have undergone series of trainings in Advance Passenger Information System (API) and Passenger Targeting/ Intelligence Gathering as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen NDLEA’s operational efficiency at the country’s major airports.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, which facilitated the trainings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and Abuja, the workshops were designed to enhance the capacity of the Agency’s Commands at Airports to target and intercept high-risk passengers, cargo and mail, to help combat illicit drug trafficking. They will also help to facilitate communication and coordination between countries of origin, transit and destination in order to destabilise illicit cross-border flows and criminal networks.
While the Commander of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Strategic Command of NDLEA, ACGN Usman Ali Wadar and his counterpart at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, CN Mohammed Ajiya participated in the six-day training in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 13 other officers drawn from the MMIA and NAIA Commands took part in the five-day training that held in Abuja. They are all expected to impact the knowledge and skills acquired during the sessions on their other colleagues.
The trainings were funded by the European Union, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States under the AIRCOP Airport Communication Project, implemented by the UNODC.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the facilitators: Ms. Fabienne Russel of UNODC and Anderson Leme Siqueira of Brazilian Customs Administration for taking their time to be in Abuja for the training after the engagement in Abidjan.
He equally praised the two NDLEA Commanders and other officers who participated in the Abijan and Abuja training sessions for their interest and commitment. He charged them to immediately reflect the new skills and tools in their operations across the international airports in the country.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Friday 20th December 2024 Illicit drugs: NDLEA strengthens airport operations as officers undergo advanced trainings
. Deploy new skills, tools across airports operations, Marwa charges officers
Selected Commanders and officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, have undergone series of trainings in Advance Passenger Information System (API) and Passenger Targeting/ Intelligence Gathering as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen NDLEA’s operational efficiency at the country’s major airports.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC, which facilitated the trainings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and Abuja, the workshops were designed to enhance the capacity of the Agency’s Commands at Airports to target and intercept high-risk passengers, cargo and mail, to help combat illicit drug trafficking.
They will also help to facilitate communication and coordination between countries of origin, transit and destination in order to destabilise illicit cross-border flows and criminal networks.
While the Commander of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Strategic Command of NDLEA, ACGN Usman Ali Wadar and his counterpart at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, CN Mohammed Ajiya participated in the six-day training in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 13 other officers drawn from the MMIA and NAIA Commands took part in the five-day training that held in Abuja. They are all expected to impact the knowledge and skills acquired during the sessions on their other colleagues.
The trainings were funded by the European Union, Australia, Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States under the AIRCOP Airport Communication Project, implemented by the UNODC.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the facilitators: Ms. Fabienne Russel of UNODC and Anderson Leme Siqueira of Brazilian Customs Administration for taking their time to be in Abuja for the training after the engagement in Abidjan.
He equally praised the two NDLEA Commanders and other officers who participated in the Abijan and Abuja training sessions for their interest and commitment. He charged them to immediately reflect the new skills and tools in their operations across the international airports in the country.
Illicit drugs: NDLEA strengthens airport operations as officers undergo advanced trainings
15 Boko Haram Fighters Killed in Fierce Supremacy Battle with ISWAP in Tumbum Kare
By: Zagazola Makama
A deadly clash of supremacy between rival terrorist factions has claimed the lives of 15 Boko Haram fighters, with five Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) members sustaining injuries.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the confrontation occurred when ISWAP launched a coordinated attack on Boko Haram fighters loyal to the Bakura Buduma faction.
The assault, aimed at asserting dominance, led to significant losses on the Boko Haram side, with ISWAP fighters seizing an undisclosed number of weapons during the confrontation.
The incident marks the latest in a series of violent infightings between the two groups, which have been engaged in a bitter rivalry over resources, territorial control, and influence in the Lake Chad region.
Sources said that the clashes have intensified in recent months as both groups seek to expand their foothold in the area with the Boko Haram faction already gaining upper hand against the ISWAP.
15 Boko Haram Fighters Killed in Fierce Supremacy Battle with ISWAP in Tumbum Kare
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