Crime
N4.7billion cocaine, meth seized as NDLEA bursts Lagos warehouse, arrests siblings in Aba

N4.7billion cocaine, meth seized as NDLEA bursts Lagos warehouse, arrests siblings in Aba
By: Michael Mike
A cartel run by Nwaobasi siblings have been smashed by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The spokesman of the anti- narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said: “A cartel controlled by a drug baron, 49-year-old Kelechi Monday Nwaobasi and his 50-year-old elder sister, Ms. Chinwe Rose Nwaobasi, has been taken down by officers of the Special Operation Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, following the arrest of the siblings and seizure of cocaine and methamphetamine consignments worth over N4.1billion in street value from their hideout in Aba, Abia state.”

Babafemi disclosed that the special operation conducted last Thursday and Friday at 3B, Boundary Avenue, Aba and a residence along Ohia road, Ohia, Abia State followed months of intelligence gathering, leading to the arrest of the ring leaders and the combined seizure of 20.76 kilogrammes of cocaine and methamphetamine from them.
He said in a related development, NDLEA operatives in Lagos state have uncovered an expansive warehouse stocked with a large consignment of codeine-based syrup, located at Comfort Oboh area of Kirikiri, where four persons connected with the importation and distribution of the opioid were arrested during an intelligence-led raid on the facility.
He added that those arrested include: Kingsley Amanambu Obumneke, 38; Emeka Emmanuel, 48; Bornaventure Ugochukwu, 59; and Martin Dike, 56, while a total of 82,000 bottles of the opioid worth more than N600 million in street value, Toyota Tacuma truck and two buses used for distributing the substance were recovered from the premises last Monday when NDLEA officers conducted the operation.
He said two days after, last Wednesday, operatives intercepted another suspect, Ibrahim Abdulhamid with 29,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids as well as 3.9 litres of codeine syrup at Alaba Suru, Ojo local council area of the state.
Babafemi also said a total of 230,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg were recovered from the duo of Yasir Rabi’u, 23, and Abubakar Ado, 30, who are major distributors of illicit drugs in Kano and Jigawa states, when they were arrested last on Monday at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano.
In the same vein, another suspect, Hassan Abdullahi Ali, 25, was nabbed with 150 bottles of codeine syrup at Kofar Nassarawa area of Kano last Tuesday.
In Ogun state, NDLEA operatives on Monday 10th June seized 390kg of cannabis and arrested the trio of Muhammad Sani, Nura Mohammad and Samaila Rabe during an early morning raid at Ibese area of the state, while officers last Wednesday bursted a skuchies making factory at Sabo area of Shagamu town where seven suspects were arrested. The suspects are: Kareem Jamiu; Oriyimi Ayo; Bamidele Wasiu; Rasheed Olarewanju; Ramota Lawal; Amudalat Olarewanju; and Adeniyi Omotosho. Exhibits recovered from them are: 387 litres of skuchies; 70 litres of industrial codeine; 25kg cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, rophynol, diazepam, as well as various equipment used in the production of the new psychoactive substance.

Babafemi said not less than 10,534.78 kilogrammes of cannabis were destroyed on 4.213912 hectares of farmland last Wednesday when NDLEA officers raided Uhen forest in Ovia North East council area of Edo state where four suspects: Frank Ishoku, 38; Clifford Ossai, 49; Vanger Timothy, 30; and John Oluwaseyi, 30, were nabbed and 16 kilogrammes processed cannabis was recovered for the purpose of prosecution.
In a similar development, 18,425 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance on 7.37 hectares of farmland was destroyed by NDLEA operatives supported by personnel of other security agencies in the thick forest of Ise Ekiti, Ekiti state last Friday.
In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, two suspects: Muhammad Abba, 33, and Samson Ehizogie, 42, were arrested with 3,550 bottles of “Akuskura”, a new mixture of psychotropic substances, by operatives during a raid last Friday at Garki Area 10 and Dutse Suokale, both within the FCT; while Emmanuel Ogechi, 24, was nabbed with 11,200 pills of tramadol last Wednesday ong Otukpo-Enugu road, by NDLEA operatives in Benue state, Anayo Onwe, 40, was arrested with 62.4 kilogrammes cannabis sativa at Nteje just as 1 kilogramme of methamphetamine belonging to a fleeing suspect, in Oraifite, both in Anambra state was seized. In Kwara state, Muhammed Musa, 24, was arrested with 33 kilogrammes cannabis at Bode-Saadu, Jebba, while Shokuro Adeola, 59, was nabbed with 11.5 kilogrammes of same substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Oyo state.
Babafemi said 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 the Special Operation Unit, Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Ekiti, Oyo, Kwara, Anambra, Benue and FCT commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, the 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
N4.7billion cocaine, meth seized as NDLEA bursts Lagos warehouse, arrests siblings in Aba
Crime
Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport

Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport
By:Michael Mike
No fewer than 66 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, packaged as green tea have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the seizure made last Thursday was based on credible intelligence received ahead of the arrival of the consignment at the cargo wing of the airport on 11th May.

Babafemi, in the statement issued on Sunday, disclosed that the NDLEA had watch-listed the shipment, and sustained surveillance around it for over three weeks before inviting other stakeholders for a joint examination last Thursday.
He said the Loud consignment weighing 62.2 kilogrammes was concealed inside wraps of green tea that came from Thailand via UAE on an Emirate Airlines flight.
Babafemi said in another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Monday intercepted a consignment of 1,665 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, along Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects: Gidado Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi were promptly arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Kaduna, operatives of the state command of NDLEA on patrol along Abuja – Kaduna expressway last Tuesday arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam. In another operation same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer Kabiru Musa (a.k.a KB) was arrested at Kurmin Mashi. A total of 25.7 kilogrammes skunk was earlier recovered from his base.
While a total of 9 kilogrammes Loud was recovered from the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon car marked AAA 975 XU driven by Atari Israel, 45, along Auchi road, Edo state, two young women: Favour Joy and Joy Igwe were last Tuesday nabbed at Ikpoba hill area of Benin city. Recovered from them include: 106.57 kilogrammes skunk; 1 kilogramme Loud; 800 grammes Colorado and 302 grammes of methamphetamine.
Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kaduna, and Edo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Illicit drug consignment packaged as green tea intercepted at Lagos airport
Crime
Young man dies after falling into abandoned mining pit in FCT

Young man dies after falling into abandoned mining pit in FCT
By: Zagazola Makama
A 27-year-old man, Ismail Ahmed, has died after being trapped in an abandoned mining pit in Pangu Village, Kwali Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident happened on Saturday, June 7, during a heavy downpour while Ahmed was washing clothes by a nearby stream.
According to family members, he sought shelter from the rain by entering the old mining hole dug by former gold miners. The soil collapsed due to the heavy rain, trapping him inside.
Community members rescued him and rushed him to Kwali General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The family declined an autopsy and opted for burial according to Islamic rites.
Local residents have been advised to exercise caution and avoid unsafe locations, particularly during the rainy season, to prevent similar tragedies.
Young man dies after falling into abandoned mining pit in FCT
Crime
Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers

Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 5 of Operation UDO KA, in a joint operation with operatives of the 63 Brigade and the Department of State Services (DSS), have intercepted a truck loaded with over 164,000 live cartridges allegedly being supplied to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation followed credible intelligence which led to the arrest of a suspected arms courier, Mr Emeka Omenife, along the Asaba–Onitsha expressway on 29 May 2025.


According to the sources, Omenife was immediately handed over to the DSS for interrogation. During questioning, he reportedly confessed to being part of a syndicate involved in transporting ammunition from Ghana to Nigeria for IPOB/ESN operatives.
Following his confession, troops arrested his accomplice, Mr Uchenna Obiora, at the Onitsha–Awka tollgate on 30 May 2025, while he was awaiting delivery of the ammunition.The arrest led to the interception of a truck which had the concealed ammunition.
“Upon interception, the vehicle was moved to Onitsha Cantonment, where a thorough search revealed a total of 164,650 live cartridges hidden in four constructed compartments within the cargo bed of the truck,” a source told Zagazola.
The cartridges, believed to have been purchased from Ghana, had Onitsha as their destination, the source added. Further investigations are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate and their collaborators.
Zagazola also confirmed from security sources that Omenife had earlier been arrested by troops and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) tracking team on Jan. 22 at his residence in Onitsha Housing Estate.

During the January operation, he attempted to flee and was shot in the buttocks before being evacuated to the 302 Army Regiment Medical Services for treatment. He was later handed over to the Anambra State Police Criminal Investigation Department, Annex Akwuzu, for prosecution. His re-arrest in May suggests that he may have returned to the same criminal enterprise following his release in an unexplained circumstances.
Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers
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