Crime
India-bound drug trafficker bags 25 years imprisonment
India-bound drug trafficker bags 25 years imprisonment
By: Michael Mike
A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced Freeman Charles Ogbonna, to 25 years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
Ogbonna was sentenced three months after vomiting and excreting 80 wraps of cocaine following his arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the screening point of terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
He was arrested on Sunday 31st March while attempting to board his flight to Delhi, India via Doha on Qatar Airways, with a Liberian international passport, bearing the name: Carr Bismark. He was taken for body scan, which tested positive for ingestion of illicit drugs.
Preliminary checks revealed his real identity as Freeman Charles Ogbonna and was subsequently placed under observation in NDLEA custody where he started to manifest signs of discomfort. Obviously choked by the volume of illicit drugs in his stomach and another substance taken to hold back excretion, the suspect soon began to retch before starting to vomit and excrete wraps of cocaine he ingested almost simultaneously.
The suspect who claimed he was recruited into drug trafficking by one of his relatives eventually passed out a total of 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grams through his mouth and anus over a period of four days.
Ogbonna said he was given the drugs to swallow at a hotel in Ipodo area of Ikeja with a promise to reward him with N300,000 cash if he successfully delivers the consignment in India.
He was subsequently arraigned before Justice Dipeolu Isaac of the Federal High Court, Lagos in charge number FHCL/378/2024 for committing an offence contrary to section 20(1)(b) and punishable under section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 LFN 2004.
Delivering his judgement on the case on Monday, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Ogbonna to 25 years in prison without an option of fine.
Reacting to the outcome of the case, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the MMIA Command and the prosecution team for a fast and diligent handling of the case, adding that the judiciary remains a strong pillar in the coordinated and concerted effort to curb the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
He said Ogbonna’s conviction will further send a strong signal to his ilk that there will be no hiding place for drug barons and their mules.
India-bound drug trafficker bags 25 years imprisonment
Crime
Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case
Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case
Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State —
Pandemonium broke out yesterday in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku as a violent group of attackers alleged to be from Ibusa descended on the community in a coordinated assault that left residents injured, properties destroyed, and a serving police officer seriously wounded.
Eyewitness accounts and security sources confirmed that the attack was led by one Lucky Abuah, popularly known as “Bullet,” described by law enforcement authorities as a repeat offender and a person of interest in multiple violent incidents across jurisdictions.
The attackers reportedly invaded the area in broad daylight, unleashing violence on residents and damaging structures before security forces responded.
Swift intervention by officers from the Ogwashi-Uku Area Command and reinforcements from the Delta State Police Headquarters, Asaba, brought the situation under control after an intense confrontation.
The attackers were eventually repelled, restoring a tense calm to the area.
Police sources disclosed that Lucky Abuah is already wanted by authorities in Abuja in connection with similar violent activities, and that criminal charges bordering on aggravated assault and grievous harm have been filed against him at the Delta State High Court.
A senior community leader, Chief Ralph Okafor, reacting to the incident, condemned the attack in strong terms, describing Abuah and his associates as “notorious land grabbers” who have repeatedly carried out violent incursions into neighbouring communities.
“This is not an isolated incident. These individuals have a pattern of using violence and intimidation to push false claims. What happened in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku is a clear example of lawlessness that must be decisively addressed,” he stated.
The attack comes at a highly sensitive time, coinciding with the commencement of proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 18, 2026, before Honourable Justice Omotosho, concerning the proper name and legal location of Admiralty University.
Members of the Ogwashi-Uku community maintain that the institution is situated within Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area, and not in Oshimili North, stressing that local government boundaries are constitutional matters that cannot be altered arbitrarily or by administrative claims.
According to community sources, the recognized boundary between Ibusa (Oshimili North) and Ogwashi-Uku lies several kilometers away from the university’s actual location, and the matter is now squarely before the Federal High Court for judicial determination.
Observers have raised concerns that the violent incident may not be unconnected with attempts by certain elements to preempt or influence ongoing judicial proceedings through intimidation and public pressure.
There are also growing criticisms of calls from some Ibusa figures urging government intervention in a matter already pending before competent courts, a move legal experts describe as a dangerous encroachment on judicial independence.
Chief Okafor further dismissed claims circulating in some quarters about a purported 1986 Supreme Court judgment allegedly settling the boundary dispute, describing such assertions as “false, misleading, and legally untenable.”
“The Delta State Government does not execute court judgments. It is the courts that enforce their decisions through due process. How can anyone suddenly resurrect a supposed judgment from forty years ago, which did not even address boundary issues, and attempt to use it to justify present-day claims? It is completely absurd,” he said.
He emphasized that the actual boundary dispute between the two communities is currently before the Delta State High Court, presided over by Honourable Justice Obi, and urged all parties to respect the judicial process.
“No amount of intimidation, propaganda, or violent grandstanding will alter the facts before the court. Ogwashi-Uku will not be bullied or pushed around by fabricated claims,” he added.
The latest development sharply contradicts recent narratives from Ibusa representatives portraying the community as peaceful and law-abiding, raising serious questions about the credibility of such claims in light of the violent events in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku.
Security has since been reinforced in the affected areas, while residents remain on edge, calling on authorities to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
As tensions continue to rise, all eyes are now on both the Federal High Court in Abuja and the Delta State High Court in Asaba, where the legal battles over boundary and institutional identity are expected to provide definitive answers.
For many observers, however, one thing is clear — the rule of law, not violence, will determine the true ownership and identity of the disputed territory.
Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case
Crime
RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina
RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina
By: Zagazola Makama
Security operatives in Katsina have recovered two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) rifles and large quantities of ammunition from three bandits neutralised in a recent clash with community vigilantes.
Sources said the discovery was made on Wednesday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. in Sabon Gida Village, Jibia Local Government Area, following a violent confrontation between vigilante members and repentant bandits on March 17.
According to the sources, a concealed sack recovered from the neutralised bandits contained two RPG rifles, 139 rounds of live ammunition, and two magazine chains.
The items were safely recovered by security personnel.
RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina
Crime
Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno
Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested two suspected informants linked to ISWAP in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno.
Security sources said the suspects were apprehended at about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday following credible intelligence from a watchkeeper on suspicious movements within the Mainok general area.
According to the sources, troops of the 156 Task Force Battalion swiftly responded and intercepted the suspects while moving towards the Goni–Masari axis.
The sources disclosed that the suspects were found in possession of electrical cables at the time of their arrest, raising suspicions over possible sabotage or support activities for terrorist elements.
“They are currently in custody and undergoing preliminary investigation to ascertain their roles and possible links with terrorist groups,” the source said.
He added that the operation underscores the importance of community-based intelligence in ongoing counter-insurgency efforts across the North-East.
The source reaffirmed that troops remain vigilant and committed to denying terrorists freedom of action within their areas of responsibility.
Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno
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