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
Troops repel ISWAP attack in Chibok as NAF obliterates scores of fleeing terrorists
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade, Sector 4 Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), early Saturday repelled a large-scale attack by ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists in Chibok, Borno State, while the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) neutralised scores of the fleeing fighters during a follow-up air interdiction.
Zagazola gathered that the terrorists, numbering over 300, launched a coordinated multi-front assault on the community at about 3:00 a.m., attempting to breach defensive locations and overwhelm deployed troops.
A security source told Zagazola that the soldiers immediately responded with superior firepower and well-coordinated manoeuvres, engaging the attackers in a two-hour gun battle that forced them to retreat toward the Timbuktu Triangle.
“The troops were alert and professionally contained the attack. There was no casualty on our side, and no equipment was affected,” the source said.
Following the terrorists’ withdrawal, ground forces requested air support, prompting the immediate deployment of NAF combat aircraft to the identified withdrawal axis.
“The NAF jet delivered precise and devastating strikes along the terrorists’ escape route, obliterating a significant number of the fighters and disrupting their movement,” the source added.
According to the sources, four major airstrikes were conducted by NAF combat aircraft along the terrorists’ withdrawal route toward the Timbuktu Triangle. The airstrikes were guided by real-time intelligence from ground troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade, Sector 4 Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK).
The sources said that the first wave of strikes targeted a cluster of fleeing terrorists attempting to regroup, “achieving significant degradation of the hostile elements.” Subsequent strikes pursued additional pockets of fighters dispersing into forested terrain.
In addition to the four strikes executed by manned aircraft, the sources confirms that another set of attacks was carried out by an unmanned aerial platform.
“The platform maintained continuous ISR coverage and engaged with high precision. Its strikes further eliminated retreating fighters and disrupted their movement pattern,” the sources notes.
The sources emphasised that the combination of air and ground coordination ensured that the terrorists suffered “substantial losses,” preventing any possibility of reorganisation after the failed offensive.
Troops repel ISWAP attack in Chibok as NAF obliterates scores of fleeing terrorists
Armed bandits attack Kwandawa village in Sokoto, most kidnapped victims rescued
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits attacked Kwandawa village in Sokoto State in the early hours of November 26, kidnapping several residents, but most of the victims were rescued unharmed.
Zagazola report that the assailants, described as numerous and carrying sophisticated weapons, invaded the village around 2:30 a.m., firing sporadically and abducting an unspecified number of people.
A coordinated response engaged the attackers in a prolonged gun duel, forcing them to flee into nearby bushes with apparent gunshot injuries.
While the majority of the kidnapped villagers were rescued unhurt, two victims remain unaccounted for. No casualties were reported among the villagers or the responding security personnel.
Security forces are combing the surrounding area to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the bandits, with neighboring districts alerted to block potential escape routes.
Armed bandits attack Kwandawa village in Sokoto, most kidnapped victims rescued
Troops foiled Armed bandits’ attack at Bulunku Zamzam Hotel in Gusau
By: Zagazola Makama
A suspected bandit attack was foiled by Nigerian troops in Gusau, Zamfara State, in the early hours of November 27, after gunmen stormed Bulunku Zamzam Hotel and areas behind NTA Samaru.
According to sources, the attackers, armed with sophisticated weapons, engaged security operatives in a prolonged gun duel.
The confrontation forced the bandits to retreat, sustaining possible gunshot injuries. No abduction or casualties were recorded during the incident.
Patrols and monitoring remain active in the area to prevent further criminal activities and ensure public safety.
Troops foiled Armed bandits’ attack at Bulunku Zamzam Hotel in Gusau
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Troops repel ISWAP attack in Chibok as NAF obliterates scores of fleeing terrorists
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