National News
NDLEA intercepts N3.3billion Meth, Loud Christmas shipments in auto parts from Canada

NDLEA intercepts N3.3billion Meth, Loud Christmas shipments in auto parts from Canada
. Arrests 3 businessmen linked to consignments in Lagos; recovers N4.4billion worth opioids in Rivers
By: Michael Mike
Multi-billion-naira worth of shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season, concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada, have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos after months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents.
For the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms were on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December 2024, recovered from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts coming from Canada and heading to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin area of Lagos.
While one of the containers going to Ladipo market through the Sifax bonded terminal was examined on Thursday 12th December, not less than 5.001kg methamphetamine hidden in a bag wrapped in bed sheet that came in a Toyota Camry car, was recovered, even as a businessman, Isaac Onwumere linked with the consignment was promptly arrested.
The other container bearing automobile spare parts checked on Friday 13th December was found to contain 1, 735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg and six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg. At least, two businessmen: Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
The two meth consignments have a combined weight of 83.301kg worth One Hundred and Twenty-Four Million Nine Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand Naira (124,951,000.00) while the 867.5kg Loud is worth Two Billion One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,168,750,000.00) in street value.
The seizures were made during a joint examination of the shipments with Customs and other port stakeholders. This followed months of intelligence processing and tracking of the consignments from their ports of loading in Canada to the landing port in Lagos by combined Special Operations Units in NDLEA and the Tincan Port Strategic Command of the Agency.
The first container with 5.001kg meth came under the radar of NDLEA’s intelligence network on 4th October 2024 when the preparation for the shipment began in Toronto, Canada, monitored through 8th October when the shipment was received at the rail ramp, loaded on the rail and departed to Montreal, Canada where it arrived and was unloaded the following day 9th October. The consignment was further monitored till it was loaded on a vessel on 19th October through when the vessel arrived and discharged at Antwerp in Belgium on 30th October after which the consignment was trans-shipped and loaded on 14th November before arriving Lagos port on 1st December and released to a bonded terminal two days after.
The second shipment containing 867.5kg Loud and 78.3kg methamphetamine followed the same route. It came under NDLEA’s intelligence tracking on 8th October 2024 when the consignments were delivered to the shipper in Toronto, Canada, loaded on the rail on 14th October and arrived Montreal the following day, 15th, after which they were loaded on a vessel to Europe on 20th October. After arrival and trans-shipment at Antwerp in Belgium on 6th and 17th November respectively, the consignments were tracked till they arrived and discharged from the vessel at Lagos port on 6th December before being moved to the terminal on 10th December.
At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand Six Hundred (636,600) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Four Billion Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,456,200,000.00) in street value were intercepted in shipments from India on Monday 9th, Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th December 2024.
The seizures were made during joint examination of four containers by NDLEA officers, men of Customs and other security agencies at the port following processed credible intelligence on the shipments.
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. These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of City Comprehensive College, Ogidi, Anambra; Government Secondary School, Toungo, Adamawa; Bonny Camp Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Yarganji, Kano, while Oyo state command of NDLEA delivered WADA enlightenment lecture to leaders, elders, youths and residents of Tapa community, Tapa, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Units, Tincan, and Onne Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that the operational successes should show the drug barons and cartels that the Agency has the capacity and intelligence network to track their movements and their consignments even before getting to Nigeria. He said they will continue to lose heavily if they fail to back down on the criminal trade.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 15th December 2024 NDLEA intercepts N3.3billion Meth, Loud Christmas shipments in auto parts from Canada
. Arrests 3 businessmen linked to consignments in Lagos; recovers N4.4billion worth opioids in Rivers
Multi-billion-naira worth of shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season, concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada, have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos after months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents.
For the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms were on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December 2024, recovered from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts coming from Canada and heading to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin area of Lagos.
While one of the containers going to Ladipo market through the Sifax bonded terminal was examined on Thursday 12th December, not less than 5.001kg methamphetamine hidden in a bag wrapped in bed sheet that came in a Toyota Camry car, was recovered, even as a businessman, Isaac Onwumere linked with the consignment was promptly arrested.
The other container bearing automobile spare parts checked on Friday 13th December was found to contain 1, 735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg and six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg. At least, two businessmen: Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
The two meth consignments have a combined weight of 83.301kg worth One Hundred and Twenty-Four Million Nine Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand Naira (124,951,000.00) while the 867.5kg Loud is worth Two Billion One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,168,750,000.00) in street value.
The seizures were made during a joint examination of the shipments with Customs and other port stakeholders. This followed months of intelligence processing and tracking of the consignments from their ports of loading in Canada to the landing port in Lagos by combined Special Operations Units in NDLEA and the Tincan Port Strategic Command of the Agency.
The first container with 5.001kg meth came under the radar of NDLEA’s intelligence network on 4th October 2024 when the preparation for the shipment began in Toronto, Canada, monitored through 8th October when the shipment was received at the rail ramp, loaded on the rail and departed to Montreal, Canada where it arrived and was unloaded the following day 9th October. The consignment was further monitored till it was loaded on a vessel on 19th October through when the vessel arrived and discharged at Antwerp in Belgium on 30th October after which the consignment was trans-shipped and loaded on 14th November before arriving Lagos port on 1st December and released to a bonded terminal two days after.
The second shipment containing 867.5kg Loud and 78.3kg methamphetamine followed the same route. It came under NDLEA’s intelligence tracking on 8th October 2024 when the consignments were delivered to the shipper in Toronto, Canada, loaded on the rail on 14th October and arrived Montreal the following day, 15th, after which they were loaded on a vessel to Europe on 20th October. After arrival and trans-shipment at Antwerp in Belgium on 6th and 17th November respectively, the consignments were tracked till they arrived and discharged from the vessel at Lagos port on 6th December before being moved to the terminal on 10th December.
At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand Six Hundred (636,600) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Four Billion Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,456,200,000.00) in street value were intercepted in shipments from India on Monday 9th, Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th December 2024.
The seizures were made during joint examination of four containers by NDLEA officers, men of Customs and other security agencies at the port following processed credible intelligence on the shipments.
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. These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of City Comprehensive College, Ogidi, Anambra; Government Secondary School, Toungo, Adamawa; Bonny Camp Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Yarganji, Kano, while Oyo state command of NDLEA delivered WADA enlightenment lecture to leaders, elders, youths and residents of Tapa community, Tapa, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Units, Tincan, and Onne Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that the operational successes should show the drug barons and cartels that the Agency has the capacity and intelligence network to track their movements and their consignments even before getting to Nigeria. He said they will continue to lose heavily if they fail to back down on the criminal trade.

NDLEA intercepts N3.3billion Meth, Loud Christmas shipments in auto parts from Canada
National News
Tinubu Assures Nigerians in Diaspora of Favourable Policies Towards Them

Tinubu Assures Nigerians in Diaspora of Favourable Policies Towards Them
By: Michael Mike
President Bola Tinubu on Friday assured Nigerians in Diaspora of his administration’s determination to continue to provide the enabling environment and policies that will boost their active participation in the country’s governance.
Tinubu gave the assurance at the opening of the National Diaspora Day celebrations 2025 at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This year’s celebration is themed: “Optimizing formidable Diaspora Potentials for National Development and growth”.
The President, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said: “We will continue to provide an enabling platform for effective policies for the Diaspora with the view to galvanizing your support for this administration and concretizing our democracy, optimizing your potentials and setting a good example for other African countries to emulate.
“Let me also state that we will look into the Challenges NiDCOM has enumerated with a view to ameliorating same so that we can harvest maximally the benefits of migration through the engagements with our Diaspora for national development and growth.”
He added that: “It is a great delight to address our over 20 million Nigerians in the diaspora on this auspicious occasion of the celebration of our National Diaspora Day 2025.”
“Only Nigerians both at home and abroad can develop Nigeria,” Tinubu stated.
The President highlighted the contributions of the diaspora, which include increasing remittances, pointing out that in 2024 alone, “Nigerians abroad sent home $20.9 billion through official channels—more than four times the value of the country’s foreign direct investment.
He said: “The Nigerians in the diaspora are also actively investing in our health care, agriculture, education, information, communication technology, housing and real estate, sports, transportation, oil and gas, and other sectors.
“This, I must say, is commendable and in our enlightened self-interest.”
The President stressed how highly the government rates the Nigerians in diaspora, saying “Our renewed hope for foreign policy recognises the diaspora as the fourth pillar for the agenda—namely democracy, demography, development, and diaspora.
In his goodwill message, the minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said:
“When you go to any part of the world, maybe in Asia, Africa, South America, you will see Nigerians excelling. Nigerians breaking barriers. Nigerians breaking ceilings. And Nigerians using ceilings as springboards to greatness.”
The Minister highlighted the economic potential of diaspora remittances—comparing Nigeria’s $21bn in 2024 remittances to $32.91bn in oil earnings and India’s $135.46bn diaspora inflows.
He said: “What does that tell you? It tells you that the power of economic emancipation, a lot of this resides within you, beyond your own imagination,” he said.
The minister also explained that the administration is laying the foundation for long-term national prosperity—even if short-term sacrifices are required.
“You cannot cure a tumor by virtue of a paracetamol. It is important that the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr. President came into being. And today, we can see the results. We can see the economic stability of this country,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo also spoke on the reforms in his ministry which include immigration and the protection of critical national infrastructure.
He therefore called on the diaspora community to trust in the country’s direction under President Tinubu’s leadership.
“Nigeria has never been ready for investment more than now. We are ready for investment.
“I assure you, under the leadership of this President, you will never regret your investment. Nigeria loves you. Nigeria cares about you. And this particular administration cares about you,” he said.
Earlier, in her remark, Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said “The theme is apt to appreciate the efforts of both the government and the diaspora community in nation building and also to discuss how to make diaspora engagements better for national development.”
She emphasised the role of Nigerians in diaspora in the country’s development.
Dabiri-Erewa announced a proposed Diaspora Presidential Fellowship Programme. The initiative would allow professionals in the diaspora to take part in six-month sabbaticals in Nigeria, aimed at promoting knowledge transfer and innovation across sectors.
“It will strengthen their role in nation-building and serve as a knowledge-driven giveback to the fatherland,” she added.
Highlights of the event was the unveiling of a new Diaspora Home and Abroad Housing Platform, aimed at providing secure housing opportunities for diaspora Nigerians seeking to invest back home.
Tinubu Assures Nigerians in Diaspora of Favourable Policies Towards Them
National News
Nasarawa: Security operatives arrest six over kidnapping, rape and robbery in Doma

Nasarawa: Security operatives arrest six over kidnapping, rape and robbery in Doma
By: Zagazola Makama
Security operatives in Nasarawa State have arrested six suspected members of a notorious armed robbery and kidnapping gang responsible for a series of violent crimes in Yelwa Ediya village, Doma Local Government Area.
The suspects, identified as Darda’u Shehu, Yunusa Malami Hashimu, Musa Abubakar, Ibrahim Musa, Mohammed Musa, and Jibrin Lafia, were apprehended during a coordinated raid based on actionable intelligence from a concerned resident.
During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to their involvement in the kidnapping of a local councillor, Hon. Ari Muhammad, on May 26, 2025. They further disclosed that one of their members, Darda’u Shehu, raped the councillor’s wife, Talatu Ari, during the abduction and stole two mobile phones an Infinix Note 30 valued at ₦250,000 and a Tecno phone valued at ₦20,000.
The gang also confessed to mounting a roadblock along the Doma–Yelwa Road on July 19, where they attacked one Ibrahim Haruna and snatched his Bajaj motorcycle worth ₦970,000.
Recovered from the suspects were ₦100,000 in cash and one Bajaj motorcycle believed to have been taken from one of their victims.
The suspects also named their gang leaders as Bammi Alhaji Amme (alias Zomo) and one Lawali (surname unknown), who are currently on the run.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining members of the gang and bring them to justice.
End
National News
Police reunite two lost Beninese children with father in Lagos

Police reunite two lost Beninese children with father in Lagos
By: Zagazola Makama
The Lagos State Police Command has reunited two young girls from the Republic of Benin with their father after they were found wandering around the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos.
The children, identified as Mutiat Fatai, aged 10, and Mobubat Fatai, aged 5, were spotted by concerned traders roaming the BBA Market area of the complex on July 18. Both girls, described as black in complexion and Yoruba-speaking, could not provide any clear information about their whereabouts or destination.
Following a report, police operatives from the area promptly responded and took the children into protective custody at the station.
Four days later, on July 22, one Fatai Yayah, a resident of Isobe Lagbolugo, Ifonyin in the Republic of Benin, visited the station and positively identified the girls as his daughters. After proper verification, the children were reunited with him.
The Police said the swift action by the officers helped ensure the children’s safety, and they commended members of the public for their vigilance.
Police reunite two lost Beninese children with father in Lagos
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