NDLEA: No Payment Required for Drug Integrity Test by Interior Ministry Recruits

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has warned applicants undergoing recruitment into four agencies under the Ministry of Interior against making payments for the mandatory Drug Integrity Test (DIT).

The agency said the Ministry of Interior had already made bulk payment to cover the testing of new intakes into the Nigerian Correctional Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Fire Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

NDLEA, in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, stressed that no candidate or personnel would be required to pay for the exercise.

It consequently advised all participating agencies and their personnel not to make payments to NDLEA officials, testing centres or through any other payment channel in connection with the exercise.

According to the agency, arrangements have been concluded for the conduct of the mandatory test as part of the recruitment process.

It explained that candidates would be required to access the NDLEA Drug Integrity Test portal through designated links or access points to be provided on the respective institutional portals.

The candidates would then complete the necessary registration and documentation on the NDLEA platform before proceeding for the test.

The agency said the arrangement was designed to ensure a seamless and orderly testing process without additional financial obligations for applicants.

NDLEA appreciated the cooperation of the Ministry of Interior and reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a transparent and efficient implementation of the exercise.

NDLEA: No Payment Required for Drug Integrity Test by Interior Ministry Recruits

Cable Theft: NSCDC Uncovers Alleged Buyer Network, Arrests Four in Abuja

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested four suspects in three separate operations over alleged vandalism and trafficking of electricity cables in Abaji, Kubwa and Wuye areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), uncovering alleged links between cable thieves and prospective buyers.

The arrests, involving high-tension aluminium conductors, electrical installation wires and armoured cables, followed an intensified crackdown on the destruction of critical national assets and infrastructure, barely a week after the corps paraded suspected Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) cable vandals arrested in Kwali Area Council.

The FCT Commandant of the NSCDC, Dr Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja, warning that the corps would pursue not only those who allegedly remove electrical installations but also individuals suspected of buying, receiving, concealing or facilitating the sale of stolen materials.

In one of the operations, two men were arrested over the alleged removal of electrical installation cables from Government Secondary School, Kubwa, popularly known as Black and White Secondary School.

The suspects were identified as Amos Makama, 27, from Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and Ibrahim Mohammed Maitama Inuwa, 27, from Dala Local Government Area of Kano State.

Odumosu said the incident occurred at about 1 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, following reports of suspicious movements around the school’s perimeter.

NSCDC operatives attached to the Kubwa Base Station reportedly apprehended Makama at the scene and recovered about 38 rolls of electrical installation cables, cut pieces of power cables concealed in a sack, a pair of pliers, a screwdriver and other items suspected to have been used in the operation.

Preliminary investigations, according to the commandant, indicated that Makama allegedly gained access to the school through its gate in the evening, cut electrical wires in the buildings and remained on the premises until around midnight before attempting to escape over the fence with the materials.

Odumosu said the suspect allegedly disclosed that he had contacted Inuwa to buy the cables and that the latter had paid an advance of N35,000.

The command subsequently contacted the alleged buyer under the guise of arranging the sale of the materials, leading to his arrest when he arrived at the agreed location.

Both suspects reportedly confessed to involvement in the business and said they had been engaged in it since 2024. The allegations and reported confessions have not been tested in court.

In a separate operation at the Residential Quarters in Abaji Area Council, NSCDC anti-vandal patrol operatives arrested a 44-year-old man, Mammud Nuhu, over the alleged unlawful possession and storage of high-tension aluminium conductor cables suspected to have been removed from critical electricity infrastructure.

Odumosu said the arrest followed credible intelligence and sustained surveillance by the command’s anti-vandal team.

According to him, preliminary investigations indicated that Nuhu allegedly told investigators that two other men, identified as Saifullah, 32, and Abdulrahman, 25, had brought the cables to him for safekeeping pending their sale to prospective buyers.

The two alleged accomplices remained at large as of Wednesday, while the command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend them and identify other persons connected with the alleged criminal activity.

Bundles of high-tension aluminium conductor cables suspected to have been vandalised from an AEDC installation in Abaji were recovered. Nuhu was profiled and his statement obtained after he was cautioned before he was granted administrative bail to produce a credible surety, the command said.

The third operation followed a tip-off from members of a local vigilante group about suspicious activities around Berger Roundabout along the Wuye axis of Abuja.

Odumosu said an officer attached to the command’s Critical National Assets and Infrastructure department received the information during a routine patrol at about 10.30 p.m. on October 20.

The operatives subsequently arrested a 20-year-old man, Suleiman Jafaru, from Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, over alleged excavation and theft of armoured cables.

An unspecified quantity of armoured cables and a digger were recovered at the scene, according to the command.

Preliminary investigations reportedly indicated that three people were involved in the operation, with two alleged accomplices escaping before Jafaru’s arrest. Their identities and whereabouts had yet to be established.

The commandant also disclosed that Jafaru alleged he had been assaulted by members of the vigilante group before being handed over to NSCDC operatives. He said the allegation required appropriate documentation and verification.

Odumosu described the vandalism of electricity infrastructure as an attack on public welfare and economic development, noting that damaged cables could disrupt electricity supply, impose repair costs on service providers and businesses, and expose residents to electrocution and fire hazards.

He said small businesses, artisans, healthcare facilities and educational institutions were particularly vulnerable to the effects of power disruptions, while the cost of replacing stolen materials diverted resources that could otherwise be invested in improving electricity services.

The commandant warned that the alleged involvement of buyers and receivers in the cases highlighted the need to tackle the market for stolen electrical materials alongside the theft itself.

“The NSCDC FCT Command will therefore pursue not only those who physically remove these materials but also those who knowingly purchase, receive, conceal or facilitate their sale,” he said.

He urged residents, community leaders, commercial motorcyclists, tricycle operators, traders and scrap-metal dealers to report suspicious activities around electricity installations to the appropriate authorities.

Odumosu said the command would sustain intelligence-led operations and strengthen collaboration with relevant stakeholders to protect critical national assets and infrastructure across the FCT.

The latest arrests follow an earlier operation in Kwali Area Council in which the corps paraded suspected AEDC cable vandals, signalling an expanded enforcement effort against the theft and destruction of electricity infrastructure in the federal capital.

Cable Theft: NSCDC Uncovers Alleged Buyer Network, Arrests Four in Abuja

Court Warns Lawyers Against Delaying Trial of Four IPOB Suspects Over Alleged Killing of DSS Operative

By: Zagazola Makama

The Federal High Court in Abuja has warned defence lawyers against actions capable of delaying the trial of four suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who are accused of kidnapping and killing a Department of State Services (DSS) operative, Ekpeyong Asuquo Owoh.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik gave the warning on Wednesday while ruling on an application by the prosecution to conceal the identities of its witnesses and considering requests by defence counsel for an adjournment.

The defendants are Michael Okafor, also known as Onyechimeleze; Chinedu Chukwudozie, alias Kante; Chibunna Olisa; and Chigozie Olisa, also known as Ability.

They were arraigned on Sept. 28 on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping and other alleged offences. They pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired to commit acts of terrorism and participated in the abduction of Owoh while he was travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Awka, Anambra State.

They were further accused of taking the operative hostage and killing him.

The defendants were also alleged to be members of IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), and to have been involved in activities linked to terrorism.

The prosecution further accused them of unlawful possession of firearms, including an AK-47 rifle and a pump-action gun, in connection with the alleged offences.

When the case came up on Wednesday, prosecution counsel, Munirat Oladunjoye, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for trial following the defendants’ denial of the allegations.

Oladunjoye applied for permission to conceal the identities of prosecution witnesses under Section 232(3)(b) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

She asked the court to allow the witnesses to testify under protected identities, arguing that the nature of the terrorism case warranted the measure.

However, Kelvin Ekwe, counsel to the first and second defendants, opposed the application, arguing that the prosecution had not demonstrated that revealing the witnesses’ identities would prejudice its case.

Ekwe also submitted that the application should be formally filed to enable the defence to respond appropriately and avoid being taken by surprise.

Justice Abdulmalik asked the lawyer to identify the legal provision requiring the prosecution to file a formal application before seeking such an order.

Ekwe relied on Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing.

In her ruling, the judge agreed with the prosecution that exposing the identities of witnesses in a terrorism-related trial could undermine the interests of justice.
She consequently directed that the trial proceed with the witness identified by the code name “AB”.
The judge also warned that anyone who violated Section 232(5) of the ACJA would be liable to a one-year jail term.

The proceedings were subsequently disrupted by requests from the defence for an adjournment.

Geoffrey Uwadiegwu, counsel to the third and fourth defendants, told the court that he was appearing in the matter for the first time and needed additional time to study the case file.

Ekwe also informed the court that the prosecution had only recently served him with video evidence, insisting that he was not ready to proceed with the trial.

Oladunjoye responded that although the video evidence had just been served, it would not be used during the day’s proceedings.

She urged the court to allow the trial to continue, adding that Ekwe’s absence on Oct. 6 had contributed to an earlier adjournment.

The two defence lawyers subsequently stood up simultaneously to address the court on the need for an adjournment, prompting Justice Abdulmalik to caution them against unruly conduct.

“I run my court in line with international best practice, and that is why people say I am strict,” the judge said.

She added that proceedings in her courtroom must comply with the highest standards of courtroom discipline.

Justice Abdulmalik explained that she had a heavy workload, including several pre-election cases and at least nine judgments to deliver before Nov. 9.

She said she would ordinarily have been reluctant to list the matter for hearing because of the competing demands on the court’s docket.
However, she described the terrorism case as crucial and said it should be determined expeditiously.

After listening to the parties, the judge granted a short adjournment but warned the defence against any further conduct capable of delaying the proceedings.

The case was adjourned until Oct. 28, 2026, at the instance of the defence lawyers, for continuation of trial.

Court Warns Lawyers Against Delaying Trial of Four IPOB Suspects Over Alleged Killing of DSS Operative