Troops captured suspected bandit dressed in military combat camouflage, recover arms in Kaduna, Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of 3 Division and Operation Safe Haven have arrested a suspected bandit and recovered arms and ammunition in separate operations in Kaduna and Plateau states.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that on June 15, troops intercepted a suspected armed bandit at Katsit community in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The suspect, dressed in military combat camouflage, was allegedly impersonating soldiers in order to rob unsuspecting members of the community.

Recovered from him were an AK-47 rifle, an AK-47 magazine, 3 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammo, 7 empty cases of 7.62mm (Special) ammo, a fake vigilante identity card, a mobile phone and two ATM cards. The suspect is currently in custody for further action.

The sources added that in another operation, in the early hours of June 16, troops raided a suspected gunrunning syndicate’s hideout at Kwanar Lauje in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The suspects fled before troops arrived, but a search of the area resulted in the recovery of a cache of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle, an AK-47 magazine, an AK-47 rifle butt, 300 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammo, a 9mm round and two 12.7mm rounds. An abandoned motorcycle was also recovered during the operation.

Recovered items are currently in custody, while follow-up operations are ongoing to arrest the suspects.

Troops captured suspected bandit dressed in military combat camouflage, recover arms in Kaduna, Plateau

Iran-bound businessman ingest 53 wraps of cocaine at Port Harcourt airport

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) another businessman, 44-year-old Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka for ingesting 53 wraps of cocaine while on his way to Tehran Khomeini, Islamic Republic of Iran.

This is barely two weeks after a 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Okigbo heading to Iran with 65 pellets of cocaine in his stomach was caught at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

The spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said Ezemokwe was arrested at the Port Harcourt airport on Saturday 7th June while trying to board Qatar Airways flight QR1434 flying to Tehran Khomeini in Iran via Doha. After a body scan proved positive to ingestion of illicit drug, he was placed on excretion observation during which he expelled 53 wraps of cocaine in six excretions with a total weight of 1.172 kilogrammes.

He said the suspect claimed to have gone into the criminal trade two years ago, moving between the West African sub-region and Iran.

He disclosed that similarly NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos in the early hours of Saturday intercepted an Italy bound passenger Edobor Ali on an Air France flight.

He noted that the NDLEA officers in collaboration with the Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), discovered drug consignments hidden in the luggage of the suspect during baggage scanning at the tarmac.

He said the suspect was thereafter brought down from the aircraft for baggage identification after which a thorough search of the bag led to the discovery of 14,410 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg concealed in winter jackets.

In his statement, Ebodor said he lives in Italy where he was hired and sent on the all expense paid trip to Nigeria to courier the drug consignments to Milan, Italy for a fee of 2000 Euros.

Babafemi said at the Port Harcourt Ports in Onne, Rivers state, NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted a shipment of 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over N1.1 billion in street value, during a joint examination of a watch-listed container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies. The opioid consignments were hidden behind 257 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares.

He said at least, three suspects: Friday Achibong, 47; Abraham Anthony, 21; and Utibe Okon, 24, were arrested last Thursday 12th June when NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Obereakai, Odukpani local government area, Cross River state, where a total of 2,687 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, was recovered.

He added that same day in Bauchi state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence, arrested the duo of Iriemi Imonikhe, 49, and Sa’idu Ladan, 30, along Bauchi -Jos road after 195 blocks of skunk weighing 287 kilogrammes were discovered in their Toyota Camry car marked AKL 201 GG.

He said while 14 jumbo sacks of skunk weighing 560 kilogrammes were recovered from a wooden boat at Oniru beach in Lagos by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA last Thursday, officers of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport Maiduguri same day arrested two businessmen: Ishaku Abdullahi, 30; and Buba Usman, 32, at the arrival hall of the domestic wing of the airport with various quantities of ecstacy pills and skunk packaged in fanciful wraps labelled as ‘Lychee’ and ‘Porro Legal’

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, PHIA, MBIAM, PHPC, Marine, Cross River, and Bauchi commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, praised their compatriots in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Iran-bound businessman ingest 53 wraps of cocaine at Port Harcourt airport

Man arrested for allegedly killing mother in Gungul, Benue

By: Zagazola Makama

A man, identified as Torngusha Usuwe, has been arrested in Gungul Village, Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State for allegedly killing his mother after hitting her with a stick.

Zagazola learnt that the incident occurred on Tuesday at about 2:30 p.m., when the suspect allegedly struck his mother on the left jaw during a domestic altercation, causing a severe fracture.

The victim, who began bleeding from her mouth and ear, was rushed to Zege Nyion Clinic in Gungul for urgent medical attention but was confirmed dead around 8:00 p.m. the same day.

Following a report by Terwase Usuwe, a relative of the deceased, detectives were immediately deployed to the scene. Photographs were taken, and the body was evacuated and deposited at the Gungul Memory Integrated Morgue for autopsy.

The suspect, Torngusha Usuwe, has been taken into custody, and investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Man arrested for allegedly killing mother in Gungul, Benue