Violence Erupts at Ijaw Youth Council Election in Port Harcourt, Several Dead

By: Zagazola Makama

What began as an election for the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) in Abulomma, Port Harcourt, took a deadly turn on 14 September 2024, leaving several people dead in its wake.

The election, which was held around 4:45 PM, descended into chaos after disagreements arose among the members, resulting in violent clashes.

The unrest escalated rapidly, leading to the death of one individual during the initial fracas, and the situation worsened with road blockades being erected by angry factions. The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) intervened, restoring a semblance of order in the area.

However, tensions flared up again the following morning. At approximately 7:20 AM on 15 September 2024, additional bodies were discovered in Abulomma, heightening fears of further violence.

Reports indicate that a gunfight broke out during the IYC Eastern Zone election after several candidates refused to step down in favor of prominent figures, including EG Ateke and Asari Dokubo, who were also contesting for leadership positions. This led to violent clashes, resulting in further loss of life.

Violence Erupts at Ijaw Youth Council Election in Port Harcourt, Several Dead

Auto Parts Dealer, Businesswoman Arrested Over UK-bound Opioids, Cocaine

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an Ibadan-based businesswoman, Mrs. Adewunmi Adebola and an auto parts dealer, Arinze Ora over attempts to export consignments of opioids and cocaine to London, United Kingdom and Congo Brazzaville respectively.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said officers of the anti-narcotics agency at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos had on Friday 6th September 2024 intercepted a cargo going to the United Kingdom, adding that a thorough search of the consignment revealed 924 bottles of codeine-based syrup weighing 135.7 kilogrammes and 5,250 tablets of rohypnol were hidden in cartons of foodstuffs.

Babafemi said the freight agent, Owojori Olanrewaju who presented the cargo for export was promptly arrested, with further investigation leading to the arrest of another suspect, Adewunmi Akeem , who claimed that his mother, 58-year-old Mrs. Adewunmi Adebola sent the consignment to him from Ibadan to deliver to the agent.

The spokesman said a follow up operation on Saturday 7th September led to the arrest of Mrs. Adewunmi in Ibadan where she deals in foodstuffs and cargo export.

In his statement, Owojori confessed that he has been working for Mrs. Adewunmi to export cargoes to the UK, adding that he was paid N2,411,000.00 for the job, while he was paid N2.1 million for a similar consignment handled for the businesswoman earlier.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the same export shed of the Lagos airport last Wednesday intercepted some cartons of auto spare parts and powder custard going to Congo Brazzaville on Ethiopian Airlines. A diligent search of the cargo led to the discovery of 300 grammes of cocaine concealed in the containers of checkers powder custard packed together with some auto parts.

Babafemi said a follow up operation led to the arrest of the sender of the consignment, Arinze Ora, who deals in auto parts at the Trade Fair Auto Parts Wing, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.

Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of NDLEA last Tuesday arrested two brothers: Ikechukwu Ikeabba and Ugochukwu Ikeabba who are alleged sponsors of drug traffickers who specialise in exporting drugs by ingestion to Vietnam.

The NDLEA spokesman said their arrest followed diligent investigation of an earlier arrest of an Onitsha-based businessman, Ibeanusi Nosike, who excreted 68 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.282 kilogrammes after 12 days of excretion observation after he was arrested at the local wing of the Lagos airport by NDLEA operatives.

Babafemi said the 36-year-old Ibeanusi was arrested in the early hours of Thursday, 8th August 2024 at the old domestic terminal of the Lagos airport while attempting to board the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja where he was scheduled to join a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 10am same day.

He said another Vietnam-bound businessman, 54-year-old Paul Mbadugha had been arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Abuja airport on Monday 12th August 2024 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Hanoi, Vietnam via Doha after he tested positive to ingestion of cocaine. He noted that after four days under observation, Mbadugha egested a total of 88 wraps of the illicit drug with a gross weight of 1.71 kilogrammes.

He said at the time of the arrest of the two kingpins, the Ikeabba brothers, they were caught with 87 wraps of cocaine dummies used in training intending mules.

Babafemi said in Gombe state, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence last Saturday arrested three suspects: Auwal Abdullahi, Isah Rabiu and Abubakar Da’u along Bauchi-Gombe road while travelling in a DAF truck marked GME 552 ZU. A search of the vehicle led to the seizure 2,490,000 pills of tramadol concealed with bags of salt.

He said a suspect, Idris Adamu, 23, was arrested with 41.5 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa at Kachia town, Kaduna state last Tuesday while two suspects: Godiya Jikuk, 36, and Yusuf Umaru, 65, were nabbed at Isinbode -Ekiti, Ekiti state with a total of 73.6 kilogrammes cannabis last Wednesday.

In Bauchi state, no fewer than 208,920 pills of tramadol and diazepam were seized from a suspect, Chinedu Asadu, 35, last Thursday while 104 kilogrammes of cannabis was recovered from two suspects: Abba Abdullahi and Mustapha Yahaya along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway last Tuesday by operatives in Lagos state.

He added that not less than 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered by NDLEA operatives in two containers shipped from India during a joint examination of the containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos last Tuesday, starting that the containers were part of those targeted by NDLEA for 100 percent examination.

Babafemi said 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.

While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, MMIA, Tincan, Lagos, Gombe, Kaduna, Bauchi, and Ekiti commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated.

He however urged them to continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Auto Parts Dealer, Businesswoman Arrested Over UK-bound Opioids, Cocaine

Joint Operations in Kaduna Lead to Major Arrests and Disruption of Terrorism and Gun Running Activities

By: Zagazola Makama

A series of successful joint operations have led to significant breakthroughs in the fight against terrorism and illegal arms trafficking in Kaduna State. Key arrests have been made, including a soldier suspected of collaborating with terrorists and two notorious gun runners.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that At approximately 11:30 AM on 11 September 2024, one Private Dalha Tijani Ibrahim, a soldier attached to the 11 Field Engineer Regiment (FER) on Operation Whirlwind, was arrested by police operatives in the Kwangila area of Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

He was caught delivering military kits to a suspected terrorist group. He had earlier deserted his duty post at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Fatika, which raised concerns about suspicious internal complicity with the terrorists.

Following the arrest of Pte. Dalha, further operations were carried out on 12 September 2024. At around 3:56 AM, Nigerian Police Force (NPF) operatives from Abuja, in collaboration with the Operation Yaki command in Kaduna, intercepted a tinted Peugeot 406 along the Kaduna-Saminaka-Gumau road.

The occupants of the vehicle, Zahardeen Abdulsalam (33) from Jos, Plateau State, and Abdullahi Tahir (35) from Kidandan Village in Giwa LGA, Kaduna State, were found to be in possession of a large cache of ammunition. The search of the vehicle revealed 3,700 rounds of 7.62x39mm and 170 rounds of 7.62x51mm (NATO) ammunition, allegedly destined for delivery to Yellow Jambros, a notorious armed bandit operating out of the Galadimawa Forests in Kaduna State.

These arrests mark a major victory in disrupting the supply chain of illegal arms and curbing the operations of terrorist and bandit groups in the region. Authorities have emphasized the importance of collaboration between security forces and intelligence agencies in successfully intercepting the shipment.

Joint Operations in Kaduna Lead to Major Arrests and Disruption of Terrorism and Gun Running Activities