Crime

Drug baroness, 4 kingpins arrested as NDLEA busts 3 syndicates in Lagos

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2023

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Drug baroness, 4 kingpins arrested as NDLEA busts 3 syndicates in Lagos

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of a special unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have smashed three major illicit drug syndicates.

According to a statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the syndicates were smashed in intelligence-led operations across parts of Lagos state, leading to the arrest of a baroness and four other kingpins with multi-billion naira worth of cocaine, opioids and loud recovered from their hideouts.

Babafemi disclosed that a female head of one of the syndicates, Faith Nwankwo was arrested last Wednesday at her residence, House 6, C close, 3rd Avenue, Festac area of Lagos shortly after she returned from a warehouse at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin where she loaded eight cartons of tramadol 225mg into an unmarked white Honda Pilot SUV.

He said a search of her residence and the warehouse led to the recovery of 2,750,000 pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg packed in 39 cartons weighing 1,916 kilogrammes. The drugs and the SUV were recovered while the suspect was taken into custody.

In another operation targeted at a group of transnational syndicate involved in importation, exportation, distribution, and dealing in cocaine and Canadian loud, Babafemi said operatives of the same Special Unit of the agency on 4th August tracked the drug syndicate to Atlantic Nominee Estate in Lekki- Ajah area of Lagos where a blue Toyota Highlander SUV was loaded with 8.49 kilogrammes of cocaine and 10.3 kilogrammes Canadian loud for distribution by the duo of Urama Chinemelum, 32, and Adelakun Oluade, 55. He said a follow-up operation at the residence of Chinemelum at House 7, Road 7, Lagra estate, Eti-Osa, Lagos led to the recovery of additional 18 blocks of loud weighing 18.5 kilogrammes.

He said the following day, Saturday 5th August, operatives of the Special Unit went after another syndicate involved in importation, distribution and diversion of ephedrine hydrochloride, a precursor chemical used for the production of methamphetamine, following intelligence that members of the cartel were planning to divert 25 kilogrammes of the substance.

He disclosed that two members of the syndicate: Udeh Ogbonna, 53, and Okonkwo Ifeanyi, 50, were arrested at a commercial bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos where they were attempting to send the concealed substance to the South East, adding that a body search conducted on the two suspects led to the recovery of $3,000 US Dollars found on Udeh Ogbonna.

Babafemi revealed that in operations across four other states of Ogun, Ondo, Edo and Nasarawa, NDLEA operatives recovered over 13,391.8 kilogrammes of skunk; bo fewer than 1,955 kilogrammes of the illicit substance packed in 139 jumbo bags and stored in the warehouse of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Lekan Jimoh (aka Konmo Konmo) in Ado Odo Ota area of Ogun state were recovered in the early hours of last Saturday in collaboration with officers and men of the Nigerian Army.

In Ondo, Ogbu Paul Odey, 30; Daniel Osidi, 34; John Iyage, 41; Friday Simon, 28; and Friday James, 24, were arrested in connection with the seizure and/or destruction of over 10,325.5 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa in Iju and Ala forests, in Akure area of the state between Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th August.

While 22-year-old James Aga was arrested during the raid of an uncompleted building on the outskirts of Utese town in Ovia North East local government area of Edo State last Friday with 10 kilogrammes skunk, 976 kilogrammes of the same substance was recovered from the building in addition to the recovery of four motorcycles.

Also, in an earlier operation in Utese forest last Tuesday, at least 46.545 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered and about 1.6 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed
while two suspects: Onyelunisue Azuka, 48 and Abraham Ayomide, 30, were arrested.

In Nasarawa state, 49-year-old Umar Abdullahi, was arrested last Friday with 64.8 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa in Doma local government area while NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, last Wednesday intercepted a 4.5 kilogrammes consignment of loud coming from the United States at a courier firm in Lagos.

In his reaction to the successful clampdown, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the Special Unit for being pro-active and pragmatic in the operations.

He also applauded their colleagues in Ogun, Ondo, Edo and Nasarawa Commands as well as those of DOGI for their zeal and professionalism. He however charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant and focused.

Drug baroness, 4 kingpins arrested as NDLEA busts 3 syndicates in Lagos

Crime

Sokoto mother arrested for kidnapping 4-year-old son in Kebbi

Published

1 day ago

December 1, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Sokoto mother arrested for kidnapping 4-year-old son in Kebbi

By: Zagazola Makama

A four-year-old boy has been rescued unhurt after being kidnapped in Koko Local Government Area of Kebbi State, while the mother was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the abduction.

Zagazola learnt that the victim, Abdulmumini Surajo, went missing on Nov. 26, 2025. Later that day, the father received a call from an unknown female voice demanding a ransom of five million naira (₦5,000,000).

Police detectives traced the call and identified the caller as Maryam Muhammad, 25, a married woman from the same area. She was promptly arrested and confessed to the crime.

The boy was rescued on Nov. 29, 2025, at about 6:08 p.m. in Mahuta, Fakai Local Government Area.

Sokoto mother arrested for kidnapping 4-year-old son in Kebbi

Crime

Police repel Boko Haram attack in Konduga, launch manhunt for abductors

Published

1 day ago

December 1, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Police repel Boko Haram attack in Konduga, launch manhunt for abductors

By: Zagazola Makama

The Borno Police Command says its operatives have repelled an attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists on Malari village in Konduga Local Government Area, while a joint search-and-rescue operation is underway to free three abducted farmers.

Sources said the incident occurred on Nov. 30 at about 12:00 p.m. when the terrorists, riding on more than 15 motorcycles, invaded the community and opened fire.

During the attack, a 15-year-old boy, Basha Goigoi of Muna, was shot in the right thigh and rushed to the General Hospital, Maiduguri, where he is currently receiving treatment.

The assailants also abducted three residents identified as Alhaji Kundili (35), Baba Goni (45) and Modu Baluye (50), all of Malari village, while they were working on their farms.

The Police Crack Squad deployed in Konduga responded swiftly, engaging the terrorists in a gun battle and successfully repelling the attack.

A combined team comprising the troops of Operation HADIN KAI, police tactical squads, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and local hunters has since launched a coordinated operation to track the attackers and rescue the abducted victims.

Security forces urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely information to security agencies to aid ongoing counter-terrorism efforts in the area.

Police repel Boko Haram attack in Konduga, launch manhunt for abductors

Crime

NDLEA uncovers illicit drugs packaged as Christmas cookies, arrests distributors in Lagos

Published

2 days ago

November 30, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

NDLEA uncovers illicit drugs packaged as Christmas cookies, arrests distributors in Lagos

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a social media network used to distribute illicit substances packaged as imported Christmas cookies and snacks.

The two masterminds of the initiative were also arrested and taken into custody after a raid on their hideout in Lekki area of Lagos.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the drug syndicate run by the duo of Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi had imported consignments of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis and a variety of colourful designer sachets with pictures and labels of cookies and snacks printed on them, and used to package the psychoactive substance in retail quantities.

Babafemi said following credible intelligence about the activities of the syndicate which operates and distributes through a WhatsApp platform, NDLEA operatives on Saturday raided their apartment at Ojulari street, Ikate area of Lekki where a large quantity of the designer sachets and 5 kilogrammes of Loud were recovered from them at the point of their arrest.

He said in another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Thursday arrested a 38-year-old drug kingpin Philip Ucheka while taking delivery of 110 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 55.6 kilogrammes at Ladipo area of Mushin. He added that at the point of his arrest, three delivery vehicles were also seized from him.

The spokesman said at a courier company in Lagos, 100 grammes of Loud concealed in teddy bear imported from Thailand were intercepted last Thursday while a consignment of 548 capsules of tramadol hidden in bottles of Vitamin C and Magnesium going to the United Kingdom were recovered at another logistics firm the following day.

In Oyo state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Lagos -Ibadan expressway on Saturday m nabbed a suspect Wasiu Kareem, 55, with 8,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 590 bottles of codeine syrup; 1,500 pills of Co-codamol and 9,900 capsules of tramadol.

He said no fewer than seven suspects were arrested last Monday when NDLEA operatives raided the Ipe forest in Akoko South East area of Ondo State where they recovered 3,077 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis. Those arrested include: John Ede; Ede Ndubuisi; Ikenna Abe; Eze Chukwuma; Maduabuchi Odo; Nnaji Chudubem and Gorge Okowor.

He said while Anthony Sylvester, 49, was arrested along Okene/Lokoja highway Kogi state conveying 649 kilogrammes skunk in a truck last Wednesday, NDLEA officers at the Seme Special Area Command on Friday raided a warehouse at Ashipa, Seme border area of Badagry, Lagos where they arrested a suspect Abubakar Shuaibu, 33, with 487 blocks of skunk weighing 243.5 kilogrammes.

In Kano, Tsalha Alasan, 47, was arrested along Zaria-Kano road with 137 kilogrammes skunk last Monday, while three suspects: Godspower Appeal, 50; Ernest Upong, 55; and Godday Chukwudi, 38, were nabbed last Wednesday with 322 blocks of skunk weighing 209 kilogrammes at Fanshanu village, Toro local government area, Bauchi state. A black Toyota Highlander jeep marked ABJ 533 EA used in conveying the consignment was also recovered from them.

A suspect John Ekojo, 51, was arrested with 210.15 kilogrammes skunk along Abuja/Jos highway on Saturday, while a couple: Abubakar Abdullahi, 45, and Jamila Abdullahi, 35, were nabbed along Abuja/Kaduna highway with 725 rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition concealed in a sack of maize just as another suspect Awwal Sabiu, 20, was caught with 400 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition at Abuja/Kaduna tollgate on Friday.

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.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), while commending the officers and men of DOGI, Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, Seme and Bauchi commands for the various successful operations, enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

NDLEA uncovers illicit drugs packaged as Christmas cookies, arrests distributors in Lagos