Security forces in Niger rescue three kidnapped victims in Mashegu LGA

By: Zagazola Makama

Three victims abducted by armed bandits in Aworo village, Mashegu Local Government Area, Niger State, have been successfully rescued.

Zagazola learnt on Feb. 5 at about 10:00 p.m., unknown armed bandits invaded Aworo village via Leaba Zugurma District and abducted Alhaji Ladan Abubakar, 65, Basira Abubakar, 18, and Jamila Abubakar, 24, all of the same address, taking them into the National Park forest in the Zugurma sector.

On Feb. 8 at about 2:00 a.m., a team of policemen led by the DPO Ibbi, alongside local vigilantes and hunters, traced the kidnappers to their hideout. The bandits engaged the team in a fierce gun duel but were overwhelmed.

All three victims were rescued successfully. Alhaji Ladan Abubakar sustained a gunshot injury to the head and was rushed to the Primary Health Care Centre in Ibbi, where he is responding to treatment.

Police said monitoring and intelligence operations are being sustained to prevent further attacks in the area.

Security forces in Niger rescue three kidnapped victims in Mashegu LGA

NDLEA Arrests Brazil Returnee with Cocaine Hidden on Body, Seizes Nearly 10 Tonnes of Drugs Nationwide

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Onyekwere, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Onyekwere, 47, was apprehended last Thursday, at the airport’s arrival hall during the inward screening of passengers on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg. NDLEA officials acted on intelligence that led to his selection for further checks.

A body scan conducted on the suspect indicated the presence of concealed substances. A subsequent strip search uncovered a large wrap of a white powdery substance, later confirmed to be cocaine, strapped to his right thigh. Further examination revealed two additional wraps hidden inside the soles of the flat shoes he was wearing.

In total, NDLEA officers recovered three wraps of cocaine weighing 1.6 kilogrammes.

During questioning, the suspect reportedly admitted purchasing the drugs in Brazil with plans to sell them in Nigeria. He claimed the proceeds were intended to expand his business and support the naming ceremony of his newborn child. Onyekwere, who resides in São Paulo, Brazil, said he has lived there since 2008 and has operated a toy business for several years.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan Seaport, Lagos, intercepted a container shipment last Wednesday, uncovering 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, weighing 1,183 kilogrammes.

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the drugs, imported from Montreal, Canada, were concealed inside a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix vehicle and was discovered during a joint inspection involving NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.

In Niger State, NDLEA officers intercepted a long-haul truck along the Dei-Dei–Abuja Expressway in the early hours last Tuesday. Three suspects—Andy Chidogu (49), Kenneth Ogene (45), and Sadiq Olanrewaju (27)—were arrested with 176 bags of skunk cannabis weighing 2,735 kilogrammes, alongside one kilogramme of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant.

Babafemi said investigations revealed that the truck driver, Kenneth Ogene, had transported flour from Lagos to Ekpoma, Edo State, before agreeing to convey the illicit drugs for a fee of ₦1.7 million.

He said further operations in Edo State led to the arrest of Shaibu Yusuf on the Auchi–Abuja Expressway with 66 bags of skunk weighing 792 kilogrammes concealed in charcoal bags.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives, supported by personnel of the Nigerian Army, raided a cannabis farm at Ebora Camp in Ilushi, Esan South East Local Government Area, destroying over 4,063 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated on 1.6 hectares of land. An additional 328 kilogrammes of processed cannabis and seeds were recovered, while four suspects were arrested.

In Anambra State, NDLEA officers intercepted a cement-laden truck at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, last Wednesday. A search revealed 345.2 kilogrammes of skunk concealed among bags of cement. One of the occupants, Abum Okeke, 42, was arrested.

Babafemi said operations in Ondo State resulted in the arrest of two suspects in Akure North with 473 kilogrammes of skunk, while Kano State recorded the seizure of 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from Abdullahi Usman. Another suspect, Musa Shuaibu, was arrested with 4,390 tramadol pills in Gaya area of the state.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Oragwan Ekene at Alaba with 15.5 kilogrammes of skunk en route to Anambra State. Additionally, 3.5 kilogrammes of cannabis were recovered from the luggage of a traveler arriving from Cotonou, Benin Republic, at the Seme border.

The spokesman said beyond enforcement activities, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign across schools, religious institutions, workplaces, and communities nationwide during the week.

Commending the officers involved in the various operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged personnel across the country to sustain the balanced approach of drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction in the fight against substance abuse and trafficking.

NDLEA Arrests Brazil Returnee with Cocaine Hidden on Body, Seizes Nearly 10 Tonnes of Drugs Nationwide

Four abducted in bandit attack in Munya, Niger

By: Zagazola Makama

At least four persons were abducted by suspected armed bandits in Munya Local Government Area of the state.

Sources said the incident occurred at about 10:45 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, when bandits invaded Siyona community via Mangorota, Kabula Ward in Munya LGA.

Sources said the attackers kidnapped four residents of the community and took them to an unknown destination.

The victims were identified as Iya Bulus, 20; Lami Bulus, 30; Ayelo Elisha, 15; and Soja Elisha, 15. They are all members of the Siyona–Mangorota community and of the Bagyi ethnic group.

The source said information about the attack was received at about 11:00 p.m. the same night. On receipt of the information, the troops of the Nigerian Army, police and vigilante personnel were swiftly mobilized to the scene.

The sources added that on arrival, the bandits had already fled with their captives.

According to the sources, intensive monitoring and intelligence gathering are ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the arrest of the perpetrators.

Four abducted in bandit attack in Munya, Niger