Troops arrest three suspected drug peddlers, recover 92 parcels of Colorado in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested three suspected drug peddlers and recovered 92 pieces of suspected Colorado concealed inside cartons of television sets along the Maiduguri–Mafa road in Borno State.

The suspects were arrested on Sept. 9 by troops of 195 Battalion, deployed along the route for logistics strangulation operations.

The suspects were identified as Haruna A. Usman, 39; Mohammed Haruna, 40; and Dauda Ali, 40.

They were intercepted while travelling in a Mitsubishi Fuso Canter truck with registration number Lagos AGL 199 XF.

A military situation report obtained by Zagazola Makama said the vehicle was conveying five cartons containing LG television sets, which were allegedly being used to conceal the suspected drugs.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that the vehicle had been loaded at Babbanlayi by Mohammed Haruna, who reportedly claimed that the goods belonged to Haruna A. Usman.

Troops subsequently tracked and arrested Usman in connection with the consignment.

Five mobile phones were also recovered from the suspects.

The suspects, recovered vehicle and exhibits are expected to be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

The arrests form part of ongoing efforts by troops under Operation Desert Sanity V to disrupt the logistics networks and criminal activities supporting insecurity across the North-East.

The general security situation across the theatre remains calm but unpredictable, while troops maintain satisfactory morale and operational readiness.

Troops arrest three suspected drug peddlers, recover 92 parcels of Colorado in Borno

Troops rescue 20-year-old man after three months in terrorist captivity in Kaga

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued a 20-year-old man, Adam Yabana, who escaped from terrorist captivity after spending more than three months in captivity in Borno State.

Yabana was intercepted by troops of 156 Task Force Battalion, operating in conjunction with the AHQ Intelligence Fusion Battalion and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Mainok, Kaga Local Government Area, during a clearance operation on Sept. 9.

The operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of suspected terrorists around Abasuri village.

During the clearance operation, the troops intercepted Yabana, who told investigators that he had been captured by terrorists while working on a farm in the Gowo general area.

According to preliminary interrogation, he remained in captivity for over three months before successfully escaping on Sept. 8 and making his way to Barmalanti village.

He was subsequently directed towards Mainok, where troops intercepted him during the ongoing clearance operation.

The rescued man is expected to be handed over to the intelligence personnel of 29 Task Force Brigade for further investigation and debriefing.

The troops thereafter returned safely to their blocking position in Mainok.

The development highlights the continued efforts by troops operating under Operation Desert Sanity V to clear terrorist-infested areas, rescue civilians held in captivity and deny insurgents freedom of movement across the theatre.

The general security situation across the theatre remains calm but unpredictable, while troops maintain their operational posture and readiness to respond to emerging threats.

Troops rescue 20-year-old man after three months in terrorist captivity in Kaga

.NDLEA Busts UK Colos Pipeline, Seizes 2.3 Tonnes of Drugs

…Real estate agent, 70-year-old woman, others arrested as traffickers hide opioids in bread, music speakers

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled multiple drug trafficking networks operating across eight states, intercepting consignments from the United Kingdom and recovering more than 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs, including synthetic cannabis, tramadol, pregabalin and cannabis.

The operations, which also exposed the increasingly elaborate methods used by traffickers to move narcotics, resulted in the arrest of a real estate agent, a tour agent, a 70-year-old woman and several other suspects.

The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said operatives intercepted two consignments of Colorado, also known as Colos, concealed in consolidated cargoes from the United Kingdom at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

He revealed that in the first seizure, 27 parcels of the synthetic cannabis weighing 32.2 kilogrammes were recovered from a large luggage. A real estate agent, Abideen Salami, who arrived to collect the consignment using a secret collection code allegedly sent by his UK-based brother, was arrested last Wednesday.

He noted that a follow-up operation linked to a second UK shipment led to the arrest of Nurudeen Kadiri, 44, who was designated to receive another consignment of Colorado weighing 12.25 kilogrammes. The suspect reportedly told investigators that his brother in the UK sent the drugs.

The agency’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) also uncovered attempts to conceal Colorado in music equipment. At Maza Maza motor park in Lagos, operatives recovered three packs of the substance hidden inside a music speaker rigged for onward transportation to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ultimately Liberia.

A tour agent, Ifeanyi Augustine, 41, and the alleged owner of the consignment, Obasi Ugochuckwu, 46, were arrested during a sting operation at a nearby eatery.

At Iddo motor park, another suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested on Friday, September 11, while attempting to dispatch 2.1 kilogrammes of Colorado to Kano.

The agency’s operations in other states revealed that the trafficking networks extended beyond synthetic cannabis to prescription drugs and other controlled substances.

In Delta State, separate operations in Ughelli and Asaba led to the recovery of ampoules of pentazocine injection, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, popularly known as Hypnox, and MDMA, also called Molly. Some of the drugs were concealed in music speakers.

Two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested in connection with the seizures.

In Kano, a raid at Sabon Gari resulted in the arrest of 20-year-old Saidu Adamu with 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425 kilogrammes.

A separate stop-and-search operation along the Zaria–Kano–Hadejia road uncovered 1,700 tablets of diazepam hidden inside loaves of bread. The drugs were seized from Habibu Sabitu, 28.

At Katako Market, Jos, Plateau State, operatives arrested 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.

The NDLEA also intensified its assault on cannabis cultivation and distribution. In Edo State, operatives destroyed 4,832.56 kilogrammes of skunk cannabis on farms in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest, covering Ovia South-West, Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas. A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was arrested on Friday, September 11.

In Akure, Ondo State, operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, on Wednesday, September 9. They recovered 186 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car marked ABJ 917 FV.

The consignment was allegedly being prepared for transportation to Jos for onward distribution. A 58-year-old suspect, Paul Ogbuwala, was arrested.

In Kaduna State, a female suspect, Hannah Michael, was arrested at Gonin Gora with 369.6 kilogrammes of cannabis.

Four suspects were also arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, where operatives recovered 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876 kilogrammes. Those arrested included 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, Motombo Silver, 44, Pere Andrew, 39, and Keme Andrew, 43.

The latest seizures bring into focus the scale and geographical spread of the agency’s ongoing campaign against drug trafficking, with operations cutting across airport cargo channels, motor parks, residential premises, road corridors, markets and cannabis farms.

Beyond enforcement, the agency said its commands and formations sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week.

Commending the officers and men of the DOGI, MMIA, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano Commands, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), charged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.

Marwa urged officers to continue shutting down the pipelines used by drug cartels, whether through airports, seaports, land borders or the hinterland where cannabis is cultivated.

.NDLEA Busts UK Colos Pipeline, Seizes 2.3 Tonnes of Drugs