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NAPTIP Arrests Two Suspected Masterminds of Cote D’voire Human Trafficking Syndicate, Rescues Two Victims

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NAPTIP Arrests Two Suspected Masterminds of Cote D’voire Human Trafficking Syndicate, Rescues Two Victims

By: Michael Mike

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), has commenced a major onslaught against organized human traffcking criminal gang in the country as its operatives have arrested two Abuja based high profile figures suspected to be the arrowhead of a trans border human trafficking syndicate operating within the West African and Gulf of Guninea regions.

According to a press statement signed by the agency press officer, Vincent Adekoye on Thursday, the suspects Emmanuel Igwe (32 years old) and Ugochukwu Christian (30 Years old) were mentioned by some of the human trafficking victims who are presently stranded in Côte d’ d’Ivoire during their conversation with the popular human rights activist and social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, also known as the VeryDarkMan (VDM), thereby prompting his intervention and subsequent visit to the Headquarters of NAPTIP, Abuja.

Adekoye said the suspects were arrested inside their sprawling mansion, which is located in one of the popular estates in the Lugbe Area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, adding that the tastefully furnished mansion equiped with various devices also serves as the Command Base and Residence for the gang.

He said during the operation led by the head of operations of the agency, which lasted several hours due to the high-tech facilities of the smart house that hinder free access, two suspected victims of human trafficking were also rescued.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were recruited by the suspects, subjected to an oath of secrecy already, and were undergoing marathonic sexual orientation from the suspects as they were stalked naked and in sexual romp when operatives burst into their rooms

Speaking with the operatives after the rescue, one of the victims (name withheld) disclosed that they were recruited from one of the Eastern States and were promised a highly paid job in a flourishing mall in Ivory Coast.

The victim recalled: “They told me that the Mall will be paying me in foreign currencies and that I will pay them back a total of 2.2 Million Cfas. They already took us to take an oath in one of the shrines located outside Abuja. I did not know, and I cannot recollect the location of the place. But, I know that we travelled for about three hours away from Gwagwalada to the Shrine.”

Adekoye said the arrest of the suspects followed an escalation of conversation and report from the NAPTIP Social Media platforms and subsequent credible intelligence shared by one of the partnering sister security agencies, indicating the location of the suspects.

It would be recalled that VDM had last week, Thursday, visited the Headquarters of NAPTIP to express his concern over the plight of some victims of human trafficking in Côte D’ d’Ivoire and promised to join hands with the Agency to rescue them and also create the desired awareness on the dangers of human trafficking. He also uploaded additional information through a video post on his handles on the profile of the traffickers.

In reaction to the viral video that exposed their activities, the suspects had called their victims and threatened to unleash terror on them if they reneged on their promise to engage in prostitution and pay them the agreed sum of 2.2 million cefas.

Speaking on the arrest, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Adamu Bello, said the agency is poised to dismantle all human trafficking syndicates that are recruiting, trafficking, and subjecting Nigerians to various forms of exploitation anywhere around the world.

She said: “The arrest of the two suspects is a component of our well-planned onslaught against human traffickers in the country. They are members of the trans border criminal gangs operating within the West African Region, and it is good that we can lay our hands on them.

“I recalled that during the visit of VDM to the agency last week, we assured him that NAPTIP shall do the needful. We stand by our words, and in line with our mandates, we shall make it difficult for them to operate in Nigeria.

“We have also activated the necessary apparatus and initiated discussions with Partners State and Non-State Actors within the neighbouring countries and specifically in Côte D’ d’Ivoire, towards rescuing the victims stranded there.

“I sincerely thank all our Partners and stakeholders with specific reference to the VDM, for their support to the agency. He visited the agency last week, and from the discussion with him, he has a deep passion for the country. He has also demonstrated this with his support towards the evacuation of the victims.

“I wish to state that the game is over for human traffickers in Nigeria as NAPTIP is ready to choke them unless they desist from recruiting and trafficking of our citizens.”

The Director General added that full investigation on the matter has commenced and the suspects and any other persons connected to the case shall be prosecuted if found cupable at the end.

NAPTIP Arrests Two Suspected Masterminds of Cote D’voire Human Trafficking Syndicate, Rescues Two Victims

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Shock in Enugu as mother allegedly murders two children in suspected mental breakdown

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Shock in Enugu as mother allegedly murders two children in suspected mental breakdown

By: Zagazola Makama

The quiet morning calm of Unity Road in Trans Ekulu, Enugu, was shattered on Monday when neighbours made a harrowing discovery: two children, a four-year-old girl and her three-month-old baby brother, were found dead in their home, allegedly murdered by their own mother.

Zagazola report that the suspect, identified as Chidima Arinze, reportedly committed the act at her residence, No. 47 Unity Road, in what police sources describe as one of the most disturbing domestic incidents in recent memory.

According to a Police sources, the tragic event unfolded on July 21 at about 9:00 a.m. when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Trans Ekulu received a distress call. Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene.

On arrival, the operatives met the lifeless bodies of Esther Arinze, aged 4, and Chibusoma Arinze, aged 3 months. Both victims reportedly bore marks of violence, suspected to have been inflicted with a sharp object. The scene was cordoned off, and forensic photographs were taken before the suspect was taken into custody.

The children’s remains were evacuated to the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUT), Parklane, where they were certified dead by a medical officer. Their bodies have since been deposited at the hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.

The suspect, their mother, was arrested at the scene without resistance. Preliminary investigation is currently ongoing at the Trans Ekulu Division, while the case is being prepared for transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a more discreet and comprehensive probe.

While police have not disclosed a motive, early speculation from community members points to a possible case of postpartum mental health crisis, though this remains unconfirmed.

“This is not something we’ve seen before in our area,” said one resident, who asked not to be named. “She was quiet, kept to herself. No one suspected she was struggling with anything.”

The Enugu State Police Command assured the public that justice would be pursued with thoroughness and sensitivity.

“We understand the emotional weight of this case,” a senior police official said. “Investigators are looking at every angle, including psychological evaluation of the suspect.”

Meanwhile, the Trans Ekulu community remains in mourning, stunned by a crime that unfolded behind closed doors in one of its homes.

“We are devastated,” said a neighbour. “Two innocent lives gone, and a mother behind bars. No one wins in this situation.”

Shock in Enugu as mother allegedly murders two children in suspected mental breakdown

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NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Baron on the Run for 7 Years

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NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Baron on the Run for 7 Years

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted 60-year-old alleged drug kingpin, Okpara Chigozie, who had been on the run for seven years.

A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said Okpara was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country.

He disclosed that Okpara has been on the wanted list of NDLEA since 2019 and was eventually nabbed at his hideout at 72 Micheal Ojo Street, Isheri in Ojo area of Lagos state on Sunday 13th July 2025 following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45am same day at Ilasamaja along Apapa-Oshodi expressway.

Babafemi said in the early morning operation, a team of NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Nnamdi while heading to Onitsha, Anambra state in a white Toyota Sienna vehicle.

He said the agency’s sniffer dogs were subsequently brought in to search the vehicle after which 7.6 kilogrammes of cocaine and 900 grammes of methamphetamine were found hidden in body compartments of the space bus, adding that a follow up operation was promptly carried out at Okpara’s hideout in Isheri where additional 1.8 kilogrammes cocaine and 1.3 kilogrammes methamphetamine were recovered from his residence.

Babafemi said at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, NDLEA operatives in a joint operation with Aviation Security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) last Wednesday recovered 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol from the luggage of an Italy-bound passenger, Omoregie Nice Uyiosa. The suspect who was going to Italy via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight claimed he purchased the drugs himself, hoping to sell them in Italy at higher prices.

In another arrest at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives at the export shed last Thursday intercepted 17 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1.7 kilogrammes concealed in packs of popular cereal, Golden Morn, going to Pakistan as part of a consolidated cargo. A suspect, Chioba Uchenna who presented the consignment for shipment was arrested.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday raided Sarah Sam Hotels located at 115 Ogudu road in Kosofe where different party drugs are being distributed and sold. The raid followed credible intelligence and surveillance which confirmed a suspect Obayemi Oyetade as the arrowhead of the drug network.

Babafemi said at the time of the operation, 1.3 kilogrammes Chocolate Cannabis, 900 grammes of gummies and 22.9 grammes of skunk were recovered from Obayemi’s room in the hotel, which is a 20-room facility run as a family business, housing his mother and siblings. Other items recovered from the hotel include three vehicles.

He said three suspects: Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi and Emmanuel Madu were on Saturday arrested during an intelligence-led raid at Narayi High Cost area of Chikun local government area, Kaduna State, where 742.866 kilogrammes of skunk, and Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis were seized from them. In Kano, Lawan Rabiu was nabbed with 36,000 pills of tramadol along Danbatta-Kazaure road, last Wednesday.

He said while a total of 25,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect Aliyu Abubakar, at Gombe roundabout last Friday, the duo of Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were arrested same day with 49 blocks of compressed skunk that weighed 29 C180 at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba local government area, Gombe state.

In Borno, NDLEA officers on patrol along Baga road, Maiduguri, on Saturday intercepted 74,360 pills of opioids in a Mercedes Benz C180 car marked GUB 409 AA and arrested Audu Modu, 44, in connection with the seizure, while in Bayelsa state, a 63-year-old grandma Akuna Nelson was last Thursday arrested at Osiri area of Yenagoa in connection with the seizure of 163 litres of skuchies.

He said four suspects: Ikechukwu Abugu, 42; Sunday Ani, 18; Chukwu Christian, 46; and Emmanuel Olisakwe, 55, were last Thursday arrested by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja highway, Kogi state in connection with the seizure of 2 kilogrammes methamphetamine recovered during a search of their vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Minna, Niger state.

In Abia state, NDLEA officers last Monday raided the base of a notorious drug dealer, Nduka Obi, 39, at 4 Niger street, Ugwa road, Aba, where various quantities of tramadol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and a total of N736,000 monetary exhibit were recovered from him.


While a total of 45,000 pills of tramadol were seized from a suspect Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Onitsha – Enugu expressway, Enugu state last Wednesday, officers of the Taraba state command of the agency same day apprehended the duo of Ngwokwoka Thomas, 44, and Mohammed Audu, 44 with 10,000 caps of tramadol and a gramme of cannabis at Dan Anacha, Gassol local government area.

The spokesman 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, SOU, Lagos, Kaduna, Osun, Bayelsa, Gombe, Borno, Abia, Kogi, Enugu, and Taraba commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Baron on the Run for 7 Years

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Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons

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Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in collaboration with air components and local security stakeholders, have intensified clearance operations in the North East to deny Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists freedom of movement and access to logistics.

Zagazola Makama report that the sustained onslaughts across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States have led to the arrest of several logistics suppliers, recovery of weapons and explosive devices, and the neutralisation of insurgents in ambush operations.

In one of the recent breakthroughs, troops in conjunction with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) arrested two suspected terrorist collaborators at the Biu main market on July 10.

The suspects Isah Abdullahi, 45, and Abdullahi Mohammed, 35, both from Liya village in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, were intercepted while attempting to collect suspected terrorist-bound supplies delivered from Kano to the Biu Motor Park.

Items recovered from them included a sack containing 13 pairs of military desert boots, 20 high-wattage 9-volt batteries, and five pairs of slippers, all labeled with Isah’s phone number as the recipient.

Similarly, on July 13, troops acting on intelligence and working with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), arrested a 65-year-old logistics courier, Shaibu Bulama, at the Damasak Motor Park in Mobbar LGA.

Bulama, a native of Alagarno village in Yunusari LGA of Yobe State, was found with a white Toyota pickup truck. The vehicle contained two bags of rice, two cartons of pesticide sprayers, five gallons of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), and other assorted items hidden under the seats.

Meanwhile, in a targeted ambush on the same day, OPHK troops, alongside CJTF and local hunters, intercepted insurgents crossing between Ngoshe and Agapalwa in Gwoza LGA. One terrorist was neutralised while others fled, abandoning a bicycle and other supplies.

As part of the post-Operation Sand Fury exploitation in Malam Fatori general area, troops on July 13 discovered a partially buried corpse believed to be that of a terrorist. They also recovered an AK-47 rifle, magazine, and rounds of ammunition near an infiltration route used by insurgents along the fringes of Lake Chad.

In another key development, troops provided armed escort to over 3,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returning to their ancestral homes in Darel-Jamel from Bama on July 13. The military says the secure return of the IDPs is a critical aspect of stabilisation efforts supported by the Borno State Government.

Also, on July 14, troops conducting farm patrols near Banki in Bama LGA were alerted by a local farmer who discovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) buried in his field. A joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team successfully detonated the IEDs, which included mortar and artillery bombs already primed for detonation.

The same day, another IED was uncovered by troops in Molai, along the Maiduguri–Damboa Road axis. The EOD team detonated the device and recovered pressure plates and batteries suspected to be used for future attacks.

Elsewhere, acting on credible human intelligence, troops laid ambush near a terrorist crossing route in Tinush, a remote settlement in Kalabalge LGA. During the engagement, troops recovered 3 AK-47 magazines, 6 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 2 rocket-propelled grenade bombs, 57 rounds of PKM belted links, and a locally fabricated pistol.

In a related development, 16 family members of terrorists — including four adult females and 12 children — surrendered to troops in the Bama axis. Preliminary investigations indicated they fled from the Bakura Jega enclave, seeking safety from intensified military pressure.

In furtherance of logistics strangulation operations, troops on July 14 stormed Kudzum in Michika LGA of Adamawa State. During the raid, they recovered three motorcycles, 105 jerricans of PMS, and a tricycle believed to be part of the insurgents’ smuggling network.

A military source Zagazola that the combination of offensive clearance, ambush, counter-IED actions, and coordinated strangulation of terrorist logistics across the North East forms part of OPHK’s renewed strategy to degrade insurgent capabilities.

“These recent operations underscore the commitment of the Armed Forces to maintaining pressure on the terrorists and limiting their movement, logistics resupply, and capacity to threaten civilian populations,” the source said.

The military has assured residents of its determination to sustain the tempo of operations in synergy with state governments, community vigilantes, and international partners.

Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons

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