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NDLEA arrests India-bound nursing student over attempt to ingest 76 wraps of cocaine
NDLEA arrests India-bound nursing student over attempt to ingest 76 wraps of cocaine
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted an attempt by 26-year-old Esther Uzodinma, a 200-level student of nursing at the Noida International University, Uttar Pradesh, India, to transport 76 wraps of cocaine to the South Asian country.
Uzodinma had planned to swallow 76 wraps of cocaine hours before her return flight to India through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
The suspect, according to the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, was scheduled to return to Delhi, India from the Kano International Airport on Qatar Airways flight 1432 last Friday but was arrested in her room at 11:30pm on Thursday at Royal Park Hotel Sabon Garin Kano, while awaiting the cocaine consignment she was to ingest before her flight the following morning.
Babafemi said her lid was blown open when NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi state last Thursday intercepted 31-year-old Cosmas Okorie in a commuter bus coming from Lagos enroute Kano. Inside his black polythene bag was an audio speaker, which was used to conceal the 76 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.340 kilogrammes, which he was going to deliver to Uzodinma in Kano. A swift follow up operation in Kano led to the arrest of the female nursing university student later same day.
In her statement, she claimed the drug cartel she was working for recruited her in India and paid for her trip to Nigeria to enjoy her Christmas and New Year holidays. To avoid her parents knowing she was in Nigeria, Esther did not travel to her home state, Imo but was lodged for two weeks in a hotel in Enugu, from where she was flown to Abuja and then Kano where she was lodged at Royal Park Hotel to swallow the 76 pellets of cocaine sent to her from Lagos before taking her Qatar Airways flight to India on Friday morning.
She said she was promised over $5,000 upon successful delivery of the illicit consignment in India.
In other operations along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja highway, NDLEA officers arrested four suspects: Abdullahi Umar; Tijjani Samaila; Lucky Obotte and Abubakar Haruna, who were heading to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, Kano, and Abuja in commuter vehicles with over 38,000 pills of tramadol 225mg, 250mg and 100mg concealed in audio speakers and cloths.
In Lagos, operatives of a special operations unit of the agency last Tuesday raided the hideout of a 59-year-old Nwokedi Jonas in Ojodu-Berger area of the state where they recovered 10 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 4.9 kilogrammes as well as different paper bags he uses in dispensing the psychoactive substance in retail quantities. Printed on them include street names and codes such as ‘Dead man’; ‘Gelato top shelf smoke’; ‘Topshelf’; and ‘Gelato cake’
In other operations in Lagos, operatives of the state command of the agency last Wednesday raided a house in Igando New Town area of Alimosho where they arrested three suspects: Isaac Vincent, 32; Ebube Ikechi, 25; and Christopher Usifoh, 43, from whom 1,610 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis and 6 kilogrammes pills of tramadol were recovered. Also recovered from the house were a delivery van and three other vehicles used for distributing the illicit drugs.
Babafemi said two suspects: Olashile Okoya and Mohammed Ibrahim were arrested on Saturday when NDLEA officers raided their home at 5A Addison Palmer, Cadogan Estate, Castle Rock Avenue, Osapa, Lekki Lagos, where 28 kilogrammes of Cannadian Loud were recovered following credible intelligence.
Not less than 67 kilogrammes skunk was seized from Saheed Sulaiman last Thursday when NDLEA operatives raided his Edumare street, Lagos Island hideout, while various quantities of assorted illicit substances were recovered from Adamu Abdullahi last Tuesday when Jerry Irabi Estate, Lekki hideout was raided by NDLEA officers. They include 3.7 litres of codeine syrup; 10,000 pills of tramadol; 1,670 tablets of rohypnol; 6.5 kilogrammes cannabis; 3,100 tablets of diazepam; 10,090 tablets of Molly; 5,500 tabs of Exol-5; 1.2 kilogrammes crisps of wrapped methamphetamine and a monetary exhibit of ₦623,650.00.
In Kano, two suspects: Usama Adamu, 25, and Isah Ibrahim, 29, were last Friday
arrested at Dawanau, Dawakin in Tofa local government area where a total of 7.6 kilogrammes skunk, 78 tubes of rubber solution and 356 bottles of ‘suck and die’, a new psychoactive substance were recovered from them. In another raid in Kano, Usman Isa, 29, was nabbed along Zaria road with 114 blocks of skunk weighing 49.8 kilogrammes.
Three suspects: Lawali Isiaka, Umoru Isiaka and Mohammed Kabiru were last Wednesday arrested by NDLEA operatives with 390 tablets of Molly and 65.5 kilogrammes of cannabis at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, while Samuel Ogbu, 24, was nabbed with 25,000 pills of tramadol by operatives along Wukari- Zaki Ibiam road, Wukari local government area of Taraba state.
In series of raids in Abuja, a suspect, Rufa’i Hashimu, 27, was arrested at Gwarimpa village area of the FCT with 118 bottles of codeine-based syrup, while 13 others were nabbed in other locations such as: Area 1 IDP camp, Gishiri, Zuba, Dei -Dei, AYA, Lagos Street Garki, Karu, and Lugbe. Recovered from them include different quantities of tramadol, diazepam, and methamphetamine.
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 the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while urging his officers not to rest on their oars as they intensify their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
NDLEA arrests India-bound nursing student over attempt to ingest 76 wraps of cocaine
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Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Zamfara to formally receive Governor Dauda Lawal into the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Zamfara to formally receive Governor Dauda Lawal into the All Progressives Congress (APC)
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is billed to receive members of the governor’s cabinet and thousands of supporters into the APC fold at a grand reception at the Gusau Trade Fair Complex.
The Vice President was received by the governor, governors of Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, and Adamawa States; Umar Namadi, Uba Sani, Dapo Abiodun, and Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri as well as the governors of Plateau, Kano, and Sokoto States; Caleb Mutfwang, Abba Kabir Yusuf, and Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto.
Also on ground to receive him is the Deputy Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the APC National Chairman, APC governors Forum Chairman, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, as well as ministers, party chieftains, and other dignitaries.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Zamfara to formally receive Governor Dauda Lawal into the All Progressives Congress (APC)
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ECOWAS, Energy China Explore Partnership to Strengthen West Africa’s Power Infrastructure
ECOWAS, Energy China Explore Partnership to Strengthen West Africa’s Power Infrastructure
By: Michael Mike
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has begun discussions with Energy China International (CEEC) to deepen cooperation on the development of regional energy infrastructure aimed at expanding electricity access and strengthening power systems across West Africa.
The engagement took place during a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, where officials from the ECOWAS Energy and Mines Directorate met with CEEC representatives to advance dialogue on priority regional energy projects.
The session also included participants from the West African Power Pool (WAPP), the regional body responsible for coordinating electricity generation and transmission among West African countries.
During the meeting, participants reviewed project portfolios, technical capabilities and potential financing channels designed to accelerate growth in the region’s power sector and support broader infrastructure development.
Discussions focused on exploring partnership opportunities and funding options for ECOWAS priority initiatives covering power generation, electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure.
Acting Director of Energy and Mines at ECOWAS, William Baidoe, provided an overview of the Directorate’s mandate and ongoing programmes aimed at improving energy access across the region. These include projects to expand electricity distribution networks as well as initiatives to develop energy storage systems that can enhance the stability and reliability of power supply.
Also speaking at the meeting, Director of Planning, Investment Programming and Environmental Safeguards at WAPP, Kodjo Afidegnon, outlined the status of several priority projects under the ECOWAS Master Plan for the Development of Power Generation and Transmission Infrastructure (2019–2033).
Among the flagship initiatives highlighted were the CLSG interconnection project linking Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea; the North Core project connecting Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Benin; the OMVG interconnection linking Senegal, The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau; and the Medium Backbone project connecting Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Afidegnon noted that the projects present significant financing and investment opportunities for development partners and international energy companies.
On behalf of CEEC, General Manager Huang Aijun highlighted the company’s expertise in conventional and renewable energy, grid expansion, power planning and electricity transmission infrastructure. He reaffirmed the company’s interest in supporting ECOWAS priority projects through technical support and access to diverse funding sources.
Both parties agreed to maintain close engagement on the identified projects in order to assess their development status and explore concrete areas of collaboration.
ECOWAS said the discussions reflect its continued efforts to build strategic partnerships and mobilise investments to improve electricity access, strengthen grid reliability and promote sustainable infrastructure development across West Africa.
ECOWAS, Energy China Explore Partnership to Strengthen West Africa’s Power Infrastructure
Sallah: FRSC deploys 620 personnel in Gombe
The Federal Road Safety Corps, Gombe Sector Command, has deployed no fewer than 620 personnel and operational logistics for the 2026 Eid-el-Fitri Special Patrol Operations.
Mr Samson Kaura, the Sector Commander of FRSC in the state disclosed this in Gombe while speaking in an interview with journalists.
Kaura said that the operation had commenced on Tuesday to end on March 22.
“The Federal Road Safety Corps, Gombe Command has deployed 620 personnel comprising regular and special marshals and operational logistics for the 2026 Eid-el-Fitr Special Patrol Operations.
“This is being done bearing in mind the kind of heavy traffic that comes with such festive period, so we are acting promptly to ensure safe and smooth travels during the Sallah celebrations,” he said.
In addition, he said 10 patrol vehicles, four ambulances and a tow truck were also deployed to serve the motoring public.
“We will enforce adherence to traffic regulations towards ensuring safety during the Sallah celebration.
“We advise drivers against engaging in dangerous driving, over speeding, route violations, overloading, use of phones while driving.
“We urge everyone to observe all traffic rules and regulations towards ensuring easy flow of traffic as personnel would be stationed on major routes.
“We must be mindful of the fact that it is only the living that can celebrate, so let’s drive safety and prioritise safety over speed or profits.
“Underage driving will not be permitted and use of drugs while driving too; we have commenced special patrol for enforcement and control of traffic,” he said.
Kaura further reiterated the command’s warnings against underage driving, particularly during the Sallah celebration in the state.
He said the call was imperative as child driving remained one of the causes of crash, alongside over speeding, overloading, dangerous driving and use of drugs and phone while driving.
He said that it had been observed that persons below 18 years drive cars, motorcycles and tricycles which he said was not permitted, stating that the FRSC would enforce compliance in that regard.
The sector commander assured the motoring populace of the command’s commitment to ensure safety while seeking their cooperation.
“I wish the Muslim faithful Happy celebration while assuring them of our readiness to serve them professionally,” he said.
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