Crime

NDLEA arrests Lagos airport cleaner who leads drug syndicate

Published

3 years ago

August 28, 2022

Ochuwa Ibrahim

NDLEA arrests Lagos airport cleaner who leads drug syndicate

By Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a cleaner at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Sunday Ohiagu, alleged to be the lead of a drug syndicate at the international wing of the airport.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said Ohiagu was nabbed last Tuesday following the arrest of an intending passenger on Air Peace flight to Dubai, UAE, Obinna Osita who was arrested with three bags, two of which contained eight blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 4.25 kilogrammes concealed in cassava product, gari and crayfish.

Babafemi said one other member of the airport syndicate who works with Ohiagu has also been arrested while operatives are after another suspect.

He said investigations revealed that a Dubai-based drug dealer recruited 42-year old Obinna, to traffic the drugs and equally contracted Ohiagu, a 34-year-old airport cleaner to create access for the unhindered passage of the trafficker.

He said the drug syndicate bust, which is the first drug arrest at the new terminal of the MMIA comes on the heels of the seizure of a consignment of bottles of Viju and Fearless energy drinks used to conceal skunk for export to Dubai, UAE through the NAHCO export shed on Monday 15th Aug of which a freight agent has already been arrested in connection with the seizure.

The spokesman also revealed that an attempt by a syndicate to export illicit drugs through the Lagos airport last Wednesday was foiled during an outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline to Oman via Addis Ababa.

He said a suspect Jonah Chukwuemeka was arrested with a total of 1,995 tramadol tablets with a gross weight of 900 grammes hidden in locust beans in his luggage. The bag containing the illicit substance was handed over to him at the airport by one Olagunju Abbas who was promptly arrested.

Also packs of tramadol 225mg containing 119,500 capsules were last Thursday transferred to NDLEA by the Nigeria Customs, cargo wing of MMIA. The consignment had come in through Ethiopian Airline from Pakistan.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Saturday raided a car shop, Bolak Motors at Ewela bus stop, Oshodi where bags of 615.2 kilogrammes cannabis were recovered along with nine vehicles. Efforts are ongoing to track the car dealer, Alhaji Ismail who is currently at large.

Babafemi said no fewer than eight suspects were arrested and bags of illicit drugs seized from them when Akerele area of Agege, Shogunle and Mafoluku areas of Oshodi, Fagba area of Ogba, Ipodo area of Ikeja and Iyana Ipaja park were raided in Lagos state.

In Yobe state, two suspected fake security agents taking 14kg cannabis to Maiduguri, Borno state were intercepted along Potiskum- Damaturu road. While Adetula Olarenwaju was arrested with four blocks of the substance last Thursday on his way from Lagos, Sadiq Garba returning from Gombe was nabbed with 22 blocks of the substance on Saturday.

In Edo, Abu Sunday was arrested with 48.4 kilogrammes cannabis at Idk quarter, Ibilo, while Rosemary Afekhuai was caught with 1,130 tramadol caps, among others at Oluma quarters, Otuo, Owan East local government area.

In Delta, Mustapha Isah, was arrested at Oko Market with 9, 800 tramadol caps weighing 6.4 kilogrammes while NDLEA operatives in Kaduna also nabbed Chinedu Onnuka, at Narayi Kaduna with 33,000 tablets of Bromazepam.

He said no fewer than 80 blocks of cannabis sativa were recovered from an abandoned tricycle with reg. no: BAU 70 WL while 25,000 tablets of exol-5 were seized from a dealer, Usman Muhammed who was nabbed along Bauchi-Gombe road.

He said a raid operation at a market in Mubi, Adamawa state last Wednesday 24th led to the seizure of 62,360 tablets of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 while two suspects, Sirajo Idris and Anas Abubakar were arrested same day with 107 pallets of cannabis at Kamba, a border town in Kebbi State. The skunk weighing 90 kilogrammes was smuggled in from Benin Republic.

In Kano, a drug dealer Lawal Adamu, 31, was arrested along Zaria-Kano road, Kwanar Dangora, with 203 blocks of cannabis weighing 136 kilogrammes, while another suspect, Taheer Abdullahi was nabbed on Friday 26th Aug. at Gadar Tamburawa, with 3000 ampules of tramadol injection.

A raid operation at Kara Masaka, back of Mararaba market and Zamani estate on Saturday 27th Aug. led to the arrest of 26 suspects, while 25.7 kilogrammes cannabis, 4.5kg codeine and 300 tablets of rohypnol tablets were seized from the drug joints raided. In Sokoto state, the village head of Ruga, Shagari local government area, Alhaji Umaru Mohammed (aka Danbala), a notorious drug dealer who was arrested last will be facing charges any moment from now.

He said before his recent arrest during which 436.381 kilogrammes cannabis and 1 kilogramme diazepam were recovered from his house, an earlier raid on his home on July 20th 2022 had led to the seizure of 11.5 kilogrammes cannabis, 2.259 kilogrammes exol5 and 500 grammes of diazepam.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Edo, Delta and Lagos Commands for the arrests and seizures. He however charged them and their compatriots across the country not to rest on their oars.

NDLEA arrests Lagos airport cleaner who leads drug syndicate

Crime

Kidnappers abduct young man in Abuja estate, shoot fiancée

Published

3 days ago

November 11, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Kidnappers abduct young man in Abuja estate, shoot fiancée

By: Zagazola Makama

Gunmen have abducted a young man during an attack on a private residence at Leisure Court Phase 1 Estate, located under Aco Division in Abuja.

Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday at about 12:01 a.m., when the attackers gained access into the residence of Mr. Olusoji Litan on Mike Ekere Street.

Sources said the gunmen kidnapped Mr. Litan’s son, Oladeji Emmanuel, who had just arrived Abuja to visit his parents on Friday, Nov. 9.

During the attack, Emmanuel’s fiancée, identified as Amanda, sustained gunshot injuries on both thighs.

Following a distress call received at about 12:25 a.m. from the Chief Security Officer of the estate, police patrol teams, working with hunters and vigilantes, were deployed to the scene.

Three expended 7.62mm ammunition shells were recovered from the compound.

Amanda was immediately evacuated to Lawrence Margaret Teaching Hospital, River Park Estate, where she is receiving treatment and is reported to be in stable condition.

Sources said efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing kidnappers and rescue the victim.

The case is being handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

Kidnappers abduct young man in Abuja estate, shoot fiancée

Crime

Gunmen abduct FRSC officer, neighbour in Benue

Published

3 days ago

November 11, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Gunmen abduct FRSC officer, neighbour in Benue

By: Zagazola Makama

Gunmen have abducted a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) personnel and another resident in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

Zagazola learnt that the attack occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on Nov. 9 at Asa 1, Otobi Akpa Road, Otukpo.

According to sources , armed men numbering about five stormed the residence, broke down the door, and forcefully took away the FRSC officer, identified as Oketa Ejembi, along with a neighbour whose identity was yet to be established at the time of filing the report.

The son of the victim, Daniel Oketa, reported the incident to the police at about 9:43 p.m.

Following the report, the Divisional Police Officer mobilised a patrol team alongside tactical units to the scene.

The command said efforts were ongoing to track the suspects and rescue the victims unhurt.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has commenced investigation

Gunmen abduct FRSC officer, neighbour in Benue

Crime

Over 50 fighters reportedly killed as Boko Haram factions clash with ISWAP in Abadam

Published

4 days ago

November 10, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Over 50 fighters reportedly killed as Boko Haram factions clash with ISWAP in Abadam

By: Zagazola Makama

A deadly clash between the factions of Boko Haram the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunna lid-Da‘wa wa’l-Jihād (JAS) and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) has resulted in the reported death of more than 50 fighters at Toumbun Gini, an island community in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the clash occurred on Sunday afternoon around 3 pm, following an attempted offensive by ISWAP fighters.

According to the source, ISWAP mobilised fighters using 10 high-powered watercraft and launched an attack aimed at reclaiming the island, believed to have recently fallen under the control of the rival JAS faction.

However, intelligence reportedly reached JAS leadership ahead of the assault, enabling them to set up a counter-ambush.

At exactly 1500 hours, ISWAP boats landed and what was planned as a surprise offensive quickly turned into a deadly trap. The first shots were decisive. JAS fighters overpowered them within minutes. ISWAP was routed,” the source said.

The source said over 50 ISWAP fighters were killed during the ambush, with seven of their boats seized. The remaining three vessels escaped with casualties. Video clips appearing to show the aftermath of the clash surfaced online on Sunday.

Zagazola described the clash as Day 5 of intensified rivalry between the two insurgent factions, which have been fighting over territorial dominance and control of resources in the Lake Chad islands.

The continued push by JAS against ISWAP could force surviving ISWAP fighters deeper into mainland communities bordering Kukawa, Monguno and Marte LGAs, increasing security risks for civilians and security personnel.

The rivalry has however, weakened both factions, reducing their ability to launch coordinated large-scale attacks. However, this fragmentation also poses a different challenge: smaller, unpredictable cells that are harder to track.

What is happening on Lake Chad today is a conflict within a conflict and Nigerian troops remain in the middle of the battlefield. The fighting could be leveraged strategically by intensifying pressure on both groups simultaneously.

“This is the best time for the Nigerian military to tighten the corridor and deny both factions space to regroup,”said Zagazola.

Over 50 fighters reportedly killed as Boko Haram factions clash with ISWAP in Abadam