Crime

NDLEA arrests Saudi-bound trafficker with cocaine in sandals

Published

2 years ago

November 27, 2022

News Net Global

NDLEA arrests Saudi-bound trafficker with cocaine in sandals

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a member of Lagos major drug syndicate, a 56-year-old, Lawal Oyenuga who was on a mission to deliver 400 grammes of cocaine concealed in a pair of palm sandals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Orenuga’s arrest led to a swift follow up arrest of a wanted notorious kingpin, Wasiu Gbolahan popularly known as Teacher, who is notorious for the recruitment of mules for the cartel.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said operatives of the anti-narcotics agency attached to the screening point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos had on Thursday 24th November intercepted Oyenuga with a pair of black palm sandals packed in the luggage he was going with to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airways flight.

Babafemi disclosed that a thorough examination of the sandals revealed they were used to conceal two parcels of cocaine weighing 400 grammes, noting that this was barely a week after a 56-year-old widow and mother of four, Mrs. Ajisegiri Sidika was arrested at the airport over her attempt to traffic 400 grammes of cocaine concealed in her footwear to Makkah, Saudi Arabia on board a Qatar Airways flight.

The spokesman said Oyenuga in his statement claimed he was recruited to traffic the drug by Wasiu Gbolahan popularly known as Teacher, adding that he was first given some pellets of cocaine to swallow but when he couldn’t do that, he was given the ones concealed in the palm sandals.

He confessed to have resorted to the criminal trade to raise money to pay an examination fee for his daughter who is in Senior Secondary School (SSS) 3.

Babafemi said the agency’s database revealed that Wasiu Sanni (Teacher) has been linked to some previous attempts to traffic cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Dubai, UAE, and had been fingered as the one who recruited a BRT driver, Bolajoko Babalola for Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Kazeem (a.k.a Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed) to traffic drugs to Dubai.

Bolajoko was arrested on 27th June while taking 900 grammes of cocaine to Dubai while Ademola Kazeem was nabbed on Thursday 10th November, barely 10 days after he was declared wanted by NDLEA.

Babafemi said a follow up operation in the early hours of last Friday led to the arrest of the kingpin, Teacher, who specialises in recruiting mules for drug barons in Lagos and its environs at his residence located in Ikorodu area of Lagos. The 64-year-old Wasiu Sanni Gbolahan is a housing and property agent, with seven children and four wives, one of whom is now late.

He also revealed that in another follow up operation to the seizure of 1.1 kilogrammes cannabis concealed in bottles of body cream going to Dubai on 9th September, the actual owner of the consignment, Wordu Chukwuemeka who runs a boutique business in Port Harcourt, Rivers state was arrested in the Garden City last Thursday.

In the same vein, operatives attached to NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on last Tuesday intercepted a consolidated cargo from Johannesburg, South Africa via an Airpeace Airline flight.

The cargo contained different items, including cloths, cereals, baby toys, drinks, and a set of two big black speakers, which were used to conceal 25 parcels of Loud variant of cannabis, with a gross weight of 5.5 kilogrammes.

Similarly, operatives attached to the SAHCO export shed of the airport same Tuesday intercepted a carton of food items used to conceal 500 grams of cannabis going to Dubai, UAE while the owner, Uzoma Kingsley was promptly arrested.

Babafemi said in a related development, attempt by an Organised Criminal Group to traffic 131 kilogrammes of Ephedrine, a dominant precursor chemical for the production of Methamphetamine to Congo Kinshasa through the SAHCO export shed of the airport was foiled on Monday 21st November by NDLEA operatives in conjunction with Aviation Security (AVSEC) officers of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

He said the two freight agents: Nwazuru Georgewill and Saheed Muritala linked to the bid were promptly arrested.

He said an attempt by a drug trafficker, Udogwu Johnson, facing multiple charges of drug offences to flee the country after he jumped bail has been thwarted by NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt International Airport where he was arrested last Friday.

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He said the 51-year-old suspect was already facing trial at a Federal High Court in Lagos before he was arrested again on Saturday 9th April in Port Harcourt for importing 5.48kg cocaine concealed in lotion plastic bottles sealed with candle wax. He was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Wednesday 23rd November over his latest offence while the Lagos court had issued a warrant of arrest against him for jumping bail over his case in Lagos.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the move by a Brazilian returnee, Iroegbute Francis, 46, to smuggle 4 kilogrammes cocaine soaked in towels stuffed in his hand luggage into the country was foiled on Thursday 24th Nov by NDLEA officers who arrested him, upon his arrival on a Qatar Airline flight from Brazil -Doha-Abuja.

According to Babafemi, no fewer than 5,851.3 kilogrammes (5.8 tons) of cannabis sativa were seized from dealers across five states in the past week, including a notorious cripple, Ibrahim Yusuf, 45, who was arrested on Monday 21st November at Gasline, Ifo, Ogun state with 4 kilogrammes of the psychotropic substance, while a total of 36 bags weighing 570 kilogrammes of the same substance were recovered in another raid at a forest in Ogunmakin town, Obafemi Owode local government area.

In Edo, operatives last Tuesday evacuated 141 bags of cannabis sativa with a gross weight of 1,884 kilogrammes (about 1.9 tons) stored in a warehouse in Okpe forest, Akoko Edo local government area, while last Thursday, NDLEA officers arrested Ismaila Abubakar, 50, at Okada junction, Ovia South West local government area with 22 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 216.5 kilogrammes, and a day after, operatives also seized 112 bags of cannabis sativa stored in Obi Camp forest, Ovia South West local government area weighing 1,512 kilogrammes.

He said this was also followed by another seizure of 45 bags that weighed 529.5 kilogrammes while officers equally intercepted a Toyota Sienna bus with Reg. No. BDG 598 FZ (Lagos) loaded with 566.5 kilogrammes cannabis going to Onitsha, Anambra State, and a suspect, Sunday Mathias, 30, arrested with the seizure.

In Ondo state, NDLEA operatives stormed Oke-Ogun forest last Friday where Onyebuchi Chime was arrested with 88 kilogrammes cannabis, a gun and some ammunition while they also recovered 149.5 kilogrammes of the substance at Ipele forest. Not less than 12.42 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed and 195 kilogrammes processed weeds of the substance recovered at Efon Alaye, Ekiti state where two dealers: Richard Ebong and Nze Abraham were arrested on Saturday.

In Oyo state, operatives arrested a 27-year-old Mrs. Adebayo Rahmat last Thursday at Sabo-Ilupeju, Atiba local government area, with 136.3 kilogrammes cannabis, while no fewer than 84,000 pills of tramadol tablets were recovered from a suspect, Muhsin Abdullahi in Bodinga area of Sokoto state same day. Also 16,000 pills of Exol-5 and D5 concealed in palm oil were seized from Lawal Rabe, 24, last Friday at Kokami village, Danta local government area, Katsina while a total of 54,500 tablets of tramadol and Exol-5 were seized from the duo of Basiru Muhammadu and Saidu Yusuf in the same area on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the MMIA, NAIA, PHIA, Edo, Ogun, Ekiti, Ondo, Sokoto, Katsina and Oyo Commands of the agency for their professionalism in the discharge of their duties and the remarkable results that followed.

He however enjoined them and their compatriots across the country not to let down their guards as the nation approaches the festive season.

NDLEA arrests Saudi-bound trafficker with cocaine in sandals

Crime

EFCC Condemns False Narratives on Loss of Officer

Published

3 days ago

January 20, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

EFCC Condemns False Narratives on Loss of Officer

By: Dele Oyewale

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, expresses grief on the loss of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of the EFCC, ASE II Aminu Sahabi Salisu who was killed in cold blood while on a legitimate duty on January 17, 2025 by a suspected internet fraudster, Joshua Chukwubueze Ikechukwu.

Additionally, the Commission views with great concern the irresponsible, callous, inhuman and outrageous narratives being circulated on social media on the whys and wherefores of the fatal accident. It is heinous to reduce the death of a gallant officer who was carrying out patriotic and official duties to social media razzmatazz.

More worrisome is the fact that some faceless commentators are pitching their tents with an alleged criminal who unleashed terror on officers of the EFCC in their line of duty. There is no justification whatsoever to rationalise a murderous act. The milk of human kindness demands that a grieving family, Commission and nation should be spared the shenanigans of false narratives and conjectures on the death of the slain officer.

Salisu, alongside other investigators of the EFCC, were at Dr. J.O. Ukwutinife Close, Ifite, Awka, Anambra State, to arrest some suspected internet fraudsters in the early hours of January 17. The operation was duly documented at the Anambra State Command Headquarters and Area Command of the Nigeria Police in line with operational protocols.

The operation was initially smooth sailing with 37 suspected internet fraudsters already arrested at a two-storey building housing Ikechukwu and other occupants of the house.

However, Ikechukwu, who sighted the investigators through a CCTV Camera mounted at his doorpost and who also confessed sighting them, declined to open his door for the investigators who politely demanded entrance to his apartment. Defying all the introduction and physical sighting of the investigators, he resorted to firing shots at them and killed Salisu in the process and wounded another officer detailed to conduct a search in his apartment.

Preliminary investigations showed that Ikechukwu was involved in coding and online medical supplies of doubtful legitimacy. Two laptops, ipads, several recording devices were recovered from his apartment and his involvement in internet fraud is already established. Though currently in police custody owing to the murderous dimension of his case, the Commission will surely bring him to trial.

The EFCC also wishes to alert the public that the activities of internet fraudsters are becoming patently hazardous to public safety and security. Intelligence has shown that these criminals are carrying arms, involved in kidnapping, banditry, ritual killings and other deadly acts. The public should not fold its arms or allow itself to be deceived that they are mere “Yahoo boys and girls”.

As for the EFCC, every subsequent attack on any of its officers will be met with the force of the law. The Commission will not fold its arms and allow any of its officers to be killed again in cold blood. As a law enforcement agency of repute, the EFCC is unrelenting in riding the nation of internet fraud and other acts of corruption.

While mourning the loss of its officer who paid the supreme price in the service of the nation, the Commission appreciates the invaluable support, condolences and prompt response of sister agencies and well-meaning individuals standing shoulder to shoulder with it at this trying time.

EFCC Condemns False Narratives on Loss of Officer

Crime

Soldier Arrested at Borno Express Terminal with Ammunition

Published

1 week ago

January 14, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Soldier Arrested at Borno Express Terminal with Ammunition

By: Zagazola Makama

A soldier identified as Nathaniel Jeremiah, has been arrested by personnel of the 7 Division at the Borno Express Terminal Park in Maiduguri for illegal possession of ammunition.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that Jeremiah, who was on welfare pass and en route to Adamawa State, was apprehended while attempting to board a vehicle at the terminal.

During the routine search, security operatives discovered 89 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed in his personal bag.

The soldier was immediately taken into custody for interrogation, and the recovered ammunition has been handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.

Soldier Arrested at Borno Express Terminal with Ammunition

Crime

Two Notorious Bandits Kachalla Idi Mai Randa and Ya’u Killed rival clashes in Zamfara

Published

1 week ago

January 13, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Two Notorious Bandits Kachalla Idi Mai Randa and Ya’u Killed rival clashes in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

In another blow to banditry in Zamfara State, two notorious bandits, Kachalla Idi Mai Randa and Ya’u, have been killed in separate encounters with rival bandit faction of Dogo Geide.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Malama that Kachalla Idi Mai Randa, a known bandit leader responsible for multiple attacks in the region, was killed in an ambush laid by rival bandit Dogo Geide on Sunday evening.

The attack occurred following a series of violent confrontations between the two factions. Idi Mai Randa had previously led an attack that resulted in the killing of Gide’s boy, prompting him to vow revenge.

Idi Mai Randa’s death comes days after the killing of Ya’u, another notorious bandit who had been previously captured in Tsafe Local Government Area.

Ya’u, a close ally of Idi Mai Randa, had been implicated in numerous attacks and was believed to be in possession of significant weaponry. Although Idi Mai Randa denied any involvement with Ya’u’s weaponry, it is now confirmed that both he and Ya’u have met their Waterloo, with the story of their deaths reported from their emclave early today.

The troops of Operation Fansan Yanma in collaboration with it Air Component as well as federal security forces, continue to make significant strides in dismantling bandit in their hideouts in the region.

The joint effort has already resulted in the deaths of several high profile bandit leaders and the capture of important assets.

Two Notorious Bandits Kachalla Idi Mai Randa and Ya’u Killed rival clashes in Zamfara