Crime
NDLEA busts trans-border drug cartel, arrests 4 members in Onitsha, Keffi
NDLEA busts trans-border drug cartel, arrests 4 members in Onitsha, Keffi
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, arresting four members arresting four during which multi-million-naira worth of tramadol pills were recovered.
According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, the operations which was intelligence-led led to the interception of drugs concealed in the bumper and false bottom of sienna buses heading to border towns.
Babafemi said following weeks of intelligence and surveillance operations by operatives of the Directorate of Intelligence in NDLEA, a Sienna bus marked ABJ 452 HG was intercepted at Nasarawa- Toto road, Keffi, Nasarawa state on Tuesday 27th January 2025 at 6a.m. Two suspects: Zahradeen Adamu, 27 and Abubakar Usman, 44, were arrested in the vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra state enroute Yola, Adamawa state. Also a second Sienna bus driven by Abba Usman, 48, was also intercepted.
He said during a search of the two vehicles, specially constructed steel compartments were discovered after the removal of the back bumper where a total of 190,960 pills of tramadol were concealed and, in the space, designed to house the spare tyre of the vehicles.
Babafemi said investigations revealed that an Onitsha, Anambra state-based dealer, Kingsley Mbaeri was the supplier of the seized tramadol consignment, adding that a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of Mbaeri at his Uga Street, Onitsha home on 29th January.
He said two vehicles: a Toyota Corolla car marked FGG 948 MF and a Toyota Sienna bus marked GWA 23 HH were recovered from his house.
The spokesman said in another interdiction, operatives of the Intelligence Department intercepted a commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra State at Abaji checkpoint, FCT Abuja on 4th February, adding that a passenger in the bus, Chimezie Ojingwa, 32, carrying motor spare parts in a black bag was arrested. When his bag was searched, 404.47 grammes of methamphetamine; 506.49 grammes of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis and 262.32 grammes of dimethyl sulfone, a precursor substance for mixing meth, all of which were concealed in the motor parts were recovered.
In Cross River state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Ogoja -Abakaliki road, Yahe last Thursday intercepted 170,000 pills of tramadol in a truck driven by Paul Chukwudi, 31, while operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos last Tuesday recovered 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container imported from India.
Babafemi disclosed that two suspects: Halilu Isa and Gambo Umaru were nabbed at Bama road, Maiduguri, Borno state last Friday with 60 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 72 kilogrammes while NDLEA operatives in Ekiti state last Tuesday raided a notorious drug joint at Iloda street, Ikole-Ekiti where they arrested three suspects: Bala Muhammed, 57; Yahaya Adamu, 55, and Abdullahi Shehu, 30. A total of 83 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from them.
In Lagos, 28-year-old Samiat Yussuf was on Saturday arrested by operatives during a raid of her Lekki home where 169.5 litres of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas and 111 grammes of Loud were recovered. Not less than 132.84 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from two suspects: Ibrahim Usman, 40, and Solomon James, 40, in Taraba. While Usman was nabbed with 88 kilogrammes of Arizona and Ghana Loud at Wukari, James was arrested with 44.84 kilogrammes of same substance at Takanaba, Sabongari, in Jalingo LGA.
Across the country, according to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of Directorate of Intelligence, Apapa, Cross River, Borno, Ekiti, Taraba, and Lagos commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.
NDLEA busts trans-border drug cartel, arrests 4 members in Onitsha, Keffi
Renewed ISWAP–Boko Haram faction clash leaves dozens dead in Abadam, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Dozens of fighters were killed on both sides on Tuesday following a renewed violent encounter between the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and elements of the Bukura faction loyal to Abu Umaima along the Lake Chad Basin axis of Abadam Local Government Area of Borno.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the clash broke out between 6:00 a.m. and about 10:15 a.m. around Dogon Chiku Buhari village, a border settlement in Abadam LGA, barely one kilometre from the Nigeria–Niger frontier.
The sources said the Bukura faction fighters, believed to be operating from settlements around the Lake Chad Basin on the Niger Republic side, engaged ISWAP elements resident on the Nigerian side of the border.
“The fighting took place around Dogon Chiku Buhari, east of Tubum Mota and the Bosso–Diffa axis in Niger Republic. It lasted several hours and resulted in heavy casualties on both sides,” a source said.
Tubum Mota village, is located east of Malam Fatori, about 19 kilometres from the town, which has remained a flashpoint for rival extremist groups.
The renewed violence is rooted in longstanding rivalries within the jihadist ecosystem. ISWAP has sought to consolidate authority across the basin by absorbing or eliminating splinter groups, while the Bukura/Abu Umaima faction has resisted subordination, relying on cross-border mobility and local alliances.
The border’s porous nature allows fighters to shift bases quickly, complicating counterterrorism operations by Nigerian and MNJTF forces.
Renewed ISWAP–Boko Haram faction clash leaves dozens dead in Abadam, Borno
Police arrest four Liberians over alleged visa fraud in Lagos
By: Zagazola Makama
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested four Liberian nationals over an alleged visa fraud case in Ikorodu area of the state.
According to security sources, police received information at about 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 that some Liberian nationals were engaged in a serious dispute at their base in the Mowonla area of Ikorodu.
“Based on the report, a team of police personnel was immediately mobilised to the scene. On arrival, four Liberian nationals were arrested and brought to the station for investigation,” the sources said.
The suspects were identified as Rebecca Mollie, 30; Joseph Brisbane, 45; Bility Famba, 35; and Reina Kartec, 24.
During interrogation, Mollie alleged that in August 2025, one Patrick Charman, a 47-year-old Liberian national, lured her from Liberia to Nigeria on the pretext that he was based in Australia and could facilitate her travel from Nigeria to Australia.
She said Charman demanded and collected 1,500 dollars from her for visa arrangements.
Mollie further alleged that upon arrival in Nigeria, she was received by another Liberian national, Naomi Koso, 36, who collected an additional 1,290 dollars from her for continued visa processing.
“The complainant stated that she later realised she had been defrauded and demanded a refund of her money to enable her return to Liberia,” the security sources added.
The police said the four suspects are currently being detained, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend Patrick Charman and Naomi Koso.
Investigation into the case is in progress, the sources said.
Police arrest four Liberians over alleged visa fraud in Lagos
Bandits ambush joint security team in Zamfara, officials trapped
By: Zagazola Makama
Suspected armed bandits on Monday ambushed a joint security team, including the Chairman of Tsafe Local Government Area, along the Kunchin Kalgo–Danjibga road in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara State, the police have said.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 20.
According to the sources, the joint team was travelling to Danjibga to reunite some villagers from the Keta area who had recently regained their freedom from their abductors when the attack occurred.
The suspected bandits, who appeared to have had prior knowledge of the movement of the team, laid an ambush along the route.
The sources added that following the attack, the local government chairman and members of his entourage were trapped in Danjibga, with some persons feared kidnapped, while some vehicles were believed to have been set ablaze.
The sources said reinforcements had been dispatched to the area to secure the release of those trapped and restore normalcy.
Efforts are ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the incident, while security forces have intensified operations in the area, the sources added.
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