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NDLEA Declares Ex-Beauty Queen Wanted for Dealing in Illicit Drugs

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NDLEA Declares Ex-Beauty Queen Wanted for Dealing in Illicit Drugs


… Arrests Brazil Returnee Who Excretes 60 Wraps of Cocaine

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared an
ex-beauty queen, Ms. Aderinoye Queen Christmas also known as Ms. Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye wanted over allegations of dealing in illicit drug.

The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said the ex beauty pageant was declared wanted by after she escaped from her Lekki, Lagos residence when NDLEA operatives raided her apartment at Oral Estate, Lekki last Wednesday.

He said the raid followed credible intelligence she deals in illicit substances, adding that the suspect was Miss Commonwealth Nigeria Culture 2015/2016 and founder of Queen Christmas Foundation.

Babafemi disclosed that recovered from her home during the search witnessed by the estate officials include 606 grammes of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, an electronic weighing scale, large quantities of drugs packing plastics, a black RAV 4 SUV marked Lagos KSF 872 GQ, and her picture frame among others.

In other roll call of clampdowns during the week, Babafemi said operatives of the agency have arrested a Brazil returnee, Udechukwu Theophilus at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for ingesting 60 big wraps of cocaine.

According to him, the suspect who was arrested during inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the D-Arrival Hall of the Lagos airport on Sunday 21st January 2024, initially refused to undergo body scan, raising health concerns in a desperate bid to evade arrest.

Babafemi said when the suspect was offered other options, he accepted to be placed on excretion observation and shortly after he was ushered into NDLEA observatory, he excreted the first set of cocaine pellets, after which he expelled a total of 60 wraps of the class A drug weighing 1.279 kilogrammes in five excretions.

Udechukwu, in his statement, claimed he ingested the consignment in Brazil and was to discharge everything at the airport in Addis Ababa but could only excrete 15 pellets which he handed over to another member of his syndicate before his connecting flight to Nigeria was called.

The spokesman said in the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport last Tuesday recovered a total of 12 cartons of tramadol 225mg containing 599,900 pills weighing 385.4 kilogrammes from an overstayed cargo at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport after a joint examination with other agencies.

He said the tramadol consignment had come into the country in two batches on KLM Royal Dutch Airline flights from Karachi, Pakistan between 27th July and 1st August 2023. They were however placed under watch by NDLEA operatives since then.

Babafemi said not less than 822 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa hidden in a fuel station located at Ashipa community along Badagry-Seme road were recovered by operatives of the Seme Special Area Command of NDLEA, while a suspect Sani Audu, 35, was arrested with 111.3 kilogrammes of same substance at Maigatari town in Jigawa State last Tuesday.

In Yobe state, two suspects: Mohammed Usman and Adamu Ma’azu were arrested last Saturday with 49 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 50 kilogrammes at Damaturu motor park, Damaturu, while the duo of Paul Obor, 38, and Dennis Fuokorighe, 48, who were arrested last Wednesday at a Navy check point, Itobe, Ofu local government area, Kogi state with 318 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 190.8 kilogrammes concealed in a gold colour Honda Accord Car marked RBC 449AE, were handed over to the Kogi state command of the agency last Friday by men of the Nigeria Navy Ship, Lugard, Lokoja.

In Kano, a suspect, Shamwilu Idris, 29, was arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area last Thursday with 271 kilogrammes cannabis following the seizure of an abandoned 28.1 kilogrammes of same substance at Rijiyar Lemo area of the state last Wednesday. Another suspect, Abubakar Haruna Salisu, 24, was nabbed at Kotun Wambai, Yan Awaki area of Kano last Friday with 600 bottles of codeine-based syrup while a total of 1,306 blocks of cannabis weighing 886 kilogrammes seized by the Police at Kwanar Dangora, area of the state were transferred to the agency last Wednesday.

A total of 87 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 73 kilogrammes as well as 21,346 pills of tramadol and 3,800 tablets of diazepam were recovered from a suspect, Musa Galadima last Friday when his DAF truck marked GME 971 XD was intercepted at Lafiyawo, along Gombe – Bauchi road by NDLEA operatives. In Plateau state, Aminu Ubanta, 35, was nabbed last Saturday with 5.355 kilogrammes cannabis at Layin Zana area of Jos.

Babafemi, also disclosed that two members of an international drug trafficking syndicate: Sunday Owoborode, 52, and Valentine Anene were arrested last Thursday at Edu Orita, Ogun state where Valentine was being prepared to travel with some drugs to Qatar same day on board a Qatar airline flight from Lagos.

He said at the time of their arrest, 1.8 kilogrammes cannabis, electronic weighing scale and other illicit substances were found on them.

Meanwhile, in another interdiction operation by operatives in Lagos, a 50-year-old Sunday Adediran, was arrested last Wednesday with 20 kilogrammes cannabis sativa found in one of the rooms in his house at Mushin Olosha, Lagos State.

He noted that the various commands of the agency across the country
continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended his men for a great job in the course of the week while also applauding commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures, and thus creating a balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.

NDLEA Declares Ex-Beauty Queen Wanted for Dealing in Illicit Drugs

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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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Crime

One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community

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One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community

By: Zagazola Makama

The Niger State Police Command says it has launched an investigation into a brutal attack in Gidan-Mallam village, Mokwa Local Government Area, which left one person dead and two others critically injured.

Police sources told Zagazola Makama, that the incident occurred in the early hours of July 15 when unidentified assailants armed with cutlasses and sticks attacked three men Mohammed Maidaji, Abubakar Mani, and Mudasiru Halide along the Bokani-Madaji road.

Police sources said the victims sustained severe injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital in Mokwa, where Halide, unfortunately, died while receiving treatment.

His remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy.

One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community

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Crime

IPOB/ESN gunmen kill two in ambush on police team in Imo

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IPOB/ESN gunmen kill two in ambush on police team in Imo

By: Zagazola Makama

Suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant wing, Eastern Security Network (ESN), on Thursday launched a deadly attack on a police team on investigative duty at a fuel station in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

Zagazola understands that the incident occurred at about 2:45 p.m. at Umueze Junction, O.C Paul Fuel Station, where the officers had accompanied a complainant to follow up on an investigation.

According to sources, two motorcycles carrying armed men stormed the fuel station and opened fire on a black Lexus RX 330 vehicle conveying the officers and the complainant.

The Divisional Crime Officer (DCO 1), DSP Ndubisi Achazie, narrowly escaped the ambush, but Inspector Okechukwu Ezema sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, where he was confirmed dead.

The complainant, died on the spot, and his body was deposited at Zander Mortuary, Mbaitoli.

The attackers also made away with the Lexus vehicle used by the victims, though no police firearm was reported missing.

A joint security operation involving the military, tactical police teams, local vigilantes, and hunters has been launched to track down the fleeing assailants.

The police have described the act as terrorism and reaffirmed their commitment to hunting down IPOB/ESN cells responsible for the attack.
End

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