Crime
NDLEA Foiled Attempt to Smuggle 81 Pellets of Cocaine to Lebanon
NDLEA Foiled Attempt to Smuggle 81 Pellets of Cocaine to Lebanon
By: Michael Mike
A 59-year old businessman could have lost his life while trying to smuggle 81 pellets of cocaine, which he had ingested, to Beirut, Lebanon.
The man, Chijioke Igbokwe was saved by a surgery, exploratory laparotomy, which freed him of 57 out of 81 pellets of cocaine stuck in his stomach after seven days of ingesting the illicit substance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, Igbokwe was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday 26th January 2025.
He said Igbokwe was promptly taken for body scan, which revealed illicit drugs in his system, and was soon after taken into NDLEA custody for excretion observation.
Babafemi said investigation revealed that Igbokwe who claims to be into cloth business at Arena, Oshodi area of Lagos, departed Lagos on 22nd January to Addis Ababa where he ingested the 81 wraps of cocaine the following day 23rd January and boarded a flight to Beirut, Lebanon to deliver the illicit consignment for a fee of $3,000.
Upon his arrival in Beirut, he said he was refused entry because he had less than $2,000, the amount required to grant him entry. He was then deported to Addis Ababa where he attempted excreting the illicit drugs but could not. He thereafter proceeded to Lagos on Saturday 25th January with the consignment in his bowel. He was however arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport by NDLEA officers on 26th January.
After five days under excretion observation, he could only expel 24 pellets following initial medical intervention at the agency’s medical facility and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja.
Babafemi said with the clock ticking for him and the complication of other underlining medical conditions, the suspect was eventually admitted at the tertiary facility where he had to undergo exploratory laparotomy to extract the remaining 57 wraps of cocaine stuck in his stomach after his wife and brother endorsed the necessary consent forms last Thursday.
In all, a total of 81 pellets of the Class A drug with a gross weight of 1.943 kilogrammes were alleged to have being recovered from his stomach.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos last Wednesday intercepted a consignment of 2,000 kilogrammes of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis produced in Ghana, at Lekki beach, where two suspects: Sunday Awoyede and Christopher Cletus attempted loading them into a truck. The suspects, the skunk shipment and the van were immediately taken into custody. Another suspect, Lawal Idris Olasunkanmi was also arrested same day with 55 kilogrammes skunk during a raid at his base in Mushin area of Lagos.
Babafemi said across the country, NDLEA commands and formations 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.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA Strategic Command for their vigilance and professionalism in handling Chijioke Igbokwe’s case, warned those involved in the illicit drug trade that they’re not only destroying the lives of others, but equally putting their own lives at great risk.
He equally applauded the Lagos State Strategic Command for blocking the huge consignment of skunk from coming into the country, and recognized the concerted efforts of their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA social advocacy lectures and sensitization activities to create a balance in drug supply and demand reduction efforts of the agency.
NDLEA Foiled Attempt to Smuggle 81 Pellets of Cocaine to Lebanon
Troops Neutralise Five Terrorists in Ambush Operation in North-East
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI, have neutralised five suspected terrorists during a successful ambush operation conducted in Borno State.
Security sources disclosed that the operation was carried out on April 29 by troops deployed at a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in the Mayanti area, as part of ongoing offensive operations under Operation Desert Sanity.
According to the sources, the troops had laid an ambush at a strategic location based on credible intelligence before coming into contact with a group of insurgents later in the evening.
“The troops engaged the terrorists effectively upon contact, resulting in the neutralisation of five of them,” the source said.
Items recovered from the scene include two bicycles, fabric materials and food supplies, believed to have been used for logistics by the fleeing insurgents.
The troops have since redeployed to another tactical position to continue offensive operations and deny the terrorists freedom of movement within the area.
Military authorities said the morale and fighting efficiency of the troops remain high, as operations continue to sustain pressure on insurgent elements across the North-East theatre.
Operation HADIN KAI has in recent months intensified clearance and ambush operations aimed at degrading terrorist capabilities and restoring normalcy to affected communities in the region.
Troops Neutralise Five Terrorists in Ambush Operation in North-East
Troops Neutralise Four Terrorists, Recover Arms in Sambisa Axis
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have neutralised four suspected terrorists and recovered arms and logistics items during an ambush operation in the Sambisa forest axis of Borno.
Security sources said the operation was conducted in the early hours of April 30 by troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade in conjunction with local vigilante forces.
The sources disclosed that the troops mobilised to a suspected terrorist crossing point in the general area of “Charlie Five” following credible intelligence on insurgent movement.
“Contact was made with the terrorists advancing from the Yale axis towards the Sambisa Forest, and the troops immediately engaged them with superior firepower,” the source said.
During exploitation of the area, four terrorists were neutralised, while troops recovered one AK-47 rifle with 12 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
Other items recovered include two bags of ground maize and a pack of spaghetti, believed to be part of the terrorists’ food supplies.
The ambush team subsequently returned safely to base without casualties, while monitoring and clearance operations continue in the area.
Military authorities said the general security situation in the axis remains calm, with troops maintaining high morale and operational efficiency.
Operation HADIN KAI continues to sustain offensive operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and restoring peace across the North-East region.
Troops Neutralise Four Terrorists, Recover Arms in Sambisa Axis
Troops Foil Kidnap Attempt, Rescue Four Victims in Bauchi
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 8, Sub-Sector 82, Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), have foiled a kidnap attempt in Jigi village, Lere District of Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi State, rescuing four abducted persons.
Security sources said the incident occurred at about 1:05 p.m. on April 28 when troops deployed at Bafawa Balewa responded to intelligence on a kidnapping incident in the area.
The sources disclosed that on sighting advancing troops, the kidnappers abandoned their victims and fled into nearby bushes.
According to the sources, the four rescued victims were immediately secured and later handed over to the Chairman of Miyetti Allah, Lere District, for identification and further necessary action.
They added that troops have intensified patrols in the area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further criminal activity along the axis
Troops Foil Kidnap Attempt, Rescue Four Victims in Bauchi
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