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
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.
Bandits ambush joint security team in Zamfara, officials trapped
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