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 Terrorist, One Vigilante Injured in Sokoto
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised a suspected terrorist during a firefight in Wurno Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 12:10 a.m. on April 23 when troops of 8 Division Garrison, deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Marnona, responded to intelligence on terrorist activities at Illela village.
The sources said the troops made contact with the assailants and engaged them in a gun battle.
“Following the exchange of fire, one terrorist was neutralised, while others fled the scene,” the sources said.
They added that a vigilante member who supported the operation sustained a gunshot wound during the encounter and was evacuated for medical attention.
According to the sources, troops have continued to dominate the general area to forestall further terrorist activities.
Troops Neutralise Terrorist, One Vigilante Injured in Sokoto
Troops Arrest Two Suspected Terrorists, Recover Items in Kogi
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested two suspected terrorists during a routine patrol in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Security sources told Zagazola that the suspects were apprehended at about 1:00 p.m. on April 22 by troops of 12 Brigade deployed at Dankolo.
The sources said the troops intercepted the suspects while on patrol along the Adankolo–Adankolo road.
According to the sources, the suspects claimed they were invited to the area for cattle rearing and provided a phone number of a civilian contact, which could not be reached.
Items recovered from the suspects include one mobile phone, two mobile phone batteries, charms, and the sum of ₦1,500.
The sources added that the suspects and recovered items are currently in the custody of 12 Mechanised Infantry Regiment for further investigation and necessary action.
They noted that the operation was part of ongoing efforts to enhance security and prevent criminal activities in the area.
Troops Arrest Two Suspected Terrorists, Recover Items in Kogi
Troops Discover 7 Additional Terrorist Graves, 2 ISWAP Dead Bodies After Kukareta Attack
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have discovered additional graves and bodies of suspected ISWAP terrorists during follow-up exploitation operations after the failed attack on Kukareta community in Borno State.
Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the latest discovery was made during continued clearance and exploitation of the general area following the earlier engagement in which 24 insurgents were neutralised.
The sources said troops uncovered 7 freshly dug graves believed to belong to terrorists killed during the encounter, as well as 2 additional bodies of suspected ISWAP fighters along withdrawal routes.
They noted that the findings further confirmed significant casualties suffered by the insurgents during the failed assault on the community.
According to the sources, the operation followed a coordinated attack launched by the terrorists in the early hours of April 23, which was decisively repelled by troops after a prolonged firefight.
Troops had earlier recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the scene, including 18 AK-47 rifles, 3 General Purpose Machine Guns, 2 PKT anti-aircraft guns, 3 RPG tubes, 2 mortar tubes, 4 hand grenades, 18 AK-47 magazines, and large quantities of 7.62mm ammunition.
The sources added that exploitation efforts are ongoing, with troops continuing to comb surrounding areas for fleeing terrorists, additional bodies, and abandoned equipment.
They described the development as a major setback for the terrorist group, noting that sustained military pressure would be maintained to further degrade their operational capabilities.
The general security situation in the North-East theatre remains under close watch, with troops maintaining aggressive patrols and clearance operations to prevent further attacks.
Troops Discover 7 Additional Terrorist Graves, 2 ISWAP Dead Bodies After Kukareta Attack
Troops Neutralise Terrorist, One Vigilante Injured in Sokoto
Troops Neutralise Terrorist, One Vigilante Injured in Sokoto
Troops Arrest Two Suspected Terrorists, Recover Items in Kogi
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