NSCDC Busts Criminal Ring in Abuja, Arrests 10 Suspects in Vandalism, Kidnapping Crackdown

By: Michael Mike

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has dealt a major blow to criminal networks in Abuja and neighboring states, arresting ten suspects involved in vandalism, theft, and kidnapping, in a high-stakes operation by its elite Special Intelligence Squad (SIS) and Crack Squad.

The arrests come under directives from NSCDC Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Audi, aimed at protecting lives, national assets, and critical infrastructure.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the spokesman of NSCDC, Afolabi Babawale, six suspects were apprehended for vandalising electrical and communication installations and stealing government property.

Items recovered from them include large quantities of armored cables, heavy-duty hacksaws, ropes, and water pipes. Notable arrests included:

He said arrested were Suleiman Ibrahim, caught at Jabi Park with stolen cables and tools; Umar Rabiu (18) arrested at Berger Junction with significant recovered materials; Muktar Yusuf (22) and Ibrahim Haruna (18), implicated in infrastructure vandalism and theft.

He added that four additional suspects were apprehended for kidnapping, cattle rustling, and related offenses, including Ali Musa of Garko and Musa Juli, a Niger national operating illegally in Nasarawa State. Two other suspects, Umar Abdullahi (30) and Murtala Ibrahim (22) arrested for kidnapping and theft.

Meanwhile, the Commandant Apollo Dandaura, head of the SIS, disclosed that some suspects were intercepted in manhole channels around Berger Roundabout, while others were armed. In one intense encounter, a suspect was neutralized after engaging operatives in a gun duel, underscoring the risks faced by NSCDC personnel in the field.

He disclosed that all suspects have confessed to their involvement and will face trial in competent courts.

NSCDC reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance against vandalism, sabotage, and threats to government assets, while commending the public for providing actionable intelligence that led to the operation’s success.

The Corps emphasized that protecting lives, property, and national infrastructure remains a top priority and called on citizens to continue supporting security agencies in combating crime.

NSCDC Busts Criminal Ring in Abuja, Arrests 10 Suspects in Vandalism, Kidnapping Crackdown

Troops intercept suspects with N37m cash in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Army troops of Operation HADIN KAI, have intercepted five suspects conveying about N37 million in cash under suspicious circumstances.

Security sources said the suspects were apprehended while travelling in a red Golf wagon with registration number MNG 463 XA en route to Magumeri.

The sources disclosed that the vehicle was stopped at a checkpoint by troops on routine security duty, leading to the discovery of the large sum of money concealed inside a “Ghana must go” bag and a sack.

Preliminary investigation indicated that the two women and three men initially claimed they did not know the total amount in their possession, but later alleged that the cash was meant for distribution to beneficiaries of a non-governmental organisation.

The troops also recovered about 10 assorted mobile phones from the suspects during the search.

The sources said the suspects, along with the recovered cash and exhibits, would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.

Security officials reiterated their commitment to tightening surveillance across operational areas to prevent movement of illicit funds and other items that could aid criminal or insurgent activities.

Troops intercept suspects with N37m cash in Borno

NDLEA Nabs China-Based Businessman, Two Angolans as 236 Cocaine Pellets Recovered at Abuja, Kano Airports

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a China-based Nigerian businessman and two Angolan nationals after they excreted a combined 236 wraps of cocaine at the Nnamdi Azikiwe and Mallam Aminu Kano international airports.

The suspects—identified as Ibeanu Vincent Chukwudulue, 34; Mbandu Martins Makiadi, 50; and Ngoma Wilson Fernando, 52—were apprehended in separate operations in Abuja and Kano following intelligence-led surveillance.

Ibeanu was intercepted on February 4 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport while boarding a Qatar Airways flight from Kano to China via Doha. A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs. Under observation, he excreted 52 pellets of cocaine weighing 735.95 grams. He told investigators he previously ran a business on Lagos Island before relocating to Guangzhou, China, in 2024.

On the same day, NDLEA officers at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport arrested Makiadi and Fernando at the departure hall during clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Istanbul via Addis Ababa. Body scans confirmed drug ingestion. Makiadi expelled 76 wraps weighing 920 grams in seven excretions, while Fernando passed 108 pellets weighing 1.33 kilograms in five excretions.

The Angolan suspects, both from Hoji Ya Henda in Luanda, claimed they were recruited by an automobile spare parts dealer who promised them $3,000 each upon successful delivery of the drugs in Turkey.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1.10 kilograms of cocaine to London, concealed in processed cassava granules (garri).

Investigations revealed that the plot was orchestrated from prison by Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, a convicted drug trafficker currently serving a five-year sentence at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre. Oladimeji had earlier been convicted by a Federal High Court in Lagos in 2025 for conspiracy to export 17.90kg of cocaine.

The latest consignment, hidden in a sack of garri packed inside a carton, was presented for export by Adedeji Yusuf Gbolahan, a staff member of Dimeji Express Logistics. NDLEA investigations indicated that Oladimeji coordinated the operation from custody and directed Yusuf to collect the consignment in Oshodi before taking it to the airport.

In another case at the Lagos airport, a 44-year-old estate surveyor, Adelaja Taiwo Adetayo, was arrested for attempting to ship 1.70 kilograms of skunk concealed in five jerry cans to the United Kingdom. The cargo agent who processed the consignment was also arrested, leading to a follow-up operation that tracked down Adelaja in Lagos.

In Abuja, NDLEA operatives intercepted a waybill package from Enugu containing a children’s toy guitar used to conceal 59.2 grams of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the consignee, Henry Onuma, in Life Camp.

Meanwhile, in Lagos, NDLEA officers raided a four-bedroom duplex in the Lekki area used as a production hub for Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant known locally as “Colos.” The operation followed the seizure of 73 cartons of nitrous oxide at Ajah–Epe Expressway, suspected to be linked to the facility. Two suspects were arrested, and 13.2 kilograms of freshly produced synthetic cannabis were recovered alongside precursor chemicals.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, a 45-year-old suspected drug dealer, Oluwayemisi Bunmi, was arrested with 1.189kg of Colos and skunk, 320 grams of methamphetamine, nearly ₦3 million in cash, and two vehicles.

In Kwara State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a vehicle conveying 105,400 pills of tramadol along the Bode Saadu axis, leading to the arrest of 43-year-old Kamilu Abdullahi.

Similarly, in Edo State, five suspects were apprehended during a raid on a forest camp in Ovia North East Local Government Area, where 563.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the MAKIA, MMIA, NAIA, Lagos, Edo, Kwara, FCT, and Oyo Commands for their professionalism and vigilance.

He urged continued commitment to the agency’s balanced strategy of drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, even as NDLEA intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools and communities nationwide.

NDLEA Nabs China-Based Businessman, Two Angolans as 236 Cocaine Pellets Recovered at Abuja, Kano Airports