Fleeing General Overseer arrested in Lagos for cross-border drug trafficking

By: Michael Mike

A fleeing founder and General Overseer of The Turn of Mercy Church, Prophet Adefolusho Aanu Olasele (alias Abbas Ajakaiye) after months underground has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for masterminding multiple shipments of illicit drugs into Nigeria.

A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said Prophet Adefolusho was arrested at his church located in Okun Ajah, Ogombo road, Lekki area of Lagos on Sunday 3rd August 2025 by NDLEA officers who waited for him since morning to conclude the Sunday worship service in the evening before moving in on him the moment he stepped out of the church premises.

He noted that the arrest came after he had evaded arrest twice and fled to Ghana to hide since June when operatives started trailing him following the seizure of two shipments of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis linked to him.

He said the first seizure of 200 kilogrammes of the psychoactive substance was made at Okun Ajah beach on 4th June 2025 while another consignment of 700 kilogrammes of Whitten substance was recovered from his delivery van on 6th July 2025.

He was said to have admitted in a written statement, ferrying the illicit consignments through the waterways from Ghana into Nigeria, adding that he had fled to the West African country to hide after he escaped arrest twice in the recent past.

In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Thursday raided an apartment at Kishi House 11 Layi Ajayi Bembe street, Parkview Estate Ikoyi where they arrested a suspect Benjamin Ukoh and recovered 32 pouches of Canadian Loud, a strain of Cannabis with a total weight of 15.63 kilogrammes.

In Nasarawa state, NDLEA operatives last Saturday recovered a large consignment of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 3,093 kilogrammes from the trio of Emmanuel Asoquo, 51; Okem Raphael, 33, and Chekwube Odo, 25, at New Karu area of the state.

While 29-year-old Nura Yahaya was nabbed at Geza area of Kumbotso Kano State with 639 blocks of skunk weighing 359 kilogrammes last Friday, another suspect Umar Adamu Umar, 27, was taken into custody last Wednesday by NDLEA officers after seizing 9 kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis from him along Zaria-Kano road, Kano.

In another interdiction operation in Kano, 20,000 pills of tramadol and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection were recovered from a suspect Usman Musa, 30, at Gadar Tamburawa along Zaria-Kano road last Friday.

A raid at an uncompleted building located at Tudun Wadan Pantami in Gombe town, Gombe state last Friday led to the recovery of 550,266 pills of opioids mainly tramadol, while a suspect Usama Isah was arrested.

The following day Saturday another suspect Ibrahim Adamu, 23, was arrested by NDLEA officers along Potiskum road, Bajoga with 50,000 capsules of tramadol.

In Edo state, a white Toyota Hiace bus marked YAB 5522 K coming from Onitsha, Anambra state and heading to Isanlu in Kogi was last Wednesday intercepted at Ewu junction, Edo by NDLEA operatives who after a search recovered 23,940 capsules of tramadol, 1,100 tablets of same opioid and 400 ampoules of pentazocine injection with a suspect Taiye Jethro arrested.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Nasarawa, Gombe, Kano, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

Fleeing General Overseer arrested in Lagos for cross-border drug trafficking

Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work

By: Zagazola Makama

A 47-year-old Chinese national working as a supervisor at BN Ceramics in Ajaokuta, Kogi State, has died after slumping at his duty post, the police have confirmed.

Sources said that the expatriate, identified as Mr. Luo Zhi Mao, collapsed on Aug. 2 at about 6:30 p.m. while working at the Press Department of the factory.

He was immediately rushed to Covenant Hospital, Ajaokuta, and subsequently referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja. However, due to an ongoing strike by doctors and nurses at FMC, he was later moved to Shifaah Hospital in Lokoja.

At about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 5, Mr. Luo was confirmed dead at Shifaah Hospital.

His body has been deposited at the Kogi State Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy.

Sources said investigations were ongoing to determine the exact cause of death, though no foul play has been suspected at this stage.

The management of BN Ceramics has yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.

Chinese expatriate dies in Kogi after collapsing at work

Bandits abduct Zamfara monarch after deadly NAF airstrike that kills scores of bandits in Tsafe

By: Zagazola Makama

Armed bandits have abducted the traditional ruler of Yankuzo, Alhaji Babangida Kogo, in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, barely hours after a devastating Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike killed dozens of bandits in a forest enclave near the area.

The monarch was reportedly abducted on Tuesday evening along the Mararraba axis as he attempted to flee his community amid fears of reprisal attacks by the terrorists.

Sources confirmed to Zagazola Makama that the abduction was carried out by a large group of armed men riding on over 10 motorcycles. The assailants intercepted the monarch and his entourage near the abandoned farm of the late Alhaji Malami Yandoto and took him away, leaving others behind.

The abduction followed a precision airstrike carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji on the same day, targeting a large bandit assembly believed to be a wedding or celebratory gathering in a forest location between Yankuzo and Munhaye.

Zagazola gathered that the air raid followed credible intelligence and aerial surveillance, which tracked the movement of over 100 armed bandits converging at the location. The strike led to the killing of scores of terrorists and left many others wounded.

Security sources said the gathering was attended by fighters loyal to notorious bandit kingpins operating in the Tsafe–Zurmi axis, some of whom had crossed over from neighboring forests in Katsina and Sokoto states.

“The impact was massive, charred bodies and destroyed motorcycles littered the area after the strike,”said a source.

Following the air raid, fear gripped surrounding villages, with many residents fleeing in anticipation of retaliatory attacks by the surviving bandits.

“We knew they would strike back. That’s why our district head was leaving. Unfortunately, he ran into them before reaching safety,” said a Yankuzo resident who requested anonymity for security reasons.

Local vigilante sources confirmed that efforts were ongoing to trace the whereabouts of the abducted monarch. Military ground troops have also been deployed to the area to prevent further attacks.

The abduction point to the growing desperation of bandit groups under sustained military pressure in Zamfara and the wider North West region.

Bandits abduct Zamfara monarch after deadly NAF airstrike that kills scores of bandits in Tsafe