Connect with us

Crime

NDLEA intercepts N14.9bn opioids, arrests octogenarian, community leader’s wives, son

Published

on

NDLEA intercepts N14.9bn opioids, arrests octogenarian, community leader’s wives, son

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have 25 million pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times stronger than tramadol and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Tincan port complex in Lagos.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said the seizures were made on Tuesday 17th and Friday 20th September 2024 from three containers which had been on the watchlist of the agency following processed intelligence.

He added that as a result of the intelligence, the NDLEA had requested for 100% joint examination of the shipments with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies. The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value N13,725,000,000 while the codeine consignment has an estimated street value of N2,450,000,000 bringing the total value of the seizures to N14,950,000,000.

He disclosed that the tapentadol consignment packed in 500 cartons was discovered in one of the containers last Tuesday while another container examined same day contained 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine packed in 875 cartons. The third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was examined last Friday.

Meanwhile, operatives of the Lagos State Strategic Command of the agency last Friday arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Pa Aremu Shojobi with 14 kilogrammes of cannabis at his home in Iyana Ipaja area of the state.

Babafemi said the Octogenarian in his statement, claimed he has been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years, and that he gets his supplies from Benin republic, and sells to his customers from his residence between 7am and 10pm every day.

NDLEA operatives in Lagos last Wednesday raided the two homes of a community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry West LCDA, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, where a total of 226 kilogrammes of cannabis was recovered from his two wives and son.

Babafemi said though Alhaji Talba is currently at large, a search of his house in Ashipa area of Seme Badagry led to the recovery of 93 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 57.6 kilogrammes from his first wife, Asma’u Bashiru, 35, and son, Sadat Bashiru, 22, while another search of his house at Aketegbo area of Seme Badagry led to the seizure of 302 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 168.6 kilogrammes from his second wife Hauwa Bashir, 42.

He added that no less than 720 blocks of Arizona, a strain of cannabis weighing 390 kilogrammes were also recovered from a Mitsubishi delivery van marked MUS 720 XH at Ojo area of Lagos last Monday.

The spokesman said at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 15th September arrested a 38-year-old drug mule, Okafor Ifeanyi while attempting to board a Qatar Airlines flight to Iran via Doha with 76 wraps of cocaine in his stomach.

He said after three days in excretion observation, Okafor excreted the 76 pellets of the ingested cocaine weighing 1.267 kilogrammes.

In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway last Tuesday recovered 700,000 pills of exol-5 coming from Lagos for distribution in Kano and Kaduna, while a suspect Udemefuna Chibuike, 23, was arrested by operatives last Friday along Mokwa-Jebba road, Niger state, in possession of 49,000 tablets of tramadol, 20,000 tablets of diazepam, 100 ampoules of tramadol injection and 50 bottles of cough syrup with codeine.

A total of 451 blocks of cannabis weighing 213 kilogrammes were intercepted along Azikiwe road, Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Wednesday 18th September, by NDLEA officers who apprehended a suspect Ogochukwu Paul, 33, conveying the consignment to a notorious drug haven in Borikiri.

While operatives in Plateau state on Friday 20th September arrested a wanted suspect Jonathan Ali, 46, at Agingi- Rukuba road Bassa LGA in possession of 808 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa concealed in 68 bags of sugar and fertilizer, their counterparts in Kwara also nabbed Shaibu Musa with 28 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance.

Babafemi said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of Tincan, MAKIA, Lagos, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Kogi, Edo and Kwara commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crime

NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Baron on the Run for 7 Years

Published

on

NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Baron on the Run for 7 Years

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted 60-year-old alleged drug kingpin, Okpara Chigozie, who had been on the run for seven years.

A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said Okpara was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country.

He disclosed that Okpara has been on the wanted list of NDLEA since 2019 and was eventually nabbed at his hideout at 72 Micheal Ojo Street, Isheri in Ojo area of Lagos state on Sunday 13th July 2025 following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45am same day at Ilasamaja along Apapa-Oshodi expressway.

Babafemi said in the early morning operation, a team of NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Nnamdi while heading to Onitsha, Anambra state in a white Toyota Sienna vehicle.

He said the agency’s sniffer dogs were subsequently brought in to search the vehicle after which 7.6 kilogrammes of cocaine and 900 grammes of methamphetamine were found hidden in body compartments of the space bus, adding that a follow up operation was promptly carried out at Okpara’s hideout in Isheri where additional 1.8 kilogrammes cocaine and 1.3 kilogrammes methamphetamine were recovered from his residence.

Babafemi said at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, NDLEA operatives in a joint operation with Aviation Security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) last Wednesday recovered 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol from the luggage of an Italy-bound passenger, Omoregie Nice Uyiosa. The suspect who was going to Italy via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight claimed he purchased the drugs himself, hoping to sell them in Italy at higher prices.

In another arrest at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives at the export shed last Thursday intercepted 17 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1.7 kilogrammes concealed in packs of popular cereal, Golden Morn, going to Pakistan as part of a consolidated cargo. A suspect, Chioba Uchenna who presented the consignment for shipment was arrested.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday raided Sarah Sam Hotels located at 115 Ogudu road in Kosofe where different party drugs are being distributed and sold. The raid followed credible intelligence and surveillance which confirmed a suspect Obayemi Oyetade as the arrowhead of the drug network.

Babafemi said at the time of the operation, 1.3 kilogrammes Chocolate Cannabis, 900 grammes of gummies and 22.9 grammes of skunk were recovered from Obayemi’s room in the hotel, which is a 20-room facility run as a family business, housing his mother and siblings. Other items recovered from the hotel include three vehicles.

He said three suspects: Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi and Emmanuel Madu were on Saturday arrested during an intelligence-led raid at Narayi High Cost area of Chikun local government area, Kaduna State, where 742.866 kilogrammes of skunk, and Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis were seized from them. In Kano, Lawan Rabiu was nabbed with 36,000 pills of tramadol along Danbatta-Kazaure road, last Wednesday.

He said while a total of 25,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect Aliyu Abubakar, at Gombe roundabout last Friday, the duo of Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were arrested same day with 49 blocks of compressed skunk that weighed 29 C180 at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba local government area, Gombe state.

In Borno, NDLEA officers on patrol along Baga road, Maiduguri, on Saturday intercepted 74,360 pills of opioids in a Mercedes Benz C180 car marked GUB 409 AA and arrested Audu Modu, 44, in connection with the seizure, while in Bayelsa state, a 63-year-old grandma Akuna Nelson was last Thursday arrested at Osiri area of Yenagoa in connection with the seizure of 163 litres of skuchies.

He said four suspects: Ikechukwu Abugu, 42; Sunday Ani, 18; Chukwu Christian, 46; and Emmanuel Olisakwe, 55, were last Thursday arrested by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja highway, Kogi state in connection with the seizure of 2 kilogrammes methamphetamine recovered during a search of their vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Minna, Niger state.

In Abia state, NDLEA officers last Monday raided the base of a notorious drug dealer, Nduka Obi, 39, at 4 Niger street, Ugwa road, Aba, where various quantities of tramadol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and a total of N736,000 monetary exhibit were recovered from him.


While a total of 45,000 pills of tramadol were seized from a suspect Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Onitsha – Enugu expressway, Enugu state last Wednesday, officers of the Taraba state command of the agency same day apprehended the duo of Ngwokwoka Thomas, 44, and Mohammed Audu, 44 with 10,000 caps of tramadol and a gramme of cannabis at Dan Anacha, Gassol local government area.

The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, SOU, Lagos, Kaduna, Osun, Bayelsa, Gombe, Borno, Abia, Kogi, Enugu, and Taraba commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

NDLEA Arrests Wanted Drug Baron on the Run for 7 Years

Continue Reading

Crime

Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons

Published

on

Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in collaboration with air components and local security stakeholders, have intensified clearance operations in the North East to deny Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists freedom of movement and access to logistics.

Zagazola Makama report that the sustained onslaughts across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa States have led to the arrest of several logistics suppliers, recovery of weapons and explosive devices, and the neutralisation of insurgents in ambush operations.

In one of the recent breakthroughs, troops in conjunction with members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) arrested two suspected terrorist collaborators at the Biu main market on July 10.

The suspects Isah Abdullahi, 45, and Abdullahi Mohammed, 35, both from Liya village in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, were intercepted while attempting to collect suspected terrorist-bound supplies delivered from Kano to the Biu Motor Park.

Items recovered from them included a sack containing 13 pairs of military desert boots, 20 high-wattage 9-volt batteries, and five pairs of slippers, all labeled with Isah’s phone number as the recipient.

Similarly, on July 13, troops acting on intelligence and working with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), arrested a 65-year-old logistics courier, Shaibu Bulama, at the Damasak Motor Park in Mobbar LGA.

Bulama, a native of Alagarno village in Yunusari LGA of Yobe State, was found with a white Toyota pickup truck. The vehicle contained two bags of rice, two cartons of pesticide sprayers, five gallons of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), and other assorted items hidden under the seats.

Meanwhile, in a targeted ambush on the same day, OPHK troops, alongside CJTF and local hunters, intercepted insurgents crossing between Ngoshe and Agapalwa in Gwoza LGA. One terrorist was neutralised while others fled, abandoning a bicycle and other supplies.

As part of the post-Operation Sand Fury exploitation in Malam Fatori general area, troops on July 13 discovered a partially buried corpse believed to be that of a terrorist. They also recovered an AK-47 rifle, magazine, and rounds of ammunition near an infiltration route used by insurgents along the fringes of Lake Chad.

In another key development, troops provided armed escort to over 3,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returning to their ancestral homes in Darel-Jamel from Bama on July 13. The military says the secure return of the IDPs is a critical aspect of stabilisation efforts supported by the Borno State Government.

Also, on July 14, troops conducting farm patrols near Banki in Bama LGA were alerted by a local farmer who discovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) buried in his field. A joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team successfully detonated the IEDs, which included mortar and artillery bombs already primed for detonation.

The same day, another IED was uncovered by troops in Molai, along the Maiduguri–Damboa Road axis. The EOD team detonated the device and recovered pressure plates and batteries suspected to be used for future attacks.

Elsewhere, acting on credible human intelligence, troops laid ambush near a terrorist crossing route in Tinush, a remote settlement in Kalabalge LGA. During the engagement, troops recovered 3 AK-47 magazines, 6 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 2 rocket-propelled grenade bombs, 57 rounds of PKM belted links, and a locally fabricated pistol.

In a related development, 16 family members of terrorists — including four adult females and 12 children — surrendered to troops in the Bama axis. Preliminary investigations indicated they fled from the Bakura Jega enclave, seeking safety from intensified military pressure.

In furtherance of logistics strangulation operations, troops on July 14 stormed Kudzum in Michika LGA of Adamawa State. During the raid, they recovered three motorcycles, 105 jerricans of PMS, and a tricycle believed to be part of the insurgents’ smuggling network.

A military source Zagazola that the combination of offensive clearance, ambush, counter-IED actions, and coordinated strangulation of terrorist logistics across the North East forms part of OPHK’s renewed strategy to degrade insurgent capabilities.

“These recent operations underscore the commitment of the Armed Forces to maintaining pressure on the terrorists and limiting their movement, logistics resupply, and capacity to threaten civilian populations,” the source said.

The military has assured residents of its determination to sustain the tempo of operations in synergy with state governments, community vigilantes, and international partners.

Troops intensify operations against terrorists in North East, arrest logistics suppliers, recover weapons

Continue Reading

Crime

One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community

Published

on

One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community

By: Zagazola Makama

The Niger State Police Command says it has launched an investigation into a brutal attack in Gidan-Mallam village, Mokwa Local Government Area, which left one person dead and two others critically injured.

Police sources told Zagazola Makama, that the incident occurred in the early hours of July 15 when unidentified assailants armed with cutlasses and sticks attacked three men Mohammed Maidaji, Abubakar Mani, and Mudasiru Halide along the Bokani-Madaji road.

Police sources said the victims sustained severe injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital in Mokwa, where Halide, unfortunately, died while receiving treatment.

His remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy.

One killed, two injured in cutlass attack in Niger community

Continue Reading

Trending

Verified by MonsterInsights