Crime
NDLEA Saves Nigeria off 7.5m tramadol pills, 95,400 codeine bottles during Christmas

NDLEA Saves Nigeria off 7.5m tramadol pills, 95,400 codeine bottles during Christmas
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted desperate attempts by transnational criminal organisations to flood Nigerian communities with large quantities of assorted illicit drugs during the yuletide season with the interception of millions of tramadol 225mg pills, thousands of codeine syrup bottles and bags of Canadian Loud in consignments arriving the country ahead of the Christmas celebration.
A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi read that at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, all tricks employed by the drug syndicates to smuggle into the country 7.5 million pills of tramadol 225mg through the NAHCO import shed of the airport were frustrated by NDLEA officers with the cooperation of men of the Nigeria Customs and other stakeholders.
Babafemi said the consignment which was taken into custody last Friday came onboard Turkish airline with no country of manufacture or origin, adding that apart from being the first time such shipment would be seized on the airline’s flight, it was equally the first of such coming from Hamburg, Germany.
He said the 7.5 million tramadol 225mg pills were also specially designed and packaged as tamol-x concealed in 100 big cartons weighing 7,150 kilogrammes, which arrived the country on 11th December and placed under surveillance until last Friday, stating that preliminary test of the tablets proved positive to tramadol hydrochloride.
Babafemi said operatives of the Lagos Command of the agency last Wednesday conducted a search operation on two shops marked Chex Mat Global Link Limited at Trade Fair complex in Ojo area of Lagos where 258 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup and eight cartons of codeine tablets were recovered. The cartons contain: 49,200 bottles of codeine syrup and 46,200 tablets of same opioid.
He said the following day Thursday, NDLEA operatives raided a house in Mushin area of Lagos where a 70-year-old grandma, Selifat Cole and her son, Babajide Cole were arrested with 117.9 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, adding a consignment of spare parts that originated from Asaba, Delta state and going to Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, India was intercepted at the cargo terminal of the Lagos airport last Wednesday with the help of NDLEA sniffer dogs.
Babafemi said the dogs were able to identify the particular shipment containing illicit drug concealment, which a physical examination later confirmed to be cocaine measuring 200 grammes.
The spokesman said not less than 70 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, with a gross weight of 35 kilogrammes were seized by operatives of the Tincan Command of NDLEA from a container, marked BEAU 4993525 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada. He noted that the container contained four used vehicles, including a Honda CRV 2006 model, where bags of the psychoactive substance were concealed.
He said in Abuja, NDLEA operatives last Monday intercepted a waybill consignment of 25,000 pills of tramadol, while their counterparts in Anambra arrested two suspects at Onitsha head bridge, Ejiro Emmanuel was driving a bus marked EFR 31 XB conveying 61,100 tramadol capsules; 1,025 bottles of codeine; 1,350 tablets of rohypnol and 46 grammes of designer drug, while Daniel Ogbiyoyo was caught in a bus marked SAP 540 YK conveying 55,950 tramadol capsules; 3,117 bottles of codeine; 1,530 tablets of swinol and 1,350 tablets of rohypnol.
Operatives in Delta state last Monday in a joint operation with the military raided the home of a drug kingpin, Chukwuma Eneriku at Okanaro street, Abbi town, where bags of cannabis weighing 353 kilogrammes were recovered. Same day, NDLEA operatives in Enugu recovered bags of cannabis sativa weighing 435.1 kilogrammes in a warehouse located at Trans Ekulu, Enugu East local government area.
In Edo state, Babafemi said five persons dressed in NDLEA operational jackets were arrested with a fabricated gun and pistol carved from wood following intelligence that they were impersonating as officers of the agency and conducting illegal operations. The suspects include: Sebastine Asekiamhe, 22; Raymond Otaru, 28; Emmanuel Wisdom, 23; Solomon Edogamhe, 27; and Bonaventure Oghibui, 22. While some others in NDLEA jackets escaped, a bottle of codeine-based syrup was found with those arrested.
He said the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities took place at Ikuduru local government area, Imo; with advocacy visits to Fuji music maestro, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, Kwara First Lady and Chairperson Nigeria Governors Wives Forum, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazak, Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; and sensitisation lecture to members of Jama’atu Fitayanul Islam at Aliyu Mustafa College, Yola.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), while commending the efforts of the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Enugu, Delta, FCT and Tincan Commands of the agency as well as the K-9 Unit for jobs well done in the past week, urged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant and get ready for the next phase of operations in the new year.
NDLEA Saves Nigeria off 7.5m tramadol pills, 95,400 codeine bottles during Christmas
Crime
Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers

Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 5 of Operation UDO KA, in a joint operation with operatives of the 63 Brigade and the Department of State Services (DSS), have intercepted a truck loaded with over 164,000 live cartridges allegedly being supplied to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation followed credible intelligence which led to the arrest of a suspected arms courier, Mr Emeka Omenife, along the Asaba–Onitsha expressway on 29 May 2025.


According to the sources, Omenife was immediately handed over to the DSS for interrogation. During questioning, he reportedly confessed to being part of a syndicate involved in transporting ammunition from Ghana to Nigeria for IPOB/ESN operatives.
Following his confession, troops arrested his accomplice, Mr Uchenna Obiora, at the Onitsha–Awka tollgate on 30 May 2025, while he was awaiting delivery of the ammunition.The arrest led to the interception of a truck which had the concealed ammunition.
“Upon interception, the vehicle was moved to Onitsha Cantonment, where a thorough search revealed a total of 164,650 live cartridges hidden in four constructed compartments within the cargo bed of the truck,” a source told Zagazola.
The cartridges, believed to have been purchased from Ghana, had Onitsha as their destination, the source added. Further investigations are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate and their collaborators.
Zagazola also confirmed from security sources that Omenife had earlier been arrested by troops and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) tracking team on Jan. 22 at his residence in Onitsha Housing Estate.

During the January operation, he attempted to flee and was shot in the buttocks before being evacuated to the 302 Army Regiment Medical Services for treatment. He was later handed over to the Anambra State Police Criminal Investigation Department, Annex Akwuzu, for prosecution. His re-arrest in May suggests that he may have returned to the same criminal enterprise following his release in an unexplained circumstances.
Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers
Crime
Police repel gunmen attack on government school in Benue, while students were writing WAEC

Police repel gunmen attack on government school in Benue, while students were writing WAEC
BY: Zagazola Makama
The police in Benue have successfully repelled an attack by suspected herdsmen on Government Secondary School, Odugbo, while students were writing their West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams.
Zagazola reliably informed that the attack occurred on 29th May 2025 at about 1:30 p.m., when gunmen opened sporadic fire at the school premises.
The 80-man Patrol Team of the Benue State Civilian Joint Task Force (PMF) Odugbo promptly responded and repelled the attackers, who fled into nearby bushes. No casualty was recorded during the incident.
Combing operations in the surrounding bushes are ongoing to track and apprehend the fleeing attackers.
In a separate incident on the same day at about 3:45 p.m., suspected armed robbers ambushed and shot dead a motorcyclist, Samuel Iordye, from Nkst Anyiin East at Tukwa Village along the Anyiin to Akwannaon Taraba State road.
The robbers also seized the victim’s motorcycle before fleeing the scene.
Military personnel, police the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Benue Civil Protection Guard, have launched a joint patrol and tactical operation to arrest the suspects.
The victim’s corpse was photographed and deposited at NKST Hospital Mortuary, Anyiin, for post-mortem examination.
Police repel gunmen attack on government school in Benue, while students were writing WAEC
Crime
Hoodlums attack Ashaka Cement Company airstrip, one shot dead by security personnel

Hoodlums attack Ashaka Cement Company airstrip, one shot dead by security personnel
By: Zagazola Makama
Unknown hoodlums attacked the airstrip of Ashaka Cement Company in Bajoga Local Government Area of Bauchi State on the night of May 29, 2025, leading to the death of one suspect during an attempted robbery.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that at about 11:43 p.m., three hoodlums armed with cutlasses and sticks trespassed into the company’s airstrip.
They pursued two civilian security guards attached to Pilgrims Security Company, who narrowly escaped. The attackers then began cutting down a signal tower used for aircraft control with the intent to steal it.
Security personnel from the company, including a patrol vehicle from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), responded promptly and dispersed the hoodlums.
However, the suspects returned and continued their destructive acts. During a second pursuit, security personnel shot one suspect in the shoulder. The injured suspect was rushed to General Hospital Bajoga for urgent medical attention but was later confirmed dead by the attending doctor. The corpse was deposited at the Public Mortuary.
The other suspects fled the scene and are currently being sought by security as investigations continue.
Hoodlums attack Ashaka Cement Company airstrip, one shot dead by security personnel
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