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NDLEA smashes cocaine syndicate, arrests couple, recovers N2.1b drug in Lagos raid

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NDLEA smashes cocaine syndicate, arrests couple, recovers N2.1b drug in Lagos raid

  • Nabs Osun monarch, Chadian, youth corps member for drug trafficking

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided the Lagos base of alleged high-profile cocaine syndicate headed by a couple: Mmadu Agbakoba and Chinwe Agbakoba as well as their associate, Ifeoma Okoye, where large consignments of the class A drug meant for export and local distribution were recovered.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the raid carried out by a special operations unit of the agency followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance on the syndicate notorious for packaging, distributing and trafficking of cocaine within and outside Nigeria.

Babafemi said the 54-year-old male Agbakoba was arrested at Ago palace way, Okota while his wife, Chinwe, 39, and associate, Okoye Ifeoma , 31, who doubles as their stash keeper, were nabbed at Plot 2205 Eugene Ndubisi close, Lilly Estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, all last Wednesday.

He said while seven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 7.652 kilogrammes were recovered from Mmadu at Ago palace way, not less than one hundred and twenty-two (122) compressed pellets of the same drug weighing 2.42 kilogrammes were seized from the duo of Ijeoma and Ifeoma at Lilly Estate, bringing the total seizure to 10.1 kilogrammes valued at over N2.1 billion in street value.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Benue state last Thursday intercepted a consignment of 350 grammes of cocaine at a check point along Enugu road, Otukpo. The illicit drug was concealed in an MP3 speaker sent as a waybill parcel. A swift follow up operation at Flight motor park in Otukpo led to the arrest of the owner, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony.

Also, NDLEA officers on a stop and search operation along Ngurore – Yola road in Adamawa state last Wednesday arrested a Chadian, Yves Ahmat Gali in a commercial bus coming from Kano to Yola. The suspect was found with a loud speaker used to conceal 20 compressed blocks, and nine plastic containers of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 5.2 kilogrammes

In Kano, operatives last Wednesday arrested a youth corps member, Yusuf Abdulrahman, 25, at Corpers Lodge, Sumaila area of the city, with 1.25 kilogrammes of Loud, while in Osun state, the head of Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Ba’ale Ige Babatunde, 50, was last Friday July arrested with fresh cannabis plants that weighed 5 kilogrammes.

Babafemi said two suspects: Monday Ali, 49, and Jimoh Alewi, 37, were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided Ikota forest in Ifedore local government area, Ondo state where a total of 42,500 kilogrammes cannabis was destroyed on 17 hectares of farmland while 73.5 kilogrammes of same substance was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects during a five-day operation that ended last Monday.

In Abuja, the FCT, NDLEA operatives last Saturday arrested the duo of Sanusi Mamman, 28, and Usaini Ibrahim, 20, in a vehicle along Abaji- Gwagwalada with 1,132 bottles of codeine syrup; 13,540 pills of tramadol; 50,000 pills of diazepam and 59 pills of rophynol. The suspects claimed they were bringing the opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state.

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

Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, Osun, Benue, Ondo, Kano, and FCT Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the tempo.

NDLEA smashes cocaine syndicate, arrests couple, recovers N2.1b drug in Lagos raid

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Troops Arrest Two Militias, Recover Arms in Plateau

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Troops Arrest Two Militias, Recover Arms in Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Safe Haven have arrested two suspected militias and recovered firearms in Angwan Mata, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation, conducted on Tuesday at about 11:10 AM by troops of Sector 8, followed credible intelligence on the activities of armed groups of Mwaghavul origin in the area.

The arrested suspects, identified as Innocent Nanpan (20) and Sebastine Samuel (20), were found in possession of a fabricated rifle and four cartridges.

According to security sources, the suspects and the recovered arms and ammunition are in custody for further investigation.

Troops Arrest Two Militias, Recover Arms in Plateau

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Troops Arrest Security Guard, Recover Weapons in Plateau

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Troops Arrest Security Guard, Recover Weapons in Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Safe Haven, Sector 3, have arrested a security guard, Mr. John Bala, for alleged possession of illegal firearms in Miango Village, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama the arrest was made at about 9:18 PM on Monday during a special operation codenamed Golden Peace, following credible intelligence.

Items recovered from the suspect included a fabricated rifle, seven rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, five mobile phones, and a cash sum of N120,000.

The suspect, a 43-year-old security guard at Anan School of Accountancy, is currently in the custody of the troops for further investigation.

Troops Arrest Security Guard, Recover Weapons in Plateau

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NDLEA Foiled Attempt to Smuggle 81 Pellets of Cocaine to Lebanon

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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

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