Crime
NDLEA Smashes Major Drug Cartel…Arrests Leader in Village Mansion in Imo
NDLEA Smashes Major Drug Cartel
…Arrests Leader in Village Mansion in Imo
By: Michael Mike
A major drug cartel behind the production and distribution of deadly psychoactive substance, methamphetamine, popularly called ‘mkpuru mmiri’ has been smashed by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) as the leader of the syndicate 42-year-old Chikaodi Mbonu is arrested with his associate in his mansion tucked in his Umuomi village, Uzogba-Ezenomi autonomous community, Ikeduru local government area of Imo State.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Tuesday said the cartel with operational bases in Imo and Rivers state became a target of the NDLEA following intelligence indicating it is responsible for the distribution of substantial quantity of methamphetamine in South East, South South and other parts of the country.
Babafemi said after weeks of surveillance, officers of a special operations unit of the agency last Friday, tracked and traced the drug lord to his village mansion in Imo state where he was caught with a member of his cartel, Chibuike Ofoegbu, 34, with different quantities of methamphetamine, its precursor chemicals, a pump action gun and cartridges.
Babafemi while disclosing the exhibits recovered from the house to include: 419.99 grammes of methamphetamine; 750 grammes of iodine, a precursor chemical for meth; 500 grammes of sodium bicarbonate, a precursor chemical for meth; two electronic weighing scales and a pump action gun with four cartridges, noted that the operatives moved swiftly to another of Mbonu’s hideout located at 11 Redemption Avenue, Port Harcourt, Rivers state where they recovered additional exhibits: 750 grammes of processed sodium bicarbonate; 170 grammes of plain sodium bicarbonate and 75 grammes of meth.
The spokesman said another raid in the home of one of Mbonu’s associates, Odoemenam Chinedu, currently at large, at Njaba local government area, Imo state, led to the recovery of another pump action gun with 25 cartridges, among other items.
He said: “While the kingpin cools his heels in custody, two of his mansions in Imo state have been marked for possible forfeiture to the federal government.”
Babafemi said Mbonu had escaped from South Africa where he lived for years and mastered the art of cooking methamphetamine after he came under investigation for drug dealings, adding that upon his return to Nigeria, he continued the criminal trade by setting up clandestine laboratories in remote villages to shield his nefarious activities.
Meanwhile, while reacting to the successful taking down of the meth syndicate, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men involved in the multi-pronged operation, stating that the manner the interdiction was carried out should send a strong signal to other cartels that there’s no hiding place for them in any part of the country.
NDLEA Smashes Major Drug Cartel
…Arrests Leader in Village Mansion in Imo
Crime
Engineer in NDLEA Custody Iver Illicit Drug Consignments in Pressure Machines
Engineer in NDLEA Custody Iver Illicit Drug Consignments in Pressure Machines
…As Operatives Arrest 65-year old Grandma with Apiods in Lagos
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Egwu Inya who claims to be a building engineer, while attempting to take delivery of illicit consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the 42-year-old Egwu was arrested last Monday at Okeyson motor park Enugu when he showed up to collect three units of pressure machines inside which were hidden parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 7.4 kilogrammes.
Babafemi said the consignments had arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos import shed on 29th November 2024, and following credible intelligence, officers of the MMIA Strategic Command of the agency had monitored the shipment pass through clearing processes up to a logistics company’s warehouse outside the airport where it was to be collected by the consignee.
He noted that the importer however changed the point of collection to Enugu at the last minute, and as a result, NDLEA operatives in a follow up operation in Enugu arrested Egwu when he showed up to collect the consignments.
In another clampdown, no fewer than 511,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Siena vehicle at Hildi, Askira Uba way in Adamawa state by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the road in the early hours of last Friday. The occupants of the vehicle were said to have made a detour on sighting the NDLEA team and after a distance abandoned the vehicle with the consignments after noticing the operatives were on their heel.
In Ekiti state, two suspects: Olanrewaju Alale, 48, and Babatunde Ijadahun, 55, were arrested along Ise- Emure road in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ while transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,323 kilogrammes to Owo, Ondo state from where they claimed the consignment will be moved to the North for distribution.
Another suspect, Adekunle Yusuf, 33, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 704 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance, concealed in white sacks last Friday at Idere road, Igboora, Oyo state.
In Lagos, a grandmother, 65-year-old Ramata Adeyemo was on Friday arrested by NDLEA operatives at 62 Odunfa street, Lagos Island, where 20.6 litres of codeine-based syrup were recovered from her. Also arrested in Lagos was Alhaji Lawan Manga who was picked at Ogundana Street, Ikeja last Thursday while 4.7 kilogrammes cannabis and 1.3 kilogrammes tramadol were recovered from him.
Babafemi said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others 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, Adamawa, Ekiti, Lagos, and Oyo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, 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.
Engineer in NDLEA Custody Iver Illicit Drug Consignments in Pressure Machines
Crime
Third Bomb Explosion Rocks Zamfara State in One Week
Third Bomb Explosion Rocks Zamfara State in One Week
By: Zagazola Makama
Zamfara State has been hit by yet another bomb explosion, the third such incident reported within the span of a week. Two explosions occurred on the road between Dansadau and Malamawa and another on Malele-Road, causing significant damage and escalating fears among residents.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the explosion inflicted severe destruction, though details about casualties or injuries remain unclear at the time of this report.
The affected area, a key route in Zamfara State, has been a hotspot for violent activities, including banditry and other security challenges.
No bandits group have come out to claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Police Commisioner Zamfara Command has attributed it to the Lukurawa group, a claim that was disputed by several residence in the area and security analysts.
Third Bomb Explosion Rocks Zamfara State in One Week
Crime
Troops Neutralize Five Terrorists in Borno, Recover Weapons
Troops Neutralize Five Terrorists in Borno, Recover Weapons
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigerian Army troops of Operation Hadin Kai in collaboration with Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) conducted a successful fighting patrol to Hashime in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, neutralizing five Boko Haram terrorists and recovering weapons.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation, which took place in the early hours of November 29, led to a fierce engagement with the insurgents.
Following the encounter, troops recovered two AK-47 rifles, two magazines, and 23 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
Troops Neutralize Five Terrorists in Borno, Recover Weapons
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