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Nigeria, Netherlands Forge Stronger Pact to Combat Human Trafficking

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Nigeria, Netherlands Forge Stronger Pact to Combat Human Trafficking

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and the Kingdom of the Netherlands have stepped up joint efforts to dismantle human trafficking networks, as senior officials from both countries met in Abuja to review progress under the TIPVAP NG project — an initiative aimed at building a safer environment free from trafficking in persons and violence against vulnerable groups.

The Second project Steering Meeting was organized by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) in partnership with NAPTIP, with support from the Ministry of Asylum and Migration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the Building and Environment Free of Human Trafficking and Violence Against Persons in Nigeria (TIPVAP NG) project

It was attended by a delegation from the Netherlands led by Victor Cramer, the Deputy Director General, Ministry of Asylum and Migration, Ms Isabelle Wolfsgruber, Nigeria Head of Office, Official of NAPTIP, led by the Director General, Binta Bello, Focal Persons from the relevant MDAs, and other Stakeholders.

At the heart of discussions was the Justice and Security Migration Partnership Programme, which officials described as a critical instrument for reinforcing Nigeria’s legal and institutional response to trafficking and violence.

Director-General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, said the partnership has begun to produce measurable gains in investigations, prosecutions, and victim support services across selected states, including Benue, Delta, Edo, Enugu, Ogun and the Federal Capital Territory.

She noted that beyond enforcement, the initiative focuses on improving operational procedures, strengthening inter-agency collaboration, and deepening public awareness to prevent trafficking at its roots.

According to her, the Project Steering Committee serves as the programme’s highest oversight body, ensuring accountability, strategic direction, and alignment with both national priorities and international standards.

Bello emphasised that sustained international cooperation remains essential, particularly as trafficking networks continue to evolve and operate across borders. She called for renewed commitment to a victim-centred and rights-based approach that prioritises the protection and dignity of survivors.

Leader of the Dutch delegation, Victor Cramer, described Nigeria as a key partner in addressing irregular migration and trafficking flows between West Africa and Europe.

He pointed to data showing that Nigerian nationals remain significantly represented among trafficking victims identified in the Netherlands, especially in cases involving sexual exploitation and forced criminality. This reality, he said, underscores the need for coordinated prevention, protection and prosecution strategies.

Cramer commended Nigerian authorities for their commitment and stressed that stronger capacity building and intelligence-sharing would help reduce dangerous migration pathways exploited by criminal syndicates.

ICMPD’s Nigeria Head of Office, Isabelle Wolfsgruber, said the TIPVAP NG project is central to strengthening coordination between federal and state institutions under NAPTIP’s leadership. She highlighted the importance of awareness campaigns that equip communities with knowledge about trafficking risks and deceptive recruitment tactics.

Wolfsgruber added that the programme is designed not merely around activities, but around measurable outcomes — ensuring that institutional reforms translate into real protection for vulnerable persons.

The meeting ended with a renewed pledge by Nigeria, the Netherlands and ICMPD to deepen collaboration, strengthen institutional capacity, and sustain a coordinated national response against human trafficking and violence.

For both countries, officials agreed, the fight against trafficking is not only a security priority but also a shared humanitarian responsibility — one that demands persistence, partnership and people-focused solutions.

Nigeria, Netherlands Forge Stronger Pact to Combat Human Trafficking

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Hamza Suleiman NAN: Troops recover ammunition during patrol in Borno

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Hamza Suleiman NAN: Troops recover ammunition during patrol in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have recovered a cache of ammunition during a fighting patrol in Mallam Fatori, Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.

Security sources said the operation was conducted at about 7:30 a.m. on April 18 by troops of 68 Battalion deployed in the area.

The patrol was carried out ahead of the troops’ defensive location toward a suspected withdrawal route used by insurgents following an earlier attack on March 18.

During the operation, troops recovered 166 rounds of PKT linked ammunition and one bandolier.

No contact was made with any terrorist elements during the patrol.

They added that the general security situation across the theatre remains calm but unpredictable, while troops continue to maintain high morale and operational effectiveness.

Hamza Suleiman NAN: Troops recover ammunition during patrol in Borno

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NDLEA Busts Drug Rings, Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Food Flasks, Arrests Fashion Designer, Others

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NDLEA Busts Drug Rings, Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Food Flasks, Arrests Fashion Designer, Others

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intensified their crackdown on drug trafficking networks, intercepting cocaine ingeniously concealed in food flasks and cannabis hidden in snack packs, while arresting multiple suspects including a Lagos-based fashion designer.

The agency in a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said 12 large parcels of cocaine weighing 2.8 kilogrammes were uncovered at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Babafemi said the illicit consignment, bound for the United Kingdom via a Virgin Atlantic flight, was discovered in the false bottoms of food flasks on April 9.

He disclosed that two cargo agents—Ama Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Akorede, 39—were arrested at the point of interception, with subsequent investigations leading to the arrest of the alleged sender, 52-year-old freight forwarder Agoro Moninuola.

In a related operation a day earlier, NDLEA operatives at the airport’s import shed intercepted 2.9 kilogrammes of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in snack packs arriving from the United States aboard a Delta Air Lines flight.

He noted that initial arrests of cargo clearing agents Animashaun Adetunji and Mercy Oluwasegun paved the way for the apprehension of the consignee, Saheed Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, who was later tracked and arrested in Ogba, Lagos.

Beyond the airports, NDLEA operations extended across several states with significant seizures recorded. Along the Kaduna-Zaria highway, operatives intercepted a cement-laden trailer transporting 847 kilogrammes of skunk. The driver, Umar Garba Haruna, was taken into custody.

In Cross River State, a joint operation involving NDLEA officers and security personnel led to the destruction of 15,000 kilogrammes of cannabis cultivated on six hectares of farmland in Uwet community, Akamkpa Local Government Area. A suspect, Alice Udoh, 53, was arrested, while 119 kilogrammes of the substance was recovered.

Similarly, in Edo State, operatives raided a cannabis camp in Ovia North East Local Government Area, destroying over 2,281 kilogrammes of the drug and arresting three suspects. Additional arrests were made in Delta State, where over 87 kilogrammes of skunk and cannabis seeds were seized.

In Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted a shipment of 11,900 tramadol capsules and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injections along the Mile 2–Badagry expressway, with the consignment reportedly destined for Ghana. A separate raid on a two-storey building in Lagos Island yielded 95.8 kilogrammes of skunk.

Meanwhile, the agency sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign nationwide, conducting sensitization programmes in schools, religious centres, and communities across states including Niger, Cross River, Kogi, Katsina, Kano, and Lagos.

Commending the operatives, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the balance between aggressive enforcement and preventive education, urging officers to maintain the current momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.

NDLEA Busts Drug Rings, Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Food Flasks, Arrests Fashion Designer, Others

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Ashlee Momoh Foundation Leads Heartfelt Tribute to Fallen Hero Brig. Gen. Braimah

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Honouring a Fallen Shield

Ashlee Momoh Foundation Leads Heartfelt Tribute to Fallen Hero Brig. Gen. Braimah

A Tribute to Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah

Issued by the Board of Trustees, Management, and Volunteers of the Ashlee Momoh Foundation Abuja, Federal Capital Territory

To the family of the late Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah

To the Government and People of Edo State, And to the gallant Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

It is with heavy hearts and profound sorrow that the Ashlee Momoh Foundation joins the nation in mourning the loss of Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, who paid the ultimate price following the midnight attack on the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh. His passing, alongside the brave officers and soldiers who fell beside him, leaves a silence that words can scarcely fill.

A Life Defined by Service

General Braimah was more than a soldier. He was a shield for the vulnerable, a steady hand in moments of crisis, and a living testament to the courage that defines the Nigerian spirit. His leadership inspired those under his command, and his devotion to duty protected countless lives he would never meet. To lose a commander of such calibre, together with his courageous troops, is a grief that travels far beyond the frontlines — into the homes, hearts, and hopes of a grateful nation.

To His Family 

We recognise that while the nation mourns a General, you mourn a husband, a father, a son, and the quiet pillar of your home. The cost of service is borne most heavily by those left behind, and no public tribute can ease that private weight. We acknowledge the enormity of your sacrifice. The absence of such a man creates a stillness that only time, faith, and love can gently soften. In this dark hour, please know that you do not grieve alone.

To Edo State and Nigeria

Our nation has lost a strategic mind and a fearless protector. His absence will echo in the ranks of the military and in the hearts of every citizen who has slept soundly because of men like him. His death is a solemn reminder of the ongoing cost of our peace — and of the urgent, continuing duty we all share to honour that price through action, unity, and care for those who stand on the frontlines in our name.

Our Commitment

The Ashlee Momoh Foundation was established on a simple, enduring principle: no hero’s sacrifice should result in the neglect of those they loved. Our mission places military families, widows, and vulnerable communities at the centre of our welfare, advocacy, and humanitarian work. We believe the legacy of men like General Braimah must be honoured not only in the words spoken today, but in tangible support sustained across years — in the education of their children, the dignity of their spouses, and the security of the communities for which they gave everything.We stand for a Nigeria where the blood of our heroes becomes the seed of a more secure and compassionate society. We remain firmly dedicated to strengthening the structures that care for our veterans, their dependents, and the families left in the wake of their service, so that the flame of their sacrifice is never allowed to dim.

A Final Word

May the soul of Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, and the souls of the gallant soldiers who fell with him, rest in perfect peace. May the Almighty comfort his family, strengthen his comrades-in-arms, and grant our nation the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss — and the resolve to be worthy of his sacrifice.

With deepest sympathy and abiding respect,The Board of Trustees, Management, and Volunteers Ashlee Momoh Foundation Restoring Hope, Rebuilding Lives

Ashlee Momoh Foundation Leads Heartfelt Tribute to Fallen Hero Brig. Gen. Braimah*

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