74-Year-Old Man Arrested With 11kg Cocaine at Abuja Airport as NDLEA Uncovers Major Drug Trafficking Network

By: Michael Mike

A 74-year-old man has been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered 11 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in his luggage, in what authorities described as part of a widening crackdown on drug trafficking networks operating across Nigeria.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, stated that the suspect, identified as Ikwuakalom Emeka, was intercepted at the departure hall of the airport on Saturday while attempting to board a British Airways flight BA082 to London’s Heathrow Airport.

He said the NDLEA officers discovered the large consignment of cocaine concealed inside food items, including ground dry pepper, carefully wrapped in foil papers and balloons in an apparent attempt to beat airport security checks. The septuagenarian reportedly claimed he was travelling to the United Kingdom for vacation before the drugs were uncovered during a thorough search of his luggage.

Babafemi said the arrest came amid a wave of coordinated anti-narcotics operations by the agency across several states, leading to the seizure of large quantities of opioids and cannabis as well as the arrest of multiple suspects linked to drug distribution networks.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence stormed a hotel in Victoria Island where they arrested Maryam Olalowo while she allegedly attempted to sell cocaine and a strain of cannabis known as Canadian Loud. She was found in the company of her three children, including an infant.

During interrogation, she told investigators the drugs belonged to her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, who was subsequently arrested the same day. Authorities later discovered that he had previously been arrested, convicted and jailed for two and a half years in 2015 for a similar drug offence.

Further operations in Lagos Island led to the arrest of two suspects at Ebute Ero with 68,000 pills of tramadol of varying strengths loaded in a truck allegedly destined for the Benin Republic.

A follow-up raid at Idumota market resulted in the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, Nnamdi Cyprian, after officers found a parcel containing 1,000 tramadol tablets prepared for dispatch through a waybill service. Another raid at the market days later led to the arrest of a suspect, Nwanosike Kelvin, and the recovery of 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from his shop.

The crackdown also extended to northern Nigeria where NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect in Kano with 386 kilogrammes of skunk, while another suspect was apprehended in the Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory with 282.2 kilogrammes of the same substance.

In Edo State, operatives raided cannabis farms inside the Egwa forest reserve in Orhionmwon Local Government Area where a suspect was arrested and more than 4.2 tonnes of skunk destroyed on two plantations.

Meanwhile, authorities intercepted 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup concealed in two containers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos during a joint inspection involving NDLEA, customs officers and other security agencies.

The agency said the containers had been placed under surveillance following intelligence reports suggesting they were being used to smuggle opioids into the country.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Maj. Gen. Buba Marwa commended officers involved in the operations across Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Edo and the Federal Capital Territory, urging them to sustain the momentum in tackling both the supply and demand sides of drug abuse.

He also highlighted the agency’s ongoing War Against Drug Abuse campaign, which has continued to reach schools and communities nationwide through sensitisation programmes aimed at discouraging drug use among young people.

74-Year-Old Man Arrested With 11kg Cocaine at Abuja Airport as NDLEA Uncovers Major Drug Trafficking Network

EXCLUSIVE: Troops kill ISWAP top Shura council member Bako Gorgore in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have reportedly killed a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Malam Bako Gorgore, also known as Abou Mustapha, during an encounter in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Security sources said Gorgore, believed to be about 60 years old, was killed during an encounter with troops in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno, a region bordering the Lake Chad basin that has long served as a strategic hub for insurgent operations.

The development was reportedly confirmed through multiple intelligence channels after security operatives intercepted internal communications among ISWAP fighters acknowledging his death.

Gorgore was regarded as one of the longest-serving figures within the insurgency that began under the late Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in the early 2000s. Originally from Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State, he rose steadily through the ranks to become one of the most influential commanders within the ISWAP hierarchy.

Over the years, he occupied several strategic operational and leadership roles within the group, particularly in the Timbuktu Triangle, the vast forested and marshland region stretching across northern Borno near Lake Chad.

Between 2018 and 2021, he reportedly served as the overall commander responsible for the Faruuk axis in the Timbuktu Triangle following the tenure of another insurgent commander, Mustapha Krimima. During that period, intelligence assessments described Gorgore as one of the key operational planners responsible for coordinating insurgent movements and logistics across the Lake Chad region.

Role in the fall of Abubakar Shekau

One of the most defining episodes associated with Gorgore was the internal conflict within the Boko Haram movement that culminated in the death of Abubakar Shekau, the notorious leader of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS). Security sources say Gorgore was among the senior ISWAP commanders who led fighters into Sambisa Forest in 2021, during the confrontation that forced Shekau into a final standoff.

According to intelligence reports at the time, Shekau detonated an explosive device during the confrontation in Tokumbere area of Sambisa, killing himself and some of his loyalists rather than surrender to the ISWAP faction. The incident dramatically reshaped the insurgent landscape in the North-East, weakening the JAS faction while strengthening ISWAP’s operational dominance in parts of Borno State.

Rise to ISWAP’s top leadership circle

Following the restructuring of ISWAP leadership after the Sambisa events, Gorgore continued to consolidate his influence within the organisation.
By 2022, he was elevated to the Shura Council, the highest decision-making body within the group, operating under the broader command structure aligned with the Islamic State’s global leadership.

Before his elevation to the council, he reportedly served as Amir Jaysh (military commander) in the Timbuktu Triangle after Mustapha Krimima.
His responsibilities included supervising combat operations, managing fighters, and coordinating activities across the Lake Chad “Tumbumma” enclaves a network of islands and marshlands long used as insurgent hideouts.

Previous death rumours

Interestingly, Gorgore had previously been reported dead in 2022, when intelligence suggested he was killed in a Nigerian Air Force airstrike targeting ISWAP positions in the Lake Chad region. However, subsequent intelligence assessments indicated that he survived the strike with injuries and later resurfaced within the group’s command structure. His reappearance at the time reinforced perceptions of him as one of the more resilient and elusive figures within the insurgency.

The confirmed killing of Gorgore could have important implications for the leadership cohesion of ISWAP. As a senior Shura member with deep operational experience dating back to the early Boko Haram years, his removal potentially disrupts command continuity within the group.

The insurgency in the Lake Chad region has historically depended on experienced commanders capable of navigating the complex terrain and maintaining loyalty among fighters.
The death of a veteran figure like Gorgore weakens institutional memory within the insurgent network. It may also trigger internal power struggles as younger commanders compete to fill the vacuum.”

Beyond the operational impact, the death of Gorgore also carries symbolic significance.
As one of the few surviving commanders linked to the original Boko Haram leadership under Mohammed Yusuf, his removal represents the gradual erosion of the insurgency’s old guard.

While ISWAP retains operational capabilities and continues to mount attacks in parts of the North-East, the loss of senior figures like Gorgore is expected to complicate its internal command dynamics. The coming months will reveal whether the group can quickly replace such experienced leadership or whether the loss will translate into reduced operational cohesion within its ranks.

EXCLUSIVE: Troops kill ISWAP top Shura council member Bako Gorgore in Borno

Police foil kidnap attempt, rescue five victims in Benue

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police Command in Benue has foiled a kidnap attempt and rescued five victims along the Ugbokpo–Agatu road in Apa Local Government Area of the state.

Police sources said the incident occurred at about 7:45 p.m. on March 13 when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Apa was conducting visibility policing and confidence-building patrol along the Ugbokpo–Agatu road.

According to the sources, on reaching Ojantelle community, the patrol team encountered suspected kidnappers who had earlier hijacked a Sharon vehicle with registration number EGB 407 YS.

The vehicle, driven by one Danladi John, was conveying four passengers and was travelling from Ugbokpo toward Agatu when it was intercepted by the armed men.

The police team immediately engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel, forcing the suspects to abandon the victims and flee into nearby bushes.

All five occupants of the vehicle were rescued unhurt and were allowed to continue their journey.

Police said operatives subsequently combed the surrounding bushes in an effort to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.

The command assured residents that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the suspects and strengthen security along the road.

Police foil kidnap attempt, rescue five victims in Benue