News
Seizure of 51.90kg Heroin: NDLEA nets 3 wanted kingpins, intercepts Oman-bound drug consignment
Seizure of 51.90kg Heroin: NDLEA nets 3 wanted kingpins, intercepts Oman-bound drug consignment
By: Michael Mike
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) have arrested three members of an organized criminal organisation which specializes in illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe and America over two months after they were declared wanted.
Their arrest followed the recent seizure of the single largest consignment of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said a total of 51.9 kilogrammes of heroin had been recovered from members of the drug cartel in an operation that began 10th February 2024 at the SAHCO Import Shed of the Lagos airport’s Cargo Terminal.
He recalled that the consignment was concealed in 15 cartons of 2300-watt metal cutting machines, with no less than 45 blocks of the illicit substance weighing 49.70 kilogrammes recovered from the equipment, while additional 2.2 kilogrammes was seized at the syndicate’s warehouse in Ayobo area of Lagos.
He said while the agency has secured interim forfeiture court order on hotel, mansions, vehicles and funds traced to members of the syndicate after arresting four of them, a manhunt was also launched for others who went underground.
He noted that the effort however paid off last Friday when two of the wanted kingpins: Onyinyechi Igbokwuputa and Frankline Uzochukwu were arrested in Lagos and Awka, Anambra state respectively, with another wanted member of the syndicate, Osita Obinna nabbed in Lagos.
Babafemi said an attempt by a suspect, Iheakara Ifeanyichukwu to export a drug consignment through the terminal 2 of the Lagos airport to Muscat, Oman via Ethiopian airline flight last Thursday was thwarted by NDLEA officers. When his luggage was searched, 20 big parcels of cannabis weighing 9.80 kilogrammes were discovered concealed in his bag.
Iheakara, who lives in Muscat, Oman and returned to Nigeria on 1st April, in his statement confessed he was hired to courier the drug with an agreement to get paid N1.2 million upon successful delivery in Oman.
Babafemi revealed that In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives last Saturday intercepted a Peugeot car driven by Dahiru Mohammed at Girei on his way to Mubi with 1,250,000 pills of opioids weighing 450 kilogrammes. The operatives had earlier intercepted along Ngurore -Yola road a J5 bus marked AAA790XV loaded with motor spare parts from Onitsha, Anambra State, with consignments of codeine syrup and tramadol concealed in-between the motor parts. A follow up operation led to the arrest of the recipient, Jairus Nwanchor at Jambutu motor park .
He said three suspects: Beriakuma Chinrdu, 40; Okpor Isaac, 68, and Daniel Onyeachom, 42, were last Saturday arrested at Amarata,Yenagoa, Bayelsa state in connection with the seizure of 69 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 36 kilogrammes and concealed in a false compartment of a Toyota Picnic car marked MUS 711 DH they were travelling in. This is even as NDLEA operatives in Imo state last Thursday arrested Kingsley Omeje, 41, at Amajeke, Owerri while he was taking delivery of 49 bottles of codeine syrup he ordered.
In Ondo state, NDLEA operatives raided the Oloro camp, Ogbese, Akure North local government area where they arrested Linus Odogwu, 50, and destroyed a total of 25,000 kilogrammes of cannabis on 10 hectares of farmland while they recovered 89.5 kilogrammes of same substance. Three other suspects: David Ekepenyoung, 22; Oluwaseun Folorunso, 23; and Rabiu Musa, 32, were nabbed in other parts of the state in connection to different seizures totaling 77 kilogrammes .
Babafemi said NDLEA commands across the country intensified their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy lectures.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Ondo and Imo commands of the agency for their balanced efforts in the past week, equally applauded their counterparts across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures thus creating parity between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
Seizure of 51.90kg Heroin: NDLEA nets 3 wanted kingpins, intercepts Oman-bound drug consignment
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
By: Our Reporter
Judge bars him from inciting public, undermining national security
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, for alleged cybercrimes, with the court barring him from further making statements that are detrimental to the peace and security of the country.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, threatened to revoke the bail granted Sowore’ should he ever make such statements. The arraignment came after two previous attempts, with the politician’s lawyer introducing what the DSS lawyer, Akinolu Kehinde SAN, called legal obstacles.
On Tuesday, however, Justice Umar held that since there was evidence that Sowore was a presidential candidate in the country before and having also earlier been granted bail by the court, with his international passport still being held by the court, he was entitled to be granted bail on self-recognition.
The ruling was on a bail application argued by his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, shortly after Sowore was arraigned on a five-count charge, in which he is accused of defaming President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal in his posts on X and Facebook.
When the charge, being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was read to him, Sowore pleaded not guilty.
In the charge, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is accused of contravening the provisions of the the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal
The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.
Details shortly.
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
News
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across parts of Zamfara State, killing one person and abducting several others in Zurmi and Bungudu Local Government Areas, security sources have confirmed.
In the first incident, bandits invaded Tungar Tsamiya village in Moriki District of Zurmi LGA at about 10:40 p.m. on Nov. 30, shooting dead one resident and abducting 10 others.
Security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims.
Barely hours later, on Monday morning, another group of bandits attacked Doguwar Gona forest in the same Moriki District.
The assailants abducted 17 men and women who were in the area fetching firewood. Security personnel are tracking the movement of the attackers with the aim of rescuing the captives.
In a separate incident in Bungudu LGA, gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed Makwa village in Kurar Mota District at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 1 and abducted an unconfirmed number of residents.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and police operatives, supported by local vigilante groups, have intensified efforts to rescue all abducted victims and restore calm across the affected communities.
Search operations are ongoing.
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
By: Zagazola Makama
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday paid a sympathy visit to the Bishop of Kontagora, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, following the recent abduction of students of St. Mary Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The NSA, who arrived Kontagora by helicopter at about noon, was accompanied by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Tony Ajayi; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs; and senior officials from the Office of the NSA.
Ribadu and his entourage proceeded to the office of the Bishop at St. Michael Church, where they met with representatives of families of the abducted students, the school principal, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States, Bishop Joseph Hayap.
During the meeting, the NSA assured the community that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted pupils and staff.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending attacks on schools and ensuring the safety of students across the country.
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years ago
THE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions4 years ago
POLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
News8 months agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
