Crime
Sokoto village head, 10 others arrested in connection with drugs
Sokoto village head, 10 others arrested in connection with drugs
By Michael Mike
The village head of Gidan Abba in Bodinga local government area of Sokoto state, Abubakar Ibrahim, was among those arrested in connection with drug offices by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the past.
A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi revealed that Ibrahim was among 11 suspects arrested in interdiction operations by men of the anti-narcotics agency where 991,320 pills of pharmaceutical opioids and 1,251 kilogrammes of cannabis and khat as well as 46.637 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin were recovered across seven states.
Babafemi said at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives attached to the SAHCO import shed last Wednesday intercepted a total of 15 cartons containing 802,000 pills of tramadol imported from Dubai, UAE and Karachi, Pakistan.
He added that while 10 cartons of tramadol 225mg came in from Dubai on Ethiopian Airlines flight, four cartons of 100mg and a carton of 225mg tramadol came from Karachi, Pakistan on another Ethiopian Airlines flight.
Babafemi also said on the same day, operatives at the SAHCO export shed intercepted cans of tomato paste going to the United Kingdom, adding that a thorough search of the consignment revealed that the tomato cans were used to conceal 36 pellets of cannabis with a gross weight of 21.3 kilogrammes, noting that a cargo agent, Sodehinde Akinwale has been arrested in connection with the seizure.
He said two days after on Friday, operatives attached to the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport seized five cartons of dried khat leaves, weighing 107.7 kilogrammes that came in from Bangkok, Thailand through Dubai on an Emirates Airline flight.
The spokesman said a follow up operation on the seizure of 11.9 kilogrammes Meth concealed in the heads of dried fish going to Dubai, UAE on 5th August has led to the arrest of a 30-year-old bricklayer, Babatunde Mamowora last Thursday in Sango Ota area of Ogun state, arrest which was made in collaboration with men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in the area.
He also revealed that a 27-year-old Madu Chukwuemeka has been arrested by operatives at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu on arrival last Wednesday from Nairobi, Kenya via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
He said a search of his three bags revealed 76 foreign bathing soaps made with cocaine in one of the bags while another has two plastic bottles containing cream like liquid, which tested positive to cocaine, noting that the cocaine bars weighed 10.650 kilogrammes while the liquid cocaine weighed 2.496 kilogrammes, bringing the total weight to 13.146 kilogrammes.
In Kogi state, according to the spokesman, NDLEA operatives on stop and search operation along Okene-Abuja highway
last Thursday intercepted a Chisco branded bus coming from Lagos to Abuja with a consignment of 32.9 kilogrammes Meth packaged as tubers of yam; 376 grammes of cocaine and 215 grammes of heroin. He added that the bus driver, Chief Pascal Nmaram was promptly arrested, while a follow up operation in Abuja same day led to the arrest of the recipient of the illicit cargo, Mr. Ikenna Akunne who confessed he was detailed to travel with the consignment to Spain the following day, Friday through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
In another clampdown, operatives of the state command of the agency have destroyed five hectares of cannabis farms at Agbonkete, Iyaya Camp, Igalamela/Odolu local government area, where a suspect, Augustine Agbenyo, 34, was arrested with three sacks of both fresh and dried leaves and stems of the illicit substance.
Operatives have also seized 146,000 pills of tramadol 225mg in a buy and bust operation in Oshodi area of Lagos state last Tuesday, and the village head of Gidan Abba village, in Bodinga local government area of Sokoto State, Abubakar Ibrahim, 38, was arrested in Bodinga town same day with 3 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa and 4,000 tablets of exol-5.
In the FCT, operatives on patrol along Kwali-Abuja highway on Monday 24th Oct intercepted a truck with 915.8 kilogrammes of cannabis and arrested three suspects: Kabiru Ibrahim, 40; Muhammad Muawiyya, 30, and Adamu Adamu, 24.
In Adamawa state, operatives arrested two trans-border traffickers, Abdullahi Mamuda (aka Mama) and Aliyu Abdullahi (aka Garga) at Skylight Hotel in Jambutu, Yola North. A search of their vehicle, an ash coloured Toyota Corolla car with registration number JMT 146 TE (Adamawa), revealed 39,320 tablets of tramadol 225mg concealed in different compartments of the doors of the car.
Babafemi said preliminary investigation showed the trans-border traffickers took off from Onitsha in Anambra State and travelled to Jimeta, Adamawa State where they lodged in the hotel before heading to Belel, a town along the Nigerian – Cameroon border where they planned to repackage the drugs as ordinary consumables and ferry across the river to Garoa in Cameroon.
Operatives in Ondo state last Friday stormed a two-bedroom building in Uso town, where they arrested one Okon Etim, 45, with 12 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 207 kilogrammes.
Meanwhile, while reacting to the strings of arrests and seizures in the past week across Kogi, Lagos, Sokoto, Adamawa, Ondo and the FCT as well as the MMIA and AIIA Commands of the agency, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the various commands for their unrelenting commitment to the presidential mandate to clear Nigerian forests and communities of illicit drugs in whatever form. He however charged them to remain steadfast and upright at all times.
Sokoto village head, 10 others arrested in connection with drugs
Crime
Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers
Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 5 of Operation UDO KA, in a joint operation with operatives of the 63 Brigade and the Department of State Services (DSS), have intercepted a truck loaded with over 164,000 live cartridges allegedly being supplied to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation followed credible intelligence which led to the arrest of a suspected arms courier, Mr Emeka Omenife, along the Asaba–Onitsha expressway on 29 May 2025.
According to the sources, Omenife was immediately handed over to the DSS for interrogation. During questioning, he reportedly confessed to being part of a syndicate involved in transporting ammunition from Ghana to Nigeria for IPOB/ESN operatives.
Following his confession, troops arrested his accomplice, Mr Uchenna Obiora, at the Onitsha–Awka tollgate on 30 May 2025, while he was awaiting delivery of the ammunition.The arrest led to the interception of a truck which had the concealed ammunition.
“Upon interception, the vehicle was moved to Onitsha Cantonment, where a thorough search revealed a total of 164,650 live cartridges hidden in four constructed compartments within the cargo bed of the truck,” a source told Zagazola.
The cartridges, believed to have been purchased from Ghana, had Onitsha as their destination, the source added. Further investigations are ongoing to track down other members of the syndicate and their collaborators.
Zagazola also confirmed from security sources that Omenife had earlier been arrested by troops and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) tracking team on Jan. 22 at his residence in Onitsha Housing Estate.
During the January operation, he attempted to flee and was shot in the buttocks before being evacuated to the 302 Army Regiment Medical Services for treatment. He was later handed over to the Anambra State Police Criminal Investigation Department, Annex Akwuzu, for prosecution. His re-arrest in May suggests that he may have returned to the same criminal enterprise following his release in an unexplained circumstances.
Troops intercept truck with over 164,000 cartridges in Anambra, arrest suspected IPOB/ESN arms suppliers
Police repel gunmen attack on government school in Benue, while students were writing WAEC
BY: Zagazola Makama
The police in Benue have successfully repelled an attack by suspected herdsmen on Government Secondary School, Odugbo, while students were writing their West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams.
Zagazola reliably informed that the attack occurred on 29th May 2025 at about 1:30 p.m., when gunmen opened sporadic fire at the school premises.
The 80-man Patrol Team of the Benue State Civilian Joint Task Force (PMF) Odugbo promptly responded and repelled the attackers, who fled into nearby bushes. No casualty was recorded during the incident.
Combing operations in the surrounding bushes are ongoing to track and apprehend the fleeing attackers.
In a separate incident on the same day at about 3:45 p.m., suspected armed robbers ambushed and shot dead a motorcyclist, Samuel Iordye, from Nkst Anyiin East at Tukwa Village along the Anyiin to Akwannaon Taraba State road.
The robbers also seized the victim’s motorcycle before fleeing the scene.
Military personnel, police the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Benue Civil Protection Guard, have launched a joint patrol and tactical operation to arrest the suspects.
The victim’s corpse was photographed and deposited at NKST Hospital Mortuary, Anyiin, for post-mortem examination.
Police repel gunmen attack on government school in Benue, while students were writing WAEC
Hoodlums attack Ashaka Cement Company airstrip, one shot dead by security personnel
By: Zagazola Makama
Unknown hoodlums attacked the airstrip of Ashaka Cement Company in Bajoga Local Government Area of Bauchi State on the night of May 29, 2025, leading to the death of one suspect during an attempted robbery.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that at about 11:43 p.m., three hoodlums armed with cutlasses and sticks trespassed into the company’s airstrip.
They pursued two civilian security guards attached to Pilgrims Security Company, who narrowly escaped. The attackers then began cutting down a signal tower used for aircraft control with the intent to steal it.
Security personnel from the company, including a patrol vehicle from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), responded promptly and dispersed the hoodlums.
However, the suspects returned and continued their destructive acts. During a second pursuit, security personnel shot one suspect in the shoulder. The injured suspect was rushed to General Hospital Bajoga for urgent medical attention but was later confirmed dead by the attending doctor. The corpse was deposited at the Public Mortuary.
The other suspects fled the scene and are currently being sought by security as investigations continue.
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