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Sokoto village head, 10 others arrested in connection with drugs

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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

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Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara

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Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised two suspected terrorists during a fighting patrol in Zamfara State.

Security sources said the operation was conducted by troops of 1 Brigade Quick Reaction Force (QRF) from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bagega in the early hours of May 4.

The troops, while on patrol, advanced through Maikwanuga village in Talata Mafara Local Government Area, extending operations to Aljumma, Gidan Dawa, Magami Didi, and Tungar Magaji villages in Maradun Local Government Area.

During the operation, the troops made contact with suspected terrorists at Tungar Magaji village, where a firefight ensued.

“In the course of the engagement, two terrorists were neutralised, while others fled with possible gunshot wounds,” the source said.

Items recovered from the scene include one AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a motorcycle.

The troops are currently exploiting the general area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further threats in the region.

Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara

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Troops arrest five suspects in raid on criminal hideout in Imo

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Troops arrest five suspects in raid on criminal hideout in Imo

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade, operating from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Oguta, in collaboration with a local vigilante group, have raided a suspected cultist hideout in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.

Security sources said the operation, conducted at about 3:34 p.m. on May 4, led to the arrest of five suspects allegedly linked to criminal activities in the area.

The sources noted that the group was believed to be responsible for a series of crimes within the general area.

One of the suspects has reportedly volunteered to lead troops to a suspected armoury located at Osomoto Valley in the same local government area.

The suspects are currently in custody, while further investigations and follow-up operations are ongoing.

Troops arrest five suspects in raid on criminal hideout in Imo

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Three Killed in Renewed Violence between Fulani and Berom militia in Plateau as Troops Intensify Operations Amid Tit-for-Tat Attacks

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Three Killed in Renewed Violence between Fulani and Berom militia in Plateau as Troops Intensify Operations Amid Tit-for-Tat Attacks

By Zagazola Makama

Three civilians have been killed in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State in a renewed outbreak of violence amid ongoing tit-for-tat attacks linked to longstanding communal tensions between groups in parts of the state.

Security sources said the incident occurred in the night of May 3 at about 8:55 p.m. when suspected fulani armed elements ambushed civilians travelling on motorcycles along a rural route near Fan Loo. The victims were reportedly intercepted and shot before the attackers fled into nearby bushes.

Troops of Sector 4 under Operation Safe Haven (OPEP) were immediately alerted and deployed to the scene. However, on arrival, they met the aftermath of the attack, with three persons confirmed dead.

The bodies were evacuated after preliminary assessment, while security forces launched follow-up operations in surrounding communities to track the fleeing attackers.

According to security sources, the incident is believed to be part of a wider pattern of tit-for-tat violence in parts of Barkin Ladi and adjoining Local Government Areas, where communities have repeatedly experienced cycles of attacks and reprisal killings linked to longstanding communal tensions and armed group activities.

The latest attack comes barely days after a series of violent incidents in Plateau State, including kidnappings, killings, and armed confrontations between security forces and armed groups in Mangu, Bokkos, and Barkin Ladi axis. Within the week, a Paster was killed, his wife and daughter in response to an earlier attack on Fulani and rustling of livestock.

In Barkin Ladi, a Fulani community leader, Alhaji Lawal Abubakar, was recently abducted from his residence in Kara village, prompting search operations by troops. In Bokkos, Mr. Danlami Luka was killed in Kaban village in an attack that also heightened tensions in surrounding settlements.

In Mangu Local Government Area, troops have been engaged in multiple operations following earlier unrest, including a deadly confrontation in Sabon Gari community during an attempt to prevent escalation of youth mobilisation linked to a prior killing at a mining site.

That incident, according to security sources, escalated rapidly when troops came under fire while attempting to restore order, The locals, attacked the Nigerian Army troops killing a senior officer in the process. The troops responded in self defense leading to the neutralisation of two attackers and recovery of weapons. The situation later triggered further unrest and retaliatory attacks in parts of the LGA, with the youths blocking the roads and attacking people identified as Hausa or Muslims.

Troops later conducted operation within same communities where they recovered additional weapons and ammunition from locals.

Across the state, troops of Operation Enduring Peace have maintained an intensified operational posture, conducting patrols, cordon-and-search missions, arrests of suspected criminals, and show-of-force operations aimed at stabilising volatile communities.

In Bassa Local Government Area, a suspected vandal was recently arrested while attempting to steal copper cables, while in Jos East and Jos South, troops intervened in disputes involving farmland destruction and grazing conflicts to prevent escalation into wider violence.

Despite these interventions, Plateau State continues to experience violence characterised by attacks, reprisals, and counter-operations, particularly in rural communities where grievances are often quickly transformed into armed confrontations.

The Fan Loo killings, fit into this expanding trend, where attacks on civilians frequently trigger retaliatory tensions, further complicating security responses and increasing the risk of escalation. Youths and religious leaders have also continued to make inflammatory remarks aimed at pitching locals against non indigenes.

Three Killed in Renewed Violence between Fulani and Berom militia in Plateau as Troops Intensify Operations Amid Tit-for-Tat Attacks

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