Crime
Two Brazil returnees excrete 116 wraps of heroin, cocaine in NDLEA custody
Two Brazil returnees excrete 116 wraps of heroin, cocaine in NDLEA custody
…Businesswoman conceals 1.4 kg meth in butt pad underwear
By: Michael Mike
Two Brazil returnees: Ofoma Sunday and Ukachukwu Ikechukwu have excreted a total of 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine they ingested after days in observatory custody following their arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said one of the suspects, 46-year-old Ofoma was arrested last Tuesday
at terminal 2 of the Lagos airport upon his arrival from Laos, Brazil on an Ethiopian airlines flight. He was taken for body scan which confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs.
He added that Ofoma had left Nigeria for Brazil on 3rd September to courier the consignment to Lagos for a reward of $2,500 upon successful delivery.
He said a swift follow-up operation was conducted at Eliata Hotel in Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos where Ofoma was instructed to meet Nweke Chuckwudi who was designated to oversee the excretion of the drugs at the hotel and recover them. The 55-year-old Nweke was arrested in the process. A total of 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.452 kilogrammes were egested in eight excretions by Ofoma.
Babafemi said similarly, another Brazil returnee Ukachukwu Ikechukwu, was arrested at the Lagos airport during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Brazil via Addis Ababa last Friday. He was taken for body scan which confirmed illicit drug insertion, and under excretion observation, he expelled five big wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grammes.
Ikechukwu in his statement, confessed to have bought nine wraps of the class A drug in Brazil and inserted all into his anus, a process he claimed took him nearly two hours.
He was said to have stated that during his transit through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he began to experience severe anal pain and decided to remove the wraps from his body. He stated that in an attempt to meet up with his connecting flight to Nigeria, he could only manage to reinsert seven wraps, after which he flushed the remaining two wraps in a toilet.
The suspect revealed that while on board his flight to Nigeria, he felt pressed and uncomfortable, which compelled him to use the lavatory. During the process, he expelled an additional two wraps, leaving him with only five wraps in his anus. He claimed to have been into clothing business before traveling to Brazil in 2017, adding that in 2020, he moved to the United States, where he was arrested for immigration offence and was detained for over a year before being deported to Nigeria in 2022.
He added that in March 2025, he returned to Brazil, where he currently works, having already obtained a Brazilian residence permit.
A businesswoman Okolonkwo Ebere was on Sunday 14th September taken into custody after Aviation Security Officers of FAAN in collaboration with NDLEA operatives attached to the screening point of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport arrested her for concealing illicit drug in her underwear while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, Qatar.
Babafemi said after a thorough search, two big parcels of white crystalline substance that later tested positive to methamphetamine with a gross weight of 1.4 kilogrammes businessman recovered from her butt pad underwear.
He said during preliminary interrogation, she claimed she trades in used clothing and also operates a POS business in Enugu where she was recruited into the illicit drug business.
At the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives last Monday intercepted a consignment of food items used to conceal 40 wraps of methamphetamine with a total weight of 2.3 kilogrammes heading to Hong Kong via Turkish Airlines. A 59-year-old suspect, Umelo Ifeanyi, who presented the consignment as part of a consolidated cargo, has been taken into custody.
Another consignment of illicit drug packaged for Europe was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos last Thursday. During a thorough examination of the shipment, seven pieces of phone charger going to New Zealand were found to contain 257 grammes of cocaine.
In Adamawa, no fewer than 233,800 pills of tramadol were recovered by NDLEA operatives in three raids with two suspects arrested in parts of the state. A total of 195,600 pills of the opioid were recovered from an abandoned Toyota Sienna vehicle in Mayo Belwa area of Yola South last Wednesday, while a suspect Rita Zira was nabbed in Jambutu area of Jimeta Yola with 27,900 pills of tramadol discovered in her bedroom. Another suspect, Halilu Abubakar, 22, was arrested with 10,300 pills of same substance by NDLEA officers at Namtari checkpoint, Yola on Saturday.
Babafemi said no less than 109 bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1,099.4 kilogrammes were seized from a suspect Hammed Aliyu, 40, by NDLEA operatives supported by members of the Community Protection Guards (CPG) along Gummi-Daki Takwas road, Zamfara state while conveying the consignment in a Mitsubishi Canter truck marked LRN 568XB to a village called Company in Gummi local government area on Saturday.
He said two suspects: Babangida Usman and Ismail Ibrahim were arrested with 14,000 capsules of tramadol along Damaturu-Potiskum road, Yobe state, and NDLEA operatives in Taraba last Wednesday nabbed Anas Hamisu, 28, with three sacks of skunk that weighed 25.525 kilogrammes, at Garba-Chede, Bali local government area.
In Edo state, two cannabis farms on 4.532025 hectares located at Atororo forest in Owan West local government area with an estimated yield of 11,330.0625 kilogrammes were last Wednesday destroyed by NDLEA officers who also recovered eleven bags of processed skunk and seeds weighing 148 kilogrammes. Suspects arrested at the plantations include: Mathew Onoja, 56; Moses Thomas Male, 18; and Friday Uchenjin, 38.
He noted that with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agrncy across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Adamawa, Zamfara, Edo, Taraba, and Yobe commands for the various successful operations, said: “These arrests and seizures represent a significant milestone in our determined effort to dismantle drug trafficking organisations operating in Nigeria and around the world, prioritizing those bent on targeting our productive youth population with illicit substances until they’re no longer able to inflict harm on our communities or misrepresent our country’s image in the global space.”
He however enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
Two Brazil returnees excrete 116 wraps of heroin, cocaine in NDLEA custody
Jihadist reportedly overrun gendarmerie camp in niger, kill 21 officers
By: Zagazola MAkama
Suspected jihadists on Friday attacked and seized control of the Gendarmerie Camp in Garbougna, Niger Republic, killing more than 21 gendarmes, according to security sources.
The attackers, believed to be affiliated with Sahel-based extremist groups, stormed the facility in large numbers, overwhelming security personnel during the early morning assault.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the insurgents also carted away several vehicles, along with a significant quantity of arms and ammunition stored at the camp.
“The situation is dire. The Garbougna gendarmerie post was overrun, and dozens of weapons and vehicles were taken. The number of casualties is still being compiled, but more than 21 gendarmes are feared killed,” one security source said.
The attack underscores the escalating insecurity in parts of Niger, where jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State continue to mount coordinated assaults on security formations and rural communities.
Niger’s military authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident as at the time of filing this report.
Zagazola recalls that the tri-border region spanning Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has witnessed intensified jihadist activities in recent months, with security forces increasingly targeted in ambushes and camp raids.
Jihadist reportedly overrun gendarmerie camp in niger, kill 21 officers
Vigilante in Yobe gunned down Fulani herder over alleged destruction of farmland
By: Zagazola Makama
A Fulani herder has been shot dead and a vigilante injured following a confrontation between herders and security operatives in Jakusko Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that at about 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, a group of Fulani herdsmen were allegedly destroying farmlands in Lafiya, Saban, Garin, Sara, Jaba and Muguram villages.
According to him, a joint patrol team comprising the police, Joint Task Force (JTF) and vigilantes was immediately deployed to the affected areas.
“Upon arrival at the scene, one of the herders attacked a vigilante, Saidu Yau of Lafiya village, with a machete, inflicting a deep cut on his left thigh.
“The same herder also attempted to attack a soldier, Private Adamu Ismail, attached to the JTF. The soldier, in self-defence, fired at the attacker, leading to his death,” said the sources.
The sources said that both the injured vigilante and the herder were rushed to the General Hospital, Jakusko, for medical attention.
“The herder was confirmed dead by a medical doctor, while the injured vigilante is responding to treatment,” the sources added.
Police sources said the remains of the deceased herder had been released to the Sarkin Fulani, Hon. Hassan Lamido Manu, pending the arrival of the family.
He said investigation into the incident was ongoing to ascertain the circumstances and prevent further clashes.
Vigilante in Yobe gunned down Fulani herder over alleged destruction of farmland
Crime
killings of 259 cattle spark rising tension as attack on herders escalate across Gwer West, Guma in Benue
killings of 259 cattle spark rising tension as attack on herders escalate across Gwer West, Guma in Benue
By: Zagazola Makama
Fresh tension is building in Benue State following coordinated attacks on Fulani herders and the killing of hundreds of cattle in Gwer West and Guma Local Government Areas, in incidents that could trigger another cycle of violence if not urgently addressed.
According to field reports made available to Zagazola Makama, heavily armed men, alleged by herder associations to be members of local security outfits, supported by local security outfits, launched multiple assaults on pastoral communities since Nov. 12, killing an estimated 259 cattle in two separate attacks.
The first incident occurred near Naka in Gwer West LGA, where the government backed security outfits operating on motorcycles and vehicles reportedly targeted herders grazing peacefully in the area. The cattle owners Abdullahi Musa said 50 of his cattle were killed, Wakili Musa another harder said 51 of his livestock were killed while Maibargo Abubakar lost 21 of his cattle in the ambush without any provocation.
Multiple Witnesses said the attackers transported the carcasses of the killed animals into Naka town in broad daylight, where they were seen celebrating. Some of the community members described the attack as “deliberate provocation aimed at escalating ethnic tensions.”
A second attack was recorded the same day behind Okohol village near Ikpam in Guma LGA, where another group of armed men reportedly killed 137 cattle belonging to Alhaji Anaruwa Yongo and his brother. Several carcasses were reportedly removed from the scene while others remained littered across the grazing area.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that military personnel deployed in the affected corridors visited some of the locations after the incidents and confirmed the attacks. Security operatives, however, have not issued an official statement on the attacks while government of Benue remained mum.
Leaders of pastoralist communities described the Benue incidents as part of a “recurring, underreported pattern” of attacks on Fulani herders in several states, including Enugu, Niger and Kebbi. They accuse some local authorities of quietly supporting armed groups that target pastoralists, while only issuing statements when reprisals occur.
Community representatives further allege that despite repeated reports and identification of perpetrators in past incidents, the Benue State Government has not taken concrete steps to halt the killings, creating what they describe as “a climate of impunity that encourages attacks.”
They warn that the continued silence from state actors, coupled with worsening hostilities, risks sparking a renewed wave of communal violence.
They appealed for urgent intervention from federal security agencies, including Defense Headquarters and the Office of the National Security Adviser, to prevent further escalation.
They also called for an impartial investigation into the killings, protection for vulnerable herders, and proactive engagement with community leaders to avert retaliatory attacks.
They described the situation as “a ticking time bomb” and urged the Federal Government to address what they see as a widening security gap that could destabilize the region if left unchecked.
killings of 259 cattle spark rising tension as attack on herders escalate across Gwer West, Guma in Benue
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