National News
Two Nigerian Qatar-based drug lords arrested as NDLEA intercepts consignment at Lagos airport
Two Nigerian Qatar-based drug lords arrested as NDLEA intercepts consignment at Lagos airport
By: Michael Mike
Two Qatar-based drug kingpins, Eyah Nnamdi, alias Murphy and Ugwuoke Oluchukwu have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following the interception of their methamphetamine consignment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
A press statement signed by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said Ugwuoke was the first to be arrested on 9th June during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers at the departure point, Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport.
Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA officers discovered that the suspect was travelling to Doha with an Ivorian international passport with the name Hien Narcisse, noting that a further scrutiny of his black carry-on luggage led to the discovery of a false bottom concealment of two parcels of crystalline substance that tested positive to methamphetamine weighing 1 kilogramme.
He added that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a Nigerian who had gone to obtain an Ivorian passport for his travels, stressing that the suspect confessed that he travelled to Qatar in August 2022 and returned from the Arab nation about two months ago to perfect arrangement for the movement of the drug consignment.
The spokesman said a further probe led operatives to discover that his Qatar-based senior partner in the trade simply identified as Murphy was lurking around in Eziani, his home town in Nsukka local government area of Enugu State, Ugwuoke claimed he holds a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the Federal Polytechnic Oko.
Babafemi said a prompt deployment of NDLEA operatives on 10th June to Eziani community of Nsukka local government area of Enugu State, led to the arrest of ‘Murphy’ whose true identity was later discovered to be Eyah Nnamdi, who had lived in Indonesia for some years before relocating to Doha, Qatar.
Anti-narcotic officers have also arrested a female pharmacist, Ikwebe Ori in Kaduna following her attempts to use forged documents to purchase and distribute six cartons of pentazocine injection with 2,000 ampules.
She was said to have confessed she used fake documents of a Kaduna hospital to order the drug, which she planned to distribute in Kaduna, Abuja and Sokoto.
The consignment was initially intercepted at the local wing of the Lagos airport while being sent to Kaduna by a freight agent.
In another clampdown by NDLEA operatives in Niger state, a total of 1,072 kilogrammes of cannabis in two raids were seized first last Thursday, 726 kilogrammes of the illicit substance was recovered at Oyoyo filling station along Kaduna – Abuja express road where four suspects: Aminu Mohammed, 50; Nasiru Mohammed, 30; Rabiu Haruna, 29, and Hamza Abubakar, 18 were arrested.
The following day, the operatives intercepted a Mercedes 1422 truck marked MKD 116ZM on its way from Umunede, Delta state with gallons of palm oil to be delivered at Garki market in Abuja.
Babafemi disclosed that the truck driver, Jekwe Udenze, 38, along with his two assistants: Gabriel Nzekwube, 43, and Chima Uzoma, 42, stopped over at Uromi, Edo State and loaded 19 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 346 kilogrammes to be delivered at Dumez Luxury Park along Kaduna road, Suleja to Ignatius Mokwe, 47. Both the driver and his two assistants as well as the owner of the illicit consignment, Ignatius Mokwe have been arrested.
A total of 30.9 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed in Delta, Edo and Ondo in the past week. In Delta, 18 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed last Monday in Umuchime village, Ogume, Ndokwa West local government area by NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers. Four suspects arrested on the farms include two men and the same number of women: Kingsley Atuola, 40; Okikiolu Adekunle, 44; Osai Doris, 40, and Ublenu Joy, 28.
In Edo state, operatives last Wednesday stormed Awakpa forest in Owan West local government area, where they arrested Malachy Amaechi; Nanmua Peter; Ojo Momoh; Afam Luke and John Danladi who were apprehended inside a hut located on 2.5 hectares of cannabis farm, which was destroyed and 102 kilogrammes of the substance already harvested recovered. Another farm measuring about 1.3 hectares was also destroyed with the three farms razed totalling about 4 hectares.
In another operations, operatives last on Saturday raided the house of a dealer, Godwin Ejiro, 45, at Uyiwnendi community, Ikpoba Oka local government area, where quantities of illicit drugs including cocaine, heroin, meth, swinol and cannabis were recovered. In Ondo state, John Emmanuel, 30, was arrested at Ofosu, with 81 kilogrammes cannabis last Thursday while operatives on same day nabbed Gideon Akoh at Ala forest where a total of nine hectares of farm were destroyed and 12 kilogrammes harvested substance recovered.
While 93.7 kilogrammes of the psychoactive substance was evacuated from a shop in Enugu metropolis last Saturday, a wanted notorious dealer, Kwada Vendi, 37, was arrested with 30.6 kilogrammes cannabis at Maimari, Maiduguri, in Borno state last Tuesday. In Bauchi state, 87,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect, Tony Ogbonna, 40, by NDLEA operatives at Yelwa, Bauchi town last Saturday.
A total of 13,800 pills tramadol consignment abandoned by a suspect going to Geidam, Yobe State was recovered at Yankaba Park, Kano last Wednesday, while same day in Benue state, a suspect, Chidera Gabriel was arrested with 22,100 pills of the same pharmaceutical opioid at an NDLEA check point in Vandeikya.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the officers and men of MMIA, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Kano, Niger, Borno, Benue, Bauchi and Enugu Commands of the agency for their vigilance and professionalism in the discharge of their responsibilities. He also charged them and their colleagues across the country not to rest on their oars.
Two Nigerian Qatar-based drug lords arrested as NDLEA intercepts consignment at Lagos airport
Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge
By: Zagazola Makama
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the sudden death of an unidentified man who collapsed and died at Government House Lodge, Minna. Zagazola learnt that the incident occurred on Friday, Aug. 2, 2025.
Sources said that the deceased had visited House No. 8, Government House Lodge, in an attempt to see Mr. Sammy, Chairman of Niger Foods. However, upon meeting his host’s absence, the man suddenly took ill.
Medical doctors were reportedly contacted from the IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, for urgent attention. Unfortunately, by the time the doctor arrived, the man had already passed away.
Following the report, a team of police operatives from GRA Division visited the scene. The body was photographed and evacuated to the IBB Specialist Hospital Mortuary for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Unidentified visitor dies suddenly at Niger Government House Lodge
Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027
By Amina Ahmed Dankawuwa
The Senator representing Bauchi South at the national assembly, Senator Shehu Buba Umar has accepted the calls by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial District to contest for Governorship come 2027.
The Director General of the campaign for the actualisation of Sen Buba’s Gubernatorial ambition, Alhaji Muhammad Sade (Usman) accepted the calls on behalf of the Senator during a town hall meeting held on Saturday by the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bauchi North Senatorial in Azare.
He appealed to members of APC to maintain peace with all other aspirants within the party.
“Let’s respect other aspirants, such that anybody who win the primary election can have will be assisted by others, so we must value and respect each other”, he reasoned.
Muhammad Sade also called on party members to commence looking for delegates for ahead of the party primaries.
“It is now that we have to look for those that have votes. I call on our esteemed supporters to start mobilizing for delegate”, he emphasized.
He also advised social media handlers (citizens journalist) to avoid creating problems for personal gain, adding that social media some times create a lot of problem within and out side the party endorsed Senator representing Bauchi South, Senator Shehu Buba Umar for Bauchi Governor come 2027.
Baushe Daily Times reports that members of the APC gathered in thousands during the meeting in Azare during which they unanimously agreed to support Senator Shehu Buba for Governor come 2027.
Earlier in a welcoming address, former majority leader in the Bauchi state house of assembly, Hon Tijjani Mohammed Aliyu, the choice to support Sen Shehu buba Umar’s Governorship ambition was due to his concern and care he has for the people of Bauchi state.
“He respects us, he values our people politically and he also call on party members to respect each other because politics shouldn’t be considered as a do or die affair”, he said.
Also speaking, Alhaji Bashir Bukar Rimin Zayam charged the youth to cast their votes for the youth only and avoid voting older politicians who will always be going abroad for medical attention.
He therefore, appealed to members of APC to mobilised people to support Sen Shehu Buba for Governor.
Among those who attended the town hall meeting include state assembly member Azare/Madangala Hon Zakariyya sale maigero, comr sabo Mohammed S A to Sen Shehu Buba on media and communication, Hon kasuwa Shehu Damana, Hon Adamu Fanta Misau, Hon maiwada Misau,Hon Mohammed Hassan, Barr Muktar Umar, Alhaji Nura Adamu among others.
Bauchi Guber: Sen Buba accepts calls by Bauchi North APC members to contest in 2027
NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy
By: Michael Mike
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned in strong terms the closure of Badeggi Radio in Niger State by the State Governor Mohammed Bago, discribing it as not only a suppression of press freedom but an affront to democracy.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission Dr Tony Ojukwu, condemned the action while reacting to the ugly incident. He said the governor’s decision to shut down the radio station without following due process is disappointing and a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Ojukwu noted that the consequences of suppressing press freedom are far-reaching and can lead to increased government opacity, reduced citizen participation, creat obstacles to accountability, and weakening of democratic institutions.
He said: “The arbitrary shutdown of media outlets undermines the checks and balances essential to a functioning democracy.”
He called on Governor Bago to immediately unseal the Radio Station and allow it to resume full operations, asking him to channel issues concerning any alleged unconstitutional operations of the Radio Station to the appropriate authority and not act with impunity.
He said: “This is both a moral imperative and a democratic requirement.”
Ojukwu who is also the president of the Network of National Human Rights Institutions in West Africa ( NNHRI-WA) urged the governments to protect journalists and media freedom, foster a culture of tolerance, and support independent media. “Journalists must be able to operate without fear of harassment, intimidation, or violence,” He emphasized.
He lamented that the media has severally come under attack in various forms, a situation he termed as unacceptable in a civilized society.
He called on the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to be firm in carrying out its Statutory mandate which must not be abused at any slight opportunity.
He used the opportunity to ask media practitioners to be professional at all times in order to prevent needless censorship by political office holders.
He also called on Nigerian Guild of Editors to provide professional guidance at regular intervals as this will curb the use of hate speech, fake news and other unprofessional conducts capable of adversely affecting the media houses.
He insisted that the Commission remains committed to promoting and protecting human rights in Nigeria and would continue to monitor the situation closely.
NHRC: Closure of Badeggi Radio, A Suppression of Press Freedom, Affront to Democracy
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