Crime
Wanted kingpin, Chadian, grandpa arrested over London-bound shipment
Wanted kingpin, Chadian, grandpa arrested over London-bound shipment
By: Michael Mike
A suspected drug kingpin wanted for alleged attempts to ship illicit drug consignments to the United Kingdom tops the list of arrests made by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA through interdiction operations that led to the seizure of four tons of illicit substances in the past week.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, Obiorah Chigozie has been on the wanted list of the NDLEA since 15th September 2023 when a consignment of 1.5 kilogrammes skunk concealed in flour going to London, UK was intercepted at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, during which his freight agent, Nworah Adaugo was arrested.
Babafemi said that Obiorah convinced that the 1.5 kilogrammes consignment had sailed through, walked into the agency’s dragnet last Thursday when he personally brought another tranche of 2 kilogrammes concealed in cartons to the airport for shipment to the UK. He noted that during interrogation, Obiorah claimed he was into shoes sales in Lagos before venturing into the illicit drug business.
He said operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Command of the agency last Friday intercepted a container truck with registration number BD G41 XM coming from Lagos to Kano at the Gwagwalada area of the FCT, revealing that no less than 1,188 kilogrammes of skunk loaded at Owo, Ondo state and hidden under cartons of toothpaste were recovered from the truck and its driver, Amafan Fattison, 28, arrested.
In the same vein, NDLEA officers in Bayelsa state last Wednesday seized 432 kilogrammes of the same substance from an abandoned J5 bus along Saipem road, Opolo, Yenagoa. The vehicle was equally recovered from the scene for further investigation.
In Kano, a septuagenarian grandpa, Ado Mai Unguwa, was arrested last Saturday with 143.2 kilogrammes skunk in Dindere village, Tofa local government area, while operatives in Enugu same day recovered 110.6 kilogrammes of same substance from a locked-up shop at Aria new market.
Babafemi revealed that operatives in Lagos on Saturday stormed the notorious Idi-Oro drug enclave in Mushin where they seized 212.5 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa belonging to a wanted drug lord. This is even as NDLEA officers in Kwara state recovered 104 kilogrammes of skunk from a Toyota Camry car in Offa area of the state, while a Chadian, Mohammed Ibrahim, 25, was nabbed at Mafa check point, Borno state with 11.8 kilogrammes of same substance last Monday.
He said in Plateau, the state police command in the spirit of inter-agency collaboration transferred four suspects: Yusuf Akim; Frank Gah; Jackson Ejeh and Joseph Utsu, and 1,978 kilogrammes cannabis recovered from them to the state command of NDLEA, while in Cross River, operatives last Monday seized 40,000 ampules of pentazocine injection from two suspects: Fajulugbe Adeshola, 35, and Nnaorji Agwe, 54, at Mobil by MCC road, Calabar.
Also in Kogi state, NDLEA officers last Wednesday arrested a suspect, Ifeanyi Odoh, 25, with 59,867 pills of opioids including Tramadol and 4.03 kilogrammes cannabis sativa at Idah area of the state.
Babafemi dissident the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy activities equally continued across the country in the past week. He noted that some of the activities include: WADA advocacy visit to the Director/CEO, Nigeria French Village, Badagry, Lagos, Prof. Lateef Ayeleru by the Seme Special Area command of NDLEA; WADA sensitisation lecture at Ar-Rahmania College of Health Sciences, Minna, Niger state; WADA advocacy lecture at Pentecostal Academy, Aba, Abia state and WADA sensitisation lecture for students and staff of School of Nursing, Eket, Akwa Ibom state among others.
Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Lagos, FCT, Bayelsa, Borno, Kogi, Kwara, Cross River, Borno and Enugu Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Wanted kingpin, Chadian, grandpa arrested over London-bound shipment
Troops intercept suspected Boko Haram fuel suppliers in Yobe
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted a vehicle loaded with suspected logistics supplies for Boko Haram terrorists in Yusufari Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Security sources said the operation was carried out late on March 24 by troops of the 241 Battalion deployed at a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Jajimaji.
According to the sources, the troops, while on night patrol, intercepted two vehicles loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at a filling station located in Yusuf Abah in Yusufari.
“On sighting the troops, the vehicles attempted to flee the scene, prompting a pursuit by the soldiers. One Golf vehicle was successfully intercepted, while the second vehicle escaped,” the source said.
A search conducted on the intercepted vehicle revealed seven sacks filled with PMS, each containing about 77 litres.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Mohammed Idi, 25, and a motor boy, Mero Umra, 21, were arrested.
Also apprehended were the filling station manager, Hasan Liman, 50, and a security guard, Jibril Audu, 28.
Further search led to the recovery of a cash sum of N1.6 million suspected to be proceeds or funds linked to the illicit supply operation.
The suspects and recovered items are currently in military custody pending further investigation.
The interception illustrates ongoing efforts by troops of Operation Hadin Kai to disrupt the logistics network sustaining insurgent activities in the North-East.
Troops intercept suspected Boko Haram fuel suppliers in Yobe
Seven soldiers killed in ambush in tillabéri region in Niger Republic
By: Zagazola Makama
At least seven soldiers of the Nigerien Defence and Security Forces (FDS) have been killed in a deadly ambush following an incursion by suspected fighters of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (EIGS) near Sanam in Tillabéri Region.
Security sources said the incident occurred on Tuesday, March 24, in the Sanam area, located in Abala Department.
According to the sources, heavily armed assailants attacked Wanni village at about 9:00 a.m., rustling livestock before fleeing the scene.
The FDS reportedly launched a pursuit operation but were ambushed by the attackers during the chase.
A provisional toll indicates that seven soldiers were killed, while two others sustained serious injuries and were evacuated to Niamey for medical treatment.
The sources further disclosed that one military vehicle and its crew remain unaccounted for as of the time of filing this report.
Tillabéri Region, in western Niger, has remained a hotspot of extremist violence, with frequent attacks attributed to armed groups linked to the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara.
Seven soldiers killed in ambush in tillabéri region in Niger Republic
Troops arrest two suspected terrorists’ informants in Damboa axis in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested two suspected informants linked to Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists in the general area of Damboa Local Government Area of Borno.
A military source said the suspects, identified as Musa Alhaji Isah, 28, and Akona Alhaji, 30, were apprehended at about 5:30 a.m. on March 23 by troops of 25 Brigade during routine operations.
The suspects, both natives of Shiwari community in Damboa LGA, were intercepted following suspicious movements within a location described as “Serial 7 general area,” an outer deployment zone leading to the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorists’ enclave.
According to the source, preliminary findings suggest that the suspects may have been conducting reconnaissance for terrorist elements operating in the axis.
Items recovered from them include two bicycles, one mobile phone, three daggers, a torchlight, a wristwatch, charms, and a cash sum of N6,900.
The suspects are currently in the custody of the Military Intelligence Response unit for further investigation.
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