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NDLEA detains 22 Indians over cocaine shipment,ntercepts illicit drugs in coffee sachets

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By Ebinum Samuel

 

 

Wanted female drug kingpin ‘Mama Kerosine’ arrested in Ibadan; large consignments of opioids, skunk recovered in Borno, Lagos, Kwara, Jigawa raids

 

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted various quantities of illicit substances including Ketamine, Ecstasy and Tramadol pills concealed in sachets of coffee mix and book parcel heading to Zambia and the United Kingdom.

The seizures made at a courier company in Lagos on 24th and 29th December 2025 came just as the Agency has taken into custody 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, in which 31.5 kilograms of cocaine were seized by operatives at the GDNL terminal, Apapa port Lagos on Friday 2nd January 2026.

Those detained in connection with the discovery of the 31.5kg cocaine in hatch 3 of the ship which originated from Marshall Islands, include the Master of the Vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan and 21 other crew members, namely: Bharati Manoj Kumar; Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund; Nadar Anthony Macson David; Kolusu Srinivasa Rao; Sagar Gaurav; Francis Anto Beemas Nester; Jagdeep Singh; Jai Parkash; Prabhukhan Singh; Nevage Sandesh Suresh; Pandey Prashant; Nittu Anand; Akash Babu; Dasari Raju; Reddy Nandika Sanjeeba; Rana Nivesh; Melethil Insaf Rahman; Barla Chantanya Krishna; Ghosh Arijit; Mondal Raihan; and

Gangwar Shiv Om.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Oyo state on Monday 29th December 2025 arrested a wanted female drug kingpin who is a major illicit drug distributor in Ibadan, the state capital. The 65-year-old grandma, Fatima Ilori, popularly known as Mama Kerosine was nabbed in an intelligence-led operation following the seizure of 238.4kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, linked to her. She was arrested along with another female suspect Olusanya Abosede, 35, at Onireke/Elekuro area of Ibadan.

In Borno state, the supply chain of illicit drugs to insurgents was further disrupted with the arrest of two suppliers and seizure of large consignments of illicit substances. While one of the suspects, Isa Mohammed, 26, was arrested by NDLEA operatives following the interception of 9,150 ampoules of Tramadol Injection along Maiduguri-Gamboru Ngala road on Friday 2nd January 2026, the other suspect Musa Samaila, 30, was nabbed with 34,000 capsules of Tramadol at Biu market same day.

Not less than 400kg skunk was recovered along with a van at Mobolaji Johnson area of Lagos on new year day, Thursday 1st January, while a suspect Bilya Ibrahim, 39, was arrested at a motor park in Hadejia town, Jigawa State on Tuesday 30th December 2025 while trying to transport 260 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 140.8kg, which he procured from Taraba State to Nguru, Yobe State.

 

 

In Kwara state, NDLEA officers on Tuesday 30th December recovered 238.50kg skunk from the home of a suspect at Asadam area of Ilorin, while a total of 32,000 pills of tramadol and diazepam were seized from another suspect Abubakar Rabiu, 32, at Bode Saadu, Morro LGA, on new year eve, Wednesday 31st December 2025.

In like manner, Commands and formations of the Agency 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. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Madrasatu Fadimatul Zahra Sabuwar Abuja Kankia, Kankia LGA, Katsina; members of Topo Youth Progressive Organisation, Topo Badagry, Lagos; and residents of Madalla community at the palace of Hakimi Madalla, Niger state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Apapa, Oyo, Borno, Lagos, Kwara and Jigawa Commands for the arrests, and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the ongoing drug control efforts of the Agency.

From Indigenous Apprenticeship to Formalized Professional Practice: The Igbo Business System and Omniversity Imperial College’s Competency-Based Evaluation Framework

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Professor Tokunbo Akeredolu-Ale PhD

 

 

The Igbo apprenticeship system stands as one of Africa’s most coherent indigenous models of professional formation, enterprise succession, and competency validation. Its logic is not academic credentialism but verified capability, ethical conduct, economic relevance, and social trust.

 

Apprenticeship within the Igbo system is governed by clearly understood norms: learning occurs through immersion, assessment is continuous and observational, recognition is earned through demonstrable mastery, and progression culminates in formal settlement that confers independent professional standing. These principles align directly, not symbolically but structurally, with the professional practice education, evaluation, and qualification architecture of Omniversity Imperial College.

 

Omniversity Imperial College Lagos Nigeria is positioned deliberately as a professional practice education, executive development, and competency validation institution. Its institutional logic mirrors the Igbo apprenticeship philosophy by operating exclusively within Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning, Competency Based Education, Structured Recognition, and ISO aligned governance frameworks. Just as the Igbo system does not rely on classroom examinations to determine readiness, Omniversity does not operate within Nigeria’s statutory university degree framework and does not award NUC regulated academic degrees. Its awards are explicitly professional, practice based, competency validated, and industry aligned, reflecting the same distinction the Igbo system has always maintained between learning and formal academic schooling.

 

In the Igbo apprenticeship model, the master practitioner functions as both mentor and assessor, continuously evaluating the apprentice’s technical competence, judgment, reliability, and ethical comportment.

 

Omniversity Imperial College institutionalizes this role through qualified assessors, professional panels, and evidence based evaluation processes. Assessment is grounded in portfolios, documented experience, applied projects, interviews, and competency mapping rather than abstract theory. This approach formalizes what has historically been informal but rigorous in Igbo commercial culture: the validation of real capability through sustained performance under supervision.

 

The settlement phase of the Igbo apprenticeship is the system’s ultimate validation mechanism. It represents recognition that the apprentice has achieved professional independence and is worthy of trust within the commercial ecosystem.

 

Omniversity’s *practice qualifications* perform an equivalent function within modern professional governance structures.

 

The *Bachelor of Practice* recognizes foundational competence and readiness for workforce participation.

 

The *Master of Practice* validates advanced applied mastery and leadership capability.

 

The *Doctor of Practice* confirms terminal professional authority grounded in industry impact and governance competence.

 

Each award is explicitly non academic, legally distinct from university degrees, and transparently positioned as a professional recognition of demonstrated capability.

 

This mirrors the Igbo principle that recognition follows proof, not aspiration.

 

The *Professor of Practice* designation at Omniversity further reflects indigenous recognition traditions.

 

In Igbo society, elders and master traders who have demonstrated sustained excellence, mentorship, and community impact are accorded elevated status and authority.

 

The *Professor of Practice* title similarly recognizes distinguished professionals with verifiable industry leadership and societal contribution. It is not an academic professorial rank and is not governed by statutory university rules. Instead, it aligns with global Professor of Practice norms that emphasize lived expertise, governance maturity, and professional legacy.

Regulatory clarity is a central strength of Omniversity Imperial College Lagos Nigeria’s framework and resonates with the Igbo system’s respect for defined roles and boundaries.

 

Under Nigerian law, universities are statutory degree awarding bodies, while professional institutes operate under corporate and professional governance.

 

Omniversity functions lawfully as a professional education provider, a practice qualification awarding institution, and a competency assessment body. It does not require NUC accreditation because it does not claim degree awarding university status. This clear separation mirrors the Igbo distinction between traditional trade mastery and formal Western education, each respected but not conflated.

Professional governance affiliations with bodies such as NITAD and CILRM further reinforce institutional legitimacy without misrepresenting academic authority. These affiliations support ethical standards, leadership development, and professional practice validation while explicitly not conferring academic accreditation. This governance model is consistent with the Igbo apprenticeship tradition, where legitimacy derives from peer recognition, guild like accountability, and reputation rather than state certification.

 

Omniversity’s integrated professional pathway reflects the structured progression embedded in the Igbo apprenticeship system. Advancement is sequential, competency driven, and evidence based. No level is honorary or automatic. Each stage demands verifiable performance, ethical alignment, and industry relevance. Certificates and transcripts carry explicit legends clarifying their professional, non academic nature, ensuring transparency for employers, partners, and regulators. This mirrors the Igbo emphasis on clear social signaling, where one’s status is understood through demonstrated role and function within the community.

 

Honorary distinctions at Omniversity Imperial College further parallel traditional Igbo recognition practices. In Igbo society, exceptional contributors to commerce, leadership, education, and community development are publicly honored based on merit, impact, and character. Omniversity’s honorary framework follows the same logic, awarding recognition strictly on demonstrated societal, educational, business, organizational, and leadership impact. These conferments are not earned through coursework and do not substitute for professional practice qualifications, reinforcing the integrity of both earned and honorary recognition.

 

In synthesizing indigenous African practice with globally intelligible professional frameworks, Omniversity Imperial College does not imitate tradition but formalizes it. The Igbo apprenticeship system provides historical proof that competency based, practice driven education produces resilient professionals and sustainable economic ecosystems. Omniversity Imperial College translates this proven logic into a structured, legally compliant, and internationally legible model of professional evaluation and recognition. In doing so, it affirms that Africa’s indigenous knowledge systems are not inferior precursors to modern education but foundational architectures upon which credible contemporary professional institutions can be built.

 

*Professor Tokunbo Akeredolu-Ale* _PhD_ President Chairman BOT GC Omniversity Imperial College Missouri USA and Lagos Nigeria

www.omvic.us

+2348185000488

+2347068431124

KARIMI: NASS WILL BACK TINUBU ON TRILLIONS OF NAIRA STOLEN LG FUNDS

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By Ebinum Samuel

 

 

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services and Senator Representing Kogi West Zone, Sunday Steve Karimi, says the National Assembly fully backs President Bola Tinubu’s admonition on practical and unfettered financial autonomy for the local government tier of government. He said the parliament will enact relevant laws to compel strict adherence to the Supreme Court judgment on fiscal autonomy for the third tier of government.

 

Karimi who spoke when he hosted his constituents during the yuletide break, recalled the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria of July 25, 2024, which directed seamless federal allocation of funds to the 774 councils. He quoted the judgement to have said that “state governors’ control over local government resources as unconstitutional, while also voiding caretaker committees as illegal.” Senator Karimi observed that the judgement aimed to “strengthen grassroots democracy and governance by ensuring that allocations go directly to elected officials, without state interference.” He recalled that the overall aim of the ruling is also to improve service delivery at the critical local government level of the governance pyramid.

 

Despite this very clear, explicit and unambiguous declaration by the highest court in the land, however, Karimi observed that some states have continued to disregard and disrespect the ruling. According to Karimi, “cognisant of the errant conduct of some state governors on the issue, President Tinubu warned at the recent National Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) a fortnight ago, that he may be compelled to issue an Executive Order to whip defaulting governors into line.” The President, Senator Karimi observed, had exercised restraint for so long with non-conformists, despite the fact that he has the powers to impose on them to do what is right.

 

Said Karimi: “The National Assembly will prioritise the matter of the non-adherence of certain governors across the broad spectrum, to the subsisting Supreme Court ruling on local government financial autonomy. We will back the President with relevant laws which will be retroactively effective. The laws will track the kleptomania and squandermania of governors who have been looting the commonwealth of the people of Nigeria. They will be prosecuted, compelled to make returns and punished for undermining the wellbeing of the generality of the people, by wilfully stealing what rightly belongs to them.”

 

Speaking further, Karimi said that trillions of naira had been pilfered from the resources of Nigerians by gluttonous governors. His words: “There is general consensus that no administration in contemporary history has made as much resources available to states and local government areas as the Tinubu government, but the people are barely feeling the impact in many places. During the screening of service chiefs recently, the chief of Defence staff noted that not allowing LGAs to function has contributed to insecurity in the country, creating lots of ungoverned space in the country. Some governors, their godfathers and members of their cabals, put a knife on local government funds every month, as their own “dessert” after meals.”

 

This, the Kogi West Senator noted, “is why the local government system is dysfunctional and incapable of rendering the most basic services to their constituents. It is the reason many parts of the country have become dangerous ungoverned spaces and operational bases for terrorists. Governors who have been wilfully denying the people the resources for development, their aiders and abetters, and their rabid defenders in the media will meet their comeuppance when the parliament enables the appropriate legislations.”

 

According to Senator Karimi, in some states of the federation, what is being done is outright stealing of LGAs allocation. While local government funds are transferred to the LGAs bank accounts, the state then operates voucher racketeering schemes, where documents are processed for fictitious jobs that are never executed, while the relevant supervisory councillors and chairmen are compelled to sign and approve such fraudulent vouchers which run into billions of naira monthly. No jobs are carried out, while funds are looted steadily and regularly. Chairmen dare not complain for the fear of their lives because the ruling gangs in some states are deadly.This type of fraud shouldn’t be happening in the 21st century in Nigeria.

WHITHER KOGI GOVERNMENT IN THE SECURITY FLARES IN KOGI WEST?

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By Tunde Olusunle

 

 

Frequent invasion of unsuspecting communities; random abductions-for-ransom and killings in Kogi West Senatorial Zone compel the question: Exactly what role is the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo playing in the mitigation of insecurity in the district? In the age of the internet, information processing and dissemination is real-time. Happenings in Sokoto in the North West; Borno in the North East; Kwara in the North Central; Oyo in the South West; Edo in the South South and Enugu in the South East are relayed via terrestrial channels, instantaneously and the world is aware and abreast by the minute. Responsive governments swing into action immediately tracking the criminals and dialoguing with them with the aim of securing the safe release of victims.

 

 

Apart from their well-earned prominence in the media owing to their positive, productive and impactful service to their constituents, Governors Baba Gana Zulum of Borno; Umaru Bago of Niger, and Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of Kwara states have been seen on several occasions, receiving freed abductees. The victims of the gunmen attack on the Christ Apostolic Church, (CAC), Eruku, Kwara State, November 19, 2025, were released to Governor Abdulrasaq Sunday November 23, 2025. It is a measure of the direct involvement of the Kebbi State Government in the management of the kidnapping on November 19, 2025, of 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, (GGCSS), in Maga, Kebbi State, that Governor Nasir Idris frontally challenged the security sector for ignoring the actionable intelligence which he provided well ahead of the invasion of the school.

 

 

The victims of the abduction were released November 26, 2025, following the direct intervention of President Bola Tinubu who dispatched the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle to Kebbi State immediately after the incident, to lead the rescue operation. The 315 schoolchildren who were taken by hoodlums from St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, Friday November 21, 2025, were released in batches to Governor Umaru Bago, with the last group gaining their freedom on Monday December 29, 2025. All of these attest to the genuine concern of the leaderships of the states under reference and the federal government, for safety of their citizens, where the guarantee of the safety and security of the citizenry is the foremost responsibility of leadership.

 

It is common knowledge that Kogi West has been the unfortunate hotbed of a motley of criminal activities. The wilful invasion of settlements and communities by vagrants; the audacious blockage of roads and highways in the district; attacks and kidnappings from homes, farms and churches, have become dangerously recurrent. Monday June 16, 2025, 72-year old farmer and Chairman of the Kogi State Poultry Farmers Association, Samuel Ajayi Bello, was kidnapped from his farm in Ponyan, Yagba East local government area. Chief Ajayi a diabetic, who was released several weeks after upon the payment of a hefty ransom, was denied access to his medications while in extended captivity. Sadly, he had one of his legs amputated after the horrific incident, no thanks to gangrenous infection. Tuesday October 21, 2025, Moses Tuesday Omokore, younger brother of the business mogul, Jide Omokore and his wife were abducted from their home in Idofin, Isanlu, Yagba East council area and a N100million placed on them.

 

 

Weeks after the Eruku incident, terrorists attacked the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West local government area Sunday November 30, 2025, and took with them the Pastor, his wife and some parishioners. Sunday December 14, 2025, armed men on motorcycles violated the Evangelical Church Winning All, (ECWA) in Aiyetoro-Kiri community in Kabba-Bunu council area and took at least 30 residents of the sleepy settlement with them. Videos of the victims of the Aiyetoro-Kiri incident were made by their captors who kept them under very inhuman conditions. The hoodlums initially pursued the hard-line that they would only negotiate the release of their victims with the state government. The trademark insensitivity and nonchalance of the Kogi State Government, however, compelled the kidnappers to negotiate with community representatives. Out of “magnanimity,” they have dropped their demands to N20million. The Bunu Development Association, (BDA), recently told newsmen in Lokoja the Kogi State capital, that 21 villages in Bunuland had been sacked by marauders; 30 residents killed and 50 people still in captivity, following accentuated terrorism in recent months.

 

In all of these incidents, the response of the Kogi State Government has been at best tepid, if not totally unavailable. True, Ododo paid a fleeting visit to Isanlu-Esa in Yagba West on Monday October 6, 2025 following the sacking of Okunran, Okoloke and Isanlu-Esa communities by kidnappers and killers. He was indeed pictured in a military camouflage even as he promised that his administration would be ruthless with criminals. That so much evil, so much trepidation, sorrow, tears and blood have been visited on Kogi West in the aftermath of Ododo’s whistle-stop in Yagbaland attests to the ineffectuality of the battle-cry issued by Governor Ododo on that visit, three months ago now. The people have been practically left helpless and hapless, a situation which continues to task the resources of elected representatives of the zone and well-meaning, well to do individuals.

 

 

Following the abductions of the traditional ruler of Okoloke in Yagba West, Oba Dada Ogunyanda, Thursday May 15, 2025, and Chief Ajayi Bello, weeks later, Sunday Karimi, Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial Zone, and Leke Abejide, Member Representing Yagba federal constituency in the House of Representatives, were among those contacted to crowd-fund the ransom demands. Oba Ogunyanda for example was only released upon the payment of a N20million ransom, Karimi and Abejide being substantial contributors to the effort. Karimi and Duro Meseko, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), who is from Bunuland in Kabba-Bunu council area, have been contacted to support efforts being polled for the release of the Aiyetoro-Kiri captives.

 

As Member Representing Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency in the House of Representatives years ago, Tajudeen Yusuf it was who paid the bulk of the ransom demanded by the abductors of the man who would later succeed him, Salman Idris. Yahaya Bello was the sitting governor of Kogi State and was reportedly nonplussed and totally unconcerned by the incident. The pattern has remained the same as bloodhounds continue to cash in on the vulnerability of local communities, bleeding the resources of the public-spirited. Criminality has become a thriving enterprise in the traditionally clement and welcoming Kogi West.

 

With so much fiscal exertion repeatedly devolving on private individuals and the personal resources of a handful of public officers, it becomes imperative to interrogate the depth of the commitment of the Kogi State Government to mitigating insecurity in Kogi West. Recent media reports have indeed pointedly accused a former governor of the state as being the precipitator of insecurity in Kogi West, arising from his involvement in illegal mining activities in the mineral-rich zone. The incumbent governor is said to be incapable of any security containment strategy for the troubled senatorial district because he is a pliant, whimpering beneficiary of his predecessor who is incapable of dissent in any way. Except for the visible initiatives of Karimi, Abejide and specific communities, there seems to be no visible plan, no discernible strategy to restore order and sanity to the troubled Kogi West.

 

Karimi in October 2024, completed the development of a Forward Operating Base, (FOB), domiciled in Egbe, Yagba West, capable of accommodating 100 troops, and provided operational vehicles. The complex was commissioned by a representative of the erstwhile Chief of Army Staff, the late Lt. Gen Taoreed Lagbaja. Abejide recently launched an *Operation No Mercy* which is made up of trained vigilantes who will complement the efforts of existing security outfits. Their area of responsibility, (AOR), is Yagbaland, made up of Mopamuro, Yagba East and Yagba West councils. Clearly, these lawmakers are doing beyond their briefs to make up for lacunas precipitated by chronic state failure.

 

With so much resources accruing to the Kogi State Government from the federation account as statutory allocation; value added tax, (VAT); ecological funds; excess crude and indeed 13 percent derivation for oil producing state, governance ineptitude in the state is inexplicable. It is a total shame if a state which has produced a Chief of Defence Staff, (CDS); three Chiefs of Army Staff, (COAS), including the incumbent; two Chiefs of Air Staff, (CAS); one Chief of Naval Staff, (CNS); one Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) and two Chiefs of Defence Intelligence, (CDI), cannot develop a template to manage seething insecurity in one of its districts. It is evidence of glaring lack of capacity and sheer incompetence. The people of Kogi West may be inclined to believe the conspiracy theory in the security unsettledness in the zone as defined by the state government’s continuing inertia. Except the government acts swiftly to take charge of the drift.

 

 

*Tunde Olusunle, PhD, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors, (FANA), teaches Creative Writing at the University of Abuja*

Operation Ember Guard: NAF Hands Over Drug Suspects, Seized Narcotics to NDLEA 

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By Ebinum Samuel

 

 

The Nigerian Air Force, under the Joint Task Force South West, Operation AWATSE, has arrested drug suspects and recovered assorted narcotics during an intelligence-led operation in Lagos, handing them over to the National Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

 

 

 

Speaking during the briefing, Air Commodore Muhammed Imam, the Commander, Base Services Group and Air Component Commander of Operation AWATSE, said the operation was established to protect critical national assets and combat multiple security threats in the South West.

 

He said: “The Joint Task Force South West Operation AWATSE was established to halt pipeline vandalism, crude oil and petroleum product theft along the 72 kilometre pipeline from the Atlas Po to the Mosimi Depot. The operation is also an anti-banditry, anti-kidnapping, anti-robbery and anti-drug abuse operation.”

 

He said the launch of a follow-up operation was based on a Federal Government directive conveyed through the Chief of Defence Staff.

 

 

He said: “In line with this mandate and in accordance with the recent Federal Government of Nigeria Directive, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, directed the theatre commander of the operation to launch Operation Ember Guard.

 

“Accordingly, Operation Ember Guard was launched to deny criminal elements in the southwest the freedom of action”, which he said made sustained patrols and raids lead to the arrest of suspects in December.

 

“With 18,000 raid operation patrols and in this light, on the 28th of December, while leading an intelligent lead operation around Igimu, Tatuaru and Egbeda, we arrested these 16 drug suspects.”

 

 

 

He listed items recovered from the suspects to include crack form of cocaine, 60 pieces of loud, 40 pieces of coded cough syrup, Kola and barcadi, six barcode, two pieces of Russian cream.

 

“We also recovered three electronic skills. We recovered crushers as well as psychotropic drugs like rohypnol, as well as ice.”

 

The base commander, who said the suspects were transferred to the appropriate agency for further action, were afterwards handed over to the NDLEA, who are statutorily mandated to deal with this kind of issue.

 

Also speaking, Stephen Oboshua, NDLEA Deputy Commander of Narcotics and Area Commander of Teju, commended the Nigerian Air Force for the arrests.

 

Representing the NDLA leadership in Lagos, he expressed appreciation for inter-agency collaboration.

 

He said: “On behalf of the State Commander-in-Person of ACGM, Aba Kaurani, and the entire Lagos State Strategic Command, we are appreciating the efforts of the Nigerian Air Force for taking it upon themselves in the course of their duties to effect the arrest of these six suspects and the several drugs being displayed here right now.”

 

He said the agency remained firm in its stance against drug abuse and trafficking, just as he stressed the importance of sustained collaboration among security agencies.

 

“We appreciate the synergy that we are enjoying with other systems, agencies, especially with the Nigerian Customs and Air Force officers and the Nigerian Navy.”

 

He noted that the fight against drugs was critical to protecting young people and “we shall continue to help the Nigerians to reduce the proliferation of drugs in their society, which tends to affect our youth, especially the central nervous system that we know that these drugs are affecting. Most of these drugs are depressants, drugs, and psychoactive in nature”.

2026: A YEAR OF RENEWED EXPECTATIONS

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Senator Sunday Steve Karimi 

My Dear People of Kogi West Senatorial Zone, I send you greetings for the new year 2026. As a district in Kogi State, the previous year threw up peculiar challenges for us. Most worrying was the security unsettledness which upset the historical calm and serenity for which our district is reputed. Vagrants infiltrated our communities, abducted some of our loved ones and in instances, took some away before their time. May the souls of the departed rest in peace.

 

As your elected representative in the upper chambers of the federal legislature, permit me to assure you that this new year holds positive promise for our people on many fronts. Of common concern to us all is the condition of the Abaji-Lokoja; the Kabba-Isanlu-Egbe and the Kabba-Iyara-Omuo Ekiti roads which are at the core of day-to-day movement and socioeconomic activities for our people. We are unrelenting in our engagements with the federal government and I can assure you that there will be noticeable improvements in the new year. Please take this to the bank.

 

The disturbing security situation is equally receiving necessary attention. We have all seen an abatement in insecurity across the country in recent days. The *Forest Guards,* an amalgam of trained local hunters and vigilantes put in place by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, are being deployed to various states to support ongoing security management efforts. Terrorist activities are calming in the aftermath of Nigeria’s collaboration with the United States of America, (USA), to hit the strongholds of evil in parts of the country.

 

The Nigerian military has also revved up synchronised air and land clearances of cells and camps of bandits across the country. Kogi State and Kogi West will not be left out of this gradual security sweep. Gradually and assuredly, we shall be able to sleep with our eyes closed in times to come.

 

Mr President has shown faith in Kogi West in the area of appointments and recognitions for our people since the inception of his administration. The appointments of Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), and Prof Gbenga Solomon Ibileye as Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, (FUL), in recent weeks, is evidence of President Tinubu’s continuing confidence in the quality of human capital available to Nigeria from Kogi West.

 

Political activities will be on the ascendancy in the new year with the formal release of the 2027 electoral calendar by INEC. It behoves us in our district, to rally support for President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, whose *Renewed Hope Agenda* continues to impact the country in positive ways. We stand to benefit more with the continuity of a leader who has done as much for us as President within his initial two and half years in office. He will indeed do more.

 

I conclude by admonishing our people to keep hope alive and glowing. Better days beckon.

 

I thank you for your attention and wish you a most eventful and prosperous 2026.

 

 

*Senator Sunday Steve Karimi*

*Senator Representing Kogi West Senatorial Zone*

*Chairman, Senate Committee on Services*

To be your best in 2026

Posted on by admin50

 

 

By Ayo Oyoze Baje

 

 

Quote:

 

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice, and most of all, love of what you are learning to do.”

 

– Pele

 

 

My dear committed readers, faithful fans and fellow citizens of our country called Nigeria, you are most welcome to the new year, 2026 Being a pre-election year heightened by the peurial penchance of the political desperados to hang on to power at all costs;apprehensions are truly high. The sordid scenario is worsened by the tax masters who are out there to squeeze whatever is left of the pauperized populace daily struggling under the survival mode

in a harsh and inclement business environment With all of these and of course,

the on going battle against insecurity being fought in collaboration with the US military through airstrikes we, as a people are gradually gravitating towards the Darwian law of the jungle, exacerbating the survival of the fittest.

 

 

The bitter truth therefore, is that we should be prepared for eventualities, as events unfold But the million naira question remains-how are we going to navigate the thorny and twisted paths to fashion. our ways to survive the hard times?

 

 

According to Charles Darwin’s ‘Origin of Species,’ it is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is best able to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.” What that means is that we should be

willing, ready and capable of adapting to the environmental dynamics as they come.

 

 

But first and foremost we should be grateful to our Almighty Creator that we are part and parcel of 2026.. Are we not truly lucky? Yes,we are. So, big congratulations to you that you are still

alive, hale and hearty at this challenging moment in time. We must admit that it is not by our power, wisdom or might but by the sheer grace of God. Yet, the critical questions remain: How do we make the best of this new year? How do we bring out the best in us and succeed against all odds? The answers are not far-fetched.

 

 

Talking about odds, we must first and foremost swallow our base, primordial sentiments of both ethnicity and religion and admit that the harsh economic realities on ground could all have been prevented, with selfless leadership in place. But here we are currently battling with a debatable “Renewed Hope”.

 

 

Is it that of insecurity, with Nigeria ranked sixth on the Global Terrorism Index,GTI,

characterized by the wanton wasting of precious human lives as evidenced by the spate of blood-letting in Zamfara,Sokoto, Plateau and Benue states? Or, is it the high inflation rate, including that of food, fuel, school fees, rent and sundry consumables? These were worsened of course,by the sudden removal of the fuel subsidy by Mister President back in May 2023, without adequate plan for meaningful palliatives to ameliorate the suffering of over 133 million multi-dimensionally poor citizens? No matter how concerned he is about our suffering by the increase in the salaries of federal government workers, it does not make adequate impact by throwing money at self-cteated problems. Rather, you come up with sustainable policies to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. That might perhaps, explain why not a few multi-national manufacturing companies have exited the country and the well woven web of the ‘Japa Syndrome’ has become an alternative to some concerned citizens. One can go on and on.

 

 

But for those of us who still strongly believe in the great potentials inherent in the vast and varied resources that God has graciously blessed Nigeria with, how do we bring out the best in us? The answers are deep down there inside each and everyone of us, like the precious pearls of gold and diamond buried within the earth.

 

 

As yours truly has kept highlighting one year after another, this moment of the new year is that for sober reflection. Each of us is like an artist with an open canvas right before him. The pictures we paint on it, with the different colours and strokes would largely depend on the individual’s experiences. Whatever our ambition and projection for the year might be, they would be influenced and informed by what we see, hear, smell, eat as well as the people and places we have encountered over the years. And of course, the concrete actions we have taken to drive our dreams to the sunlight of reality.

 

 

The hard fact is that we have under utilized the huge potentials God has endowed us with. Put simply, each and everyone of us can do much better than we have been doing. According to experts on psychology, as revealed by Norman Vincent Pearl,

none of us has used more than 25% of the enormous powers God has deposited within us.

 

 

That brings into focus Bryan Adams inspirational note that:”Your potential is unlimited.Aspire to a higher place.Believe in your abilities, in your tasks, in your judgement”. But do we really know all the timeless treasures and golden goodies lying within us? No, we do not. And even the ones we are able to identify, we do not believe in them, with some of us underrating what they can do for us. So, where do we begin from?

 

 

Where else but from God, our all-wise, all-powerful, and all-gracious creator? He alone knows the all-important reasons for creating each and everyone of us and what sterling attributes He has abundantly deposited in each of us. Whatever religion we practise, it is therefore, significant for us to go to our maker with praises and supplication for all He has done for us and ask Him to reveal what He has blessed us with. It is important also to: “Know thyself and to thyself be true” as the wise ones have rightly admonished.

 

 

Going further, it is easy for us to know what these attributes are by answering the pertinent questions. What good things do I love to do, and do them so effortlessly that they bring me inner joy, satisfaction and fulfillment? What are my skills, talents, and hobbies?What do others find difficult to actualize but I find it as easy as dotting the ‘I”s and crossing the ‘T”s? What do other people quickly identify me with, once my name is mentioned? Whatever it is, never look down on them because that is the key to open your doors of Divine Destiny.

 

 

It could be to draw, to paint, to design clothes, shoes and bags. It could be to farm, to repair broken down gadgets, or to build houses. It could be to crack other people’s ribs, as a jester or comedian. That is your calling. Never look down on your God-given gifts. For instance, ace comedian, Ali Baba once trekked all the way from Ikorodu to Victoria Island, VI, Lagos in search of a white-collar job which he did not get. But once he identified his ability to make others laugh and honed it, his life trajectory changed for good! Now, people take flights from across the globe to seek for his service.That is it.

 

 

The next step to take is to work on your talents. It all starts with your mindset. Control it. Your subconscious mind is a fertile field. Sow life-giving seeds in it. Develop a Positive Mental Attitude, PMA. Do away with all negative thoughts. It takes absolute belief or faith in God and the abilities He has given you. It takes character, confidence, courage, commitment and self discipline. It takes hard work, humility, and honesty of purpose. It takes perseverance, learning and sacrifice, as the late Brazilian soccer genius and legend, Pele rightly mentioned, and as highlighted in the introductory quote.

 

 

Interestingly, all these sterling qualities the world has seen exhibited year after year, by unarguably one of the most consistent footballers the world has ever been blessed with, who is none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. He keeps shattering most soccer records, by not only bagging the most international goals ever scored by an individual, as well as achieving feats across different leagues but by being an embodiment of practice, passion, perseverance and persistence,while the world waits for him to reach the fantastic feat of reaching the remarkable 1,000 goals.

 

 

All these bring to the fore, Benjamin Franklin’s beautiful admonition, that: “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning”. That shows us the significance of the power of creativity. It simply means the ability to bring out new, unique and valuable perspectives to either existing products and conditions, or coming up with new ones. We all need this attribute at this trying time of economic hardship. As ace music producer, Kenny Ogungbe wisely stated, when you are holding up a partly filled cup of water you view it as either half-filled or half-drained. The choice is yours.

 

 

To underscore this point, Charles Darwin, brought the idea of the ‘Origin of Species’ with the ‘ Evolution Theory’ to the public sphere back in 1859. He explained that through the law of natural selection, as it favours only those who can easily adapt to changes. To do so we have to deploy our sense of creative ingenuity. And that is what the inventors of electric cars have done to gradually phase out fossil fuel-powered vehicles. In a similar scenario, solar- powered panels have come to gradually take over other sources of electric power supply. To survive the excruciating economic situation in the country, several Nigerians should refuse to give up against all odds.

 

 

As Ray Kroc, the man who bought over the Mc Donald’s franchise aptly stated:”Persistence pays”. We are all familiar with the inspiring story of the American, Abraham Lincoln who failed in business twice,lost in politics several times and suffered personal tragedies but eventually clinched the much elusive post of the president of the United States as he was elected in 1860. What about the scientists who came up with the first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep in 1996? Did you know how many times they tried before succeeding? 277 times! What would have happened if they had given up at the 276th trial? The answer is yours.

 

 

My dear brother, sister, friend and fan, if Mercy Johnson did not give up hope as a pure water seller in Lagos; if Victor Osimhen saw the sun smiling behind the dark clouds as a street hawker in Lagos, if Patoranking did not lose focus as a rat-killer seller and Funke Akindele was not discouraged by the Nollywood movie makers, who wrongly described her as lacking the attributes of a blockbuster movie artist, why should you?

 

 

But wait awhile. What was the common aptitude amongst the five of them? They believed in their abilities, in their dreams, in their tasks and in their judgement, as Bryan Adams wisely stated. So should you.

 

 

But remember, that whatever idea you plan to work on, you cannot do it alone. As Sam Walton rightly noted: ” Individuals do not win, but teams do”

 

 

Welcome to 2026, the year of limitless opportunities and possibilities. Keep going forward, against all odds.

Delta Police Nabs 43 Hoodlums On New Year Eve, Recover 25 Vehicles, 8 Tricycles ‎

Posted on by admin50

By Ebinum Samuel 

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‎The Delta State Police Command has decisively quelled violent disturbances orchestrated by 43 hoodlums and criminal elements who attempted to hijack the New Year Eve celebrations in parts of Asaba metropolis for their nefarious acts.

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According to the command spokesman, SP Edafe Bright,‎at about 12.00am on Thursday, January 1, 2026, Command operatives led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, DCP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, engaged in a robust township patrol comprising Divisional Police Officers, Tactical Commanders and their men to guarantee the safety of law-abiding residents and commuters during the festivities.

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‎During the operation, miscreants, touts and hoodlums, emboldened by the large crowd during the celebrations, engaged in acts of lawlessness by blocking major roads, illegal car races, reckless and dangerous driving, knocking down some commuters in the milieu, throwing fireworks at innocent members of the public and causing widespread public disturbance. The situation degenerated further as these hoodlums resorted to violent attacks on police patrol teams, hurling stones and other dangerous projectiles, while also burning tyres at key junctions, thereby deliberately obstructing free and safe movement, especially for worshippers returning from New Year church services.

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‎The Police, acting swiftly and professionally, deployed lawful crowd control measures to disperse the violent mob, restore order and prevent further breakdown of law and order.

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‎As a result of the operation, 43 suspects were arrested. Items recovered from them include 25 motor vehicles, 8 tricycles, fireworks, various hard drugs, and other dangerous offensive weapons. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of their involvement, after which they will be charged to court accordingly.

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‎The Delta State Police Command unequivocally condemns these criminal, reckless and unruly acts and wishes to issue a clear warning that any attempt to exploit festive periods to foment violence, obstruct public roads or attack security personnel will be met with firm and lawful resistance.

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‎Normalcy, Edafe said has since been fully restored, and the Command remains calm and under effective police control.

 

Adejobi-led continous monitoring and intensified patrols are ongoing to forestall any further breach of the peace. The command assures residents of its commitment to protecting lives and property and urges the public to celebrate responsibly, obey the law and promptly report suspicious activities.

LITERARY LUMINARY, TUNDE OLUSUNLE, BESTOWED PRESTIGIOUS OGO OKUN AWARD 2025

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By Ebinum Samuel

 

 

 

The prestigious Ogo Okun Award 2025 was yesterday conferred upon the distinguished poet, journalist, scholar, and author, Dr Tunde Olusunle by the *Yeye Oge Ti Ile Okun/Initiator, Ile’Ya Omo Okun Generational Foundation (IOOGF)* in Kabba, Kogi State. He was ably represented by Dr. Stephen Adewumi of the Federal University Lokoja.

 

Olusunle, a former presidential aide, Fellow of the Association of Nigerian Authors (FANA) and respected teacher of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja, was honoured for his immense contributions to Nigerian literature, journalism, academia, and community development.

 

His prolific career, spanning decades, has seen the publication of powerful poetry collections, incisive journalistic commentary, seminal scholarly works, commitment to community services in Okun land and the world over, all of which have cemented his place as a vital voice in the national and Pan-African literary landscape.

Ex-convict, 3 others arrested over UK-bound cocaine consignment in liquid starch sachets

Posted on by admin50

By Ebinum Samuel

 

 

NDLEA recovers tons of skunk, opioids in Ekiti, Edo, Cross River, Gombe, Taraba, FCT, Lagos raids; nabs wanted businessman linked to Tincan port ‘Loud’ shipment

A notorious drug trafficker Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil previously convicted of dealing in 30.10kg methamphetamine in 2023 has again been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following the seizure of 75 parcels of cocaine weighing 1.50 kilograms concealed in factory sealed sachets of cold-water starch heading to the United Kingdom at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
Three cargo agents: Jubrin Firdausi Hassana; Kuku Daniel Oluwasegun; and Igwe Chioma Jane involved in the attempt to export the consignment to the UK were swiftly arrested on Saturday 20th December 2025 before further investigations unraveled 37-year-old Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil as the mastermind. He was arrested in a follow up operation on Sunday 21st December at a popular relaxation centre in Ikeja where he went on a date with his girlfriend.

 

The Agency’s criminal database revealed that Nwobodo had been arrested in May 2023 in connection with the seizure of 30.10kg methamphetamine concealed in powdered custard containers as part of a consolidated cargo going to London, United Kingdom at the export shed of the Lagos airport. He was subsequently arraigned at a Federal High Court in charge number: FHC/L/337C/2023, convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment with an option of a fine of Seven Million Naira (₦7,000,000.00), along with one-month community service, with effect from 4th December, 2023. He paid the fine and soon after returned to the same crime.
‎In another successful operation, NDLEA operatives on Monday 22nd December set ablaze tons of skunk, a strain of cannabis and wooden warehouses in Ara forest, Ara-Ekiti where 638 kilograms of same psychoactive substance were also recovered. No fewer than 1,205 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa, weighing 883.1kg were recovered from three Toyota Camry vehicles intercepted by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Igara-Auchi road, Edo state on Monday 22nd December.
In Cross River state, raid operations conducted on Sunday 21st December at Agoi-Ibami community, Yakurr LGA, led to the arrest of three suspects and seizure of various quantities of skunk. They include: Freedom Jonah Akpama, 27, with 671kg; David Itam David, 30, with 89kg; and Nelson Arikpo Osam, 26, with 148kg. In another operation, a 42-year-old lady Joy Oisamaye was arrested with 38kg skunk by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abaji- Abuja expressway on Monday 22nd December on her way from Otua in Owan East LGA, Edo state.
While NDLEA operatives in Lagos arrested a female suspect Ajoke Dauda with 45.5kg skunk on Christmas day Thursday 25th December at Agbara, along Badagry expressway, another suspect Oluwasegun Felix was nabbed with 18.5kg of same substance at Itoga, Badagry, the previous day Wednesday 24th December. In Takum area of Taraba state, two other suspects: Emmanuel Danladi, 39, and John Onoja, 41, were nabbed with 48kg of same substance on Wednesday 24th and Tuesday 23rd December respectively.
In Gombe state, a 65-year-old driver Sada’u Mohammed was arrested while conveying 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 27,900 pills of tramadol, and other opioids, along Gombe-Biu highway, heading to Biu in Borno state.
Meanwhile, a 47-year-old businessman Ignatius Egbochie (alias Brown) wanted in connection with the seizure of 56 parcels of Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 26kg at the Tincan seaport in Lagos, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives. The illicit drug consignment was seized on 10th December during a joint examination of a container by NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies. A follow up operation by NDLEA operatives on 19th December led to the arrest of Ignatius in Apapa.
Across all Commands and formations of the Agency nationwide, NDLEA officers continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Destiny Child Academy, Nkpor, Anambra during their holiday skills acquisition training; women and teachers at Makaratar Mata Tatunawa da Marigayi Mustapha Nuhu, Kuki Gawo, Dutsinma LGA, Katsina and youths of Odokoro-Gbede, Ijumu LGA, Kogi state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Lagos, Tincan, Seme, Ekiti, Edo, Cross River, FCT, Gombe and Taraba Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) acknowledged their commitment and enjoined them as well as their colleagues nationwide to remain extra vigilant throughout the festive season and beyond. He charged them to maintain highest standard of professionalism in all their drug control efforts.