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Ex-int’l football player, 4 others arrested over 22.6kg cocaine, meth seized at MMIA, AIIA

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Year-round grandma, Beninese, others nabbed in NDLEA raids in Delta, Kwara, Lagos

 

By Ebinum Samuel

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an ex-international football player Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu over attempt to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,(MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
Chinedu who is a frequent flyer known for conveying clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, was the first to be arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport on Tuesday 24th June 2025. A search of his carry-on bag revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800grams were concealed therein.
Investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria. Further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be the former professional footballer, Segun Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him. Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.
In his statement, Hunkarin claimed that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria.
Another Europe based businessman Amen Okoro Godstime was on Friday 27th June arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to traffic 5,000 pills of tramadol 225mg packaged as known malaria drugs such as Lonart, Amatem and Aluktem to Spain. He was intercepted at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc flight to Spain through Casablanca.

Okoro who is into freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would to a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.
At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, NDLEA operatives on Friday 27th June intercepted a Maputo, Mozambique based bar attendant Ezenwaka Chibuzor Emmanuel. A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard size parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilograms and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.050 kilograms.
The 38-year-old suspect was coming from Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopian Airlines flight when he was interdicted and subjected to a search during which the illicit drugs concealed in bedsheets packed in his bags were discovered.
Another passenger on board the same Ethiopian Airlines flight, 54-year-old Azu Follygan Kpodar was also intercepted at the Enugu airport by NDLEA operatives. When Azu, who arrived from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was searched, a liquid soap plastic container marked YPE, was discovered in his luggage. The substance was promptly taken for analysis at the NDLEA forensic and chemical laboratory, Enugu where the substance tested positive to cocaine.
The substance which turned out to be liquid cocaine weighed 1.250kg. The suspect who is
a toy seller in Brinquedo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, claimed he purchased the substance while shopping for his wedding ceremony in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Seme border area of Badagry in Lagos on Tuesday 24th June intercepted a 26-year-old Beninese Vode Jean-Luck while trying to smuggle 69 balls of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a gross weight of 29.5kg, from Benin Republic into Nigeria.
In Kwara state, a notorious drug dealer Mary Bolanle Oladele (a.k.a Iya Nafi) was arrested on Wednesday 25th June when NDLEA operatives raided her base in Omu-Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area where various quantities of skunk, tramadol and flunitrazepam were recovered from her.
A 72-year-old grandma Mrs. Christy Ejaro was on Tuesday 24th June arrested by NDLEA operatives at Niger CAT area of Warri, Delta state. Several sachets of skunk packaged in retail size were recovered from her.
The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Yakubawa Model Primary School, Zango, Katsina; Police Secondary School, Igboora, Oyo; Divine Favour International Group of Schools, Bende LGA, Abia; Command Day Secondary School, Ojoo, Ibadan; Mater Dei College, Udi, Enugu; Community Girls Secondary School, Yenagoa, Bayelsa; and Fiyinfolu High School, Ikole Ekiti, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Delta, Kwara, and Seme Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) 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.

Traditional ruler arrested for allegedly r3ping 12-year-old girl in Ondo

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The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a traditional ruler (Baale) in Laaagba community, Ondo East Local Government area of Ondo State, for allegedly r3ping a 12-year-old girl.

According to a police source at the Ondo Area Command, the traditional ruler, whose name was given as Chief Adeniyi Ifedayo, was said to have lured the girl into his house in the community and harboured her in the house for two weeks where he s3xually assaulted her.

Recounting her ordeal, the minor, who is currently recuperating in an undisclosed health facility in Ondo town, said she was lured to the house of the monarch by a commercial motorcycle rider in the community.

“The Baale kept me in his house for two weeks and feed me with pap, while he assaulted me s3xually on daily basis,” she narrated.

“My parents became worried about my whereabouts and eventually raised an alarm, declaring me missing. After two weeks, the Baale took me on a motorcycle and dumped me at a location in Akure.”

The Area Commander of the Ondo Area Command of the Nigeria Police, Mr. T. Y. Pickson, who confirmed the incident said case was transferred to the State Police Command in Akure for further investigation.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka Olushola, also confirmed the arrest of the suspect, stating that the case has been transferred to the State Police Headquarters, where a thorough investigation is ongoing.

US apprehends eight Iranian army sniper and Hezbollah-linked terror suspect in ICE raid

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An Iranian army sniper and a suspected terrorist with ties to Hezbollah are among illegal migrants living in the US who have been arrested by ICE.

 

Ribvar Karimi, who served as an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021, was arrested in rural Alabama, where he has been living with his American wife.

When ICE agents found him in the town of Locust Fork Sunday, he had an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card, DHS claimed.

 

Karimi entered the country legally on a K-1 visa, for foreigners engaged to be married to Americans, in October under the Biden administration.

 

He married his bride, Morgan Gardener, in January this year. However, Karimi failed to adjust his status, making his presence in the US illegal.

 

In Minnesota, agents nabbed Mehran Makari Saheli, 56, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with admitted connections to Hezbollah, according to the Department of Homeland Security today.

He already had a conviction for felon in possession of a firearm and served 15 months in prison.

 

Despite being ordered out of the country by a judge on June 28, 2022, he evaded authorities.

 

Both men are now in ICE custody pending removal.

 

Karimi’s American wife insists he loves America and is a proud immigrant.

 

‘This man loves America, the first purchase he made when he got here was an American Flag,’ Morgan Gardner told a local station.

 

‘If he was here on bad intentions, he wouldn’t have done that, he wouldn’t be willing to walk around with a flag, knowing he could get deported and sent back to a country where he could be killed for that.’

 

She is seven months pregnant with their first child and fears she’ll have to give birth alone.

 

Also arrested over the weekend was Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, who had been ordered to leave the US 12 years ago by an immigration judge.

 

 

He had also been convicted of threatening a law enforcement officer and being an alien in possession of a firearm.

 

Eidivand entered through the southern border in June 2012, DHS said, and he was arrested in Tempe, Arizona Sunday.

 

Armed with a 9mm pistol when ICE agents caught up to him, Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad was arrested in Texas.

 

After entering the US on a student visa in 2016, Sepehrian was arrested a year later in the Houston area for choking a family member.

 

 

His wife was able to get a restraining order against him after he threatened her and her family back in Iran.

US arrest Iranian army sniper and Hezbollah-linked�

 

 

US arrest Iranian army sniper and Hezbollah-linked�

Tragedy as sex worker is killed by client weeks after welcoming twin babies in South Africa

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    A s3x worker who gave birth to twins a month ago, was m8rdered by a man believed to be her client in the Verulam CBD, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.   The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon, June 22, 2025.   Members of Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) were called out to Ireland Street after receiving reports that a female had been stabbed.   On arrival at approximately 19:42, Reaction Officers discovered the woman’s lifeless body at the Ndwedwe Taxi Rank. She sustained a stab wound to her back. According to witnesses, the woman is a known drug user and s3x worker. She allegedly entered the bush between the Ndwedwe Taxi Rank & the R102 with a man who requested her services. Other drug users and vagrants heard her call for assistance before they noticed her exiting the bush. She thereafter collapsed. The suspect was pursuing her but fled when he saw members of the public.   Her boyfriend confirmed her identity and informed the officers that the deceased was a mother of one-month-old twins.

Woman going to India for fibroid surgery arrested with 2.20kg cocaine at MMIA

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By Ebinum Samuel

As NDLEA intercepts Bahrain, Australia-bound Loud, Cocaine consignments in cloth hangers, female dress; over 1million pills of opioids in Bauchi; raids provision stores in Edo

 

A 43-year-old female make-up artist, Adekoya Adebukonla Mary who claimed to be travelling to India for a fibroid surgery has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos after 2.20 kilograms of cocaine were discovered factory fitted in the walls of her bag.

The suspect was arrested on Monday 16th June 2025 based on credible intelligence. Under surveillance, Adekoya was allowed to check in her luggage and arrested at the point of boarding her Qatar Airways flight to India via Doha. When her luggage was searched, two large parcels of cocaine weighing 2.20kg were found concealed in the walls of the suitcase she was carrying.

In her statement, she claimed she embarked on the trip for financial benefits but under the pretext of going to India for surgery to remove fibroid from her stomach. Further investigation revealed the suspect was recruited and funded by a drug baron currently at large, Akeem Ayinde Adekanbi who owns Rockford Hotel located in Sango area of Ogun state while he lives at Igbe Laara in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos state.

At a courier company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation (DOGI) on Thursday 19th June intercepted a shipment of sewn female dresses containing 1.3kg Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, going to Bahrain, while at another courier firm the previous day, Wednesday 18th June, operatives uncovered 850grams of cocaine concealed in cloth hangers heading to Australia.

In Bauchi state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Monday 16th June arrested the duo of Ibrahim Galadima, 37, and Ibrahim Muhammed, 28, along Bauchi-Darazo road. A total of One Million and Thirteen Thousand (1,013,000) pills of opioids namely: tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered from them.

While 38-year-old Bishir Isyaku was nabbed on Tuesday 17th June at Gwargwaje along Kaduna – Zaria expressway with 14.2kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed in two sacks of charcoal and seven cartons of rubber solution weighing 198kg, NDLEA operatives in Abuja on Wednesday 18th June arrested Murtala Adamu, Ahmed Ismai’l and four others during raid operations at Karu Abbattoir and Torabora areas of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. Recovered from them include 6.9kg skunk and 59grams of methamphetamine.

In Kano, NDLEA officers on patrol along Zaria-Kano road on Thursday 19th June arrested Umar Hamisu, 19, and Dahiru Abdullahi, 32, with 56.2kg skunk, while another suspect Obiwuru Henry, 27, was nabbed same day with 23,720 capsules of tramadol and 1,400 ampoules of pentazocine along Jaba road Fagge LGA. Similarly, Abubakar Modu, 60, was nabbed with 36.6kg skunk and Abdulkadir Muhammed, 28, with 32kg of same substance along Zaria-Kano road on Saturday 21st June.

A 22-year-old female Student of Kwara State Polytechnic, Olotin Nifemi, notorious for selling illicit substances to other students, was on Thursday 19th June arrested at her base along Kwara Poly road, Ilorin, with 1kg skunk.

A total of 4,226.11kg skunk was destroyed at Ugbada camp, Uzebba forest, Owan West LGA, Edo state when NDLEA operatives raided the camp to destroy cannabis farms on Friday 20th June. A suspect, Albert Shamaki, 33, was nabbed during the operation. Operatives had on Thursday 19th June raided the Big Jamaya supermarket at Emado community in Esan West LGA where a suspect Esther Abumere, 28, was arrested and assorted illicit drugs recovered.

Illicit substances seized include: Colorado, Loud, Molly, Tramadol and other opioids. Another raid at a provision shop at Idumeka Igueben led to the seizure of 1.143kg skunk and arrest of a female suspect, Eko Gift, 38.

The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Government Day Arabic Secondary School, Guri, Jigawa; Government College, Lafia, Nasarawa; Atodo Secondary School, Ankpa, Kogi; Natsugunne Junior Secondary School, Jabba, Kano; and Shallom Academy, Ibagwa, Enugu, while the Osun State Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, at his palace in Ile Ife, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Edo and FCT Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

AIG Zone 5 Meets With Stakeholders Over Warri Delineation Crisis

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By Ebinum Samuel

 

As part of efforts to prevent any breakdown of law and order following INEC ward delineation exercise in Warri, Delta state, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police Zone 5 Headquarters, Benin City, AIG Salman-Dogo Garba, conveyed a security meeting with stakeholders from Warri and its environs. The meeting was held yesterday at the office of the AIG Zone 5 Benin-city, the Edo state capital.

 

In attendance were the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command, Asaba, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, the Area Commander Warri, the Local Government Chairmen, Warri South West, Warri North and Warri South, the spokesperson and representative of Gbaramatu Kingdom, the representative from the Palace of the Olu of Warri, representatives of Isaba kingdom, representatives of Itsekiri, representatives of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom, representatives of the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom, representatives of Agbarha Warri Kingdom, amongst other highly placed figures.

CP Abaniwonda disclosed that following the Delineation exercise carried out by INEC in Warri, there has been problems among the three ethnic groups in the area, and, he seeks the help of the AIG Zone 5 to step in to avoid further escalation and break down of law and other.

The AIG responded that he conveyed the meeting at the Instance of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, noted that there is no difference between the Ijaws, Itsekiris and the Urhobos and warned them all to avoid any issues that will cause a repeat of the 2003/2004 crisis.

 

The AIG further appealed to the stakeholders on the need for them to control their youths, and refrain them from making inciting and inflammatory statements, especially on the social media. He reiterated that when a life is lost, nobody can bring it back.

 

Amongst the speakers were the representative of the Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, the Rep of Okere Urhobo Kingdom, the rep of Isaba Kingdom, the rep of Agbarha Warri Kingdom, the rep of Gbaramatu kingdom, the three local government chairmen and all speakers all sued for peace and noted that they do not want a crisis in Warri. They also noted that the delineation exercise carried out by INEC has not been finalised and that INEC has asked all aggrieved parties to study the draft and bring up their complaints, observations and contributions.

 

The AIG warned that any further breakdown of law and order will not be tolerated, and the trend of name-calling and social media protest will not be tolerated henceforth, stressing that anyone caught will be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

He also warned that no ethnic group should refer to another ethnic group as Customary Tenants.

The meeting ended with all parties agreement to work towards the peace and security of Warri kingdom, they pledged to call their youths to order and work towards maintaining the existing peace in order to bring back economic prosperity in Warri, Delta State.

Benue Bleeds: From a Basket to a Casket

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By Halima Abdulazeez

 

The recent horrors in Benue State are a case of blood in the baskets, when relatives could not recognise their blood as they were burnt beyond recognition. Nigeria is not isolated from the global carnage engulfing our shared humanity. The gruesome loss of lives, the senseless violence, and the brazen disregard for human dignity all echo conflicts raging across the globe, from Ukraine to Palestine, Yemen, Sudan to Iran and beyond. As we mourn the fallen and grapple with the implications of these atrocities, a profound question should reverberate through our collective consciousness: Are we devolving into beasts, driven by primal instincts rather than reason and compassion?

 

“Man is the harshest animal,” Friedrich Nietzsche once declared, a chilling assessment that seems increasingly related in our turbulent times. The atrocities we witness daily, the calculated bombings, the indiscriminate killings, the systematic displacement of communities. paint a grim picture of humanity descending into barbarism. We are not animals, yet our actions often portray a disturbing descent into animalistic behaviour, driven by greed, power, and an insatiable thirst for domination.

Life is sacred, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or creed. Whether the victim is a Nigerian farmer slain in Benue State or a child caught in the crossfire in Gaza, each loss diminishes us all. As Albert Schweitzer eloquently stated, “Man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will end by destroying the earth.” The ease with which we inflict suffering on one another suggests a dangerous erosion of empathy and a growing indifference to the sanctity of human life. This indifference is better observed on social media, where bloggers’ support are based on religious faction and political affiliation.

Those who revel in the misfortune of others, blinded by tribalism, nationalism, or ideological fervour, should heed the warning: “No one is leaving here alive.” Death, the great equalizer, awaits us all. To celebrate the suffering of others is to invite the same fate upon ourselves. Today it is them, tomorrow it could be you. In a world as interconnected as ours, no one is truly immune to the consequences of violence and instability elsewhere.

 

Tragically, behind the scenes, “war merchants” are pulling the strings, orchestrating conflicts from boardroom cum war rooms, deciding where the next drone strike will fall.

These architects of destruction, driven by profit and power, treat human lives as expendable pawns in their geopolitical games. Their actions are driven by the corrosive influence of greed and the moral bankruptcy of those who prioritise personal gain over the well-being of humanity.

 

Even more alarming is the ignorant arrogance with which many take sides, seemingly oblivious to the devastating toll these conflicts exact on the world. The cycle of violence perpetuates itself, fueled by misinformation, propaganda, and a dangerous lack of critical thinking.

 

We must resist the temptation to blindly support one side against another, and instead, demand accountability from all parties involved and advocate for peaceful resolutions that prioritize human lives above all else.

 

The influence of “Big Brother,” the superpowers that exploit their dominance to bully weaker nations, is particularly concerning. Their actions set a dangerous precedent, teaching the world that “might makes right” and that international law can be disregarded with impunity. We must resist aggression and champion diplomacy, cooperation, and respect for international norms.

 

As Martin Luther King Jr. warned, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” The path forward requires a fundamental shift in consciousness, a rejection of violence, and a renewed commitment to our shared humanity. We must hold our leaders accountable by bringing the ragtag militias and their paymasters to face justice, demand an end to the arms trade, and work tirelessly to promote peace and justice in our communities and across the globe.

 

©Halima Abdulazeez

She is a poet and the author of the poetry collection “Soul Rants: A Journey from Within.” She is the Communication Officer at the Caprecon Foundation and the Treasurer of PEN International, Nigerian Center, and she resides in Lagos.

Contact: +234-8034816865 (mailto:umuhfaisal@gmail.com)

Police Under My Watch Now Respond To Scene Of Crime Swiftly — CP Lagos

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The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Olorundare Jimoh, has declared that the state police command now responds to robbery and other public order offences within five minutes of being alerted.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Thursday, June 19, Jimoh said the police have significantly improved their response time from under 10 minutes to as little as five minutes.

 

 

 

“Our response time to crime is less than 10 minutes. We have even reduced it further to five minutes. Once you call us, under five minutes, we are there,” he said.

 

 

 

Jimoh assured residents that Lagos is secure, noting that police intervention often prevents crimes before they occur. He added that when incidents do happen, swift detection and response serve as a deterrent to others.

 

 

 

“For those crimes that couldn’t be detected, there is prompt detection to serve as a deterrence to others,” he explained. “For any would-be suspects who want to commit crimes, if you know that once you commit the crime, you would be apprehended, then you would have a second thought about it.”

 

 

 

He further stated that violent crimes in the state are mostly prevented, while the few that occur are quickly addressed by the police.

 

 

 

On the broader issue of Nigeria’s security challenges, Jimoh dismissed calls for state police, arguing instead that increased funding for the Nigeria Police Force is a more effective solution.

 

 

 

“There is no doubt that state police are not the answer to our problem; proper police funding, which the Federal Government has taken upon itself, is the way forward,” he said.

He also pointed out that proponents of state police often overlook examples of successful unitary policing systems. Jimoh said the police have made progress in changing their approach and that traffic robbery in Lagos has been “successfully eradicated.”

 

 

 

Regarding the upcoming local government elections scheduled for July 12, 2025, he said the decision to restrict movement will be made by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission. However, he noted that police would act if there were any credible threat to public order during the polls.

 

 

 

“If there is going to be a security threat.

‘We’re monitoring the situation’, UN reacts to Benue killings’

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The United Nations has reacted to the recent killing of hundreds of residents of Yelewata town in Benue State.

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations on Tuesday said the international organisation is currently monitoring the situation of things in Benue State.

In a statement issued by Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, the UN condemned the incessant killings in the state.

The statement said, “We’re monitoring the situation.”

Haq added that the Secretary-General condemned in its entirety, the killing of innocent civilians by suspected herdsmen.

He also called on relevant agencies and security operatives to work towards ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

“The Secretary-General condemns the killing of innocent civilians, including in Nigeria, and we hope that those responsible for this violence will be found and apprehended,” the statement added.

Recall that the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia had accused some politicians based in Abuja of sponsoring the attacks in the state.

According to the governor, these politicians, through back channels are responsible for the growing crisis in the state.

He also alleged that the killers invaded the affected communities through a nearby river close to the area bordering Nasawara state.

 

 

Iran-bound businessman arrested at PH airport for ingesting 53 wraps of cocaine

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By Ebinum Samuel

 

As NDLEA recovers tramadol consignments in winter jackets of “Ambrose Ali”

Barely two weeks after operatives of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano, intercepted a 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Leonard Okigbo heading to Iran with 65 pellets of cocaine in his stomach, their counterparts at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) have arrested another businessman, 44-year-old Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian for ingesting 53 wraps of the same class A drug while on his way to Tehran Khomeini, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Ezemokwe was arrested at the Port Harcourt airport on Saturday 7th June while trying to board Qatar Airways flight QR1434 flying to Tehran Khomeini in Iran via Doha. After a body scan proved positive to ingestion of illicit drug, he was placed on excretion observation during which he expelled 53 wraps of cocaine in six excretions with a total weight of 1.172kg. The suspect claimed to have gone into the criminal trade two years ago, moving between the West African sub-region and Iran.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos in the early hours of Saturday 14th June intercepted an Italy bound passenger Edobor Ambrose Ali on an Air France flight. The NDLEA officers in collaboration with the Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), discovered drug consignments hidden in the luggage of the suspect during baggage scanning at the tarmac.

The suspect was thereafter brought down from the aircraft for baggage identification after which a thorough search of the bag led to the discovery of 14, 410 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg concealed in winter jackets. In his statement, Ebodor said he lives in Italy where he was hired and sent on the all expense paid trip to Nigeria to courier the drug consignments to Milan, Italy for a fee of 2000 Euros.

At the Port Harcourt Ports in Onne, Rivers state, NDLEA operatives on Friday 13th June intercepted a shipment of 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over N1.1 billion naira in street value, during a joint examination of a watch-listed container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies. The opioid consignments were hidden behind 257 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares.

At least, three suspects: Friday Achibong Joseph, 47; Abraham Anthony Willy, 21; and Utibe David Okon, 24, were arrested on Thursday 12th June when NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Obereakai, Odukpani LGA, Cross River state, where a total of 2,687kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, was recovered. Same day in Bauchi state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence, arrested the duo of Iriemi Imonikhe, 49, and Sa’idu Ladan, 30, along Bauchi -Jos road after 195 blocks of skunk weighing 287kg were discovered in their Toyota Camry car marked AKL 201 GG.

While 14 jumbo sacks of skunk weighing 560kg were recovered from a wooden boat at Oniru beach in Lagos by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA on Thursday 12th June, officers of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport Maiduguri (MBIAM) same day arrested two businessmen: Ishaku Abdullahi, 30; and Buba Usman, 32, at the arrival hall of the domestic wing of the airport with various quantities of ecstacy pills and skunk packaged in fanciful wraps labelled as ‘Lychee’ and ‘Porro Legal’

The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Command Secondary School, Orba, Uden LGA, Enugu; Divine Gift International School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Baptist Primary School, Ago-Are, Oyo; and St. Vincent Secondary School, Oti-Oron Okobo, Akwa Ibom state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, PHIA, MBIAM, PHPC, Marine, Cross River, and Bauchi Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised their compatriots in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.