Category: Crime

By Ebinum Samuel

As NDLEA arrests 2 young ladies with over 108kg Skunk, Loud, Colorado, Meth in Edo

No fewer than sixty-six (66) parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, packaged as green tea have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

The seizure made on Thursday 5th June 2025 was based on credible intelligence received ahead of the arrival of the consignment at the cargo wing of the airport on 11th May. The NDLEA had watch-listed the shipment, and sustained surveillance around it for over three weeks before inviting other stakeholders for a joint examination last Thursday.

The Loud consignment weighing 62.20kg was concealed inside wraps of green tea that came from Thailand via UAE on an Emirate Airlines flight.

In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Monday 2nd June intercepted a consignment of 1,665kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, along Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects: Gidado Abdulrasaq Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi were promptly arrested in connection with the seizure.

In Kaduna, operatives of the state command of NDLEA on patrol along Abuja – Kaduna expressway on Tuesday 3rd June arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam. In another operation same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer Kabiru Musa (a.k.a KB) was arrested at Kurmin Mashi. A total of 25.7kg skunk was earlier recovered from his base.

While a total of 9kg Loud was recovered from the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon car marked AAA 975 XU driven by Atari Israel, 45, along Auchi road, Edo state, two young ladies: Favour Joy and Joy Igwe were on Tuesday 3rd June nabbed at Ikpoba hill area of Benin city. Recovered from them include: 106.57kg skunk; 1kg Loud; 800grams Colorado and 302grams of methamphetamine.

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 Sir Usman Nagogo College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Katsina; Fountain of Knowledge International Academy, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Prof. Eyo Ita Municipal Model Primary School, Calabar, Cross River; Millennium High School, Egbeda, Lagos; and Community Secondary School, Ichida Anaocha, Anambra; while Zone 13 Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Amayanabo of Nembe kingdom, Dr. Edmund Dakoru, Mingi Xii, in Nembe, Bayelsa state; among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Kaduna, and Edo 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.

By Ebinum Samuel

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled a syndicate that sponsors hajj pilgrims who also serve as couriers to move cocaine to Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage. This followed the arrest of leaders of the cartel in Kano.

The arrest of the kingpins: Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano was a follow-up to the arrest of two pilgrims: Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Monday 26th May during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight ET 940 to Jedda, Saudi Arabia. The interdiction of the intending pilgrims at the NDLEA final screening point at the Kano airport was based on credible intelligence. When they were taken for scanning, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances. They were subsequently placed on excretion observation during which they excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, bringing the total for both to 90 pellets with a total weight of 1.04kg.

Investigation soon unraveled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specializes in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia. A swift follow-up operation was carried out, and the trio of Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba were arrested on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Kano airport on Wednesday 28th May intercepted a 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Leonard Okigbo during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1432 to Iran. His body scan confirmed he ingested illicit substances as a result of which he was placed on excretion observation during which he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg.

At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than seven watch-listed containers were positioned for joint examination by NDLEA officers, men of Custom Service and other security agencies between Wednesday 28th and Friday 30th May, during which 825,200 bottles of codeine based syrup and trodol worth Five Billion Seven Hundred and Seventy Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N5,776,400,000) in street value were seized while a total of Five Million One Hundred Thousand (5,100,000) pills of opioids especially tapentadol 225mg worth Three Billion Five Hundred and Seventy Million Naira Only (N3,570,000,000) were recovered. This brings the combined street value of the opioids to Nine Billion Three Hundred and Forty-Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N9,346,400,000.00)

In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kano- Maiduguri road Friday 30th May intercepted the duo of Abubakar Hussein, 42, and Sahabi Adamu, 53, with Nine Hundred Thousand US dollars ($900,000) cash suspected to be counterfeit. The suspects and the exhibit will be transferred to the appropriate agency for further investigation.

While a total of 390 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 275.300kg were recovered from a parked Toyota Sienna vehicle marked YLA-408GG along Ngurore – Yola road, Adamawa state on Tuesday 27th May, NDLEA operatives in Kwara on Saturday 31st May arrested a notorious female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai at Oja Oba area of Ilorin where various quantities of opioids including tramadol, flunitrazepam and codeine-based syrup were seized 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 Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kwasarawa, Katsina; Corpus Christi College, Achi, Enugu; Epignosis Standard College, Onitsha, Anambra; Government Girls Secondary School, Utai, Wudil LGA, Kano; and Government Girls Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MAKIA, PHPC, Kano, Kwara, and Adamawa 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 pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

In a disturbing revelation, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, has disclosed the discovery of a bank account operated by a foreign national to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians through fake six-week degree programs abroad.

Dr. Aliyu made the announcement in Abuja on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ advocacy event focused on asset tracing, recovery, and management. The event was organized by the Centre for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity (CeFTPI) with support from the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).

According to the ICPC boss, the account was set up specifically to receive payments from Nigerian victims who believed they were enrolling in accelerated international degree programs.

Aliyu noted: “Within some weeks, we were able to discover that a foreigner opened an account in Nigeria while Nigerian students are paying money into the account in order to obtain that six-week degree. And we were able to track the account.

“We obtained a civil forfeiture order. We have been trying to put in much effort to ensure that the culprits are brought to book, most especially those that are beyond our shores.”

He stressed the need for all corruption agencies and other agencies in the country to work together in synergy to ensure that those who engage in corruption do not benefit from their own crime.

“We have been making efforts to see how we can come together in order to ensure that we recover assets beyond the African region. Because, as we know, Africa has been a victim of this issue of illicit financial loss.

“And also, if you could recall, we remember that since the time of slavery, Africa has been losing a lot of resources. We know where these properties are going, but they keep on telling us that you have a challenge of corruption.

“But the issue is the victim is being blamed. We are victims of corruption, but they keep on blaming us. That is why at the regional level, we are now trying to see how we can work together to ensure that we recover, trace, recover and repatriate the property back to our own continent.”

In his opening remarks, CeFTPI Executive Director, Umar Yakubu, disclosed that the event brought together key stakeholders from anti-corruption institutions, law enforcement, the judiciary, civil society, and international development partners to explore collaborative pathways in asset recovery, strengthen accountability, and launch innovative mechanisms that support transparency and citizen engagement.