News
Couple Declared Wanted Over Cocaine Seizures

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has arrested four members of a drug cartel who runs a cocaine cartel from India in Lagos with a Sports Utility vehicle and two houses belonging to the syndicate, already traced to them sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.
This is just as a couple, Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade (alias Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun) and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade (alias Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), also members of the cartel have been declared wanted by NDLEA in connection with cocaine trade.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi who made this known, said “Two other members of the syndicate, Imran Taofeek Olalekan and Ishola Isiaka Olalekan were arrested on April 3, 2024 following their bid to export 3.40kg cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight going to Oman through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.
“While Imran was the courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Alhaji Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun based in India.
“Efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow up operations when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed who works directly with the baron was arrested on Tuesday 14th May at Abule Egba area of Lagos.
“It was indeed Saheed who lodged Imran in a hotel a day before his aborted trip to Oman and equally dropped him and Ishola at the Lagos airport the day they were arrested.
READ ALSO: Never Accept Luggage Without Knowing Its Content — NDLEA Warns Travellers
“During a search of Hamed house, NDLEA operatives recovered some phenacetine, a cutting agent for Cocaine, weighing 900 grams.
“He confessed that the recovered substance was what was left of the consignment Imran was taking to Oman the day he was arrested.
“His arrest led to a follow up operation at the home of the Owoalade couple at 20 Eyiaro street, Ogudu Orioke, Lagos where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV4 SUV marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and additional 400 grams of Cocaine recovered in addition to already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales and other paraphernalia”.
In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, attached to a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday 15th May intercepted two parcels, containing Cocaine and Amphetamine concealed in steel bolts and shea butter.
While the cocaine weighing 587 grams, was concealed in eight steel bolt screws going to China, the Amphetamine consignment packed in vape pens and hidden in shea butter was going to the United Kingdom.
Attempts by Emeka Nwadiaro (aka Mega) to export 3.6kg Loud, a strain of cannabis concealed in 36 water flasks to Dubai, UAE was also thwarted at a logistic company in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Thursday 16th May while a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Emeka Nwadiaro in Onitsha, Anambra state same day.
READ ALSO: NDLEA Intercepts Qatar-bound Drugs, Officers Reject N5m Bribe
While NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted a mercedes benz bus loaded with 840kg cannabis and arrested the driver, Samuel Henry, at Olojo in Ojo LGA, Lagos, another suspect, Lawal Adam was nabbed along Otukpo road, Aliade, Benue state on Friday 17th May with 75,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and exol-5.
Two suspects: Olisa Etisi, 32, and Jonathan Umeh, 25, were arrested along Owerri – Onitsha road, Imo state following the discovery by NDLEA operatives of a big gas cyclinder used to conceal six blocks of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 3.85kg.
In Borno state, 70-year-old Adamu Mohammed was arrested at Mbulamel, Biu LGA on Thursday 16th May with 2kg cannabis and 33.55grams of diazepam, while Gaddafi Sani, 27, was arrested with 30 kilograms of cannabis along Abuja-Kaduna road, Kaduna.
In Yobe state, a consignment of 91.1kg opioids and 13kg cannabis going to Maiduguri, Borno state, was recovered from hidden compartments of a petrol tanker along Potiskum-Damaturu road by NDLEA officers who arrested the driver, Ismaila Ali.
No less than four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 2,025 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IED) materials intercepted in a Toyota hummer bus marked AGL 905 XX by NDLEA officers along Agaie – Lapai road, Niger state.
The duo of Abdulrauf Shitu Adeyemi, 46, and Asmiyu Rahim, 45, conyeying the IED materials were arrested on the spot. Follow up operations led to the arrest of Husaini Abdullahi, 25, at Sokoto main market, Sokoto and Nazifi Abdullahi, 37, at Naibawa Motor Park, Kano on Friday 17th May.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed that all four suspects and the explosive materials be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
READ ALSO: Atiku Hints On Supporting Obi For 2027 Presidential Race
In another operation, Muhammad Lawal, 42, was nabbed at Central Market Motor Park, Katsina State with 1,000 Ampoules of Pentazocine injection.
Also, a total of 105kg cannabis was on Friday 17th May recovered from a house at Obola community, Owan West LGA, Edo state and a suspect, Gloria Oris arrested when NDLEA officers raided the area.
In Kwara state, two suspects: Abdulganiyu Karaman, 55, and Sunday Abel, 37, were on Saturday 18th May arrested with 83kg cannabis and tramadol at Boriya, Baruten LGA, and Offa respectively.
With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.
Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Girls Science secondary school, Malumfashi and Government Girls Science Secondary School, Daudawa, Katsina; Government Girls Science College, Tunga Magajiya Rijau LGA, Niger state.
Others are students and teachers of St. Theresa’s College Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo state; students of Government Girls Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Kano; students of Dein secondary school, Imobi secondary school and St. Columbas Grammar School, Agbor, Delta State.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Rivers, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Imo, and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the efforts have further affirmed the cardinal role of NDLEA in the security architecture of the country.
He equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures to create a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
News
Atiku Slams Tinubu Over U-turn On Pardon For Convicts

The former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday berated President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s reversal of the presidential pardon list, describing the move as “an act of shame, not wisdom.”
In a statement signed by his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the administration of lacking foresight and moral consistency, following Tinubu’s decision to revoke the earlier pardon granted to Sanda and several other convicts.
“Once again, Nigerians have witnessed a government that doesn’t lead — it reacts,” Atiku said.
“President Bola Tinubu has ‘cancelled’ his own pardon for drug traffickers, kidnappers, and other hardened criminals — but only after Nigerians shouted loud enough to wake him from his moral slumber.
READ ALSO:UPDATED: Tinubu Reverses Maryam Sanda’s Pardon, Convict To Spend Six Years In Jail
“Let’s be clear: this U-turn is not an act of wisdom, it’s an act of shame.”
He questioned the process that led to the initial inclusion of many convicts on the list, demanding transparency from the presidency.
“Who compiled the list of beneficiaries? What criteria justified freeing kidnappers and drug offenders? Where was the Attorney-General when this absurdity was cooked up? And why does this government only ‘discover its conscience’ after Nigerians express outrage?” Atiku asked.
Describing the pardon saga as “a national embarrassment,” he added that the presidency’s frequent reversals on policy decisions showed Nigeria was being “governed without foresight, without empathy, and without shame.”
READ ALSO:JUST IN: Tinubu Reverses Maryam Sanda’s Pardon, Convict To Spend Six Years In Jail
“If the President truly means well, let him publish the list of all those who were meant to benefit from this scandal. Until then, this cancellation is nothing but damage control — too little, too late,” he said.
The remarks came amid widespread reactions trailing Tinubu’s revocation of the earlier pardon granted to Sanda, who was sentenced to death in 2020 for murdering her husband, Bilyaminu Bello.
While the Labour Party commended the president for bowing to public pressure, the New Nigerian Peoples Party faulted the administration’s inconsistency.
NNPP spokesperson, Ladipo Johnson, said, “It is disgraceful that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will announce pardons and then the presidency will say they want to vet and go over the things again.
“Given public opinion, it’s not a surprise that they have reversed it, but it just shows that the presidency needs to get its act together.”
READ ALSO:Brigadier-General, Other Officers Detained Over Alleged Coup Plot To Overthrow President Tinubu
However, Labour Party interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, commended Tinubu’s decision to listen to public sentiment, saying, “What Tinubu has demonstrated is that he listened to the people of Nigeria. We commend him for that.”
He urged the president to extend such responsiveness to “issues that affect Nigerians,” including the nation’s debt profile and policies that “promote hunger and hardship.”
Tinubu’s reversal, announced through an official gazette by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commuted Sanda’s death sentence to 12 years imprisonment, factoring in the six years and eight months already served.
The U-turn followed a wave of public outrage that trailed the initial pardon.
News
Edo Deputy Gov Raises Concern Over Documentation On Radisson Hotel

Edo State deputy governor, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, on Wednesday expressed worry over the clarity of documentation surrounding Radisson Hotel, Benin City,
project’s acquisition and the roles of previous vendors and consultants.
In a statement, his Chief Press Secretary, Chief Press Secretary, Mr Friday Aghedo said the deputy governor spoke when he led a government delegation on an inspection tour of the five-storey luxury hotel.
Idahosa, who expressed dismay over certain lapses observed during the visit, however, appealed for calm among stakeholders and residents, urging patience as the state awaits the outcome of the legislative probe.
The governor said that Governor Monday Okpebholo had forwarded relevant documents to the Edo State House of Assembly for investigation into the acquisition process.
READ ALSO:Okpebholo, Idahosa Bag UNIBEN Distinguished Service, Leadership Awards
“Once the House concludes its findings, we will act accordingly to ensure transparency and accountability,” he assured.
Frustrated by what he described as “vague answers” from contractors about the project’s completion timeline, Idahosa pressed for clarity on when the hotel would finally be
opened to the public.
“Edo people deserve to know when this investment will start yielding value,” he stated.
He, nonetheless, tasked workers at the construction site to ensure strict adherence to safety and environmental standards.
He said the warning became necessary in order to avoid casualties at the site of the flagship hospitality project expected to redefine the state’s tourism and entertainment landscape.
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He also challenged the contractors to ensure the best standard and quality materials are used for the project.
He emphasized that the state government’s intention was not to witch-hunt the contractors but to ensure the project meets both Radisson’s global benchmarks and the Edo State Government’s quality standards.
He reaffirmed that government agencies would maintain close oversight to ensure full compliance with building, safety, and environmental regulations.
“We will not compromise on standards. Radisson Benin must meet the expectations of the brand and the people of Edo State.
“Our goal is simple, Edo State deserves the best,” Idahosa declared. “We want a facility that will attract visitors from around the world and make our state the hospitality hub of Nigeria,” he stated.
READ ALSO:2027 Presidency: Idahosa Reiterates Okpebholo’s Promises Of Delivering Edo To Tinubu
During the visit, the deputy governor conducted an on-the-spot SWOT analysis of the project, examining facilities such as the water reservoir, power plant, and sample rooms.
Also speaking during the inspection, Mr. Igabali Darlington Imoesili, Managing Director of the Edo State Development and Building Control Agency, flagged inconsistencies in the facility’s documentation, including conflicting figures on the number of rooms and deviations from approved plans.
“We have records indicating 170 rooms, the site engineer says 169, and the project manager says 178. These discrepancies raise serious concerns,” Imoesili noted.
He added that his office would demand all approved documents for verification.
The hotel’s resident architect, Olumide Taiwo, who conducted the team around the site, assured the delegation that the firm was working closely with the Radisson brand to maintain its global quality and safety standards.
News
Reviewed List Of Presidential Pardon Recipients

President Bola Tinubu has approved a revised list of convicts granted clemency under the Instrument of Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, 2025.
This is as the Presidency announced a review of the pardon list following widespread criticism.
The list, dated October 21, 2025 and personally signed by the President, contains 86 names of inmates across various correctional facilities nationwide, whose sentences were reduced or commuted under Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The document, sighted by PUNCH Online, titled “Reduced Terms of Imprisonment and Sentence, 2025,” shows that several inmates convicted for offences ranging from manslaughter, culpable homicide, drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, conspiracy, and unlawful mining were granted reduced sentences.
They include:
Homicide and Manslaughter Cases
•Yusuf Owolabi (36) – Convicted of manslaughter in 2015 and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, Kirikiri. Now to serve 15 years based on “educational improvement, remorsefulness and acquisition of vocational skills.”
•Ifeanyi Eze (33) – Life sentence for manslaughter (2021), now to serve 15 years.
•Maryam Sanda (37) – Convicted for culpable homicide (2020) and sentenced to death by hanging. Her sentence commuted to 12 years based on “compassionate grounds, the best interest of her children, good conduct and remorsefulness.”
•Markus Yusuf (41) – Culpable homicide (2023), 13-year sentence reduced to 8 years due to ill health.
•Alhaji Abubakar Tanko (61) – Culpable homicide (2018), 30-year term reduced to 20 years.
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Drug and Narcotics Offences
•Patrick Mensah (40) – Drugs (2015), 17 years reduced to 13 years.
•Obi Edwin Chukwu (43), Tunde Balogun (32), Lima Pereira Erick Diego (27), Uchegbu Emeka Michael (37), Salawu Adebayo Samsudeen (46), and Napolo (61) were all convicted for drug trafficking between 2015–2017.
“Sentences of 15 years reduced to 12 years each based on “remorsefulness and vocational skill acquisition.”
READ ALSO:
•Dias Santos Marela Christiana (44) – Convicted of importing cocaine in 2017; 15-year term reduced to 12 years for “remorsefulness and deportation.”
•Isaac Justina (40), Aishat Kehinde (38), Helen Solomon (68), Okoye Tochukwu (43), and Ugwuze Paul (38) – Convicted of cannabis-related offences, all granted reduced terms of between 3 and 7 years.
Financial and Fraud-related Offences
•Mustapha Ahmed (46) – Criminal breach of trust; 7-year sentence cut to 5 years.
•Innocent Brown Idiong (60) – Possession of Indian hemp; 10-year term reduced to 6 years.
•Inibong Imayen Nuikidem (46) – Obtaining money by false pretence; 7 years cut to 5 years.
•Buka Adamu (40) – Advance fee fraud; 20 years reduced to 9 years.
•Ada Audu (72) – Fraud; 7-year mandatory imprisonment cut to 4 years.
•Chief Jonathan Alatoru (66), Umannah Ekatte (70), Utom Thompson Udoaka (60) – Granted reduced terms for age, remorsefulness and good conduct.
Firearms and Related Offences
•Abubakar Mamman (38) – Possession of AK-47 rifle (2020); 10-year sentence cut to 7 years.
•Muhammed Bello Musa (35) – Possession of firearms; 10 years reduced to 7 years.
•Nnamdi Anene (67) – Illegal dealing in firearms; life sentence commuted to 20 years.
•Alhaji Ibrahim Hameed (71) – Illegal property possession; 7 years reduced to 5 years.
Maritime and Conspiracy Offences
READ ALSO:pUPDATED: Tinubu Reverses Maryam Sanda’s Pardon, Convict To Spend Six Years In Jail
•Bright Agbedeyi (46), Babangida Saliu (35), Jude Saka Ebaragha (44), Frank Insort Abaka (46), Sluna Alolo (42), David Akinseye (39), Ahmed Toyin (46), Shobajo Saheed (57), Adamole Philip (52), and Mathew Masi (39) were all convicted for conspiracy to hijack fishing vessels in 2020. Their 12-year sentences were reduced to eight years with N1m fines waived “based on remorsefulness and impecuniosity.”
Unlawful Mining Offenders
A total of at least 45 inmates across the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Agodi, Oyo State, were convicted in January 2024 for unlawful mining.
Each was sentenced to three years, now reduced to two years, “based on remorsefulness, good conduct and a letter of undertaking dated April 22, 2025,” reportedly facilitated by Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis for their rehabilitation and empowerment after release.
The list includes:
Yusuf Alhassan, Abdullahi Isah, Zayanu Bello, Habeeb Suleman, Jubria Sahabi, Shefiu Umar, Seidu Abubakar, Haruna Abubakar, Rabiu Seidu, Macha Kuru, Zahradeen Aminu, Nazipi Musa, Abdullahi Musa, Habibu Safiu, Husseni Sani, Musa Lawali, Suleiman Lawale, Yusuf Iliyasu, Sabiyu Aliyu, Halliru Sani, Shittu Aliyu, Sanusi Aminu, Isaaka Adamu, Mamman Ibrahim, Shaibu Abdullahi, Sanusi Adamu, Sadi Musa, and Haruna Isah, among others.
Presidential Approval and Legal Backing
The document cites Section 175 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers the President to “grant any person concerned with or convicted of any offence in Nigeria a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions.”
It was formally titled: “S.I. No. 79 of 2025: Instrument of Presidential Prerogative of Mercy (Reduced Terms of Imprisonment and Sentence).”
(PUNCH)
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