Metro

Drug War: NDLEA Intercepts UK-bound Meth Worth N.5Billion

Published

2 years ago

May 21, 2023

Editor

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted a large consignment of methamphetamine concealed in powdered custard containers as part of a consolidated cargo going to London, United Kingdom at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.

The illicit drug consignment weighing 30.10 kilograms with a street value of N567million was detected and seized by NDLEA operatives at the airport on Tuesday 16th May.

This was swiftly followed by series of follow-up operations that led to the arrest of a freight agent, Nwobodo Chidiebere; a female suspect, Chioma Lucy Akuta and ultimately the drug lord behind the shipment, Charles Chinedu Ezeh, who was arrested at Sotel Suites, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos on Thursday 18th May.

Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said, “Ezeh claims he’s a businessman and deals in articles in Onitsha, Anambra State but investigations reveal he lived with his wife and children in London until 10th December 2022 when he fled to Nigeria after his involvement in a drug-related offence in the UK.

“Though he claimed to have been living in hotels since his return to Nigeria last December, operatives were, however, able to locate his mansion at No. 1 Hawawu Abikan Street, Lekki, on Friday 19th May, where a search was conducted and his travel and property documents among others were recovered”.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa on Monday 15th May arrested a 32-year-old notorious drug dealer, Prince Ikechukwu Uzoma, in Mubi area of the state with 1kg of skunk.

Ikechukwu had twice been arrested in the past, and convicted for the same offence.

He was 2017 sentenced to six months imprisonment and in 2019 he was again sent to two years in jail. In the same vein, a trans-border trafficker, Faisal Mohammed, 27, was on Wednesday 17th May arrested in Mubi following the interception of a truck from Onitsha, Anambra State, where a total of 2,376 sachets of tramadol comprising 23,760 pills were found.

They were concealed in three blue rubber Jerrycans which were hidden underneath the body part of the trailer.

The suspect admitted the opioid was to be taken to Cameroon.

In Oyo state, two suspects: Osas Susan, 35, and Thomas Biodun, 23, were arrested at Igbon, Gambari in Ogbomoso North LGA with 2.13kg cannabis while Idris Muhammed, 55, was nabbed with 4,500 pills of tramadol when a commercial bus conveying him and other passengers was stopped and searched along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Similarly, Bulus Mikah, 63, was arrested at Kafanchan, Kaduna state with over 5kg opioids including tramadol, diazepam, rohypnol and exol-5, just as a total of 965kg cannabis was seized from Shehu Muhammadu Dandare, 25, at Maraban Jos, in Igabi local government area of the state.

While 552kg cannabis was recovered from a warehouse in a bush when operatives stormed and destroyed 1.5 hectares of cannabis farm in Uhodoua forest, Esan South East LGA, Edo state, 10 suspects were arrested with a total of 5.587kg cannabis sativa, 144.4grams of methamphetamine and 48, 260 capsules of tramadol in different parts of Onitsha, Anambra state on Friday 19th May.

In Kwara, two suspects: Mohammed Isa, 47, and Mohammed Haman, 36, were arrested on Friday 19th May along Ilorin/Lagos road in a commercial bus on their way to Maiduguri, Borno state with 6kg cannabis, 50grams of methamphetamine and 20 pieces of military camouflage caps and uniforms.

On the same day, operatives in Jigawa state nabbed one Ibrahim Abdullahi, 53, with 120kg of cannabis at Sara town in Gwaram LGA.

Not less than 628 bottles of new psychoactive substance, skuchies when operatives raided a drug joint at Idanre where four suspects were arrested.

They include: Olamide Olusola, 26; Abiodun Tijjani, 21; Fatope Temidayo, 29; Agba Obi, 30 and Olafisoye Festus, 26.

In the same vein, a suspect, Kayode Hakeem, 22, was arrested at Hawan Dawaki, Kano with 293 blocks of cannabis weighing 211.6kg.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the officers and men of MMIA command for their professionalism and speed with which they were able to track and arrest another drug kingpin, Ezeh Chinedu Charles.

He charged them and their colleagues in Adamawa, Oyo, Kaduna, Edo, Kwara, Jigawa, Ondo and Kano as well as those in other commands and formations across the country not to rest on their oars.

Metro

One Dead As Police Foil Kidnap Attempt In Kogi

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The Police Command in Kogi has confirmed the death of one passenger in a foiled attempt to abduct passengers along the Obajana-Oshokoshoko road in the state.

A statement on Tuesday in Lokoja by SP Williams Ovye-Aya, the command’s spokesman, said the feat was part of a series of bold operations carried out in the command.

Ovye-Aya said that on June 23, the Obajana Division operatives foiled the attempted abduction of passengers along the Obajana-Oshokoshoko road.

“The police patrol team responded promptly to sporadic gunfire and engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel, forcing them to flee.

“All passengers were successfully rescued, but six sustained injuries, and one later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

He further stated that the command, in a separate incident, arrested two suspects in Ayingba for possession of firearms and recovered several exhibits on June 21.

He said the two arrested suspects were found in possession of a locally made pistol, live cartridges, and suspected Indian hemp.

Again, he disclosed that on June 22, operatives of the Okene Division intercepted a Nissan vehicle with five passengers heading towards Auchi.

He said that during a search, one passenger escaped, leaving behind a bag containing a submachine gun (SMG) rifle, live ammunition, and other exhibits.

The spokesman listed the recovered items as “1 SMG rifle with breach number 5197, 1 magazine, 28 live rounds of 5.6 mm, 1 live G3 round, a locally made pistol, 2 live cartridges and other items.”

Ovye-Aya quoted the commissioner of police, Miller Dantawaye, as reassuring citizens of the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property in the state.

(NAN)

Metro

Ten Feared, Others Injured In Oyo Road Accident

Published

1 hour ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

No fewer than 10 people were feared dead in a road accident that occurred at Soka area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Tuesday.

According to Vanguard, the accident involved three articulated trucks and a commercial Micra car.

One of the eyewitnesses said one truck lost control and rammed into other vehicles, leading to commotion in the area.

Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were sighted at the Challenge area of Ibadan moving some of the victims to the hospital.

A man, Aderogba Daniel, told Vanguard that the affected vehicles were coming from the Iwo road end when one of the trucks lost control and veered off the road.

As of the time of filing this report, the driver of the Micra car was still trapped under the truck.

“In a bid to help the victims, some passersby made desperate efforts to get them out. Some people were using cutlasses to cut the Micra car to rescue the driver who was motionless.

“Not quite long, some officials of the FRSC got to the scene, helping the injured to the hospital,” said Mr Aderogba.

One of the FRSC officials promised to speak on the accident later.

“From the way I saw the victims, I doubt if the casualty figure could be less than 10,” he said.

Metro

Abducted NDLEA Director In Anambra Rescued — Police

Published

2 days ago

June 22, 2025

Editor

The Police Command in Anambra says the Director of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the state, Mr Daniel Onyishi, who gunmen abducted on June 12, has been rescued.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Awka.

It would be recalled that Onyishi was abducted by unidentified persons along Winner Road, Awka, on June 12.

“He is currently in a safe custody and receiving medical attention,” Ikenga said.

According to him, the police, in collaboration with sister security agencies, especially the high-powered covert operations of the NDLEA, led by the Zone-12 Commander, Mrs Florence Ezeonye, complemented the aggressive rescue efforts.

He said the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikioye Orutugu, had briefed the police high command on the issue.

Ikenga also said that the commissioner had activated the Inspector General of Police’s directive to ensure the perpetrators were brought to book through a manhunt.