Metro
JUST IN: RCCG Pastor, Two Others Regain Freedom In Calabar

The Redeem Christian Church of God pastor, Sunday Adeniran, has regained freedom. Adeniran and two other persons were abducted on Saturday by yet to be identified gunmen in Calabar.
An impeccable security source who pleaded anonymity told Vanguard on Monday morning that they were released at about 2: am this morning near Scanobo filling station, Ikot Ekpo 8 miles on the outskirt of Calabar ,the Cross River state capital.
The source further disclosed that the pressure from the Anti Kidnapping and Cultism Squad led by SP Awodi made the miscreant to hurriedly collect what they could after making an initial demand of 7 million naira.
His words: “They knew that the Dragon Squad was closing in on them ,they had to hurriedly collect about 200,000 naira and let their victims go.
“Initially they demanded 7 million for their release but had to just collect what they could as soon as possible and dropped them off at Scanobo area in Ikot Ekpo 8 miles at about 2:am.”
Findings by Vanguard showed that SP Awodi and his men from AKCS were already in their trail as at 12 midnight but immediately they got wind of the manhunt which was earlier reported they collected the available cash and set them( victims) free .
In a related development another victim was also rescued without paying any ransom to his abductors at the weekend in Calabar .
Vanguard gathered that the police through the anti kidnapping and Cultism Squad( Dragon) rescued a 24 year old businessman ,Justine Esedeke from his abductors from another location at 8 miles.
Vanguard learned that this was part of the covert operation recently launched by the Commissioner of Police through the Commander of AKCS ,SP Awodi and his men to nip in the bud the rising menace of kidnapping along 8 mile axis an outskirt
According to investigation the victim, 24 year old Justine was abandoned by his captors in the hills around Nasarawa, Bacoco in 8 miles when the men of AKCS squad were combing the forest after a distress call was made by the victims family to them .
A security source who didn’t want his name in print said “after combing the forest in search of the victim based on credible intelligence ,the victim was abandoned by his abductors as they saw the men of AKCS and took to their heels”.
Vanguard also learned that security presence has increased in the area especially by armed plane cloth personnel in a bid to nip the rising menace of kidnapping in the bud .
Confirming the release of the victims on Telephone ,Monday , the Police Public Relations Officer in the state ,DSP Irene Ugbo lauded the efforts of AKCS squad while urging the pubic to cooperate with the police by giving useful information about happenings in their environment
“It was a strict direct order of the Commissioner of police, CP Aminu Alhassan to men of AKCS and they acted swiftly to secure the release of the victims.
“I want to commend, the swift action of SP Awodi and his Dragon squad ,their efforts yielded result and in time to ,the victim are now in safe hands .
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“I want to appeal to the public not to wait until something happens before they report ,they should always report strange movement to curb this kind of ugly incident ,” she Said.
Metro
PHOTOS: NDLEA Dismantles Colos Factory In Lagos, Seizes 16kg Synthetic Cannabis

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a clandestine laboratory producing synthetic cannabis, known as Colos, in a residential building at Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos.
According to the agency, the raid followed months of surveillance and intelligence gathering on the dometic production of synthetic drugs previously imported into the country. The operation led to the arrest of 30-year-old Stephen Kelechi Imoh, identified as the owner of the laboratory.
Recovered items included 16.2 kilogrammes of freshly produced Colos, 1.7 kilogrammes of ADB-CHMNACA Cannabinol, 4.5 kilogrammes of potassium carbonate, and 91 litres of dibromobutane.

In a separate operation, NDLEA officers raided a suspected drug dealer’s hideout in Mushin, Lagos, where 16 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud and bottles of Colorado were seized. The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Afeez Salisu, was arrested at the scene.
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The agency also apprehended a 20-year-old music artist, Godspower George Osahenrumwen, known by his stage name Steady Boy, after he attempted to collect a shipment of cannabis hidden inside three cartons of bathtubs imported from New York. The consignment, weighing 77.2 kilogrammes, had arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport aboard a DHL flight. NDLEA said the artist was acting on behalf of a syndicate led by his manager, Zion Osazee Omigie, who remains at large.
Similar operations were conducted across several states. In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives intercepted over 84,000 capsules of tramadol and arrested a suspect linked to the consignment. Separate arrests were made in Bauchi, Kwara, Edo, Ondo, Ogun, and Taraba States, with seizures including skunk, tramadol, and methamphetamine.

In Ogun State, three suspects were arrested in Abeokuta with 1,779 kilogrammes of skunk after being tracked from the Benin Republic. In Edo, officers intercepted two vehicles conveying 1,455 kilogrammes of the same substance.
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In Ondo, nearly three tonnes of skunk were recovered from locations in Ogbese and Akure, while another operation in Badagry, Lagos, led to the seizure of 76.5 litres of skuchies, a cocktail of drugs mixed with blackcurrant.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers for their coordination and commitment. He reaffirmed the NDLEA’s resolve to “dismantle every identified drug syndicate” and ensure that offenders forfeit their assets to the Federal Government.

The agency added that its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign continued across the country, with recent outreach programmes held in schools, religious institutions, and communities to discourage substance abuse among young Nigerians.

Metro
NDLEA Arrests 3 Suspects With 1,779kg Of Cannabis In Ogun

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ogun State Command, has arrested three suspects for allegedly transporting a large consignment of cannabis sativa weighing 1,779 kilogrammes from the Imeko axis to Abeokuta, the state capital.
The suspects are Rauf Asogba, 28; Seun Olaniyi, 24; and Ayinla Adeniyi, 50.
The NDLEA spokesperson in Ogun State, ASN Harris Musa, confirmed this to newsmen in Abeokuta in a statement on Sunday.
Musa said that the three suspects were intercepted through intelligence-based information and operations in the early hours of Saturday, November 1, 2025, while attempting to transport the illicit drugs from the Imeko axis en route Abeokuta.
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He said that the illicit consignment, concealed in a J5 vehicle, was uncovered following sustained surveillance and tactical manoeuvring by operatives of the Command.
The anti-narcotic agency’s Public Relations Officer said that the seizure represents one of the Command’s most remarkable operations in recent times, further demonstrating the NDLEA’s unwavering commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and curbing the circulation of illicit substances in the state.
He said, “In the early hours of Saturday, 1st November 2025, operatives of the Command carried out a well-coordinated, intelligence-led operation which resulted in a major interception. Acting swiftly on credible intelligence, the operatives arrested three suspects: Rauf Asogba (Male, 28 years); Seun Olaniyi (Male, 24 years); and Ayinla Adeniyi (Male, 50 years).
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“The suspects were apprehended while transporting a large consignment (1.77 tonnes = 1,779 kilogrammes) of cannabis sativa from the Imeko axis en route Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital,” he added.
State Commander, CN Tijjani Rabe, commended the officers involved in the operation for the professionalism, courage, and dedication displayed by them in intercepting the vehicle and arresting the suspects.
Rabe reaffirmed the Command’s determination to sustain the momentum in the ongoing war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking across the state.
He also appealed to members of the public to continue supporting the agency by providing credible and timely information that would aid the NDLEA in achieving its vision of a drug-free Ogun State and, by extension, a drug-free Nigeria.
Metro
Two Suspected Internet Fraudsters Arrested In Ondo For ₦11m Scam

Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested two suspected fraudsters in separate cases involving cybercrime, obtaining money by false pretence, and stealing by conversion, amounting to a total of ₦11 million.
The State Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, disclosed this while parading the suspects before journalists at the Command Headquarters in Akure.
According to the Police boss, the arrests were part of the Command’s renewed commitment to tracking, arresting, and prosecuting individuals who use technology and deceit to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
The CP explained that the first suspect, Ayodeji Oluwapelumi Samuel, a young man in his late twenties, was arrested for offences bordering on cyber fraud, obtaining money by false pretence, and stealing by conversion.
He said the arrest of Samuel followed a petition from a retired senior police officer, who reported that her WhatsApp account had been hacked and used by the suspect and his accomplices to defraud her associates.
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The unsuspecting contacts, believing they were chatting with the retired officer, transferred different sums of money at various times to the account details provided by the suspect, saying the total amount obtained through this deceit exceeded ₦1million.
He stated that “Upon receiving the complaint, detectives from the Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) immediately commenced an investigation.
“They sought and obtained a Bankers’ Order from the court on the PalmPay account used by the suspect to receive the fraudulent payments.”
According to him, the PalmPay compliance unit provided crucial information that revealed the full details of the suspect’s profile, including his registered telephone number and transaction history.
He said, “This intelligence enabled operatives to trace his digital trail and track his movements across states.”
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The police boss said a carefully coordinated operation was later executed in Ibillo/Ososo, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, where operatives apprehended the suspect.
The suspect was reportedly found in possession of incriminating evidence, including SIM cards, multiple ATM cards, and a mobile device containing records of the fraudulent transactions.
“Further investigations revealed that the suspect did not act alone but conspired with other accomplices who are still at large. The police have since launched a manhunt to apprehend the fleeing members of the syndicate and recover proceeds of the crime.
“The Command is determined to dismantle these networks of cybercriminals and will continue to leverage technology, intelligence sharing, and inter-agency collaboration to ensure that fraudsters have no hiding place within or beyond Ondo State,” the CP declared.
In a similar case, the Command also arrested another suspect, Adekugbe Moses, aged 29, for allegedly obtaining ₦10 million under false pretence.
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The Commissioner explained that on January 10, 2025, one Engineer Adekunle Adesina lodged a complaint that the suspect defrauded him under the guise of supplying high-end laboratory equipment, including an Agfa Drystar 5302, Shimaozo Mobile X-Ray, and Digitizers.
The Police commissioner said the suspect, posing as a genuine supplier, allegedly presented convincing documents, invoices, and proforma quotations to deceive the victim into believing the transaction was legitimate.
The suspect after receiving the payment of ₦10 million, absconded to Lagos State, cut off all communication, and converted the money to his personal use.
Following the report, the CP said detectives from the State CID launched a painstaking investigation and tracked the suspect’s whereabouts through his bank transactions and telephone records and the suspect was eventually arrested and taken into custody in Lagos.
Adekugbe, however, confessed to the crime during the trial, admitting that he had no intention of procuring or delivering any of the promised equipment and revealed how he spent part of the money on luxury items and personal expenses.
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CP Lawal confirmed that the suspect will soon be charged to court, adding that the Command has gathered sufficient evidence to ensure his successful prosecution.
“These arrests send a clear signal that the Ondo State Police Command will not tolerate economic and cyber-related crimes. The law will take its full course on anyone who attempts to exploit innocent citizens through deceit and technology,” Lawal warned.
He also commended the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for its diligence, intelligence-gathering, and use of modern forensic tools in tracking the suspects across state lines.
The CP urged residents to remain vigilant and sceptical of online transactions or unsolicited financial requests, even when such messages appear to come from familiar contacts.
He advised the public to verify through phone calls before sending money or personal information to anyone online and said “We are appealing to the public always to report suspicious activities promptly. Cybercrime thrives on ignorance and trust; citizens must learn to verify before transacting.”
He assured that the Command remains steadfast in its mission to make Ondo State unsafe for criminals and secure for law-abiding citizens through proactive intelligence gathering, community collaboration, and digital surveillance.
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