Metro

NDLEA Nabs Wanted Drug Kingpin With 11.6kg Cocaine, Meth After Seven Years

Published

4 months ago

July 20, 2025

Operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted 60-year-old drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, ending seven years of evading the long arm of the law.

A statement by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday said the suspect was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country.

Okpara, who has been on the wanted list of the NDLEA since 2019, was eventually arrested at his hideout at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri in the Ojo area of Lagos State on 13th July 2025, following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45 am that same day at Ilasamaja along the Apapa-Oshodi expressway in an early morning operation.

The statement said a team of NDLEA officers, acting on credible intelligence, arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi, while heading to Onitsha, Anambra State in a white Toyota Sienna vehicle.

The agency’s sniffer dogs were subsequently brought in to search the vehicle, after which 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine were found hidden in body compartments of the space bus. A follow-up operation was promptly carried out at Okpara’s hideout in Isheri, where an additional 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine were recovered from his residence.

At the Lagos International Airport, Babafemi said operatives of the Agency, in a joint operation with Aviation Security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), on 16th July, recovered 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol from the luggage of an Italy-bound passenger, Omoregie Nice Uyiosa. The suspect, who was travelling to Italy via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight, claimed he purchased the drugs himself, hoping to sell them in Italy at higher prices.

In another arrest at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives at the export shed on Thursday intercepted 17 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1.70kg, concealed in packs of the popular cereal, Golden Morn, heading to Pakistan as part of a consolidated cargo. A suspect, Chioba Robert Uchenna, who presented the consignment for shipment, was arrested.

NDLEA operatives on Saturday 19th July raided Sarah Sam Hotels located at 115 Ogudu Road in Kosofe, Lagos State, where various party drugs were being distributed and sold. The raid followed credible intelligence and surveillance which confirmed a suspect, Obayemi Oyetade, as the arrowhead of the drug network.

At the time of the operation, 1.30kg of chocolate cannabis, 900 grams of gummies and 22.9 grams of skunk were recovered from Obayemi’s room in the hotel, which is a 20-room facility run as a family business, housing his mother and siblings. Other items recovered from the hotel include three vehicles.

Three suspects – Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi and Emmanuel Madu – were arrested on Saturday during an intelligence-led raid at Narayi High Cost area of Chikun LGA, Kaduna State, where 742.866 kilograms of skunk and Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, were seized.

The NDLEA statement also said one Lawan Rabiu was nabbed with 36,000 pills of tramadol along Danbatta-Kazaure Road on Wednesday in Kano.

While a total of 25,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered from a suspect, Aliyu Abubakar, at Gombe roundabout on Friday, the duo of Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were arrested the same day with 49 blocks of compressed skunk that weighed 29kg at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba LGA, Gombe State.

In Borno, NDLEA officers on patrol along Baga Road, Maiduguri, on Saturday intercepted 74,360 pills of opioids in a Mercedes Benz C180 car marked GUB 409 AA and arrested Audu Modu in connection with the seizure, while in Bayelsa State, a 63-year-old grandmother, Akuna Nelson, was on Thursday arrested at Osiri area of Yenagoa in connection with the seizure of 163 litres of skuchies.

Four suspects – Ikechukw Abugu, Sunday Ani, Chukwu Christian and Emmanuel Olisakwe – were on Thursday arrested by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja highway, Kogi State, in connection with the seizure of 2kg of methamphetamine recovered during a search of their vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Minna, Niger State.

In Abia State, NDLEA officers on 14th July raided the base of a notorious drug dealer, Nduka Obi, at 4 Niger Street, Ugwa Road, Aba, where various quantities of tramadol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and a total of N736,000 in monetary exhibit were recovered from him.

While a total of 45,000 pills of tramadol were seized from a suspect, Chisom Okpalaeke, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Onitsha – Enugu expressway, Enugu State, on 16th July, officers of the Taraba State Command of the agency the same day apprehended the duo of Ngwokwoka Thomas and Mohammed Audu with 10,000 caps of tramadol and a gram of cannabis at Dan Anacha, Gassol LGA.

While commending the officers and men of the various Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for maintaining a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Metro

Two Children Die In Separate Well Tragedies In Kano

Published

16 hours ago

November 5, 2025

Editor

Tragedy struck in two communities in Kano when two children lost their lives in separate well incidents.

The Kano State Fire Service confirmed the incidents in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer, ACFO Saminu Yusif Abdullahi. A copy of the statement was made available to the press on Wednesday in Kano.

According to the statement, both incidents occurred in the Dawakin Tofa and Dala local government areas of the state.

According to the statement, “The first incident took place on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at about 8:53 a.m. in Kashirmo Village, Sarkakiya, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area. An eight-year-old girl identified as Zara’u Muhammad reportedly fell into a well while playing”.

However, residents of the area made desperate efforts to rescue the child before the arrival of firefighters, but were unsuccessful due to the depth of the well and the high level of water inside.

Metro

ICPC Arraigns Woman For Forging Marriage Certificate, Visa Fraud

Published

17 hours ago

November 5, 2025

Editor

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned one Ms. Elle Isaac Blessing Ojo before Justice Akobi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Kubwa, for allegedly forging a marriage certificate and United Arab Emirates (UAE) passport stamps to fraudulently obtain a United Kingdom (UK) visa.

The arraignment, which took place on Tuesday, followed a four-count charge filed by the Commission under Charge No. CR/577/25 Federal Republic of Nigeria vs. Elle Isaac Blessing Ojo (F).

According to the charge sheet, the offences were committed around 2019 within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The ICPC prosecution team alleged that the defendant forged a marriage certificate with registration number 024119/2017, purportedly issued by a Nigerian marriage registry, and used it to support her UK visa application.

The Commission also accused Ms. Ojo of forging entry and exit stamps of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on her international passport, presenting them as genuine to strengthen her visa application.

These actions, according to the charge sheet, contravene Sections 363 and 366 and are punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Laws of the Federation, which deal with forgery and the fraudulent use of forged documents.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Elle Isaac Blessing Ojo, in 2019 or thereabouts, at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently present as genuine a forged marriage certificate purportedly emanating from Ikoyi Marriage Registry, Ikoyi-Lagos, when you had reason to believe it to be a forged document, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Laws of the Federation.”

When the charges were read, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all four counts. She was represented by her counsel, C.A. Owo Ekele.

Lead prosecution counsel, Barrister Fatima Abdullahi of ICPC, informed the court that the Commission was ready to proceed to trial and requested a date for hearing, while the defence counsel applied for bail on liberal terms.

After listening to both sides, Justice Akobi granted bail to the defendant in the sum of ₦2 million with two sureties in like sum. One surety must be a public servant not below Grade Level 15, while the second must be a resident of Abuja with a family and possess landed property with a valid Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) within the FCT.

The second surety is also required to attach copies of his or her passport and C of O to the bail documents for verification.

Justice Akobi further ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.

In a statement on Wednesday, ICPC’s spokesperson and Director of Public Enlightenment and Education, Demola Bakare, said the Commission will continue to collaborate with relevant embassies and international partners to curb visa-related fraud and bring offenders to justice.

Metro

Abductors Kill Seminary, Free One In Edo

Published

19 hours ago

November 5, 2025

Editor

Kidnappers have killed Emmanuel Alabi a seminary of Immaculate Conception Minor, Ivianokpodi, Estako East Local Government Area, 95 days after he was abducted.

Late Alabi and two other seminaries, Japhet Jesse and Joshua Aleobua, were abducted on July 10, 2025.

In June this year, Peter Andrew, from the same Ivianokpodi seminary was abducted and killed.

Jesse escaped and regained freedom but others remained with the kidnappers.

Their plea for freedom and rescue did not yield any results even as the kidnappers placed them among their previous dead victims.

Aleobua regained freedom on November 4th but Alabi was shot dead while attempting to escape.

A statement by the Catholic Diocese of Auchi and signed by the Assistant Director of Communications, Fr. Linus Imoedemhe, was silent on how Alabi died.

The statement said Bishop of the Diocese of Auchi, Most Rev. Gabriel Dunia, expressed deep pain and sorrow over the loss of the young seminarian.

It said Bishop Dunia called on security agencies to intensify efforts toward protecting the lives and property of all citizens and cautioned political leaders against turning a blind eye on the worsening insecurity situation in the nation.

Bishop Dunia urged them to prioritize the safety and well-being of the people over political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to the statement, “The Catholic Diocese of Auchi invites all the faithful and people of goodwill to join us in praying for the repose of the soul of Emmanuel Alabi, and for the peace, healing, and security of our people and land.

“The Diocese of Auchi remains committed to the values of faith, peace, and justice, trusting in God’s infinite mercy to bring comfort to the bereaved family, the seminary community, and all those affected by this tragedy.

“May the soul of Emmanuel Alabi, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”