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Three Barons, 16 Others Jailed 302 Years For Drug Trafficking

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Three drug kingpins and 16 other offenders have been sentenced to 302 years in prison for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs.

According to the spokesperson for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Femi Babafemi, the suspects were accused of trafficking cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis and opioids, among others.

He added that the 19 convicts led the list of 414 drug traffickers and dealers convicted by the Federal High Court across Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, between July 1 and 31, 2024, following charges brought against them by the agency.

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Babafemi said, “Three drug kingpins and 16 other offenders have been convicted and sentenced to a total of 302 years in prison for trafficking and dealing in illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis and opioids following their arrest and diligent prosecution by the NDLEA.

READ ALSO: Man Sells Human Head, Legs N70,000, Four Buyers Arrested

“The 19 convicts top the list of 414 drug traffickers and dealers convicted by the Federal High Court in Benue, Bauchi, Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Gombe and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, between July 1 – 31, 2024, based on charges filed against them by the anti-narcotics agency.”

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Babafemi said one of the three kingpins, 50-year-old Bolanle Dauda, was arrested during an intelligence-led raid by operatives of a special operation unit in NDLEA at Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana on May 25, 2024.

The statement added, “At the point of his arrest, 42 blocks of cocaine weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on him. A swift follow-up operation in his residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo Road, Agbara, Ogun State, led to the recovery of an additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the total weight of the cocaine seized from him to 57.5 kilograms.”

He was subsequently arraigned before Hon. Justice Ambrose Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, in charge number FHC/L/537C/2024.

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“In his judgment delivered on July 19, 2024, Justice Allagoa convicted and sentenced him to 21 years imprisonment or payment of an option of N30m fine,” the statement added.

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Babafemi also said another jailed kingpin was 34-year-old Ikeh Ifeanyi who was arrested at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island, where no fewer than 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.480kg were recovered from him.

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He added, “The dangerous opioid is 100 times more potent than heroin and currently responsible for over 70 per cent overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the US.

“He was later arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court Lagos in charge number FHC/L/433C/2024. Delivering his judgment on July 4, 2024, the trial judge convicted Ifeanyi on the two counts charge and sentenced him to 14 years in jail or an option of N2m fine.”

He said the third kingpin, Christian Anyanwu, was arrested on November 26, 2022, with 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside custard tins packed among cosmetics and foodstuffs going to Brazil via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.

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He was subsequently docked before Justice Yellin Bogoro of the Federal High Court Lagos, and later convicted on July 12, 2024. In his ruling, the trial judge sentenced Anyanwu to 16 years in jail, four of which were mandatory imprisonment without an option of fine.

 

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JUST IN: Navy Officer Who Had Altercation With Wike Reportedly Escapes Assassination Attempt

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A young Nigerian Navy officer, Lt. A.M. Yarima, who recently had a confrontation with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reportedly escaped an assassination attempt on Sunday evening.

Military sources told Vanguard that Yarima was trailed by unidentified men dressed in black and riding in two unmarked Hilux vans with no number plates. The vehicles allegedly followed him from the NIPCO Filling Station off the Line Expressway to Gado Nasco Way.

According to the source, the officer noticed the surveillance and executed a “strategic maneuver,” successfully evading the suspected assailants. The incident reportedly occurred around 6:30 p.m.

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The source added that the matter is under investigation and is receiving “the seriousness it deserves,” noting that further details are being withheld so as not to compromise the process.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: EFCC Declares Ex-Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva Wanted

The development comes days after Lt. Yarima, while on duty with other security personnel, engaged in a tense confrontation with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike over a disputed land site in Gaduwa District. The clash, captured on video, sparked widespread public debate and prompted intervention from the Presidency, which subsequently halted the demolition exercise at the site.

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Following the incident, military veterans nationwide criticised Wike for verbally insulting the officer and rejected calls for disciplinary action against Yarima.

Spokesman for the Coalition of Retired Veterans, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, warned that ex-service members would “occupy the office and residence of the FCT Minister” if the officer faced any punishment.

He stressed that military personnel owe allegiance to Nigeria—not individual public officials—and insisted that Wike must apologise for his remarks.

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READ ALSO:I’ll Support Trump To Fight Terrorism In Nigeria If… – Wike

“How can a public office holder call an officer ‘a fool’ on camera?” he queried, adding that such conduct undermines national institutions and demeans the dignity of public office.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defence Mohammad Badaru Abubakar has assured that no military personnel acting lawfully will be sanctioned over the altercation.

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We will always protect officers and our armed forces personnel on lawful duty,” Badaru said during a ministerial briefing for the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations at the National Defence College.

“Any officer on lawful duty will be protected if he is doing his job lawfully and doing it well.”

Veterans had earlier vowed to mobilise and occupy the FCT Ministry if Lt. Yarima faced any form of disciplinary action.

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Delta: Father In Police Net After Sleeping With Daughters For Seven Years

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A 54-year-old father in Asaba, Delta State, Edward Odega, has confessed to defiling his three children.

Odega, who has been arrested by the police, disclosed that he had been sleeping with his children for the past seven years.

In a short interview with our correspondent at the police headquarters in Asaba on Saturday, Odega said, “I have three daughters, and I started sleeping with my first daughter when she was 12 years old.”

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He also admitted to sleeping with two others who are 13 and 15, respectively for the same period of time.

READ ALSO:Man Axed To Death By Lover’s Children, Friends In Delta

The spokesperson for the police, Bright Edafe, said one of Odega’s daughters informed the police about the incident.

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He said, “The command has arrested a father who had been defiling his three daughters for the past seven years. The three children are now aged 13, 15, and 24.

“The act was made public after DPO Ogborikoko division CSP Temi Agbede Zuokumor, who went on a school outreach on enlightenment, encountered a child who spoke up, which eventually led to the arrest of the father.”

Edafe said that the three children are currently at the hospital undergoing medical check-ups.

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One Dead, Six Injured In Lagos Bus-tipper Collision

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A road traffic collision in Majidun, near Ogolonto, Lagos, has left one person dead and six others injured after a commercial bus collided with a stationary tipper truck.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said preliminary investigations indicated that the Volkswagen commercial bus, bearing registration number EPE 494 XM, suffered a sudden brake failure while travelling at excessive speed. The driver lost control and struck the tipper truck, which had been parked at the roadside to purchase diesel.

The impact resulted in the immediate death of an adult female passenger. Five female passengers and one male sustained serious injuries and were transported to Benic Special Hospital for medical attention. The body of the deceased was taken to the General Hospital, Ikorodu, for official documentation.

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LASTMA operatives reported that the tipper truck driver attempted to flee the scene but was pursued and apprehended. The bus driver was also arrested, and both individuals were handed over to the Ipakodo Police Division for further investigation.

READ ALSO:‘One-way’ Driver Kills Tricyclist, Flees Scene – LASTMA

Olalekan Bakare-Oki, General Manager of LASTMA, extended condolences to the family of the deceased and wished the injured passengers a swift recovery. He emphasised the dangers of overspeeding, noting, “Excessive speed drastically impairs a driver’s capacity to respond to sudden mechanical failures or unforeseen hazards, thereby magnifying the risk of catastrophic outcomes.”

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Truck assistant crushed
The Guardian reports that a truck assistant was killed late on Wednesday night at the Ogolonto Traffic Light Intersection, near the Ikorodu Roundabout, after slipping beneath the rear wheels of a moving truck he was attempting to stabilise.

According to preliminary investigations, the truck reportedly had faulty brakes. The assistant had alighted from the vehicle to place a wooden plank beneath the tyres when he lost his footing and was run over, dying instantly.

LASTMA’s Special Night Gang Patrol Team, on routine duty along the Ikorodu corridor, witnessed the incident and intervened immediately. The truck driver was taken into custody and handed over to the Ipakodo Police Division, while the body of the deceased was transported to the General Hospital, Ikorodu, for formal deposition.

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READ ALSO:LASTMA Unveils 24-hour Toll-free Customer Service Centre

The agency also removed the truck from the expressway to restore traffic flow and prevent further accidents.

Bakare-Oki, General Manager of LASTMA, described the incident as “highly preventable” and urged truck operators to conduct thorough mechanical inspections, particularly of braking systems, before embarking on journeys. He warned that poor vehicle maintenance not only jeopardises the safety of drivers but also that of other road users.

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Bakare-Oki reiterated the Lagos State Government’s commitment to promoting road safety through enforcement, public awareness, and cooperation with relevant security agencies.

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