Connect with us

Metro News

INSECURITY: A troubling week: Buhari’s convoy, prison, others attacked

Published

on

 

The insecurity in Nigeria assumed a troubling dimension last week (July 3-9) as terrorists launched daring attacks on different government institutions and officials including officials working with President Muhammadu Buhari.

A daring attack on an advance presidential convoy led to at least two injuries, according to the official narrative. Apart from the attack on the presidential convoy, there were attacks on Nigeria’s ‘most fortified’ prison, police officers, a Chinese expatriate and others.

Although there was no recorded death in the incident involving the presidential convoy, at least 27 people were reported killed in other attacks across the country.

The figure represents a decrease when compared to the previous week when at least 50 persons were killed with the majority being security officials.

Of the 27 casualties last week, four were police officers, one was an officer of the civil defence while the remaining 22 were civilians.

There was a total of nine incidents which took place across five geopolitical zones. Only the North-east recorded no incident.

The most prominent of the incidents was the invasion of the Kuje custodial centre by armed members of the Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) who freed more than 60 of their members and hundreds of others.

See also  Tambuwal meets security chiefs, Christian leaders over burning to death of student accused of blasphemy

Below are the recorded incidents:

South-east
In Abia state, three suspected armed robbers were set ablaze in Aba Local Government Area on Sunday. It was gathered that the suspects have been terrorising Point of Sale (POS) operators at Abayi, along Aba-Owerri Road in Aba.

Similarly, an angry mob, on Monday, set two suspected ritualists ablaze for allegedly raping and killing a 10-year-old girl in Ede-Oballa, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

A witness from the community told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident threw the community into mourning.

South-west
Gunmen shot dead a security guard identified as Sunday who manned a filling station at Igoba community in the Akure-North Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday.

After killing the guard, the gunmen also reportedly set the filling station on fire.

North-central
At least 12 people reportedly died in a violent clash between bandits and vigilantes in Plateau State.

Local sources said that the bandits stormed Zak, a community in the Wase Local Government Area on a mission to sack the community.

In Kwara State, the police confirmed the killing of its inspector, Adebayo Adeforiti, and the abduction of a Chinese national by some gunmen at the CGC construction company along the Shao/Oloru Expressway.

See also  Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers  Headlines: 2027: Atiku now our best campaign manager because he attacks Obi — Oshiomhole

The incident occurred on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Kwara police spokesman, Okasanmi Ajayi, in Ilorin.

In the FCT, a civil defence officer was killed in an encounter with terrorists who stormed the Kuje Prison to break out some of their members. Four prison inmates were also killed in the attack.

The incident took place on Tuesday and has since attracted global attention to Nigeria.

The interior minister, Rauf Aregbesola, who like other officials condemned the attack, said the Kuje prison was the ‘most fortified’ in Nigeria.

North-west
Armed persons killed the area commander of the Dutsin Ma Police Area command, Aminu Umar, in an ambush on Tuesday morning.

Mr Umar, an assistant police commissioner, was killed alongside one other officer.

South-south
In Rivers, a yet-to-be-identified policeman was shot dead, while the All Progressives Congress deputy governorship candidate in Rivers State, Innocent Barikor, escaped death at the GRA axis of Port Harcourt on Tuesday night.

The incident took place in front of a club in the high-brow city centre when the assailants opened fire on the cop in what is suspected to be an assassination attempt on Mr Barikor’s life.

See also  Terrorists kill three, injure one in Yobe Islamic boarding school

Following the attack on Kuje prison comity, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed disappointment in Nigeria’s intelligence gathering and security architecture.

In his usual tone, Buhari condemned the attack after his visit to the scene on Wednesday. He questioned the competence of Nigeria’s security operatives.

The president, who departed for Dakar, Senegal, shortly after his visit, expressed shock at the courage of the attackers and raised questions about the ease at which the attack succeeded.

In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Wednesday, Mr Buhari called for a comprehensive report on the shocking development.

“How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work?

“I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organise, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it?” the president said.

 

Metro News

NDLEA arrests South African woman with drug shipments, seizes large consignment of drugs at Lagos airport

Published

on

By

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested a South African, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, with 30 parcels of Thai Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 32.74 kilogrammes, at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, Rivers State.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the drugs were concealed in two travelling bags.

The statement added that the suspect travelled from Thailand through Doha aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431.

“She confessed to having previously trafficked through other African countries, and was expanding her route to Port Harcourt when she was caught.”

Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a shipment of 354,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg weighing 307.20kg from Pakistan.

Babafemi said the consignment arrived aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight on September 29 and was placed under surveillance before a joint examination on Tuesday, October 6, uncovered the drugs in nine cartons.

In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers intercepted 70 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic cannabinoid, weighing 75.90kg in six Ghana-Must-Go bags contained in a consolidated cargo from the United Kingdom.

The statement said the shipment was monitored after arriving on September 29.

See also  16 GPS-guided munitions used by US in attack ISIS Sokoto camps — FG

A clearing agent, John Edrah, 54, was arrested on September 30, while an Uber driver, Taofiq Ajibola, 54, was apprehended while collecting one of the bags at a logistics company in Mafoluku, Oshodi.

The agency said Adetunji Adebayo and Kazeem Damola Dosunmu, 48, a clothing trader, were subsequently arrested when they came to collect the remaining five bags.

According to Babafemi, Ajibola said the drugs were sent by a UK-based associate, Lukman Sa’idu, while Dosunmu claimed his consignment came from another UK-based man identified as Yusuf.

In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives arrested 46-year-old Adama Inuwa at Iyala Nkun village, Ikom Local Government Area, on Sunday, October 4, following surveillance.

Babafemi said the operation led to the recovery of 181 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,100kg and 17.15kg of cannabis seeds.

In Edo State, officers intercepted a black Toyota Camry conveying 1,049 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 702.83kg at Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area, on Monday, October 5.

The agency said Monday Orji, 52; Monday Lawal, 40; and Precious Uduegele, 20, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

In a separate raid at Asoro, off Sakponba Road, Benin City, operatives arrested 26-year-old Ojugo Mercy with 989 grammes of Loud, 13 grammes of Colorado and 83 grammes of methamphetamine.

See also  Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: FG, states beef up security in schools as new session begins

In Ondo State, a 21-year-old suspect, Happy Endurance, was arrested at her hideout in the Shasha area of Akure on October 5, with 29 bags of cannabis weighing 290kg.

The statement added that a separate raid on an apartment at Oba-Ile, Akure, on the same day led to the arrest of 42-year-old Tunde Adebayo, with 35 bags of cannabis weighing 351kg.

In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, arrested Abdulrasheed Mohamed, 31, and Abubakar Saidu, 37, at Chanchanji village, Wukari Local Government Area, on Friday, October 9.

Babafemi said the suspects were found with 166,200 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 107kg.

In Kano State, a stop-and-search operation along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on October 9 led to the arrest of 32-year-old Yahaya Musa with 24,990 capsules of tramadol, 50,000 tablets of diazepam and 22,000 tablets of Exol-5.

In Kaduna State, operatives on patrol along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway arrested 29-year-old Mohammed Musa with 31 jumbo bags and 775 blocks of skunk weighing a combined 1,027kg.

The agency also arrested Musbau Balogun Adekunle in Orile, Lagos, on Tuesday, October 6, with 32.51kg of skunk and 52.65kg of cannabis seeds, bringing the total seizure to 85.16kg.

See also  Bandits plant explosives along Zamfara road, kill travellers

In Plateau State, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 45-year-old Christian Chukwudi Uju at Rukuba Road, Jos, on Thursday, October 8, recovering methamphetamine, firearms and ammunition.

According to the statement, the items seized included 47 grammes of methamphetamine, two pump-action rifles, one locally made gun, 199 live cartridges, five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and one round of 9mm ammunition.

The agency said its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign also continued across the country, with lectures delivered to students and staff of schools in Oyo, Ebonyi, Niger, Kano, Lagos and Ogun states.

Among the institutions reached were Progressive Grammar School, Tede, Oyo State; Eghugo Technical College, Afikpo, Ebonyi State; Baptist High School, Lambata, Niger State; and Ipara Senior and Junior Community Secondary School, Badagry, Lagos State.

Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised personnel of the Lagos, MMIA, PHIA, Taraba, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Plateau Commands.

Babafemi said Marwa commended the officers “for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations” and urged them “to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”

Continue Reading

Metro News

NDLEA arrests 83-year-old ex-convict with Colorado, meth in Abia

Published

on

By

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have rearrested an 83-year-old grandmother, Uloma Uchechi Sunday, with consignments of methamphetamine and Colorado.

The arrest comes barely a year after the grandmother was convicted of drug-related offences.

Uloma was first arrested on May 17, 2025, alongside her 32-year-old daughter, Chisom Uchechi, at the same residence.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to Babafemi, the octogenarian was arrested on Wednesday, October 7, at her residence in Ite-Uzo, Umuaguma, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, with the substances allegedly tied around her waist with a wrapper.

Her arrest followed credible intelligence indicating that she operated a notorious drug joint allegedly harbouring criminal elements terrorising the community.

During her first arrest in May, operatives recovered 50 grammes of methamphetamine, 522 grammes of skunk, 260 grammes of fresh cannabis leaves and 12 grammes of tramadol from the Uloma and her daughter.

See also  Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: FG, states beef up security in schools as new session begins

According to the statement, “Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 each. They paid the fine and were released by the court”

The NDLEA spokesman alleged that the elderly woman returned to the illicit drug trade after her release.

“Undeterred, the notorious old woman promptly returned to the criminal trade and escalated the scale by setting up a drug joint where she harbours dangerous characters,” the statement added.

Continue Reading

Metro News

Varsity lecturer dies after sex romp  with prostitute in hotel room

Published

on

By

A senior lecturer at the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, identified as Dr. Matthew Uwuigbe, has repeatedly died in a hotel room after an alleged sexual encounter with a 21-year-old commercial sex worker, identified as Angela Defa Jacob.

The incident, according to a report by Punch online, happened on Sunday at a hotel in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

It was gathered that the lecturer had checked into the hotel with the sex worker and died moments after the romp.

Spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, who confirmed the incident, said three persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

She said, “On October 5, 2026, at about 8 pm, the command received a report that Matthew Uwuigbe, a lecturer at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, had lodged at a hotel in Ekpoma and engaged the services of a 21-year-old sex worker, Angela Defa Jacob.

See also  Tambuwal meets security chiefs, Christian leaders over burning to death of student accused of blasphemy

“He subsequently sent the woman to purchase water for him, and upon her return, she found him lying dead in the room.”

Ikoedem said the hotel owner, the manager and the sex worker are currently in custody while investigation continues. The corpse, she added, has been deposited at the Oriaifo Memorial Hospital mortuary.

The university’s Public Relations Officer, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, confirmed that Uwuigbe is a staff member of the institution, but said the incident occurred outside the campus.

“We are not denying that he is our staff, but whatever he did and what happened, it is his private life. The girl in question is not our student, and everything happened outside our institution,” he told the News outlet.

Continue Reading

Trending News