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NDLEA arrests three grandfathers, Nigerien over 52kg seized cocaine, skunk

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested three sexagenarian grandfathers and a Nigerien in connection with the seizure of over 52.252 kilograms of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and Skunk as well as 32, 590 pills of opioids in Lagos, Kwara, Plateau, Sokoto states by the anti-narcotic agency in the past week.

Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, who made this known in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said two courier companies were also implicated in the illicit business.

Babafemi said a suspect, Onyebi Benjamin Chimaobi, who frequently travels to Cameroun, Ethiopia, Uganda and has been on NDLEA’s watchlist, was on Saturday 18th February arrested at Victory Estate, Iba, Ojo area of Lagos in connection with the seizure of 19.70kgs cocaine abandoned on an Ethiopian airline flight that arrived Lagos airport on Thursday 9th February.

He said Chimaobi had travelled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to pick the consignment, which he claimed was handed over to him in a black backpack bag on the plane in Addis Ababa but failed to disembark with it on arrival in Lagos.

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“While the Agency continues to investigate the flight crew members, relevant intelligence and investigative tools were deployed to identify the passenger who brought the consignment to Nigeria as a result of which Chimaobi was eventually unraveled and traced to Victory estate, Iba, where he was arrested,” Babafemi said.

The NDLEA spokesman also said operatives on Thursday 23rd February intercepted an intending passenger on Turkish Airline flight to Torino via Milan, Italy at the Departure Hall of the Lagos airport, Obazee Timothy Eguagie, with various quantities of opioids.

He said the consignment consisting a total of 22, 840 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 10.60 kg; 1000 tablets of Tramadol 200mg with a gross weight of 600 grams; 2, 300 capsules of Tramadol 100mg, weighing 800 grams and 60 tablets of Rohypnol 1mg, weighing 19 grams were concealed inside cloths and wrapped with black tapes.

The statement reads, “The following day, Friday 24th February, NDLEA operatives attached to the NAHCO import shed of the airport intercepted eight cartons of shoes coming from Los Angeles, United States of America. A diligent examination of the cargo however showed that the shoes were used to conceal a total of 37 parcels of Loud variant of Cannabis with a gross weight of 20.10 kilograms. A 63-year-old grandfather, Balogun Akinlabi Abideen hired as freight agent to clear the illicit consignment has already been arrested.

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Two other sexagenarians arrested in connection with drug trafficking include Butven Siman, 62, who was nabbed with 5.5kgs skunk on Friday 17th Feb. at Timbol village, Langtang South LGA, Plateau State, as well as 65-year-old Musa Shuaib who was arrested with a kilogram of cannabis on Thursday 23rd Feb in Adewole area of Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

“At two major courier companies in Lagos, a total of 4.292 kilograms of psychoactive drugs including Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Lexaton, and Swindon concealed in walls of cartons, picture frames, bathing soap packs and bedsheets were recovered from parcels going to United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia by officers of the NDLEA Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI attached to the logistics firms.

“In Sokoto state, NDLEA operatives at the Illela land border on Tuesday 21st Feb intercepted a Nigerien, Bashar Abdu of Kwanni, Niger Republic with 1.460kgs of skunk wrapped round his private part, while in Kaduna, a suspect, Mohammed Garba (a.k.a Alfazazi), was arrested with 6,390 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, weighing 3.4kgs on Thursday 23rd along Abuja-Kaduna express road.

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While commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Plateau, Sokoto, Kaduna and Kwara Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures.

“Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) noted that their efforts and those of their compatriots across the country have in no small measure reduced access to and availability of illicit substances in Nigerian communities. He charged them to remain vigilant at all times.”

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Gunmen invade Ogun church, kidnap two

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Several gunmen have reportedly invaded the Celestial Church of Christ, Oriyarin parish in Mowe.

 

The Ogun police command said the attack occurred Thursday.

 

“SUSPECTED KIDNAPPING, report at my disposal 28/3/2024 at about reveals that unidentified gunmen, invaded a Celestial Church around Oriyarin village Mowe and abducted one Oladapo Seyifunmi, Oluboboye Abiola, and escaped through the thick forest behind the Church,” said the police in a post on X.

 

The statement added that the police commissioner, Alamutu Abiodun, has ordered immediate mobilisation of security personnel to go after the hoodlums.

 

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Hoodlums attack, set police tation ablaze in Anambra

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Hoodlums have attacked and razed the Neni Divisional Police station in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.

 

Emerging reports suggest that the attackers numbering about thirty stormed the area at about 2am in the morning on Thursday, wreaking havoc on several buildings.

 

The State Police Public Relations officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the hoodlums attacked the police station with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

 

He, however, stated clearly that the hoodlums did not take away any arms or kidnap any police personnel.

 

The police imagemaker further disclosed that the hoodlums were forced to flee after the police operatives subdued them in a superior fire-power adding that tactical operations are still ongoing in the area.

 

Mr Ikenga assured that more updates on the sad incident will be availed to the public in no time.

 

He did not give much details as regards the extent of damages done to the facility.

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Repentant cultists surrender arms in Ogun

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At least 48 repentant cultists in the Sagamu area of Ogun State have surrendered their arms to the Nigeria Police Force and renounced their membership in the various cult groups they belonged to.

The ceremony to profile the repentant cultists and take stock of the arms and ammunition was held at the Palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adewale Ajayi, in the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.

Recall that in January two cult groups, Neo Black Movement, popularly called Aye, and the National Association of Airlords, also known as Eiye Confraternity, Sagamu chapter, wrote letters of apologies to the Akarigbo of Remoland, asking him and other traditional rulers in Remoland to forgive them of their wrongdoings.

 

The two groups had, in a viral letter, pleaded for mercy and promised to abide by the laws of the country.

 

While the letter from the Eiye Confraternity was dated December 22, 2023, that of Aye was dated December 26, 2023.

Weapons submitted by the cultists, who have promised to turn a new leaf, include one pump action gun, four double barrels, seven single barrels, two English pistols, four locally made pistols, and 35 cartridges.

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Speaking at the event, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the approach of the police to engage in moral persuasion as a way of curbing the incessant cult crises that have ravaged the part of the state led the cultists to renounce their membership and surrender their arms.

 

Alamutu, while urging the repentant cultists not to go back to their old ways, stressed that the police would also work with the Ogun State government and the traditional rulers to convert them into an Anti-Cultism Vanguard that would preach the dangers of cultism to others still engaged in the act.

 

The CP said, “You will recall that last year, this community witnessed disturbing incidences where cultists were on rampage and disturbing the peace of the community that I had to partially relocate to this community.

 

“It was the persistent nature of this crisis that brought the idea of having a second look and approach to the crisis and we thought of using moral persuasion and engagement to see if we can get results and thank God this is the outcome.

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“By giving them this Olive branch, the idea is for them to turn a new leaf. I have had a closed-door meeting with Kabiyesi on how we can engage these youths. Now that we have convinced them that the right thing to do is hard work, we are going to see how we can assist them to be of use to themselves and be our vanguard so that others will have a reason to embrace peace.”

 

In his reaction, Oba Ajayi said the amnesty for the cultists was a result of several engagements and discussions during when many of the cultists regretted their nefarious acts and promised to turn a new leaf.

 

The monarch added, “Not satisfied with the killings and disturbance of these cultists in the town, the community re-strategised and moved against them. The heat was so much that some of them were even forced to leave the town, but they continued to beg, sending emissaries that they were ready to turn a new leaf.

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“We have engaged them and told them point-blank that cultism is not the way forward, that they will only ruin their lives, ruin their family names and the plans of God for their lives.

 

“We told them to submit their weapons and stay away from cultism, and we have promised to integrate them into the society. It is an ongoing exercise, and we hope that their colleagues in other parts of Remoland and Ogun State as a whole will draw a vital lesson and follow suit as well.”

 

He thanked Governor Dapo Abiodun, security agencies, and the Sagamu Security Committee for working round the clock to ensure the success of the amnesty deal for the former cultists.

 

He begged the residents of the community to show the repentant cultists love and support and not treat them as outcasts.

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