• Uncovers skuchies factory in Ogun
  Recovers 230,900 tramadol pills in Kano
  Destroys 28,959kg cannabis in Edo, Ekiti forests

The Special Operation Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a major victory in the battle against drug cartels in the country following the dismantling of a cartel controlled by a drug baron, 49-year-old Kelechi Monday Nwaobasi and his 50-year-old elder sister, Ms. Chinwe Rose Nwaobasi.

The victory followed the arrest of the siblings by officers of the Special Operation Unit and the seizure of cocaine and methamphetamine consignments worth over N4.1billion in street value from their hideout in Aba, Abia state.

NDLEA’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafem, in a press statement on Sunday, disclosed that “the special operation conducted on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th June, 2024 at 3B, Boundary Avenue, Aba and a residence along Ohia road, Ohia, Abia State followed months of intelligence gathering, leading to the arrest of the ring leaders and the combined seizure of 20.76 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine from them.”

In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Lagos state have uncovered an expansive warehouse stocked with a large consignment of codeine-based syrup, located at Comfort Oboh area of Kirikiri, where four persons connected with the importation and distribution of the opioid were arrested during an intelligence-led raid on the facility.

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Babafemi stated further: “Those arrested include: Kingsley Amanambu Obumneke, 38; Emeka Emmanuel, 48; Bornaventure Ugochukwu, 59; and Martin Dike, 56, while a total of 82,000 bottles of the opioid worth more than N600million in street value, Toyota Tacuma truck and two buses used for distributing the substance were recovered from the premises on Monday 10th June 2024 when NDLEA officers conducted the operation.

“Two days after, Wednesday 12th June, operatives intercepted another suspect, Ibrahim Abdulhamid with 29,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids as well as 3.9 litres of codeine syrup at Alaba Suru, Ojo local council area of the state.

“A total of 230,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg were recovered from the duo of Yasir Rabi’u, 23, and Abubakar Ado, 30, who are major distributors of illicit drugs in Kano and Jigawa states, when they were arrested on Monday 10th June at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano. In the same vein, another suspect, Hassan Abdullahi Ali, 25, was nabbed with 150 bottles of codeine syrup at Kofar Nassarawa area of Kano on Tuesday 11th June.

“In Ogun state, NDLEA operatives on Monday 10th June seized 390kg of cannabis and arrested the trio of Muhammad Sani, Nura Mohammad and Samaila Rabe during an early morning raid at Ibese area of the state, while officers on Wednesday 12th June bursted a skuchies making factory at Sabo area of Shagamu town where seven suspects were arrested.

“They include: Kareem Jamiu; Oriyimi Ayo; Bamidele Wasiu; Rasheed Olarewanju; Ramota Lawal; Amudalat Olarewanju; and Adeniyi Omotosho. Exhibits recovered from them include: 387 litres of skuchies; 70 litres of industrial codeine; 25kg cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, rophynol, diazepam, as well as various equipment used in the production of the new psychoactive substance.

“Not less than 10, 534.78 kilograms of cannabis were destroyed on 4.213912 hectares of farmland on Wednesday 12th June when NDLEA officers raided Uhen forest in Ovia North East council area of Edo state where four suspects: Frank Ishoku, 38; Clifford Ossai, 49; Vanger Timothy, 30; and John Peter Oluwaseyi, 30, were nabbed and 16kg processed cannabis was recovered for the purpose of prosecution.

“In a similar development, 18,425kg of the same psychoactive substance on 7.37 hectares of farmland was destroyed by NDLEA operatives supported by personnel of other security agencies in the thick forest of Ise Ekiti, Ekiti state on Friday 14th June.

“In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, two suspects: Muhammad Abba, 33, and Samson Ehizogie, 42, were arrested with 3,550 bottles of “Akuskura”, a new mixture of psychotropic substances, by operatives during a raid on Friday 14th June at Garki Area 10 and Dutse Suokale, both within the FCT.

“While Emmanuel Ogechi, 24, was nabbed with 11,200 pills of tramadol on Wednesday 12th June along Otukpo-Enugu road, by NDLEA operatives in Benue state, Anayo Onwe, 40, was arrested with 62.4kg cannabis sativa at Nteje just as 1kg of methamphetamine belonging to a fleeing suspect, in Oraifite, both in Anambra state was seized. In Kwara state, Muhammed Musa, 24, was arrested with 33kg cannabis at Bode-Saadu, Jebba, while Shokuro Adeola, 59, was nabbed with 11.5kg of same substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Oyo state.

“With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and teachers of Mind Builder College, Oyo town, Oyo state; students of Demonstration Secondary School, Kabba, Kogi; students of Government Secondary School, Bunkure, Kano; students of Command Day Secondary School, Ede, Osun; students and teachers of Khulafau-Rashideen Islamic School, Babanna, Niger state; and students of Aggrey Memorial Modern School, Arochukwu, Abia state, among others.”

While commending the officers and men of the Special Operation Unit, Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Ekiti, Oyo, Kwara, Anambra, Benue and FCT Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated. He urged them not to rest on their oars but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

Two men, Ugwu Chijioke and Ibrahim Adekunle, have been sentenced to 46 years in prison for impersonating operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and executing a fake court order.

According to a statement on X.com on Sunday, the duo were arrested in May 2021 at New Horizon Estate, Lekki, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the commission.

At the time of their arrest, they were caught in the act of carrying out an illegal operation.

Items recovered from them at the point of arrest included fake EFCC identity cards, jackets, and a court order allegedly from Mushin Magistrate Court.

They were subsequently arraigned on October 12, 2021, by the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC on on a five-count charge, amended to include impersonation, attempted property fraud, possession of false documents, and unlawful wear of the EFCC uniform.

The suspects were arraigned before Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, where they pleaded guilty to the charges.

After their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid Tukur, presented a review of the case facts, demonstrating their guilt.

Tukur then requested the court to deliver a guilty verdict and impose the corresponding sentences.

Justice Abike-Fadipe found them guilty as charged on counts one, two, three, four and five.

The defendants, who were given an opportunity to address the court, pleaded for mercy.

Delivering judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe sentenced the defendants each to seven years on counts one to three each, one year on count four and eight months on count five.

The sentences are to run concurrently.

One of the counts reads: “ That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, on or about the 12th day of May, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, attempted to obtain property from one Oriyomi Johnson under the pretext that the “Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos State Judiciary, Mushin, Lagos” issued an Order to the effect that the property located at New Horizon Estate, Lekki- Ikate, Lagos be seized and the said apartment sealed pending the arrival of the said Oriyomi Johnson ,which representation you knew to be false and committed an offence of attempt to obtain property by false pretense contrary to Sections 8(b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section11(3) of the same Act.”

Another count reads, “That you, Ugwu Pascal Chijioke and Ibrahim Sadiq Adekunle, on or about the 12th day of May, 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court not being a person holding any office in or authority of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, wore a jacket bearing the official mark of the Commission ,which was calculated to convey the impression that you held such authority and committed an offence of unlawfully wearing the uniform of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission contrary to Section 79(1) (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”

NAHCON officials on Friday apprehended two Nigerians posing as pilgrims at the Muna camp in Saudi Arabia.

The impostors, Abu Mahmud and Ismaila Yahaya, were caught mingling with genuine pilgrims who were resting after their journey from Mecca to Muna camps.

The fake pilgrims were found wearing counterfeit Nusuk Identification cards and donning the traditional white attire worn by Hajj pilgrims in an attempt to blend in with the crowd.

Their deception was uncovered, and they were taken into custody by the vigilant officials.

Mr Mahmud who claimed to hail from Kano State was found also with an expired Saudi visa.

He revealed that he had been residing in Saudi Arabia since 2022 when his visa expired.

In a desperate bid for a better life, he allegedly paid the sum of N3 million to enter Saudi Arabia in search of ‘greener pastures illegally.’

” I only want to perform Hajj. So I faked the Nusuk ID and sneaked into the camp when Nigerians arrived this afternoon.

” I am so sorry. Please allow me to go. I won’t do the Hajj again. If you arrest me I will be in trouble and also my family.

The impersonating pilgrims are currently being interrogated by NAHCON officials, who will subsequently hand them over to the Saudi authorities.

The Saudi government has issued a stern warning that all pilgrims must possess a valid Nusuk card to participate in this year’s hajj.

Those found without the mandatory Nusuk card will face severe consequences, including deportation to their country of origin, a jail sentence and a fine of 10,000 Saudi Riyals.

Meanwhile, the hajj rituals have commenced, with pilgrims being transported from Mecca to Mina on Friday.

The pilgrims will camp in Mina before proceeding to Arafat on Saturday, marking the beginning of the sacred journey.

This significant event has drawn over 1.5 million pilgrims from around the world, with numbers expected to exceed 2 million, according to Saudi authorities.