The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has arrested four members of a drug cartel who runs a cocaine cartel from India in Lagos with a Sports Utility vehicle and two houses belonging to the syndicate, already traced to them sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.

This is just as a couple, Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade (alias Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun) and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade (alias Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), also members of the cartel have been declared wanted by NDLEA in connection with cocaine trade.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi who made this known, said “Two other members of the syndicate, Imran Taofeek Olalekan and Ishola Isiaka Olalekan were arrested on April 3, 2024 following their bid to export 3.40kg cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight going to Oman through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.

“While Imran was the courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Alhaji Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun based in India.

“Efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow up operations when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed who works directly with the baron was arrested on Tuesday 14th May at Abule Egba area of Lagos.

“It was indeed Saheed who lodged Imran in a hotel a day before his aborted trip to Oman and equally dropped him and Ishola at the Lagos airport the day they were arrested.

“During a search of Hamed house, NDLEA operatives recovered some phenacetine, a cutting agent for Cocaine, weighing 900 grams.

“He confessed that the recovered substance was what was left of the consignment Imran was taking to Oman the day he was arrested.

“His arrest led to a follow up operation at the home of the Owoalade couple at 20 Eyiaro street, Ogudu Orioke, Lagos where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV4 SUV marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and additional 400 grams of Cocaine recovered in addition to already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales and other paraphernalia”.

In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, attached to a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday 15th May intercepted two parcels, containing Cocaine and Amphetamine concealed in steel bolts and shea butter.

While the cocaine weighing 587 grams, was concealed in eight steel bolt screws going to China, the Amphetamine consignment packed in vape pens and hidden in shea butter was going to the United Kingdom.

Attempts by Emeka Nwadiaro (aka Mega) to export 3.6kg Loud, a strain of cannabis concealed in 36 water flasks to Dubai, UAE was also thwarted at a logistic company in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Thursday 16th May while a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Emeka Nwadiaro in Onitsha, Anambra state same day.

While NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted a mercedes benz bus loaded with 840kg cannabis and arrested the driver, Samuel Henry, at Olojo in Ojo LGA, Lagos, another suspect, Lawal Adam was nabbed along Otukpo road, Aliade, Benue state on Friday 17th May with 75,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and exol-5.

Two suspects: Olisa Etisi, 32, and Jonathan Umeh, 25, were arrested along Owerri – Onitsha road, Imo state following the discovery by NDLEA operatives of a big gas cyclinder used to conceal six blocks of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 3.85kg.

In Borno state, 70-year-old Adamu Mohammed was arrested at Mbulamel, Biu LGA on Thursday 16th May with 2kg cannabis and 33.55grams of diazepam, while Gaddafi Sani, 27, was arrested with 30 kilograms of cannabis along Abuja-Kaduna road, Kaduna.

In Yobe state, a consignment of 91.1kg opioids and 13kg cannabis going to Maiduguri, Borno state, was recovered from hidden compartments of a petrol tanker along Potiskum-Damaturu road by NDLEA officers who arrested the driver, Ismaila Ali.

No less than four suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 2,025 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IED) materials intercepted in a Toyota hummer bus marked AGL 905 XX by NDLEA officers along Agaie – Lapai road, Niger state.

The duo of Abdulrauf Shitu Adeyemi, 46, and Asmiyu Rahim, 45, conyeying the IED materials were arrested on the spot. Follow up operations led to the arrest of Husaini Abdullahi, 25, at Sokoto main market, Sokoto and Nazifi Abdullahi, 37, at Naibawa Motor Park, Kano on Friday 17th May.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has directed that all four suspects and the explosive materials be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

In another operation, Muhammad Lawal, 42, was nabbed at Central Market Motor Park, Katsina State with 1,000 Ampoules of Pentazocine injection.

Also, a total of 105kg cannabis was on Friday 17th May recovered from a house at Obola community, Owan West LGA, Edo state and a suspect, Gloria Oris arrested when NDLEA officers raided the area.

In Kwara state, two suspects: Abdulganiyu Karaman, 55, and Sunday Abel, 37, were on Saturday 18th May arrested with 83kg cannabis and tramadol at Boriya, Baruten LGA, and Offa respectively.

With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.

Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Girls Science secondary school, Malumfashi and Government Girls Science Secondary School, Daudawa, Katsina; Government Girls Science College, Tunga Magajiya Rijau LGA, Niger state.

Others are students and teachers of St. Theresa’s College Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo state; students of Government Girls Secondary School, Tudun Wada, Kano; students of Dein secondary school, Imobi secondary school and St. Columbas Grammar School, Agbor, Delta State.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Rivers, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Niger, Benue, Kwara, Imo, and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the efforts have further affirmed the cardinal role of NDLEA in the security architecture of the country.

He equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures to create a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.

The Nigerian Army says its operatives have rescued about 386 persons from Sambisa forest.

The rescued victims were said to be mostly women and children, most of whom were abducted 10 years ago.

AGL Haruna, the acting general officer commanding, 7 division, made this known on Sunday while briefing journalists in Konduga LGA, Borno state.

Haruna was in the LGA to welcome troops who were returning from a 10-day ‘Operation Desert Sanity 111’.

He said the objective of the operation was to evict remnants of terrorists from Sambisa forest and give those willing to surrender the opportunity to do so.

“Our effort is to ensure that we clear remnants of terrorists in the Sambisa and give those willing to surrender the opportunity to surrender,” Haruna said.

“With this operation, we envisage many of them will surrender as they have started.

“We also rescued some civilians; as of yesterday, we rescued 386 and I am sure the number will increase by today.”

Haruna commended the operatives for their level of professionalism during the operation while urging them to sustain the tempo.

CHIBOK GIRLS ABDUCTION

On April 14, 2014, about 276 girls were abducted from their school dormitory in Chibok, Borno state.

Over 107 of the abducted schoolgirls have either been rescued or released.

Some managed to escape while several were rescued by troops during clearance operations, with the most recent coming in April 2024.

At least 90 of the Chibok girls are still believed to be in captivity.

It is not immediately clear if some of the missing Chibok girls are among those recently rescued from Sambisa forest.

Dignitaries from Nigeria and across the United Kingdom stormed the city of London on Friday, May 17 2024, for the 2nd edition of Triangle Face of Africa Award.

Triangle Face of Africa Leadership Award is a yearly event that honours Nigerians and Africans who have positively impacted lives and also distinguished themselves in their areas of endeavors.

The 2024 event was spiced with a lecture titled, “Navigating Security Challenges in Nigeria: A Comprehensive Approach to Solutions” was delivered by the duo of Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola and Dr. Nathaniel Oyinloye.

Dignitaries honoured at the London event include Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Duoye Diri; the Nigerian Interior Minister, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; General Overseer of the Love of Christ Generation, Rev. (Dr) Esther Abimbola Ajayi; renowned clergy and APC stalwart, Cardinal James Omolaja Odunmbaku (Baba Eto) and the Chief of Staff to Lagos State, Tayo Ayinde.

Other honorees include the Chief of Staff to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rev.(Mrs) Ijeoma Ajibade; the National Director for Safeguarding Church of England, Alexander Kubeyinje and the CEO of EB Properties, Sunday Aderibigbe,Mr Kayode Adegbite,Festus Akingbaso,Hon.Bamidele salam and Abiola Oladapo and Olumide Tijani

While welcoming the honorees and guests to the event, the publisher of Triangle Magazine, Otunba Femi Salako thanked dignitaries and guests present at the event for honoring him with their valued presence.

Otunba Salako emphasized that the yearly award was intended to celebrate the achievements of outstanding Nigerians and Africans that have made significant contributions to their communities and the world at large. He also added that the yearly award was a platform that would inspire Nigerians and Africans across the globe to strive towards excellence.

Salako also described topic of the event’s lecture as thought provoking and timely in view of the security challenges confronting Nigeria. He however, appreciated the two guest lecturers, Professor Ojo Emmanuel Ademola and Dr. Nathaniel Oyinloye for their robust intellectual contributions, which made the lecture quite insightful and invaluable.

“This award ceremony is not just about recognizing individual achievements, but also about creating a platform to inspire others to strive for excellence. We aim to bring together leaders and change-makers from various fields to celebrate African excellence and promote unity and progress”.

While Otunba Salako congratulated the honorees for their well deserved recognition, he also charged them to continually make impacts in their communities and the world at large. He also urged the guests and the honorees to celebrate the excellence inherent in Africa. He further urged Africans to inspire one another, and work together towards a brighter future for the African continent.

The roll call of guests at the event include the UK Mobility Security, Compliance Vice President of EMEA, Nicanor Chavez; the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Duoye Diri, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, who represented the Bayelsa State Governor; Chief (Mrs) Simi Odunmbaku, who represented her husband and the Lagos State Chief of Staff; son of the General Overseer of the Love of Christ Generation, Emmanuel Ajayi; publisher of African Briefing,John Offei-Ansah; and the magazine’s editor, Desmond Davies; clergymen amongst others.