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. Captagon ‘ll never find foothold in Nigeria, Marwa assures as operatives destroy 20,000kg skunk in Cross River forest; recover 1.1million pills of opioids in Edo; 394 IED materials in Niger state

Barely five years after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recorded the first seizure of the deadly terror drug, Captagon, in Africa at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, operatives of the Agency have again intercepted a consignment of the amphetamine substance in Kwara state.

Captagon, a tiny, highly addictive pill, widely available across the Middle East, produces a euphoric intensity in users, allowing them to stay awake for days, making them fearless, and predisposes them to reckless action that puts the lives of people around them in jeopardy.

Its production and sale are controlled by militias and large criminal groups linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as a means of generating funds for weapons and combatants, and for use as a stimulant to keep them fighting.
The latest seizure of captagon, which street value costs as much as $25 a pill, was made on Tuesday 21st April 2026 when NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu road, Kwara state intercepted a trailer conveying passengers. A search conducted on one of the passengers, 33-year-old Nasiru Mu’azu led to the recovery of 10 packs of captagon consisting of 10,000 pills and nine packets of Tapentadol 250mg.

In another interdiction operation at the Bode Saadu patrol point, NDLEA officers on Friday 24th April intercepted a trailer marked RMY-70XA. A search of the truck led to the recovery of 155,900 capsules of tramadol; 6,000 ampuoles of tramadol injection; 3,000 tablets of Co- Codamol and 9,000 tablets of Bromazepam, concealed in a false compartment constructed under the trailer. A 24-year-old suspect Aminu Isah has been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Oyo state on Tuesday 21st April intercepted a commercial bus with registration number MNA 963 ZY, at Akinyele along Ibadan/Oyo expressway, while en route Sokoto. A 33-year-old passenger Eze Prince Emeka was brought down from the vehicle and taken for body scan, which result confirmed ingestion of illicit drug.

The suspect who claims to be a businessman in Sokoto was subsequently placed under close excretion observation during which he excreted a total of forty-five (45) pellets of cocaine with a total weight of 1.043 kilograms in three excretions. The decision to travel by road to Sokoto with the illicit drug in his stomach was to evade detection by NDLEA at the airport while further investigation reveals that upon arrival in Sokoto, the suspect was to excrete the pellets, rest for a few days, and subsequently re-ingest the substances to continue the journey through the trans-Saharan routes, with Algeria as a transit point and possible final destination in Europe.

In Edo state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Benin/Lagos expressway on Saturday 25th April intercepted a truck marked NLC 146 FC conveying 1, 196,000 pills of pharmaceutical opioids, among others. Two suspects: Osagie Igbinibo, 43, and Omijie Malik, 44, were apprehended in connection with the seizure of the consignments heading to Onitsha, Anambra state.

While a suspect Rasheed Ibuowo, 40, was arrested at Mile 2 expressway in Lagos on Saturday 25th April conveying 810 kilograms of Arizona, a strain of cannabis, another suspect Muktar Bello, 35, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 22nd April at Misau road, Azare/Katagun LGA, Bauchi state with 288 blocks of skunk weighing 154.5kg.
In Ekiti state, a total of 466.8 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the house of a suspect Layit John Matthew, 56, at Ilaro street, Isinbode-Ekiti, from where he planned to transport them to Yola, Adamawa state while 20,000 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance were destroyed on eight hectares of farmland in Uyanga community, Akamkpa LGA, Cross River state on Saturday 25th April when NDLEA officers supported by soldiers raided the community and recovered 170kg of processed cannabis.

Three Hundred and Ninety-Four (394) pieces of IED components were seized from a suspect Mohammed Aliyu, 26, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kontagora/Zuru road, Niger state on Wednesday 22nd April. He was conveying the IED materials in a red Toyota car with registration number KNT 617 AE to Shadadi, Mariga LGA. The suspect and exhibit are to be transferred to the relevant security Agency for further investigation.

With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Mallam Salisu Islamic School, Paiko, Niger state; Madarasatul Abdulrahman Bin Auf Litahafizul Quran, Durusul Islamiyah Badawa, Nasarawa LGA, Kano; Sani Zango Daura Model Primary School, Zango, Katsina; and members of community development associations, Badagry LGA Lagos while the Zonal Commander, Zone 4 Command of NDLEA, ACGN Bridget Viashiama led other senior officers of the Zone on a WADA advocacy visit to Nasarawa state governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, among others.

While commending the officers and men of Kwara, Oyo, Edo, Cross River, Bauchi, Ekiti, Niger and Lagos Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the current tempo.

He commended the tactical precision of NDLEA operatives following the interception of 10,000 pills of Captagon in Kwara State, noting that the bust is a major blow to drug syndicates attempting to revive a pipeline that has been largely dormant since the landmark seizure at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos five years ago.

Marwa described the seizure as a wake-up call, noting that Captagon, a potent amphetamine often linked to insurgent groups for its ability to inhibit fear and fatigue, remains a target for traffickers looking to fuel insecurity.

“We are not just seizing pills; we are disrupting the fuel that powers violence in our communities. Our operatives remain on high alert across all frontiers to ensure this illicit trade finds no foothold”, he stated.

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly hammered Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over his reference to the historic “Operation Wetie” crisis during a recent opposition political summit held in Ibadan, describing the comment as provocative, inappropriate, and capable of inciting tension.

The reaction comes after Governor Makinde, while hosting an opposition gathering themed “That We May Work Together for a United Opposition to Sustain Our Democracy,” warned against what he described as political moves aimed at concentrating legislative power under a single party.

In his remarks, Makinde referenced the violent political unrest of Nigeria’s First Republic, noting that the infamous “Operation Wetie” began in Ibadan before spreading across the old Western Region.

“Those that are carrying on as if there’s no tomorrow… should remember that Operation Wetie started from here. This is the same Wild Wild West,” the governor said.

The phrase “Operation Wetie,” a Yoruba expression meaning “soak him,” refers to a period of intense political violence in the early 1960s marked by arson attacks, electoral crises, and widespread unrest that ultimately contributed to the collapse of Nigeria’s First Republic in 1966.

However, the APC leadership has faulted the governor for invoking the historical episode in what they described as a politically sensitive setting.

Speaking on behalf of the party, APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru dismissed Makinde’s comments as irresponsible and lacking proper historical context.

“It is irresponsible for a governor to make inciting statements without context,” Basiru was quoted as saying.

He argued that the “Operation Wetie” era was a product of electoral disputes and political tension at the time, insisting that the current opposition’s claims of marginalisation were exaggerated.

According to him, the ruling party remains well-structured and focused, while the opposition is struggling with internal divisions.

“Today, the opposition is simply belly-aching because the APC is organised while they are in streams,” he added.

Basiru also urged Nigerians to condemn what he described as the governor’s “reckless political language,” accusing him of indirectly promoting violence through historical references.

Similarly, APC South-West Vice Chairman Isaacs Kekemeke said Makinde’s statement could be misinterpreted as a warning that future elections may be decided through violence.

He dismissed allegations that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party state under President Bola Tinubu, insisting that the country’s democratic space remains open and competitive.

Kekemeke noted that over 20 political parties are currently registered with the electoral body, arguing that such diversity contradicts claims of political domination.

“It is a figment of hyperactive imagination for any member of the opposition to insinuate a one-party state in a country where over 20 political parties are on the register of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” he said.

He also blamed the opposition for its internal crises, leadership disputes, and lack of coordination, saying these challenges not APC actions are responsible for their political setbacks.

“Is the APC or Federal Government responsible for the inability of opposition leaders to resolve their intra-party leadership crises?” he queried.

Kekemeke further expressed confidence that the APC would maintain dominance in the South-West and across the country, citing what he described as strong grassroots support and governance performance.

He also described Makinde’s comment as a sign of desperation and political frustration.

“The difference is clear: it is leadership, vision, focus and performance. Opposition lacks all of the above,” he said.

In a separate reaction, APC National Secretary Basiru dismissed the Ibadan summit itself, describing it as an informal gathering lacking official party backing.

“The so-called Ibadan summit is a ruse. It was an assemblage of individuals, not 10 political parties,” he said.

He also questioned the legitimacy of claims that multiple parties were involved, arguing that internal divisions within opposition parties undermine their credibility.

Meanwhile, the Presidency also weighed in on the matter through the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, who dismissed the opposition coalition as politically weak and unlikely to succeed.

He expressed confidence that President Tinubu would secure re-election, citing what he called ongoing economic and governance reforms.

“President Tinubu stands on solid ground… He will secure a second term because he has earned it,” Dare said.

Despite the backlash, opposition leaders at the Ibadan summit reportedly agreed to work toward fielding a single presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections, describing the move as necessary to strengthen their electoral chances.

The political exchange has further intensified early campaign tensions ahead of 2027, with both ruling and opposition parties hardening their positions as the election cycle gradually builds momentum.

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A man armed with guns and knives stormed the lobby outside a high-profile journalists’ dinner attended by President Donald Trump, his wife Melania and multiple senior U.S. leaders on Saturday night, April 25, 2026, rushing toward the ballroom before Secret Service agents swarmed him and took him into custody. The president and his wife were uninjured and were hustled away.

Guests went diving under tables as the scene unfolded and some reported hearing shots outside the vast subterranean ballroom in the Washington Hilton where the event was being held.

One law enforcement official said a gunman had opened fire. A law enforcement officer was shot in the bullet-resistant vest but is expected to be OK, several sources told The Associated Press.

The shooting suspect — described by Trump as a “sick person” — was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told the AP.

“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” Trump, safe and uninjured and still in his tuxedo, said at the White House two hours later. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”

There was no immediate indication of any other involvement, and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said she had ”no reason” to believe anyone else was involved. Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him.

“There does not appear to be any sort of danger to the public at this time,” Bowser said at a separate news conference.

All officials protected by the Secret Service were evacuated. Those in attendance included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and many other leaders of the Trump administration on a night when the nation is at war with Iran.

It was the third time since 2024 that the president had been under threat by an attacker in his immediate vicinity — including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, that injured him and killed a local firefighter.

“Today we need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before,” the president said. But he also said, “We’re not going to let anybody take over our society.”