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. Arrests businesswoman, Chadian, couple, others in Edo, Kogi, Rivers interdiction operations

Ongoing efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate smuggling tramadol from Togo, through Benin Republic into Nigeria have yielded another success with the interception of two long trailers used to move One Million Six Hundred and Thirty (1,630,000) pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in fabricated compartments of the trucks across multiple borders into Lagos.
The intelligence-led interdiction operation came barely a week after NDLEA operatives recovered 558,900 pills of the same psychoactive substance from the false bottom compartment of a truck that came into Lagos through the Togo-Benin Republic route.

One of the two trucks already heading to Kano was tracked and located on 2nd July 2026 along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway where NDLEA officers recovered 853,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the trailer and arrested the 22-year-old driver Jabir Kabiru.

Two days later, 4th July, NDLEA operatives acting on processed intelligence successfully tracked and recovered the second trailer from the Lagos-Ibadan expressway while heading to Kano. A total of 777,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in a fabricated compartment beneath the cargo floor of the truck were evacuated and the 22-year-old driver Muhammed Nuhu arrested.
Investigations revealed that all three trucks and consignments intercepted on 21st June, 2nd July and 4th July belong to the same transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria axis.

Two consignments of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a combined weight of 4.70 kilograms have been intercepted at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos. The cargoes which arrived the Lagos airport from Canada in cartons with ‘Odugwu’ boldly written on them came aboard British Airways flight and Ethiopian Airlines flight on 24th June and 3rd July respectfully.
Two cargo agents: Ali Rotimi Samson and Orimolade Oluwagbenga linked to the shipments were initially arrested following which another suspect Edeh Onyeamachi Stanislus who showed up to take delivery of the consignments from a logistics company was also nabbed.

A 44-year-old businesswoman, Chioma Nneka Mokeme who is the actual owner of the consignments was eventually arrested on 7th July, 2026, in collaboration with the Area C Command of the Nigeria Police, Surulere Lagos.

Chioma who claimed she is into printing business said her friend Agbons Collins who lives in Canada introduced her into the criminal trade.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Rivers state have arrested an 80-year-old grandpa, Chika Ugwoji for dealing in illicit substances. The Octogenarian was found in possession of 800 grams of skunk at the time of his arrest at Ahoada on Tuesday 14th July.
In Edo state, a couple: Christian Chukwuka, 32, and Nwanneka Christian, 33, were on Monday 13th July arrested following a raid of their illicit drug warehouse along Sapele road, Benin City where 22 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 219.5kg and compressed blocks of Canadian Loud with a gross weight of 192.67kg were seized.

A Chadian woman, Hajara Abdullahi, 38, and her Nigerian accomplice Abdulkarim Jidda, 44, were nabbed in Lagos following the seizure of 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg intercepted in Kogi state on Sunday 12th July. The consignment was eventually linked to the two suspects who were traced to Lagos and arrested in Apapa area of the state.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Government Day Junior Secondary School, Bakori, Katsina; Colliery Technical School, Ngwo, Enugu; Starlight College, Iganmu Ijora, Lagos; Community Secondary School, Kono, Rivers; Odoro High School, Ikole Ekiti; and Government Junior Secondary School, Gabasawa, Kano, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Lagos, Rivers, Edo and Kogi Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted that their efforts and those of their compatriots across the country have contributed in no small measure to ongoing drug control efforts across the country. He charged them to remain vigilant at all times.

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The Ondo State Police Command has nabbed a father in Owo Local Government Area for allegedly causing bodily damage on his 10-year old daughter.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday, July 16, 2026, that the suspect, Amos Paul,used a hot pressing iron to b¥rn the priv@te part of his daughter as punishment for bed wetting.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) said the suspect was taken into custody after the incident was reported to the police on Thursday. He added that the victim is currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo.

Jimoh further stated that the case would be transferred to the Gender Unit for thorough investigation and other necessary actions.

Meanwhile, Ondo State Commissioner of Police, CP Felix Ohagwu, condemned the alleged assa¥lt, describing it as cruel, inhumane and unacceptable.

He reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding children and other vulnerable members of society against all forms of ab¥se, vi%lence and exploitation.

The Commissioner also urged members of the public to promptly report incidents of child ab¥se, domestic vi%lence and other related offences to the nearest police station, assuring them that the Command remains committed to ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.

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The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Zubaida Umar, has urged residents of flood-prone communities across the country to heed early warning alerts and relocate to safer locations as the rainy season intensifies.

Umar advised in a statement issued by the agency’s Press Unit on Saturday, warning that the current period of heightened rainfall requires communities at risk to take proactive steps to protect lives and property.

According to the statement, the NEMA boss said the period of increased rainfall calls for the activation of community-level flood mitigation measures to reduce the impact of flooding.

She urged residents to heed early warning information issued by relevant government agencies and relocate to higher ground whenever there is a threat of flooding.

The statement read, “The current period of heightened rainfall calls for the activation of community-level flood mitigation measures to minimise the impact of flooding.”

Umar also cautioned members of the public against driving or walking through floodwaters, while urging them to refrain from dumping refuse into drainage channels.

She further advised residents to promptly report emergency situations to the appropriate authorities to enable a timely response.

The NEMA DG stressed that “preparedness and early evacuation remain the most effective ways of preventing avoidable loss of lives and reducing the impact of floods during the peak of the rainy season.”

She disclosed that the agency’s Zonal Directors and Heads of Operations Offices had been directed to intensify community-based awareness campaigns on flood preparedness nationwide.

According to her, the officials have also been mandated to strengthen collaboration with State Emergency Management Agencies, Local Emergency Management Committees, traditional institutions and other relevant stakeholders, as well as coordinate timely search and rescue operations where necessary.

Umar reaffirmed NEMA’s commitment to continuous monitoring of the flood situation nationwide. He pledged that the agency would continue working closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure timely response and the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected persons.

The latest advisory comes days after the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency warned that 14 states could experience medium flood risk between July 14 and July 20, following its latest hydrological forecast. The agency identified Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Niger and Plateau as states likely to experience localised flooding, urging residents in vulnerable communities to take precautionary measures.

Earlier, the Federal Ministry of Environment had also issued a flood alert for 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory, warning that heavy rainfall could trigger flooding in hundreds of communities. The ministry advised residents in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant, monitor official weather advisories and relocate where necessary to minimise the risk to lives and property.