ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

CCTV has captured the moment a hair vendor in Benin City, Edo State, was allegedly robbed by armed individuals who made away with luxury wigs reportedly worth millions of naira.

The incident occurred on Saturday at a hair shop located on Tony Anenih Road, off Ebenezer School Road, Ihama, GRA, Benin City.

According to the shop owner, who operates the Instagram account @official.pricelessstrands, the suspects had visited the shop a day earlier pretending to make enquiries about getting a customer’s hair done.

She said they returned a few hours later and carried out the robbery after another man, allegedly armed with a gun, arrived at the premises.

Sharing clearer CCTV footage of the incident on Instagram, the vendor alleged that the suspects initially sat in the waiting area, pretending they were waiting for a third person to make payment for a braiding session.

She wrote that as soon as the man arrived with a gun, the group began the operation.

According to her account, the robbers forced the two staff members on duty into an inner office where the shop’s more expensive luxury hair products were stored. They then packed several bags containing wigs and other hair products before locking the employees inside the office and fleeing the scene.

The business owner said one of the suspects was captured clearly on the CCTV footage, while another suspect, described as a woman wearing a black top with a noticeable facial scar, had also visited the shop the previous day under the guise of making enquiries.

She appealed to members of the public to help identify the suspects by sharing the CCTV footage widely on social media.

«”This is the face of one of the armed robbers who just robbed my office. Himself and the scar-faced lady on black top came yesterday in the guise of making enquiries about making her hair, only for them to return today to rob the office and loot hairs worth millions in several bags,” she said.»

The hair vendor called on security agencies and residents of Benin City to assist in identifying and apprehending those responsible for the robbery.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the Edo State Police Command regarding the incident or whether any arrests had been made.

The CCTV footage has since been circulated online as the shop owner seeks public assistance in bringing the suspects to justice.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The re-election bids of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, received a major boost on Saturday, with their unanimous endorsement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Rising from a meeting of its critical stakeholders which cuts across party lines in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, the stakeholders through a communique issued at the end of the meeting, endorsed the candidacy in a unanimous voice votes for their return to office in 2027.

The communique, read by the Member representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency, Hon Unyime Idem, was endorsed by the critical stakeholders after a motion moved and seconded by Senator Emmanuel Ibokessien and Hon Iboro Ekanem respectively.

The communique read in part:

“After reviewing the political situation and assessing the contributions and performance of the leaders and representatives, the stakeholders resolved to endorse them for another term in office in the 2027 General Elections.

“Accordingly, the meeting endorsed: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for another term as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 2027 Presidential Election. Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, for another term as Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in the 2027 National Assembly Election and Governor Umo Bassey Eno, for another term as Governor of Akwa Ibom State in the 2027 Governorship Election”.

In his reaction after the endorsement, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio described it as a product of the peaceful atmosphere in the party and the state, adding, “the peace in the state has finally led to the opposition parties joining to declare that they all stand on the mandate of Mr President.

“We are very happy for this grand endorsement of Mr President, myself and our governor. It shows that there is unity in this state, particularly in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District. This support and endorsement would be demonstrated on the election day. I can assure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Umo Eno that the people of this District will give them 100 percent of the votes.

“You can see the chairman of the PDP in the state, Hon Aniekan Akpan is here with us as well as some candidates of the opposition in the National Assembly elections. I will still continue to solicit for peaceful co-existence amongst us all. Whoever we have wronged in the course of our politicking let us forgive and forget so that we can move in one direction and voice during the electioneering and voting, ” he stated.

Former Minister, Petroleum resources, Don Etiebet; DIG Udom Ekpoudom rtd; Senators Aloysius Etuk, Emmanuel Ibokessien, Chris Ekpenyong among numerous other stakeholders at the meeting assured of the total support for the re-election of the trio.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

. N4.4bn worth of Loud seized at Apapa, Lekki ports; recovers consignments of meth, skunk, opioids in sweeps across Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recorded significant breakthroughs across the country’s land and maritime borders, including the arrest of a 101-year-old great grandmother for dealing in illicit drug, the interception of cocaine concealed in edible cassava flour popularly known as fufu, and the seizure of large consignments of Loud, a synthetic cannabis valued at over N4.4 billion at the Apapa and Lekki ports in Lagos.
In a rare and startling development, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, 15th August 2026, arrested a 101-year-old woman, Esther Ogunmabo, in Ilisan, Ogun state, with retail sachets of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 90 grams, which she claims she sells to locals.

The centenarian told operatives that she resorted to the illicit drug trade after her provisions shop was razed by fire, adding that one of her daughters, who resides in Lagos, arranges the supply of the substance to her every four days, which she in turn sold in bits.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has however directed that the suspect be granted bail and placed on counselling because of her advanced age, while her daughter has been arrested.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Akwa Ibom state acting on credible intelligence, on Friday, 21st August intercepted a wooden boat on the high seas conveying illicit drugs to fishing settlements in the Republic of Cameroon. Three suspects who were arrested on board the boat, which was heading to Ine Isu, Ine Mbah and Ine Ikot Itie Udung fishing ports in Cameroon, include: Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29, caught with 1.120kg skunk; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33, who had 42.060kg of skunk in his possession; and 27-year-old Kingsley Effiong John, who was found with 20grams of cocaine cleverly concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava fufu, alongside 435grams of skunk. A total of 42.622kg of narcotics was recovered from the trio.

In the nation’s maritime space, the Agency recorded its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through the maritime corridor, following the interception of two containers of cannabis indica, also known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki ports, with a combined street value put at over N4.4 billion.

Both containers were loaded at the Port of Laem Chabang, Thailand, underscoring the emergence of a new trafficking route being exploited by drug syndicates to smuggle synthetic cannabis into the country.

At the Apapa Port, a container, declared to be conveying dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries, was found, during a joint examination of the shipment on Friday 21st August by NDLEA, Customs and others, to contain 1,090.5kg of Thai Loud packed in 54 cartons comprising 2,181 sachets of 500 grams each.
At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, a similar container, which had been placed on the Agency’s watchlist and monitored by its Marine Special Operations Unit, was jointly examined on Wednesday, 19th August. Of the seven pallets found in the container wrapped in black nylon, four were confirmed to be laced with Thai Loud, yielding 96 cartons made up of 400 parcels weighing a total of 400kg. The remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which had been used as cover for the consignment.

In the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 22nd August intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 pills of tramadol capsules inside a hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba. A follow-up operation conducted in Niger State led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Sunday Eze, 28, in Kontagora, after which he was transferred to Abuja.

Operatives in Ondo State on Wednesday 19th August raided a cannabis farm at Ijare forest, Ifedore Local Government Area, following the earlier arrest of three suspected cannabis planters at the same location on 16th August. The team destroyed a total of 10,000kg of skunk cultivated across four hectares of the forest. In a separate operation in the state, operatives same day at Ita-Ogbolu, Akure North LGA, recovered 210kg skunk and a Toyota Camry car with registration number AGL 223 JH belonging to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who is currently at large.

In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Ogbomosho-Ilorin expressway, Ilorin on Friday 21st August intercepted a Toyota Starlet car without a registration number. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 1.325kg of methamphetamine, wrapped in black nylon bags, alongside quantities of cannabis sativa. One suspect, Muhammadu Usman, 22, was arrested in connection with the seizure.

A 65-year-old woman, Adebayo Kaosarat, was arrested at Akobo-Ojuirin area of Ibadan, Oyo state on Friday 21st August with a cocktail of substances comprising 1.795kg of Scottish Loud, 1.66kg of tramadol, 600g of codeine syrup, 125g of diazepam and 50g of flunitrazepam, totalling 4.68kg.
A raid at Hadeija road, Kano, on Monday 17th August led to the arrest of Chibuzor Madueke, 31, with 98 blocks of skunk weighing 73.3kg recovered from him, while a similar operation by NDLEA operatives at Seme, Badagry area of Lagos led to the arrest of three family members: Nasiru Tijjani, 52; Moshood Tijjani, 27; and Salami Tijjani, 27, at Ashipa area, near the Seme border, with 48kg of skunk.

In Abia state, NDLEA officers on Thursday 20th August raided the residence of Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno, 36, at Umuobia Olokoro area of Umuahia South LGA, where 14.4kg Loud, 2.3kg Colorado, 386grams of tramadol and 134grams of rohypnol were recovered.
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 to students and staff of Umar Bn Khattab College for Islamic Studies, Ungogo LGA, Kano; Markaz Al-Furqan Centre of Islamic and Arabic Teaching, Kishi, Oyo state; School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state; Mu’assasah Tahfizui Qur’an Islamiya School, Ibi, Taraba; and members of the Scout Association of Nigeria at the first National Youth Camp held in Benin City, Edo state, while the Idiroko Special Area Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Chairman of Ipokia LGA, Ogun state Hon. Johnson Avoseh, among others.

While commending the officers and men of Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT Commands for the various successful operations, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.