… Recovers 2,760kg illicit consignments in Lagos shrine, underground storage in Lekki

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos and three courier companies in the state.

A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024 and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday 24th October. A cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.
Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday 24th October.

In the same vein, a total of Twenty Six Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (26,250,000) pills of tramadol as well as Five Hundred and Eight Thousand Four Hundred (508,400) bottles of codeine based syrup worth Sixteen Billion Six Hundred and Eighty Three Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N16, 683, 800,000) in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state between Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.
Other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700kg at Tincan and Onne respectively, while 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28kg were also recovered from a container that arrived the Lagos port from Canada. A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure while a bribe of N10million paid NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Friday 25th October raided the Igbo – Igunuko shrine, located at the Alfa Beach, Ajah, where jumbo bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,760kg were recovered and two suspects: Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun arrested.

Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin was also arrested same day with 770kg of the same psychoactive substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

A total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol and diazepam as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from the underground storage a suspect, Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal road, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos when NDLEA officers raided his home on Friday 25th October. The suspect dug the illicit drug storage deep in his room, covered it with padlocked iron slate, a rug and then put his mattress on top to avoid detection.

In Plateau, a suspect Fadan Bindom, 39, was arrested at Pilgani village in possession of 65.85kg cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol, while another suspect Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei – Rayfield Jos South LGA with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam and pentazocine injection on Wednesday 23rd October.

A major distributor of illicit drugs in FCT Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was on Monday 21st October nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5kg cannabis linked to him at Wuse market park.

In Edo state, NDLEA operatives recovered 640kg cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua, Esan Central LGA and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect Adereti Kazeem, 35, was nabbed with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133kg at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun state on Thursday 24th October.
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 sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto; St. Mary College, Awka, Anambra state; Prime Rose Model Private College, Saki, Oyo state; Community Model Arabic College, Malumfashi, Katsina state; Community Junior Secondary School, Rumuomasi, Rivers state; and WADA advocacy lecture to Rugar Alhaji Manu Unguwan Sullubawa, Gombi, Adamawa state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Osun, Plateau and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nigerian crossdresser Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, could face new criminal charges following allegations that he bribed officials to serve his jail term in a private apartment and paid off the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to drop money laundering charges against him.

Bobrisky, sentenced to six months in prison for currency abuse on April 12 and released on August 5, is now under scrutiny. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, established an investigative panel led by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Magdalena Ajani, on September 30.

The panel aims to probe alleged corruption and other violations within the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) related to Bobrisky’s release.

Tunji-Ojo initiated the probe after activist VeryDarkMan shared a video in which Bobrisky reportedly claimed to have bribed EFCC officials with N15 million to dismiss a money laundering charge and to have paid correctional officers to serve his sentence in private housing. The recording also includes a voice—allegedly Bobrisky’s—stating that a “godfather” and Haliru Nababa, the NCoS Controller General, arranged his housing outside prison.

The panel, however, reported no evidence that Bobrisky stayed outside the Kirikiri Custodial Centre. According to a report obtained by Sunday PUNCH, the panel recommended defamation and criminal charges against Bobrisky, asserting that his false claims damaged the correctional service’s reputation.

The Department of State Services (DSS) was also asked to investigate whether Bobrisky, directly or through intermediaries, bribed EFCC or NCoS officials. If confirmed, additional charges under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act could follow.

In addition, three correctional officers were cited, including former Controller of Corrections Ben Rabbi-Freeman, who was accused of procedural violations regarding Bobrisky’s transfer between facilities. Deputy Controller of Corrections Micheal Anugwa, responsible for Kirikiri Medium Security, and DCC Balogun Sikiru, formerly in charge of the Maximum Security Custodial Centre, were also recommended for disciplinary action.

The panel further advised a complete audit of NCoS detainees and an overhaul of the prison welfare system, suggesting decoupling welfare services from commercial interests and fostering partnerships with NGOs for support. It also advocated for non-custodial measures across Nigeria to ease overcrowding and reserve imprisonment as a last resort

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Iki Opoji in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State was agog on Saturday 26th October 2024 as late Mrs. Victoria was laid to rest

The body of Mrs. Victoria, the mother of Spark News Daily’s Chief Executive Officer, Inegbenose Prevail, was lowered to the grave at about 2pm in her family residence.

The ceremony was attended by relatives, friends and colleagues of Mr Prevail, including prominent sons and daughters of Esan land.

Mrs. Victoria, 72, passed on in Lagos on September 3rd, 2024, after a brief illness.

While alive she was a devout Christian, a member of the Christian Pentecostal Mission International (CPM), Iteri branch, Lagos.

‘Mama Soldier’, as she was fondly called by her friends, associates, and colleagues, because of her strictness to the truth and outright hatred for dishonesty, left behind five surviving children, Godstime (Son), Prevail (Son), Prosper (Daughter), Isibhakhomen (Daughter) and Joy (Daughter); and ten grandchildren.