…as NDLEA intercepts UK techie with large consignment of Loud at MMIA; nabs 75-year-old grandpa with skunk in Abia; destroys over 250,000kg cannabis in Cross River community

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested two brothers: John Abugu, 43, and Kenneth Abugu, 31, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, Lagos with 5kilograms cocaine concealed in walls of their suitcases while attempting to board a flight to India.

The two brothers were arrested at the Lagos airport on Thursday 3rd April 2025 following proactive processing of credible intelligence. They claimed they were travelling to India for medical treatment but when their suitcases were thoroughly searched by NDLEA officers, whitish powdery substances later confirmed to be cocaine were discovered on the walls of their bags.

In a similar development, NDLEA officers of the MMIA Strategic Command same day, Thursday 3rd April intercepted a 20-year-old Ghanaian – British man, Parker Darren Hazekia Osei with 36 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 19.40kg packed in a giant travelling bag. The suspect who claims he is a student of Computer Science at East London University, UK, was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand, at the E-arrival hall of the Lagos airport.

In his statement, the techie claims he lives with his parents in the UK but left London about a week ago for Bangkok where he picked up the illicit drug consignment to deliver in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Kogi state have arrested a 33-year-old lady, Ngozi Ogili while moving 3kilograms of methamphetamine from Lagos to Abuja. She was nabbed in a commercial transport bus along Okene-Lokoja highway on Monday 31st March 2025. A follow up operation at her point of delivery in Apo mechanic area of Abuja led to the seizure of quantities of Loud and Colorado, both synthetic strains of cannabis.

In Abia state, NDLEA officers on Saturday 5th April arrested a 75-year-old grandpa, Nna Nnanna Felix with 1.6kg skunk, a strain of cannabis during a raid at Umunteke Asa, Ukwa West LGA, while another suspect David Chinemerem, 21, was nabbed with 2,050 ampoules of pentazocine at 7 Nnajiego Lane, Umuode road, Aba on Tuesday 1st April.

No fewer than 381 bottles of codeine syrup and 108 tablets of tramadol were seized from a suspect, Abdullahi Adamu along Potiskum-Damaturu road, Yobe state by NDLEA operatives on Saturday 5th April, just as raid operations at Osogbo motor park, Onitsha and a house at Oba in Idemili Local Government Area of Anambra state led to the arrest of Obinna Sunday and the seizure of 195,000 pills of tramadol. Also arrested during the raid at the motor park was Ugochukwu Ojalanonye with 4.2kg codeine syrup and 5.4kg pentazocine.

In the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 3rd April arrested 51-year-old Sunday Ayogu with 25kg skunk and 90.4g of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Wuse market Abuja, while two ladies: Faith Effiong Etim, 64, and Victoria Asuquo Etim, 40, were nabbed on Friday 4th April when NDLEA operatives supported by men of the Nigerian Army raided cannabis plantations in Esuk-Odot community, Odukpani LGA of Cross River State where 250,000 kilograms of the psychoactive plant were destroyed on over 100 hectares of farm land.

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 Cave City Secondary School, Ogidi, Anambra state; residents of Dan’iyau village, Batagarawa LGA, Katsina; and members of Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers in Sangere and Kwanan Waya, Yola, Adamawa state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, SOU, Yobe, Abia, Kogi, Anambra, Cross River and FCT Commands of the Agency 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

Some South African government agencies have slammed the acquittal of a Nigerian televangelist, Timothy Omotoso, after spending eight years in detention for rape charges.

The South Africa-based Nigerian pastor alongside his co-defendants, Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho, was discharged and acquitted of rape, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking by Gqeberha High Court on Wednesday.

Omotoso had been in jail since 2017 awaiting trial, following his arrest at the Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport.

Delivering the verdict, the presiding judge, Irma Schoeman said Omotoso, the senior pastor of Jesus Dominion International, situated in Durban, was not guilty because his prosecutors had mishandled the case.

Also, the South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority said, “former prosecutors in the case acted improperly and the accused were not sufficiently cross-examined by the state.”

But notable agencies, including the South Africa’s Justice Committee and the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, slammed the judge for her verdict.

According to South African media, the country’s Justice Department, while reacting on Thursday, slammed Schoeman and the NPA, describing Omotoso’s acquittal as an “assault on the fight against gender-based violence.”

The committee, chaired by Xola Nqola, said the sexagenarian’s freedom “is totally unacceptable”, adding that, “we need the National Prosecuting Authority to explain the weaknesses in the team and the case they presented.”

Similarly, the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, in a statement, criticised the ruling, adding that it had only created doubt in South Africa’s judicial system.

“The acquittal of Omotoso represents a judicial turning point, one that risks undermining the faith that survivors have in the legal system,” the department stated. “Many women came forward bravely to testify about their horrific experiences, but the ruling will likely compound the emotional toll they have already endured.”

“This case highlights the complexity of gender-based violence and femicide, both of which require urgent, comprehensive, and coordinated action,” the statement continued.

It stated, “The fight against GBV is far from over, and while we respect the outcome of the case, it cannot deter us from our mission to create a safe and just society for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.”

The department concluded that it would not be deterred by this ruling, but, “Instead, it will only strengthen our resolve to work tirelessly for a South Africa that is safe, just, and empowering for all.”

Meanwhile, a political organisation in South Africa, ActionSA, had called for the deportation of the Nigerian cleric following his acquittal.

On Friday, Abubakar Affan, whose social media profiles suggest he was a soldier with the Nigerian Army, threatened to kill Martins Vincent Otse, a social media influencer known as VeryDarkMan, if he “commits what Deborah did in Sokoto State”.

On May 12, 2022, Deborah Samuel was publicly stoned and burnt to death by a group of unruly students and Islamic extremists at the Shehu Shagari College of Education over an allegation of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammed (SAW) on a WhatsApp group.

Recently, 16 men identified as northern hunters were burnt alive in Uromi, Edo State. Their deaths caused national outrage and demands for justice.

On Friday, Otse reminded the public about the need for justice to be done in the case of Deborah Samuel in the same vein.

“Arresting and prosecuting the killers of Deborah would bring justice and unity to Nigeria to a large extent. Fish out Deborah’s killers just like the Uromi 16 killers were arrested. I stand for justice,” Otse posted on his X handle.

A screenshot image of Abubakar Affan’s quote in response to Otse’s post.
The social media influencer attached a collage picture of the victim and one of her killers at the scene of the killing to the post.

Nigerians on X engaged the post in hundreds, echoing Otse’s sentiment.

However, Affan quoted the post with a direct threat to the influencer. Affan said he would kill Otse if he did what Deborah Samuel was accused of “today”.

“If, today, you committed what Deborah did in Sokoto, I’ll find you and send you where she’s now,” Affan posted, adding a cartoon depicting different levels of reactions to mob killings in Lagos, Sokoto and Edo. His post is archived here.

Abbakar Affan.
“The hypocrisy of the animal we share country (sic) with. Bunch of gays,” Affan added.

WHAT AFFAN’S DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS SAY ABOUT HIM
The quote has garnered over 411,000 impressions. Curiously, over 1,647 accounts have liked it, suggesting an impressive number of people shared Affan’s extremist sentiment.

A peep into his X profile showed that he spent four years in the northeast with Nigerian troops combating Boko Haram terrorists.

Boko Haram and ISIS terrorists got recruits by twisting and manipulating Islam, Affan said in an article posted by Strike Source, a security news website. The website was unsafe at press time because its secure site lock (SSL) certificate had expired.

“Many of their [ISIS] recruits are Nigerians from neighboring countries that speak Kanuri. They twist the words of the Koran and take advantage of the lack of education. By using a faith as a weapon, they tell them that the military is the enemy because they don’t follow their version of Islam, and that we are pagans,” Strike Source quoted Affan to have said.

On March 19, he shared that he had quit his job in the army.

A screenshot of Affan’s post talking about his military experience in the northeast.

On his LinkedIn profile, he described himself as a former soldier who enlisted in the Nigerian Army in 2012:

“I’m Abubakar Affan, a dedicated and highly skilled special forces officer of the AFS with a passion for counter-terrorism operations and combating extremism. With nearly a decade of experience in the Armed Forces, I take immense pride in serving my country and contributing to the safety and security of the nation.

“I embarked on my journey in the military in 2012, enlisting in the Nigeria Army Armed Forces. My foundational military training at the prestigious Nigeria Army Depot in Zaria laid the groundwork for my subsequent growth as a specialized operative.

“For the past six years, I have been actively deployed in counter-terrorism operations in northern Nigeria, engaging and neutralizing extremist groups with unwavering determination. Throughout the service, I Abubakar has had the honor of being part of various Special Forces units, honing, skills and expertise in tackling complex security challenges.”