. As NDLEA intercepts two boats loaded with illicit drug consignments at Eleko beach Lagos, arrests 6 Ghanaians, Beninese

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur while attempting to board an Air France flight 844 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA Abuja to Paris, France for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine.

Orizu was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Sunday 22nd December 2024 during the outward clearance of passengers on Air France.

When he was pulled aside for body scan, he turned down the request claiming his medical condition won’t allow him.
He was thereafter taken into custody for excretion observation during which he excreted a total of 74 wraps of the Class A drugs over a period of seven days.

In his statement, Orizu claimed he owns a shop at Balogun market, Lagos Island where he sells school and travelling bags, adding that he was promised 3,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Paris. He left his base in Lagos for the Abuja airport to connect his Air France flight to Paris, hoping to escape detection.

In another interdiction effort, operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA at 2:30am on Christmas eve, Tuesday 24th December intercepted two boats loaded with 1,960 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis at the Eleko beach in Lekki area of Lagos.

Six foreign nationals who brought the consignments from Ghana were arrested during the operation.

They include: two Ghanaians: Godsway John, 38; and Freedom Kelvin, 33; as well as four Beninese: Chegoun Hounsou, 23; Gadabor Nyameto, 47; Adantg Sasa, 34; and Ayao Kayivi, 21.

In Katsina, a suspect Ibrahim Shaibu, 35, was arrested in possession of 40 album-size parcels of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 35kg on Christmas day 25th December at Central Motor Park, Katsina, while another suspect Umar Ahmed, 47, was nabbed along Zaria-Malumfashi road, Katsina with 27 parcels of same psychoactive substance weighing 13.5kg on Saturday 28th December.

A 21-year-old suspect Kosisochukwu Ozigbo was arrested at new Lagos road Benin City, Edo state when the area was raided on Monday 23rd December by NDLEA operatives. Recovered from the suspect include: 32,490 pills of tramadol 225mg, 200mg and 100mg; 936 bottles of codeine-based syrup and various quantities of other opioids.

The Commands across the country balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities. Some of these include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered by Lagos State Strategic Command in collaboration with Menitos Foundation to residents of Akoka community at Ayetoro primary school, Akoka Bariga; while the Adamawa State command of NDLEA delivered same lecture to members of Jama’atul Nasril Islam during their annual first aid group and leadership camping in Adamawa among others.

While commending the efforts of the officers and men of NAIA, Katsina, Edo and Marine Commands of the Agency for job well done in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on the achievements of 2024 but continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug barons and cartels with an equal measure of WADA sensitisation campaigns in the new year.

The media reported on Saturday that Naomi Silekunola, who is being detained at Agodi prison following the stampede that claimed the lives of 35 people in Ibadan, Oyo State, was on hunger strike.

The management of Agidigbo FM has denied reports claiming that its chairman Oriyomi Hamzat, estranged wife of Ooni of Ife Naomi Silekunola and the Principal of Islamic High School Abdullahi Mfasasi, have been released from prison custody.

In a statement on Saturday shared on Oriyomi Hamzat’s Facebook page, the management described reports of their release as “fake news” and urged the public to disregard them.

The statement, however, warned those spreading the news to desist from such act.

The statement reads, “The Management of Agidigbo FM has described as fake news, the rumour circulating round that the chairman of Agidigbo 88.7FM Oriyomi Hamzat, ex-queen of Ooni of Ife Naomi Silekuola and the Principal of Islamic High School Abdullahi Mfasasi, have been released from prison, therefore urged the public to disregard the rumour and warned those spreading it to desist from such act.

“Stop the spread of fake news!!”

The media reported on Saturday that Naomi Silekunola, who is being detained at Agodi prison following the stampede that claimed the lives of 35 people in Ibadan, Oyo State, was on hunger strike.

It quoted the mother, Mrs Funmilayo Ogunseyi, to have revealed this in an interview, claiming that when she visited her on Thursday at the custodial centre, she wasn’t feeling fine.

“She wasn’t happy about the whole incident. She loves children. The queen loves and helps children, single mothers, old women, and widows. She is still in pain that those children lost their lives because her intention was pure,” Ogunseyi said.

Ogunseyi explained that organising such an event to help people was what Naomi had been doing for years.

Hamzat and Mfasasi were arraigned on December 24 before a Magistrate Court in Ibadan and subsequently remanded in prison.

Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has carpeted former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili for remarks he made that appeared to aim at his principal.

Odili, at an event in Port Harcourt organized by his family to honor Governor Siminalayi Fubara, had stated that Fubara prevented an individual from turning Rivers State into a “private estate.”

Many interpreted this comment as a veiled reference to Nyesom Wike.

In response to Odili’s statement, Olayinka took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disappointment.

He labeled Odili’s remarks as unbecoming of an elder statesman, accusing him of engaging in divisive and partisan rhetoric.

Olayinka wrote, “I’ve read the comments made by the former Governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and I can’t help but be disappointed. Someone who should act as an elder statesman has reduced himself to such a ridiculous level of partisanship. Well, he will get his deserved response from the FCT Minister in due course.”

Wike’s aides also condemned Odili’s remarks, claiming that the former governor had undermined his reputation by engaging in political attacks rather than offering constructive leadership.

The ongoing feud between Odili and Wike’s camp highlights the deepening political divides within Rivers State and the broader South-South region.