News

NDLEA busts DTOs desperate bids to move hard drugs to US, Saudi Arabia, Poland(Photos)

Published

6 hours ago

March 16, 2025

…foils Italy-bound cocaine, opioid shipments in prayer beads, others

…nabs 2 suspects; recovers large consignments of skunk, heroin, opioids in Kano, Kwara, Kaduna, Taraba, Abia, Osun, and FCT raids

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Desperate bids by some drug trafficking organisations (DTO) to move illicit consignments such as Cocaine, Tramadol, Loud, Molly and others concealed in prayer beads, packs of board games, female cloths to the United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Poland, and United Arab Emirates through logistics firms and the Lagos airport have been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

At least, two suspects behind some of the aborted missions at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos have already been arrested. One of them is a 43-year-old businesswoman, Jakpor Egware May who was nabbed at the Gate ‘C’ departure hall of the Lagos airport while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy on Saturday 8th March 2025.

When she was searched, 190 parcels of tramadol 225mg and another parcel of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from her luggage. In her statement, she claimed that she bought the drugs herself, with the intention to resell them in Italy.

At the export shed of the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers on Tuesday 11th March arrested
a 60-year-old suspect, Yahaya Fatai Ayinla, while attempting to ship a cargo containing cloths used to conceal 400grams of skunk going to New York, United States of America.

At some logistics companies in Lagos, efforts by drug traffickers to export over two kilograms of Loud, Molly, Tramadol 365mg, 225mg hidden in Vitamin C bottles and female cloths to the US were frustrated by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI. Other shipments of 230grams of cocaine concealed in prayer beads, soles of locally made shoes and packs of board games heading to Saudi Arabia, Poland and UAE were equally intercepted between Monday 10th and Wednesday 12th March.

In Kano, a total of 727 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 479kg were recovered from a 40-year-old suspect Hassan Haruna who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Chalawa area of the state on Wednesday 12th March, while no fewer than 58,300 pills of tramadol were intercepted along Kabba-Obajana highway, Kogi state in a commercial bus coming from Lagos enroute Abuja on Tuesday 11th March.
Raid operations in Kachia, Kaduna state on Thursday 13th March led to the arrest of Idris Hamza, 21, with 4,900 pills of tramadol 225mg seized from him, just as a similar exercise in Hayin Banki area of Kaduna North LGA, on Friday 14th March resulted in the arrest of 25-year-old Aminu Magaji from whom 2,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg were recovered.

While a total of 40, 200 tablets of tramadol 225mg were recovered from the duo of Olowoko Faruk and Akeem Ridwan along Ilorin – Jebba expressway, Bode Saadu, Kwara state on Friday 14th March, NDLEA operatives equally seized 21,700 capsules of same opioid from a suspect Salisu Usman along Eiyenkorin expressway, Ilorin on Thursday 13th March.
In Taraba state, NDLEA officers on Friday 14th March arrested Polycarp Adeku, 35, at Bente road, Kurmi LGA, with 15.77Kg skunk, while in Osun state, operatives on Thursday 13th March, intercepted a commercial bus marked SGB 564 YS coming from Idumota, Lagos Island in front of King University, Ode-omu, with a total of 48.7kg Ghanaian Loud, Colorado and Canadian Loud, all strains of cannabis. Not less than nine suspects have been arrested in connection with the seizure in Osogbo and Ile-Ife during follow up operations.

A 58-year-old suspect Ade Esan (aka Pastor) was on Tuesday 11th March arrested along Gwagwalada expressway, FCT Abuja with 27,800 pills of tramadol 225mg, while another suspect Usman Mohammed, 26, was nabbed same day with various quantities of skunk and cocaine at Wuse zone 3 area of Abuja.

In Abia state, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 15th March raided the Ntigha community, Isiala-Ngwa North LGA, where a 34-year-old suspect Chinaza Nwogu (aka Young Money) was arrested with 274grams of heroin, 141grams of methamphetamine, 2.931kg of cannabis sativa, 4grams of cocaine and Seven Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand, Fifteen Naira (N753,015.00) monetary exhibit.
Meanwhile, 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 U.P.E school, Ilara Epe, Lagos; Government Day Secondary School, Jigalambu, Michika, Adamawa state; Agbegi High Grammar School, Dekina, Kogi state; Capital City Secondary School, Awka, Anambra state; and Eso-Obe Comprehensive High School, Ikoro Ekiti, Ekiti state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Kano, Kwara, Kaduna, Taraba, Abia, Osun, 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.

News

NYSC member may under 30-day service extension for slamming Tinubu

Published

54 minutes ago

March 16, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

A Lagos-based member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ushie Uguamaye, could have her service year extended by 30 days with half pay over her criticism of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

This is according to the NYSC Bye Laws (Revised 2011).

Recently, Uguamaye, known on TikTok as @talktoraye, shared a video in which she called out the Tinubu administration over the economic hardship faced by Nigerians since it was sworn in.

In another TikTok video, the young lady claimed that she was threatened on phone by an official of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the video criticising the President.

She also shared a screenshot of a message allegedly received from NYSC officials summoning her to report to the Eti-Osa Local Government office on Monday.

According to Uguamaye, she fears for her life because she has also been receiving threats from anonymous persons after her video went viral.

The first video shared by Uguamaye may have contravened the NYSC Bye-Laws (Revised 2011), the section which says corps members are “not be rude to constituted authority” during primary assignments.

It reads: “Any member who is rude to constituted authority shall be tried by the Corps Disciplinary Committee and, if found guilty, be liable to extension of service for a period not less than thirty (30) days with half pay.”

Meanwhile, the Spokesperson for the NYSC, Caroline Embu, was not available to give comment on the corps member’s TikTok video.

News

Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Trains Public Sector Leaders To Strengthen Governance in Africa

Published

2 hours ago

March 16, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

As part of its contribution in strengthening governance in Africa, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has marked the successful completion of the fourth edition of its AIG Public Leaders Programme, an executive training initiative for government officials.

The programme, which was in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, is aimed at equipping public servants with the skills to drive effective governance.

At the graduation ceremony held in Abuja, participants from Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda were celebrated for completing the rigorous training, aimed at enhancing public service performance across the continent.

Former Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), in his keynote address, described the graduates’ mandate in bold terms.

Osinbajo urged participants to leverage their training to dismantle systemic barriers and reimagine equitable service delivery

He said: “You are Public Service Scientists. Just as technologists invent groundbreaking tools, you must create systems that ensure health, safety, education, and opportunity reach every citizen—not as a privilege, but as a promise”.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, commended the Foundation’s role in reshaping governance.

“The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has shown commitment to building a public sector that prioritises citizens. This programme equips leaders with world-class skills to drive innovation and align with our vision of an efficient, ethical, and citizen-centric workforce”, she said.

As part of the programme, participants developed and began implementing reform projects to tackle systemic challenges within their Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), driving improvements in public service delivery.

Chairman of the Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, stressed the urgency of transforming Africa.

“Our challenge is not merely about accelerating processes; it is about catching up. Catching up demands more than intelligence—it requires a transformative mindset and a willingness to break new ground. This programme equips public servants to tackle systemic bottlenecks while promoting collective action—the power of us—to drive impactful change across the continent”, he asserted.

Dignitaries in attendance included the President of the Senate, represented by Senator Gershom Bassey; representatives of the Governors of Delta and Kano States; representatives of the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and Heads of Service of Ekiti and Nasarawa States.

Graduating participants will join a growing network of alumni who have been trained since 2021.

The Foundation reiterared its committment to its mission of training 3,000 public sector leaders by 2030, equipping them with the skills needed to drive impactful reforms. Applications are now open for the fifth cohort of the programme.

News

Travel guide: Lagos To Seal Independence, Marina-CMS Bridge For Two Months

Published

3 hours ago

March 16, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Lagos State Government will seal and divert traffic for the emergency repairs of the Independence/Mekwen Bridge (inbound Marina/CMS route) for two months.

Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, the State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the emergency repair of the bridge is scheduled from Wednesday, March 19 19, to Monday, May 26, 2025.

He said during the repairs, the section of the road from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) through Bonny Camp Bridge down to Independence Bridge will be closed to vehicular movement.

“Similarly, the Bonny Camp Underpass Bridge service lane inbound Independence Bridge will not be available for motorists. However, the service lane from Ahmadu Bello Way to Ozumba Mbadiwe will be open to traffic,” the statement read.

Motorists heading to Victoria Island from Ahmadu Bello Way are advised to use Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street, and proceed to Falomo Roundabout, then link Obafemi Awolowo Road to access Ring Road to continue their journeys.

Motorists from Ahmadu Bello Way heading to 3rd Mainland Bridge should go through Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street, then link Alfred Rewane Road to Osborne Road, and connect to Ring Road to reach their destinations.

“Motorists heading to Inner Marina and CMS from Ahmadu Bello Way will be diverted to Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street to connect Falomo Roundabout, then link Obafemi Awolowo Road to access J.K. Randle Road/King George V Road to reach their desired destinations.”

According to the commissioner, motorists heading to Ahmadu Bello Way from Inner Marina/CMS will have through-traffic access.

Osiyemi reassured Lagosians that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will manage traffic flow along the aforementioned routes for the duration of the project