Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested members of a syndicate involved in the illicit importation and trafficking of lethal synthetic opioid, Fentanyl, a drug which is 100 times stronger than Tramadol and capable of causing mass casualty among the youth population being targeted by the cartels.

A statement released by Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the agency today May 30, says the arrest of the two members of the syndicate: Odoh Collins Oguejiofor and Oliver Chigozie Uzoma at Ogbogwu market, Onitsha Head Bridge, Onitsha South LGA, Anambra State, in well-coordinated and clinical operations, is coming on the heels of an alert issued by the anti-narcotics Agency on Tuesday 22nd November 2022 that some criminal elements were plotting to flood the Nigerian market with the drug, which is currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States.

According to the CDC in the US, Fentanyl is 80 times as potent as morphine and 100 times more potent than heroin.

Following credible intelligence and synergy with local and international partners, the NDLEA was able to mobilise necessary assets to trace the illicitly manufactured drug to the Ogbogwu market, Onitsha Head Bridge, reputed to be the largest drug market in West Africa, after months of undercover monitoring.

Convinced that the Agency has gathered sufficient evidence to nail the suspects, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) ordered a deployment of operatives to pick members of the syndicate one after the other.

Odoh Collins Oguejiofor was the first to be arrested while on a business mission with packets of 100 micrograms of Fentanyl, while the arrest of Uzoma who is a major dealer in other illicitly manufactured pharmaceutical opioids including Fentanyl, followed.” the statement in part read.

Babafemi added that while packs of liquid Fentanyl were recovered from Odoh, different quantities of banned and controlled drugs including Fentanyl were seized from Uzoma.

They include Ampules of Fentanyl Injection; Ozempic solution for injection in pre-filled pens; Ampules of Sustanon 250mg/ml; Ampules of Rivavirin injection 200mg/2ml; Ampules of Erythropoietin injection; Ampules of Recombinant Anti Rho-D Immunoglobulin injection 300MG; Ampules of Pethidine 100mg/2ml solution for injection and Zoladex 3.6mg Goserelin.

Reacting to the arrest of members of the syndicate, Marwa commended all officers and men of the Agency involved in the operation while directing them to intensify the crackdown on other members of the cartel who may have gone underground.

“We’ll no doubt hunt down every member of this criminal gang before they do further harm to our public health especially our youth population. In the meantime, I’ll like to thank our international partners for the huge confidence in us and their support and partnership for the benefit of humanity. In the same vein, I’ll urge parents and other stakeholders to be vigilant, alert and warn their young ones against attempting experimenting with this illicit substance”, Marwa stated.

The Agency wishes to reiterate that exposure to this lethal opioid, which could come in different forms, as has been shown by the seizure, may result in pinpoint pupils, falling asleep or losing consciousness, slow and shallow breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, limp body, and pale, blue, or cold skin” the statement added

The police in Lagos state is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman and her two daughters in a shop around PPL, Ijagun Okokomaiko area of the state.

Punch reports that the deceased persons, whose identities could not be immediately ascertained, were said to have locked themselves inside the shop for two days before their corpses were recovered.

While some residents suspected generator fume as the cause of death, some suspected food poisoning.

A resident of the area who spoke on condition of anonymity said;

“On Friday night, the woman locked herself in the shop with her daughters while the generator was on. On Saturday, someone passed by and still saw the shop locked with the generator on. On Monday morning, people were worried as there was an offensive odour around her shop. Then, the husband broke into the shop and he found the dead bodies of his wife and children. These bodies were found in the inner shop and the other extension was where the generator was placed.”

Officials of the Ojo Local Government later came in and evacuated the corpses from the shop.

The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident stating that it happened last week.

Two men have been arrested by the Lagos police command for allegedly stabbing a 13-year-old boy to death over a rubber slippers.

The state police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin said the incident happened on Sunday, May 30, around 6pm at Iganmu under the Bridge.

The suspects were arrested after a concerned resident of the state alerted the police about some youths mobilizing to cause mayhem in the Iganmu area.

The crisis was caused by the killing of the 13-year-old boy identified as Ekene.

Hundeyin said; “Information at the scene indicated that the victim was allegedly stabbed by two boys over a minor issue concerning ownership of rubber slippers.

“It was also gathered that the suspects escaped from the scene after committing the crime.

“A credible intelligence was emplaced which led to the arrest of the duo of Ahmed, 28, and Umaru Abubakar, 18.

“The victim was examined and a deep hole suspected to be injuries sustained from stabbing was seen on the right side of his chest. He was immediately rushed to the Ajeromi General Hospital for urgent medical attention.

“However, he gave up the ghost while receiving treatment. His corpse was evacuated to the Yaba General Hospital for preservation and autopsy.”

The suspects who were taken to Ijora Badia Police Division where they confessed to the crime, will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti for discreet investigation.

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two suspects who stole the oracle of Irese community in Ifedore Local Government of the state and strangled a 90-year-old man, Ajayi Ajisegiri, to death.

The nonagenarian before his death, was a chief priest, the custodian of the oracle and also the head of hunters in Irese community.

The two suspects, Dada Ologundudu, 51, (pictured) and John Samson, 27, were said to have conspired to steal the oracle and invaded the home of the Chief priest.

One of the suspects, Ologundudu, a commercial motorcyclist popularly known as ‘Kayefi, was said to have stolen the oracle from the Oke Mission residence of the custodian.

The Chief Priest who suspected Ologundudu approached him and warned him to return the oracle and threatened to inform the community leaders about the missing oracle if Ologundudu failed to return it.

A source in the community explained that the lifeless body of the Ajisegiri was found in his room, a day after he threatened to report the suspect to the entire community for stealing the community’s spiritual property, known as ‘Osho Osi Ode’ which was kept in his custody.

The suspect’s landlady, Mrs. Beatrice Ademeti, also confirmed that the deceased came to her house a day before the incident, warning the suspect to return the community oracle.

Ademeti said the suspect claimed to be a herbalist and had been close to the deceased to know about the oracle before he eventually stole it.

“The motorcyclist cannot say he’s not responsible for the death of Ajisegiri, because, on the night of the incident, I overheard the deceased shouting at the suspect, saying he gave him a day to return the community’s property he took in his room or else he would report the case to the whole town the next day,” she said.

“The suspect later came back at night to give Baba three sachet of alcoholic drink which made the deceased sleep off. The next day around 8:00 am, l noticed the deceased had not opened his door which was unusual of him.”

“I called other neighbours around and I explained to them that the deceased had not opened his door since morning, which made them force his door open. To our surprise, we found his lifeless body on the floor in his room with bruises and blood on his neck.”

It was gathered that the suspect tried to escape from the town after the death of the oracle custodian but he was apprehended by the people of the community who handed him over to the palace.

The suspect was said to have initially denied stealing the oracle and killing the victim but he later recanted after he was threatened by the community leaders.

Ologundudu told the community leaders where he hid the oracle after which it was retrieved in an uncompleted building with the help of the police detectives. The oracle was then taken back to the community shine.

The suspect was handed to the police detectives at Ijare Police Station while the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Akure, for further investigation.

The police spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, who confirmed the incident, said the two suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of the deceased and stealing of the oracle.

Some Nigerians have taken to social media to lament over buying fuel at N600 shortly after President Bola Tinubu announced that fuel subsidy is gone in his inaugural speech yesterday, May 29.

While some complained about the attitude of Nigerians, others said the announcement was ill-timed as there is no provision to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.

The Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a 25-year-old man, Ayanrinde Abdulgafar, who has been parading himself as a lawyer and swindling unsuspecting members of the public.

Parading the suspect at the Command’s headquarters, Oke Ayepe, Osogbo, on Saturday, May 27, 2023, the state Commandant, Agboola Sunday, said Ayarinde, who always putting on legal regalia, allegedly defrauded POS agents inside court premises in different states.

Adigun noted that the suspect perpetrated the act at the Federal High Court, Akure and State High Courts in Osogbo and Ilorin.

He said the suspect was arrested in a hotel on Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Ilorin, Kwara State by the Command crack team in collaboration with Kwara State NSCDC command.

“The suspect presented himself as a Barrister of law to one driver on the 23rd May, 2023 whose service he requested to drive him first to State High Court Osogbo before heading to Federal High Court, Akure,” the Commandant said.

‘The suspect in his full regalia entered the court, exchange pleasantries with lawyers and thereafter approached a POS woman around the court premises and collected the sum of One hundred and fifty thousand naira with the aim to do the transfer.

He had collected the phone of the driver to share his internet facility to help him transfer the money. He entered the court premises and disappeared into the thin air, only to be tracked to Ilorin, Kwara State.

“The suspected fake lawyer defrauded another driver who took him to Ilorin to the sum of N100,000, after which he was arrested,” he added.

Speaking with newsmen, the suspect claimed he is a University of Ibadan Law Faculty dropout.

Ayanrinde said he started duping people early this year, adding that he had collected over N200,000 from his victims. When asked what led him to the act, Ayanrinde said he did it to get back at his father who abandoned him since childhood.

“I dropped out of the University of Ibadan (UI) from the law department in 2022 when I could no longer pay school fees,” he said.

“I decided to start practising as a fake lawyer to swindle people in courts because my father who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) decided to neglect myself and my mother after he impregnated her.

“I do this crime to spite him. I regret my action, my father is the one that destroys my life. He denied me as his son and never took responsibility for me.”

The Anambra state government has arrested two fake medical doctors and sealed off their health facilities at Alor in Idemili South Local Government Area and Adazi-Enu in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.

Dr Afam Obidike, the state’s commissioner for health, accompanied by some security operatives and members of the Anambra Joint Enforcement Team (ANJET), raided the areas on Friday night and arrested the suspects.

Speaking to newsmen on Saturday, the commissioner identified the suspects as Anayo Okwara, owner of Bright Land Hospital and Maternity Ltd in Alor and Igwe Ogbonna, owner of Favour of God Hospital and Maternity, Adazi-Enu.

He said that the suspects were operating the hospitals illegally in the state.

“Following investigation, it was discovered that Ogbonna is not even a medical doctor and does not have any medical knowledge.

“He also used his hospital as a nursing school, where students pay as much as N70,000 to N100,000 to study nursing. Some of the student nurses we met at the facility confirmed this.

“On Okwara, the second suspect, the president-general of Alor community, Chief Emmanuel Ojukwu, wrote to the ministry complaining about incessant deaths recorded at Bright Land Hospital.

“Okwara, first claimed that he was a homeopathic doctor, but later admitted that his medical certificates and license were forged when he was being questioned,” he said.

Mr Obidike said that five illegal health facilities had been shut down so far, saying that Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s administration would not relent in its effort to flush out fake doctors operating across the state.

He said that the objective of the exercise was not to witch-hunt anyone but to ensure standards both in government and private hospitals in the state.

“It is unfortunate that death is an irreversible course and I do not understand why people who are not medical practitioners will continue to waste people’s lives because of greed and quest to make money through illegal means.

“We are sending out this warning to those operating illegally and parading themselves as medical doctors to close down their hospitals or face the full wrath of the law.

“Anambra is not a place for quacks to practice,” he said.

The commissioner thanked the community leaders and vigilante groups for the tip-off and urged residents to be vigilant and report such illegality in their areas.

He commended Mr Soludo for giving them the necessary support to execute the raid.Mr Obidike said that the suspects would be charged to court.

A final-year student of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) and bolt driver was on Friday night killed by suspected car snatchers at the Mary Slessor roundabout, Calabar, Cross River.

The deceased, identified as Francis Atabi, had given the two suspected car snatchers a ride around 8 pm when the incident occurred.

The suspects were said to have tried to snatch the Toyota Corolla vehicle from the driver while on their way to their supposed destination.

The resistance put up by the 25-year-old final-year student of Education and Political Science, was what made the suspects stab him multiple times and also tried to snuff the life out of him with a rope round his neck.

The deceased also allegedly ran over a security man when he lost control of the car.As at the time of filing this report, the security man was said to have given up at the hospital where he was rushed to in Calabar.

Meanwhile, police command in the state has confirmed the incident and said investigation had already commenced on the matter.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Irene Ugbo who made the position of the police known, said no stone will be left unturned in a bid to bring the perpetrators to book.

The Police Command in Lagos State says it has arrested a mother and another woman, who allegedly attempted to sell a nine-month-old baby.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest on Saturday in a statement.

Mr Hundeyin said that members of the public and operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) foiled the crime on Friday.

He said that the deal was uncovered at Oshodi area, when one Oge Okolie, aged 25, who was the intermediary between the baby’s mother and the prospective buyer, was arrested on suspicion of stealing the baby.

“Passengers on a public bus noticed ceaseless crying from the baby with Okolie and questioned why she could not breastfeed the child if she was the biological mother.

“The suspect was about to be lynched when RRS operatives quickly stepped in to rescue her as well as the baby.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the baby’s mother, one Maria Ahmadu, aged 26, allegedly gave her child to Oge to sell. This led to the arrest of the young mother,” he said.

Mr Hundeyin said that the suspects and the baby have been transferred to the Gender Unit of the Command for further investigation and prosecution.

Four persons were confirmed dead in an accident close to Mountain Top University on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Saturday.

Two others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Florence Okpe, the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident in Abeokuta.

Ms Okpe said the accident occurred at 4:53 a.m. and involved a Lexus RX 350 marked KTU 738 HM and a Mack truck with registration number T 21024 LA.

She said the accident was caused by excessive speed and phone use while driving.

The FRSC spokesperson said the bodies of those who died in the accident were deposited at the Real Divine Hospital morgue, Ibafo.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Umar, the sector commander, cautioned motorists on using phones while driving and the dangers associated with such.

He also commiserated with the families of the victims and advised them to contact FRSC Ibafo command for more information on the crash.

Gunmen on Friday evening, abducted another Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Mathias Opara, in Imo.

Mr Opara was abducted along Ejemekwuru and Ogbaku road between Oguta and Mbaitoli Local Government Areas of the state.

A witness said that the priest was kidnapped while returning from a burial ceremony of a colleague’s father at Izombe community in Oguta Local Government Area.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the priest was double-crossed and kidnapped along with some people in the same vehicle while driving back to Owerri.

“The incident happened right before us. We were also coming back to Owerri from the funeral ceremony when the incident occurred,” the source said.

When contacted for confirmation, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, could not confirm the report.

Mr Okoye simply said “I am yet to receive an official report in line with that.”

However, the Director of Public Communications of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Raymond Ogu, who confirmed the incident, said the priest was ambushed and later kidnapped.

“It was on his way back from Izombe. These guys came out from the bush and ambushed them.

“There were about five people in the vehicle, including the priest, but one small boy among them in the vehicle escaped during the ambush.

“The hoodlums took the priest and the other three passengers away but at some point, they released the other three to take his car but they went away with the priest into the bush,” Mr Ogu said.

Mr Opara’s abduction came barely a week after gunmen kidnapped the priest of Christ the King Parish, Ezinachi/Ugwuago of the Diocese of Okigwe in Okigwe Local Government Area, Rev. Fr. Jude Maduka.

It would be recalled that Mr Maduka was kidnapped while preparing for the Eucharistic Mass celebration at his adoration ground.

A Catholic Priest of St. Paul’s Catholic Parish, Osu, in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area, Rev. Fr. Michael Asumogha, in Okigwe Catholic diocese was equally kidnapped in April and later released.