Lifestyle

NDLEA arrests notorious drug dealer

No Comments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug dealer, for attempting to smuggle illicit drugs to the United Kingdom.

According to the agency, the suspect, Okoli Collins Ikenna, was the mastermind of recent multiple attempts to export illicit drugs to London, in the United Kingdom, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), and some courier companies.

In a statement on Sunday, the Director, Media, and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi revealed that Okoli has been on court bail following his arrest in November 2020, and subsequent arraignment before a Lagos Federal High Court, for attempting to export 15.700kgs of Methamphetamine to Australia.

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, November 2, with 78 parcels of Cannabis, concealed in black soap packs labelled as Dudu Osun, with a total weight of 12.250 kilograms heading to the United Kingdom after a series of investigations into recent multiple attempts to export illicit drugs to the UK.

Furthermore, the agency stated that Okoli is the one behind the attempt to export 7.350kgs of Cannabis to the UK on Thursday, October 21, a consignment that was intercepted at the NAHCO export shed of the MMIA.

Meanwhile, a separate investigation by operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) of the agency attached to courier companies traced two other attempts to export 47.7kgs of cannabis to the UK, through courier firms, to Okoli, after his agents were arrested in the course of investigation named him as the owner of the consignments.

Babafemi also explained that desperate bids by traffickers to export over two kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine, and cannabis hidden inside containers of body cream, tea bags, vehicle oil, and air filters to London, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirate, and New Zealand, through two major courier firms in Lagos were scuttled by narcotic officers of the NDLEA.

He noted that over 261kgs of various illicit substances were intercepted by operatives of the agency in Kano, Kogi, and Osun states.

Following the development, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) commended the officers and men of the MMIA command, DOGI, and their counterparts in Kano, Kogi, and Osun for sustaining the heat on the cartels across the country.

He encouraged them and their compatriots in other commands to intensify the offensive action against all merchants of death in Nigeria.

Lifestyle

Lagos, Oyo the headquarters of drug abuse in Nigeria – NDLEA

No Comments

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, on Wednesday, described Lagos and Oyo States as headquarters of drug abuse in Nigeria.

Marwa, who stated this at a public lecture organised by United Action for Change (UAC), in Lagos State, added that at least 14.3 million people in Nigeria are into drug abuse.

He noted that the South-West has the highest number of drug abusers in the country.

The NDLEA chief revealed that Nigeria was ranked first on the use of Cannabis Sativa.

Marwa said: “Nigeria’s drug statistics should give every one of us a sleepless night.

Not less than 14.3 million Nigerians abuse drugs — Nigerians between the ages of 16 and 64 years. Among them, one in four drug users is female.

“Expectedly, cannabis is the most abused substance by Nigerians. What’s alarming, however, is that a staggering 10.6 million Nigerians abuse the use of cannabis.

“That number makes our country number one in the use of cannabis. Let’s ponder this for a moment; 10.6 million is more than the estimated population of Botswana and Lesotho combined.

“Most of the abusers first started at the age of 19, and the highest level of usage is concentrated in youth between 25 and 29.

“The highest abuse of drugs is reported in the Southern part of Nigeria, with the South-West recording the highest prevalence with over four million Nigerians engaging in the use of various drugs.

In this regard, the Lagos-Oyo axis is the epicentre of drug abuse in Nigeria.”

Entertainment

Tonto Dikeh urges NDLEA to do drug test on her

No Comments

Controversial Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh has informed the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that she is prepared to undergo a drug test after her former partner, Prince Kpokpogri alleged that the actress is an excessive drinker and smoker.

Since the announcement of their break up a month ago, actress, Tonto Dikeh and her estranged partner, Prince Kpokpogri have continued to drag each other publicly.

In a post shared on Kpokpogri’s page on Thursday, September 23, the political activist revealed that he ended his relationship with Dikeh because of her addictions.

He demanded that NDLEA run a test on her and if his claims are false, he would drop the ongoing trial against her.

Tonto Dikeh , responding, asked NDLEA to invite her for a drug test if they ever find any case of drugs against her.

Read her post below.

Lifestyle

Customs, NDLEA, DSS uncover hard drugs concealed in machine cylinder at Apapa Port

No Comments

Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Department of State Service (DSS) have uncovered and seized cartons of Captagon Pills, a hard drug, concealed inside the cylinder of an imported machine at the Apapa Port in Lagos State.

The Customs Area Command Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Usman disclosed the development in a statement on Wednesday, saying the discovery was made through a joint operation that lasted for one week.

According to the statement, the drugs were discovered after the operatives painstakingly dismantled the machine.

Usman noted that the seizure followed a renewed synergy and cooperation aimed at curbing all forms of port-related lawlessness.

Furthermore, he said the heads of the three services resolved that the operation will be sustained in the fight against all forms of smuggling and infractions.

“One suspect has been arrested in connection with the seizure while further examination and counting are ongoing,” Usman added

World News

Lagos NDLEA nabs woman with 35 wraps of cocaine concealed in underwear

No Comments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Abuja on Sunday, disclosed that it has nabbed a lady, Ebere Edith Okafor, with 35 wraps of cocaine concealed in her underwear.

She was nabbed during the outward clearance of passengers on Air Cotevoire, to Monrovia, Liberia from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), in Lagos.

The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said the suspect who was arrested on Saturday, July 31, tucked the pellets of cocaine in her underwear to beat security checks at the airport but was picked up for search and questioning during which the wraps of the illicit drug were found on her.

During a preliminary interview, she claimed her desire to make money pushed her into drug trafficking,” Babafemi said.

Also, Babafemi disclosed that another suspect, Echendu Jerry Maduakolam, an intending male passenger going to Istanbul was arrested at Gate A departure hall of the MMIA on Tuesday, July 27, during outward clearance of Egypt airline to Turkey with 78 grams of cannabis mixed with dried bitter leaves.

He noted that on the same day, another intending male passenger, Egbon Osarodion, going to Milan, Italy was arrested at the airport’s Gate A departure hall during outward clearance of passengers on Egypt airline with different quantities of 225mg Tramadol and Rohypnol concealed in foil papers wrapped in a polyethylene bag.

Babafemi disclosed that in another development, operatives of the agency from the Kontagora Area Command, acting on credible intelligence, in the early hours of Thursday, July 29, raided a warehouse at Mailefe village in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State, where drug supplies for bandits operating in parts of the state were stored.

He said, “After a thorough search of the warehouse, 125 bags of cannabis sativa were recovered while a man seen praying in front of the house fled into the forest when he sighted the narcotic officers from afar.”

Politics

Gunmen set NDLEA office ablaze in Abia

No Comments

Unknown gunmen on Tuesday, May 11 set ablaze the office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Amaekpu Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia state.

The State Commandant of NDLEA, Bamidele Akingbade, confirmed the incident and disclosed that it happened around 3 am.

According to him, the office was “partially” razed and no documents were torched as they were inside a fire-prove safe.

The state police spokesman, Godfrey Ogbonna, said the force has commenced a full probe into the incident, adding that there was no casualty from the razing of the INEC office.

The people in the neighbourhood said the attack was carried out by unknown miscreants,” .

“There was no casualty because security men guarding the office ran into the 14 Army Brigade barracks for safety, when the attackers arrived at the place’‘, he said.

The incident came few days after Police stations and INEC office in the state were attacked and burnt down by gunmen.

Entertainment

Nigerian rapper, CDQ arrested over drug possession – NDLEA

No Comments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed the arrest of Nigerian rapper, Sodiq Yusuf aka CDQ on suspicion of cannabis possession.

CDQ was arrested by men of the anti-narcotics agency at his Lekki residence on Wednesday night.

NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest to The PUNCH on Thursday, adding that the 35-year-old had been granted bail but remained under investigation.

Babafemi noted that CDQ mentioned names of other artistes who use the substance known on the street as “loud”.

Yes, CDQ was arrested in his house at Lekki for being in possession of cannabis. He was arrested based on intelligence. As of last night, he was granted administrative bail, but he is expected back into custody today because it is an ongoing investigation.

“Some substances were found and he mentioned some names of some other big artistes. So, it is an ongoing investigation

“The outcome of the investigation would determine what would happen. There are cases whereby the investigation shows some sufficient infractions, and then the case will go to court. There are other cases whereby if the quantity is insignificant, we will bring him in for counselling and possible rehabilitation. Those are likely scenarios that will happen,” Babafemi said

CDQ, however, claims that someone was trying to set him up.

No sleep for the wicked. Iyalaya yin o ni sun for dis Lagos. They tryna set me up today but Olohun wa,” he wrote in a message posted on Twitter and Instagram on the day of his arrest.

“I have a lot to talk about but lemme get over the shock first,” he wrote in another message on Thursday.

Entertainment

Use of drugs more prevalent in South-West –NDLEA boss, Marwa

No Comments

The Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen Buba Marwa (retired), has disclosed that about 14.4 per cent of Nigerians between the ages of 16 and 64 are using drugs.

He said this was three times the global average, noting that zonally, the South-West part of the country had the worst prevalence in the use of illicit substances.

Marwa who spoke on Friday, during the inauguration of the Behavioural Action Care Foundation Centre in Ogbomoso, built by the Ogbomoso First Group, said there was no community in Nigeria that had not suffered from the debilitating disease of drug use, drug abuse, and addiction.

He said: “The prevalence in the South-West geo-political zone is 22.4 per cent. Oyo State in particular is 23 per cent. This is followed by the South-South with the prevalence of 16.6 per cent and the South-East 14.8 per cent.

This is followed by the North-East with 18.6 per cent, North-West 12 per cent and North-Central 10 per cent. Kano has a prevalence of 16 per cent. This rate is very high considering its population.”

Marwa called on parents and other stakeholders to demand a drug-free certificate as a requisite for marriage as well as other important programmes and commended the Ogbomoso group and traditional rulers for their support.

Meanwhile, he said the agency would continue to crack down on all sources of illicit substances in Nigeria, and asked for more collaboration in the fight against its use, noting that the war against it must be a collective effort.

Politics

NDLEA uncovers cocaine, heroin in Anambra monarch’s palace

No Comments

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Anambra State, have uncovered various quantities of cocaine and heroin stashed in the palace of a ruler in the state.

In a statement on Monday, the State Commander of the NDLEA, Muhammadu Misbahu Idris, said 58.5 grams of cocaine and 13.9 grams of heroin were concealed in the palace of the traditional ruler.

Although the statement did not give details of the monarch, it noted that security operatives at the palace were helping to trace the owners of the consignment.

“Investigations are ongoing to unravel how the illicit drugs were hidden in the palace and the palace security guards are helping in tracing the dealer behind the consignment,” Idris said.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA spokesman in the state, Odigie Charles, who did not also disclose further details on the issue, said the command would forward the report on the operation to its headquarters, as demanded by the new regime in NDLEA.

However, another source claimed the monarch involved in the case was the Igwe of Obosi.

“The drugs were recovered from his palace. We are still investigating his link to the consignment while the dealer said to be the owner is on the run. There is a manhunt for him at the moment,” the source said.

Obosi is a hilly area bordered by Onitsha to the North-West, Nkpor to the North-East and Oba to the South-East. Sources said apart from Nnewi, it is the biggest town in Anambra State.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA Lagos command, said its officials also arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Hassan Bishi Taiwo, with three parcels of cocaine in a false bottom in his suitcase.

He was intercepted at the E-arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at the weekend.

Taiwo was arrested after he alighted from an Ethiopian Airlines flight at 1.30m on Friday, the agency’s spokesman Femi Babafemi, said on Monday.

Speaking on the developments, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the commanders and officers involved in the operations for their vigilance and charged them to continue with the vigour of the offensive action maxim of the new leadership of the anti-drug agency.

Politics

NDLEA bemoans nonpayment of N4bn staff entitlement

No Comments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has revealed that the Federal Government is owing its staff about N4 billion in form of accumulated arrears of entitlements.

Retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, Chairman, NDLEA, said this at a meeting with the leadership of the Senate on Thursday, March 4, in Abuja.

He said the nonpayment of the entitlements had negatively affected the morale of the affected staff in the fight against hard drug abuse in Nigeria.

“Criminalities and insurgency will not end so quickly until we face the underlining nexus between them and hard drug.

Unfortunately, the drug situation is not properly factored into the security architecture. We look at the other segments but forget that this is the causative area that needs to be equally attended to.

“Every part of Nigeria is affected in the realm of drug abuse, you can for sure say that every person in this room knows somebody or a neighbour or a family that has affliction with drug abuse.

The drug abuse scourge is actually the number one problem we are facing, it is everywhere.

“First of all, drug abuse destroys our kids, women, our youths, the farming system, and secondly, it is behind the criminalities which is everywhere now,” he said.

According to Marwa, there is an urgent need to amend the act establishing NDLEA for an effective fight against drug abuse.

President of Senate Ahmed Lawan promised that the Senate would give an expeditious passage to the amendment of the NDLEA act.

This should be one of our priorities, this is a dire situation that requires the immediate attention of the National Assembly and we will treat it as such.

“If we can pass it before we go on our second break in July that will be fantastic.

“NDLEA should be in the league of EFCC and ICPC and therefore it should get the kind of support those agencies are receiving,” he said.

Lawan called for the establishment of more rehabilitation centres across the country to rehabilitate Nigerians who were drug addicts.

Politics

NDLEA storms Edo forest, seizes cannabis worth N1.4bn

No Comments

Cannabis worth N1.4 billion has been seized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo State after its officials stormed Ukpuje Forest, in the Owan West Local Government Area of the State

A statement on Saturday by the Edo State Commander of the agency, Buba Wakama also revealed that seven suspects were arrested in connection with cannabis weighing 233,778 kilograms.

The cannabis found in four warehouses include 2,249kg dried weeds while cannabis weighing 231,529kg was destroyed on the farm.

According to Wakama, the seizure was the largest single concentration of cannabis discovered by the command, which he ascribed to the enabling environment created by the new Chief Executive of the Agency, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.).

He said: “We took delivery of two new Hilux operational vehicles presented to the command last week. This is the first assignment of the vehicles and it turned out to be the best for the command. We are grateful to the chairman, and this is a clear warning that there is no room for drug barons in the state.

“The warehouses are located in the heart of the forest, yet we were able to uncover them based on intelligence gathering. The cannabis warehouses were located at Ukpuje Forest

“The community is notorious for cannabis cultivation and trafficking as well as attacks on law enforcement officers, but stood still as a combined team of NDLEA and combatant military personnel overran the drug trafficking syndicates due to our superior fire power.”

Wakama gave the names of the arrested suspects as chairman of vigilantes in Ukpuje, Emmanuel Oki, 62; one Chief Odi Sabato, 42; Bright Edegbe, 53; Gowon Ehimigbai, 53; Enodi Ode, 37; Ayo Oni, 30; and Akhime Benjamin, 43.

“The operation lasted from Thursday night through Friday night February 5, 2021. The suspects will be investigated and charged”, Wakama added.

Entertainment

NDLEA arrests Brazil returnee with 3.30kg of cocaine at Lagos airport

No Comments

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a suspected drug trafficker with 3.30 kilograms of cocaine in Lagos.

The suspect, Ukaegbu Bright Onyekachi, was arrested by NDLEA at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly after he arrived from Sao Paolo, Brazil.

The NDLEA Commander at the airport, Ahmadu Garba, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday, said the suspects who arrived in the country aboard the Ethiopian Airways concealed the drug in T-shirt stickers but was caught by the agency operatives during the inward clearance of passengers at the airport’s arrival hall.

He said: “The hard drug was cleverly concealed in T-shirt stickers. But the suspect was nabbed by eagle-eyed NDLEA detectives.”

Entertainment

NDLEA to propose drug tests for government appointees, security agents, others

No Comments

The new Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohammed Buba Marwa, said on Monday the agency would soon propose compulsory drug tests for government appointees, security agents, students of tertiary institutions, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, among others.

Marwa, who stated this during a meeting with NDLEA commanders across the 36 states and special commands at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, said the agency would go all out against illegal drug users in the country.

He ordered the state commanders of the NDLEA to mop up illicit drugs across the country.

Marwa said: “Our maxim will be offensive action. This means we must go all out constantly on the offensive against the bad guys.

“The success we make of this particular task goes a long way to determine the socio-economic stability of the nation. We need not be told of the nexus between drug use, crime, and criminalities.

“The exponential growth of the nefarious drug activities can be directly linked to the upsurge in crimes such as insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, cultism, political thuggery, gangsterism, rape, and other maladaptation bedeviling today’s Nigeria.

“We (NDLEA) would soon propose to the government the necessity for drug tests for all tertiary institutions’ students, NYSC members, new workers, all security agencies’ new recruits and random tests for government appointees.”

President Muhammed Buhari appointed Marwa as NDLEA chief on January 17.

Entertainment

We arrested 471 drug offenders in Lagos in 2020 —NDLEA

No Comments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Tuesday revealed that it arrested drug offenders comprising 424 males and 47 females in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was disclosed by the state Commander (Narcotics), Mr Ralph Igwenagu, during an interview with newsmen in Lagos.

Igwenagu said the offenders who were between the ages of 14 and 58 were all arrested in Lagos.

He said, “Out of this numbers, 257 associated with the offences directly or were accomplices to the crime were charged to court.

“A total of 214 people, who are drug users, were counselled and released,’’

He also revealed that 11,798 kilogrammes (over 11 tons) of various illicit hard drugs and 722.31 litres of the same illicit drugs (liquid) were seized in the year 2020 from people who were in illegal possession of the drugs.

He said, “These comprised of cannabis sativa (hemp) 11,598.549 kg, Cocaine 0.848 kg, Heroine 0.101 kg, Tramadol 167.869 kg, Diazepam 7.645 kg, Exol-5 2.05 kg, Methamphetamine 0.072 kg and Rohypnol 21.707 kg.

“The liquid seizures are Codeine base Cough Syrup, Diazepam injections and Tramadol injections that makes 722.31 litres.’’

According to him, the agency in the same year convicted 72 defendants at the Federal High Court in Lagos

“This comprised 71 males and a female with various degrees of jail terms,’’

“In the same vein, the unit successfully rehabilitated six drug-dependent persons brought in by their parents,’’ he said.

He went on to say that the command also embarked on advocacy visits to various stakeholders such as traditional institutions, relevant Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the likes to sensitise the stakeholders and the public on the dangers of drug abuse and trafficking.

“The command, however, still seeks continuous assistance from all Lagosians by providing credible information on illicit drug activities in their neighbourhoods.

“Together we will reduce the menace of illicit drug abuse and trafficking in Lagos to the barest minimum,’’ he said.

Lifestyle

Recruitment: NDLEA releases list of successful applicants

No Comments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has released the list of successful applicants in its ongoing recruitment exercise.

Principal Staff Officer, Public Affairs, Jonah Achema, in statement in Abuja on Friday, said the candidates had applied for different cadre vacancies, some of which were invited for job competency test.

Achema said all candidates are to visit the Agency’s website www.ndlea.gov.org for the list, while those shortlisted have also been contacted via E-mail and SMS.

“The affected candidates, numbering 5, 000, are to appear at the Agency’s Academy, Citadel Counter-Narcotics Nigeria, CCNN, Katton-Rikkos, Jos, Plateau State for the screening and documentation exercise between January 10 and 23, 2021 at 0900 hours daily.

“The candidates are divided into four different groups for the screening, in adherence to the COVID-19 pandemic protocol. The order and schedule for the exercise according to the group into which the candidates fall are also indicated. They are expected to arrive a day ahead of their screening period.

“Successful candidates are expected to be issued letters of appointment and documented immediately upon successful screening. Candidates are therefore to report for the screening exercise with their guarantors’ form, originals and duplicates of academic credentials, birth certificate/age declaration and indigenship certificates. They are also expected to come along with certificate of medical fitness from a government hospital as well as a pair of shorts, T-shirts, canvass and stockings,” he said.

Close Menu
Exit mobile version

Privacy Policy