Crime & Court
NDLEA discovers concealed drugs in dolls, local soap, tins
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted illicit substances bound for Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Asia.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi revealed that the seized substances, including methamphetamine and opioids, were concealed in various items like new jeans trousers, dolls, buttons, local soap, and tins of Milo beverage.
The operation, conducted by Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) operatives at courier houses in Lagos, led to the confiscation of tramadol, cannabis sativa, and methamphetamine hidden in different objects.
Notable seizures include tramadol 225mg in new jeans trousers bound for Cyprus, cannabis sativa concealed in dolls heading to Dubai, sachets of tramadol 225mg in tins of Milo beverage destined for UAE, and another set of the same drug hidden in local soap also en route to UAE.
Other confiscated items include methamphetamine concealed in buttons bound for Hong Kong and a shipment of another illicit substance from Florida, USA.
In a related development on December 1st, NDLEA operatives in Lagos arrested a drug kingpin, Okechukwu Ogala, 56, specializing in recruiting young citizens to export meth to Asian countries. Ogala was apprehended at Blue Moon Hotel in the Okota area of Lagos with 60 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.009 kilograms.
In a separate operation, operatives recovered 393kgs of cannabis in a shop at Akala, Mushin, on the same day. Suspect Justin Enuonye, dealing in Canadian Loud, was arrested by the police at Victoria Island and transferred to the Lagos Command of NDLEA on December 1st with 154 parcels weighing 92kgs.
Also, a team of NDLEA operatives intercepted a vehicle in the Oyingbo area of Lagos, recovering 108kgs of cannabis.
Additionally, 675 kilograms of the same substance were recovered from the store of a wanted dealer, Wahab Olota, in the Adedoja area of Mushin, Lagos, as stated by Babafemi.
Crime & Court
EFCC Secures Public Summons Against Yahaya Bello in ₦110bn Case
Justice Maryanne Anenih of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has issued a public summons for former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to appear in court to respond to a fresh 16-count indictment.
The summons requires Bello to attend court on October 24 for his arraignment, alongside co-defendants Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
The public summons was ordered following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In her ruling, Justice Anenih directed the EFCC to publish the summons in a widely circulated newspaper to ensure proper notification.
Also, the court instructed the EFCC to post copies of the public summons at Bello’s last known address and in conspicuous locations within the court premises.
The EFCC has reported difficulties in serving the charges, which were filed on September 24, alleging that Bello and the two co-defendants committed a criminal breach of trust involving a staggering ₦110.4 billion.
Crime & Court
Police Officer Stabs Civilian to Death Over ‘Uncleared Transaction’
A Police Inspector, Mohammed Bulama, attached to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) 41 in Yobe State, has been arrested for allegedly killing a 39-year-old civilian, Abdulmalik Dauda, during a confrontation in Damaturu, the state capital.
The incident, which occurred on September 29, 2024, was sparked by a heated argument between Bulama and Dauda over “uncleared transactions” in the Zango area of Damaturu. The argument escalated, leading Bulama to fatally stab Dauda in the chest.
In a statement, the Yobe State Police spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed Bulama’s arrest and announced that an investigation into the homicide case had been launched.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Garba Ahmed, has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident involving Inspector Mohammed Bulama,” Abdulkarim said.
He further disclosed that the officer has been placed in custody, pending internal disciplinary action and prosecution.
CP Ahmed condemned the actions of the officer, extending his condolences to the family of the victim.
He also assured the public that justice would be served swiftly in accordance with the law.
Crime & Court
Police Summon Officers Over Alleged N1m Corps Members’ Extortion
The Lagos State Police Command has summoned three officers accused of extorting N1 million from members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the Surulere area of Lagos.
Footage of the incident, which went viral on social media late Friday, shows the officers confronting the corps members, reportedly over the absence of a physical copy of a driver’s license. The video was shared by social media user Oluyemi Fasipe, who claimed that the officers threatened the corps members with firearms and forcibly took them to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, the Area C Command of the Lagos State Police, where they allegedly extorted the sum of N1 million.
“Dear @BenHundeyin, Your officers today in Surulere extorted 1 million naira from three corps members,” Fasipe wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “They were threatened with firearms, kidnapped, and taken to the KAFARU OLUWOLE TINUBU HOUSE AREA C POLICE COMMAND of the @LagosPoliceNG where they were robbed.”
Fasipe added that the entire incident stemmed from the corps members’ inability to present a physical copy of a driver’s license, a situation he described as “evil.”
In one of the videos, the officers are seen inspecting the vehicle’s documents, with the situation escalating as additional officers arrived. One officer can be seen entering the car and demanding that the corps members stop recording the incident, while also prohibiting them from contacting their families.
In response, the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the officers involved have been summoned, and an investigation is underway.
“The men have been summoned, and their trial has commenced,” Hundeyin wrote on X. “We urge the complainants to visit the Complaint Response Unit at the State Headquarters to testify at the ongoing trial.”
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