Crime & Court
NDLEA: Ghanaian, two others with 9.9kg cocaine, meth arrested
A Ghanaian and two Nigerians have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for
allegedly trafficking a total of 9.953 kilograms of Cocaine and Methamphetamine.
The agency in disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, stressing that the suspects were apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu respectively.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, explained that one of the suspects, Uzoh Ndubuisi Johnson was arrested on December 8 during an inward screening of Ethiopian Airlines passengers at the Arrival Hall of the airport.
It was learnt that Uzoh who arrived from Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was controlled and arrested with clothes impregnated with cocaine, which has a gross weight of 6.7 kilograms.
“While being interviewed by narcotic officers, Uzoh said he was given the consignment by his enabler based in Brazil for which he would be paid N3 million upon successful delivery to someone in Nigeria,” the NDLEA spokesman added.
Also, another trafficker, Udeh Charley was arrested at the Enugu airport for ingesting 72 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.253 kilograms.
The 53-year-old suspect was nabbed on December 3 during outward screening of Ethiopian Airlines passengers going to Rome, Italy via Addis Ababa.
“In custody, he claimed he would have been paid 4000 Euros on the successful delivery of the drugs in Italy where he has been living for over 20 years. He attributed his decision to engage in the ignominious trade on the downward turn of his business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In a related development, another trafficker, 25-year-old John Kadja, whose father is from Kumasi, Ashanti region of Ghana and mother from Nsukka, Enugu State was arrested on Friday 3rd Dec with 2 kilograms of Methamphetamine during an outward clearance of Qatar Airways from Abuja to Doha at the departure screening area of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. A search of his bag showed that the drug was concealed in a false bottom of his checked-in luggage. He said he was travelling to Doha to work as a labourer,” the narcotics agency said .
Continuing, the operatives also arrested 43-year-old Onuoha Friday with one million capsules of Tramadol along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Ondo State while two major arrests were made in Anambra state where a total of 238.973 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs were recovered.
Reacting, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) lauded the officers and men of Enugu, Abuja airports commands and their counterparts for the arrests and seizures in the past week.
Marwa charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant and resolute in the collective mission to rid every part of Nigeria of illicit drugs.
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.
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.
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.”
