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NDLEA smashes cross-border drug syndicates, arrests 6 kingpins, recovers cocaine, opioids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has smashed two major cross-border drug trafficking syndicates with cocaine and opioids worth billions of naira recovered from them.
A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja stated that six leaders of the cartels were arrested in different parts of the country.
Babafemi said that the arrest came after months of intelligence gathering and painstaking surveillance by the operatives of the NDLEA.
He said that the syndicates comprise of Nigerians based in Mubi, Adamawa state; Onitsha, Anambra state, and Lagos state as well as Cameroonians.
He also said that they all came under NDLEA radar after they were suspected of being major suppliers of drugs to terror groups operating in Nigeria and Cameroon.
Babafemi named the leaders of the syndicates so far arrested as Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu, Ezeh Amaechi, and Adejumo Ishola.
According to him, intelligence gathered revealed that some psychoactive substances including tramadol were often sourced by Ibrahim Bawuro and Ibrahim Najib from a notorious drug dealer in Onitsha, Nelson Udechukwu.
“They would thereafter be packed and concealed in vehicles in the premises of Ezeh Amaechi, an associate of Udechukwu.
“The duo of Ibrahim Bawuro and Ibrahim Najib will thereafter transport the drugs from Onitsha to Yola and subsequently to other parts of the North and Cameroon in specially constructed false compartments of vehicles, which travel from the East to the North at night.
“On Oct. 7, Bawuro and Najib were trailed from Onitsha where they had gone to buy another consignment and eventually arrested in Taraba the following day, Oct. 8.
“A total of 276,500 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Toyota Avensis saloon car marked DKA 57 TT, which they abandoned on the Jalingo-Yola expressway when they noticed NDLEA operatives were on their trail.
“Follow up operations were subsequently carried out in Delta and Anambra states where Ezeh Amaechi and Nelson Udechukwu were arrested by operatives of the NDLEA Directorate of Intelligence.
“The operatives coordinated the whole effort with their counterparts in Taraba, Adamawa, Delta and Anambra respectively,” Babafemi said.
According to him, another leader of a different syndicate, Ishola Adejumo, 37, was arrested by operatives of a special operation unit of the agency on Tuesday Nov. 5 at Seme border in Lagos.
Babafemi said the suspect was arrested on his way from Ghana with 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and 600 grams of synthetic cannabis after months of intelligence and surveillance on his cross-border criminal activities.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA commands nationwide have continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities.
The NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa has applauded the personnel and their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitisation lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility. (NAN)
News
Anka resident commends President Tinubu, Matawalle, CDS Musa for eliminating notorious bandits leader Mati, Others
Residents of Anka Local Government Area in Zamfara State have lauded the
President Bola Tinubu, Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle,and Chief of Defence staff
General Christopher Musa,following the successful elimination of a notorious terrorist commander, Mati, and several of his fighters in a recent counter-terrorism operation backed by the Federal Government.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of Anka community, Muhammed Usman Anka, locals expressed their appreciation to the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, for his role in supporting the operation.
The mission, part of a broader strategy to tackle insecurity in the Northwest, reportedly led to the recovery of a cache of weapons and the dismantling of key terrorist infrastructure.
According to the statement, the offensive was launched under “Operation Munzo,” a government-led initiative aimed at restoring peace to Zamfara and other violence-plagued regions.
Troops began their advance from Bagega in Anka Local Government, clearing the villages of Tibuki and Sabuwar Tunga before storming the heavily fortified camp of Mati.
The battle, described as intense, culminated in a decisive victory for Nigerian forces. Mati—linked to a series of high-profile attacks, kidnappings, and banditry in the region—was neutralised alongside several of his lieutenants during the exchange of gunfire.
Among the items recovered from the terrorist enclave were one PKT machine gun with two belts of ammunition, five AK-47 rifles, twelve magazines, 487 rounds of ammunition, three Baofeng communication radios, and a set of military and police uniforms.
Troops also destroyed three motorcycles used by the militants and recovered several rustled cattle.
All communications equipment found in the camp was dismantled to disrupt future terrorist coordination.
Speaking on the success of the operation, Dr Matawalle praised the bravery and professionalism of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“Operation Munzo is part of our ongoing strategy to dismantle terrorist strongholds and restore lasting peace to Zamfara and neighbouring states,” he said.
“The days of these criminals are numbered. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued clear directives to deal decisively with terrorists and re-establish law and order nationwide.”
Dr Matawalle reaffirmed the Defence Ministry’s commitment to fully supporting the Armed Forces in their efforts to secure the region.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue cooperating with security agencies by providing timely and credible information.
“Operation Munzo” remains ongoing, with troops combing through forested areas to locate and eliminate remaining insurgent elements.
Niger’s military government has officially made Hausa the country’s new national language, moving away from its colonial past where French played a central role.
The change was announced in a new charter released on March 31, published in a special edition of the government’s official journal.
According to the document, “The national language is Hausa,” and “the working languages are English and French.”
Hausa is already the most commonly spoken language across Niger, especially in the Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua regions.
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Most of the country’s about 26 million people understand and speak Hausa. In comparison, only around three million people, just 13 per cent, can speak French.
The new charter also officially lists nine other local languages, including Zarma-Songhay, Fula, Kanuri, Gourmanche, and Arabic, as “the spoken languages of Niger.”
This language switch follows a national meeting held in February.
During that event, the military government received more support and General Abdourahamane Tiani, the junta leader, was approved to stay in power for five more years.
Since taking over in a coup in July 2023, which removed the country’s civilian president, Mohamed Bazoum, the junta has been cutting off ties with France.
These actions include removing French troops from the country, ending diplomatic relations, and changing the names of roads and buildings that used to carry French names.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which also have military governments and used to be French colonies, are taking similar steps.
They’ve also withdrawn from the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, a group similar to the Commonwealth that supports French-speaking nations.
Leaders of the opposition Labour Party on Wednesday marched to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Led by the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, the members were received by INEC National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun.
They asked the electoral body to recognise Nenadi Usman as the LP chairman, days after the Supreme Court set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja recognising Abure as the National Chairman of the LP.
In a unanimous judgment last week, a five-member panel of the apex court held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to have pronounced Abure National Chairman of the LP, having earlier found that the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership.
The court allowed the appeal filed by Senator Ester Usman, and one other and held that it was meritorious before subsequently proceeding to dismiss the cross-appeal filed by the Abure faction of the LP for being unmeritorious.
Otti read out the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court judgement as delivered by Justice Inyang Okoro.
“Consequent upon the foregoing, the decisions of both higher court and the court below recognize Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the first respondent and hereby set aside and suit number FXC is hereby struck out for want of jurisdiction,” Otti said.
“In the same vein, the first respondent, that is labour party under Abure, being an offshoot of the same judgement of the court is hereby dismissed. Before I am done, may I admonish political parties and their members to endeavour to always abide by their constitutions, rules, regulations and guidelines to guide them in choosing their officers as well as candidates?
“That way, incessant internal risks which always find their way to court should be reduced. If the constitution of a political party has prescribed duration for tenure of office of an officer such as this one, such officer should be humble enough to leave at the expiration of the tenure.
“In the final analysis, I find this appeal to be meritorious and is hereby allowed. The party shall bear their respective cost, appeal allowed. This is signed by Honorable Justice John Inyang Okoro, Justice of the Supreme Court.”