Crime
Brutality: Lagos Estate Petitions Marwa To Relocate NDLEA Office
There’s an ongoing imbroglio between residents of the Gbagada Phase 11 Resident’s Association and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over accusations of brutality and incessant harassment.
Consequently, the residents have petitioned the Chairman, NDLEA, Buba Marwa, alleging that officials of the agency were riding on the location of their office within the estate to indulge in unruly behavior and brutalise them.
President and Vice President of the Association, Manso Odusanya, and Adebiyi Mabadeje, in a petition to Marwa, dated May 6, 2024, alleged that the NDLEA officials had been in the habit of harassing young ladies and causing trouble at the estate’s gates.
In the petition, they chronicled their relationship with the NDLEA, including how they objected to the siting the Lagos State Command of the agency within the estate, and how it was resolved with assurances from the then Chairman that stay would be temporary and conduct professional.
The petition read in part, “About two years ago, we noticed some unusual movements and developments going on in a property within the estate. The developer was invited for discussion and we came to understand that the NDLEA is the project owner and they were moving their state command to the estate.
“The association protested immediately and wrote protest letters to the government agency in charge of physical planning, which came into the estate to stop the construction of the cell, this area being strictly residential.
“The press came into the estate to investigate this and their findings were publicised. This resulted in a series of meetings between the association and the officials of the agency, including a meeting with the agency’s chairman in their office within the estate.
“The chairman promised that our objection was noted and that their stay would be temporary while they would do all within themselves to ensure their staff and operatives respect the rules of the estate and avoid frictions that may cause embarrassment.”
They residents are now lamenting that in spite of the assurances, the estate had been distressed by security breaches with attendant bodily harm to members of the community and its security staff.
“The estate invested in its private security team that is responsible for maintaining security and order. On many occasions, the NDLEA operatives have brutalised our team members just because they insist they must stay within the rules.
“In one instance, one of our security operatives was brutalised and on another occasion, our security gate was broken by the NDLEA operatives just because they wanted to force themselves in at odd hours. It is significant to note that in all instances, the officers involved were drunk, therefore acting under the influence of alcohol.
“We received complaints from our members of instances where their staff or even members of their families were harassed or approached by the NDLEA officials while walking around the estate. Many of our streets now witness indiscriminate parking resulting from activities of the NDLEA officials and their visitors who troop into the estate, at times in search of their detained relatives.”
The association also complained about the NDLEA official’s attitude to waste management, and expressed worry that it might endanger the health of residents in the estate.
It decried the unprofessional conduct of officials of the agency, including drunkenness and flagrant abuse of laid down security procedures in the estate.
“The presence of the NDLEA in an estate like ours, which is supposed to be residential, has compromised the security of our estate in many ways and made it more challenging for us to screen visitors coming into our estate, particularly at odd hours.
“We have regularly received complaints from those residing around the NDLEA office about the traumatising effects of the sound emanating from the NDLEA office when they are carrying out their usual military exercise and at times guns were shot as part of the exercise.
“In view of the above-stated facts, we are using this medium to request that the NDLEA office be relocated out of our estate so that the peace normally associated with our estate can be restored,” it stated.
On his part, the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, affirmed that the issues raised were being jointly looked into to address them.
He added, “Indeed, a meeting was held just earlier today between a delegation from the estate and our team, meaning we’re responsive. Our presence in the community has largely enhanced the security of the neighbourhood, as was obvious during instances when there had been attempts to breach the security of the estate, especially during the last general elections.
“So, if there are areas of concern, we’re working with those concerned to address them and I can assure them that concrete actions are being taken as already directed by the leadership of the agency from Abuja.”
The Ogun State Police Command has taken a 56-year-old man, Madarikan Emehinola, into custody in connection with a suspected arson incident that claimed the life of his 40-year-old wife, Igbagbo Erobe, in the Igbo-Edu area of Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
The incident was reported at the Abigi Divisional Police Headquarters on Sunday, October 18, 2026, following information that a house had been set ablaze, resulting in the woman’s death.
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The Ogun State Police Command disclosed the development in a press release issued on Sunday, stating that the husband was in custody in connection with the incident.
The deceased’s body has been deposited at a mortuary for post-mortem examination to establish further details surrounding her death.
The police also disclosed that the case was being processed for transfer to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, CP Bode Ojajuni, psc, FCSS, MNIPR, assured the public that the matter would be investigated diligently and professionally in accordance with the law.
According to the statement, the commissioner assured the public that “the matter will be investigated diligently and professionally in accordance with the law.”
Ojajuni reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, stressing that allegations of serious crimes would receive appropriate investigative attention.
The command also called on members of the public to report suspicious activities promptly and provide credible information that could assist crime prevention and ongoing investigations.
“The Command urges members of the public to report suspicious activities promptly and provide credible information that may assist crime prevention and ongoing investigations,” the statement read.
The circumstances surrounding the fire and the alleged involvement of the husband remain subject to investigation.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 85-year-old woman, Grace Ehimeka, after recovering 179 kilogrammes of skunk from her during anti-drug operations in Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Ehimeka was among six suspects arrested during raids conducted by NDLEA operatives in the area as part of a series of nationwide operations targeting illicit drugs.
The operations in Edo State also led to the recovery of another 220.8 kilogrammes of skunk, alongside smaller quantities of cannabis and other controlled substances.
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The arrest was one of several recorded during the agency’s nationwide operations, which resulted in major drug seizures across multiple states.
In Lagos, the NDLEA seized 8,725 kilogrammes of tramadol hydrochloride powder worth over ₦6.98 billion at Apapa Port. The shipment, which originated from India, had been declared as maize starch.
The agency also intercepted cannabis concealed in palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The consignment was allegedly intended for Saudi Arabia, while two suspects were arrested in connection with the case.
In Ondo State, operatives destroyed an estimated 7,500 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated on three hectares of farmland and arrested five suspects.
Other seizures were recorded in Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory, including large quantities of tramadol, Exol-5 tablets and cannabis.
The operations formed part of the NDLEA’s ongoing efforts to disrupt the trafficking and distribution of illicit drugs across the country.
A 70-year-old man, Alhaji Saleh Kasim, has been killed during a bandit attack on Gamji Village in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State, while 27 abducted residents have been rescued by security forces.
The Katsina State Government disclosed this in a press release issued on Saturday by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mu’azu.
According to the statement, about 40 armed bandits, led by a suspected gang leader identified as Kachalla Alhaji Bawa Kabir, invaded the community in the early hours of October 16, 2026.
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The attackers reportedly arrived on 20 motorcycles, abducted 27 residents, mostly women, children and elderly people, and rustled six cows.
The government said Kasim was shot dead during the attack.
Following credible intelligence, troops of the 17 Brigade, working with local hunters and the Community Watch Corps, moved to block the attackers’ escape routes towards the Madaci forest enclave.
At about 6 p.m. on the same day, the troops engaged the bandits at Tashar Bawa forest and successfully rescued all 27 abducted residents.
The rescued victims were subsequently taken to the Machika Military Forward Operating Base for medical attention.
The statement added that joint security teams had commenced clearance operations to flush out the remaining members of the gang and prevent possible reprisal attacks on the community.
The Katsina State Government, under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, reaffirmed its commitment to protecting residents across the state.
Mu’azu commended the troops and community-based security groups for their swift response to the incident.
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