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Court Hands 25-Year Sentence To India-Bound Drug Smuggler

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A Federal High Court has sentenced Freeman Charles Ogbonna to 25 years in prison following his arrest by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

Ogbonna, who was bound for Delhi, India, via Doha on Qatar Airways, was apprehended after he began vomiting and excreting 80 wraps of cocaine during screening at Terminal 2 of MMIA.

Initially using a Liberian passport under the name Carr Bismark, Ogbonna was identified through a positive body scan indicating drug ingestion.

Subsequent investigation revealed his true identity and he was placed under NDLEA custody.

Spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that Ogbonna’s discomfort led to the expulsion of the illicit drugs ingested.

He said “Obviously choked by the volume of illicit drugs in his stomach and another substance taken to hold back excretion, the suspect soon began to retch before starting to vomit and excrete wraps of cocaine he ingested almost simultaneously.

“The suspect who claimed he was recruited into drug trafficking by one of his relatives, eventually passed out a total of 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grams through his mouth and anus over a period of four days.

“The great risk that almost took his life notwithstanding, Ogbonna said he was given the drugs to swallow at a hotel in Ipodo area of Ikeja with a promise to reward him with N300,000 cash if he successfully delivers the consignment in India.

“He was subsequently arraigned before Justice Dipeolu Deinde Isaac of the Federal High Court, Lagos in charge number FHCL/378/2024 for committing an offence contrary to Section 20(1)(b) and punishable under Section 20(2)(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 LFN 2004.”

In his ruling on Monday, July 1, 2024, Justice Dipeolu sentenced Freeman Charles Ogbonna to 25 years in prison without the option of a fine.

This decision came after Ogbonna was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for attempting to traffic cocaine through Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), praised the MMIA Command and the prosecution team for their swift and thorough handling of the case.

He emphasized the judiciary’s crucial role in the concerted efforts to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.

Marwa underscored that Ogbonna’s conviction serves as a stern warning to others involved in drug trafficking, highlighting that there will be no refuge for drug barons and their associates.

 

Crime

Police Raid Criminal Hideouts, Rescue Kidnap Victims, Arrest Suspects in 8 States

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The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a series of operational successes across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory, rescuing four kidnapped victims, repelling a bandit attack and arresting several suspects linked to kidnapping, armed robbery, illicit drug trafficking and other offences.

The Force disclosed this in a statement shared via its official X account on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

The operations, carried out between September 10 and 12, covered Benue, Kaduna, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Sokoto, Enugu and the FCT.

SEE ALSO: ‘The Problem Is Misconduct, Not Cameras’ — Inibehe Fires Back at IGP Over Police Recording Ban

In Benue State, combined teams of Police Mobile Force, tactical and conventional operatives successfully repelled what the police described as a large-scale armed bandits’ attack on Ayilamo Community.

According to the Force, the assailants were forced to retreat into the forest with “heavy casualties” inflicted on them.

The matter is currently being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department, Makurdi.

In Kaduna State, police operatives rescued a man and his two sons who had been abducted by armed men.

The Force said the operatives pursued the abductors and engaged them in a gun duel, forcing the assailants to abandon all three victims, who were rescued unharmed and reunited with their family.

In a separate operation in Kaduna on September 12, police operatives also rescued a 60-year-old woman who had been kidnapped.

The police said the operatives engaged the armed assailants during a search-and-rescue operation, forcing them to flee and abandon the victim.

She was subsequently taken to hospital for medical attention before being reunited with her family.

In Anambra State, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad arrested a suspected member of a criminal gang allegedly involved in kidnapping and armed robbery.

The suspect reportedly confessed and provided information expected to assist the police in apprehending other gang members and recovering firearms.

Meanwhile, in the Federal Capital Territory, police surveillance operatives on anti-one-chance patrol along the Kubwa Expressway arrested three suspected members of a robbery gang.

The suspects were allegedly specialising in snatching handbags and mobile phones from commuters.

The police said the suspects also provided useful information that could assist in the arrest of other members of the gang.

Another operation in the FCT resulted in the arrest of a suspect allegedly caught attempting to steal a Mercedes-Benz C300.

According to the Force, the suspect was apprehended after being caught “red-handed” while attempting to deactivate and steal the vehicle.

In Akwa Ibom State, police operatives raided a suspected criminal hideout in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area following credible intelligence.

Three suspects were arrested, while “large quantities of substances suspected to be Indian hemp and other illicit drugs” were recovered.

In Kano State, five suspects were arrested following an investigation into a suspected abortion-related death.

The police said the suspects were connected to the incident and that the State Criminal Investigation Department, Bompai, is handling the investigation.

In Sokoto State, police tactical, area command and divisional patrol teams responded to a violent protest in Tambuwal.

The Force said the rioters were dispersed “without loss of life or injury”, while 10 suspects were arrested in connection with the disturbance.

In Enugu State, police operatives arrested a suspect following a complaint of alleged defilement. The Force said the suspect subsequently confessed to the offence.

The police said investigations into the various cases are ongoing, with the relevant State Criminal Investigation Departments and the Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja handling the investigations.

 

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Crime

Edo Police Probe Officer Seen Firing Rifle During Clash With Traffic Officials

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The Edo State Police Command has launched an investigation into an altercation involving officers of the Police Intelligence Response Team and officials of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency.

The development followed the emergence of a video on social media showing personnel from the two agencies involved in a confrontation.

In the footage, an officer identified as a member of the Intelligence Response Team was seen firing his rifle into the air during the incident.

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Reacting to the development on Thursday, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Patrick Daaor, ordered a discreet investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed in a statement that the commissioner had already interviewed representatives of both parties as part of efforts to establish what transpired.

The command also ordered that the conduct of the officer captured firing the rifle be subjected to an appropriate disciplinary review.

The police authorities said they would not tolerate indiscipline, unprofessional conduct or abuse of police powers by any of their personnel.

The command stated that any officer or official found culpable after the investigation would be appropriately sanctioned in accordance with existing laws and regulations.

The Edo Police Command also emphasised the importance of inter-agency cooperation and mutual respect among security and government agencies.

According to the command, effective public safety depends on agencies working together professionally towards a common objective.

“The incident is therefore being treated with the seriousness it deserves,” the command said, while noting that the development would not prejudice its established working relationship with the Edo State Traffic Management Agency.

The police further urged members of the public not to take the law into their own hands, advising anyone with complaints about police misconduct to use the appropriate complaint channels, including the Police Complaint Response Unit.

 

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Crime

₦432bn Debt Scandal: Reps Summon NNPCL, 146 Oil Companies

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10th NASS: 359 Reps, 109 Senators To Swear- Into Office Tuesday

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has launched a probe into billions of naira in outstanding regulatory debts owed to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and oil companies.

The liabilities under investigation have risen to ₦432.07bn, according to findings contained in reports by the Auditor-General of the Federation.

The committee’s investigation follows concerns over petroleum-related obligations that have remained unpaid for several years, with some debts reportedly dating back to 2017.

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The Auditor-General’s 2023 report had put the combined indebtedness of NNPCL and oil companies at ₦392.73bn. NNPCL accounted for ₦162.46bn, while oil companies operating under industry associations including DAPPMAN, MEMAN and MOMAN were responsible for ₦230.27bn.

Further submissions by the NMDPRA revealed that 146 oil companies owed the authority ₦327.53bn as of 2025.

The outstanding liabilities are linked to various petroleum-sector obligations, including Balancing Allowance, National Transport Average and the one per cent Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund. Some legacy debts are also connected to petroleum importation, coastal transactions and credit arrangements.

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Bamidele Salam, said the lawmakers were determined to establish how the debts accumulated, what amounts had been recovered and how much remained outstanding.

Salam warned companies summoned by the committee to appear with the appropriate representatives and provide all relevant documents.

He stressed that the investigation was not intended to witch-hunt any company but to ensure that government revenue was properly accounted for and recovered.

The committee is expected to examine the basis for the assessments, the periods covered by the debts, payments made by the affected companies and the enforcement actions taken by the NMDPRA against defaulting entities.

Lawmakers will also investigate why some liabilities have remained outstanding for years and whether the regulatory authority deployed sufficient measures to recover the funds.

The probe comes amid growing scrutiny of revenue collection and accountability in Nigeria’s petroleum industry following the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act.

The NMDPRA, established under the PIA, regulates Nigeria’s midstream and downstream petroleum operations, including petroleum processing, transportation, distribution, domestic gas activities and related infrastructure.

The committee said the investigation forms part of the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight responsibility and would require both the affected companies and the regulatory authority to provide documents needed to establish the true position of the outstanding debts.

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