Crime
NDLEA Unveils Multiple Arrests, Massive Drug Hauls Nationwide
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed a series of multiple arrests and substantial drug hauls, spanning the entirety of the nation over the week.
In Abuja, A 40-year-old businessman, Sherif Egbo, was apprehended by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency operatives at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Attempting to board an Air France flight to Paris, Egbo was discovered to have ingested illicit drugs during a body scan on Saturday, October 14. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest of the Spain-based individual.
In a weekly communique released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi stated that “Egbo was subsequently placed under observation at the agency’s exhibit recovery room where he excreted 93 pellets of heroin weighing 2.222 kilogrammes. In his statement, the suspect claimed he works at a chicken hatchery farm in Madrid, Spain, and also in the drug trafficking business,”
In additional details, the communique disclosed that on Monday, October 16, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO imports shed of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, intercepted a consignment. The seizure included 10 cartons holding 500,000 pills of tramadol 225mg, falsely branded as tapentadol.
The cargo, which was shipped from India through Qatar Airways with airwaybill number MAWB 319-01227236 was purported to be a transit cargo to Monrovia, Liberia.
However, the lid was blown open through partnership and real-time intelligence-sharing mechanisms between NDLEA and its Liberian counterpart.
Also, an attempt by an intending passenger, Ngene Chinecherem, to Muscat, Oman on Qatar Airways, to export 11.100kgs of skunk and 600grams of tramadol concealed in foodstuffs through the Lagos airport was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and seized the illicit substances.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI), deployed to courier companies, made significant interceptions on Sunday, October 15.
They discovered 1kg of methamphetamine concealed in containers of body cream destined for New Zealand. Additionally, another consignment of 2.5kgs of cocaine and phenacetin was found hidden in the walls of a carton intended for Saudi Arabia.
Further seizures occurred on Wednesday, October 18, at a different courier company in Lagos. NDLEA made two discoveries: 112 grams of Dimethyl Sulfone hidden in the hollow of a motor driving shaft en route to New Zealand, and 583 grams of Cocaine and phenacetin concealed in a bottle of body cream destined for Saudi Arabia.
In Imo state on Sunday, October 15, operatives intercepted a Mercedes Benz container truck with the plate number ABN 418 YN, discovered parked in an isolated area along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway. Upon searching the abandoned truck, they uncovered 168 bags of skunk, weighing a total of 1,854 kilograms.
During the week, a total of 1,381.3kgs of the same substance were seized in Edo state through four interdiction operations in various locations: Ekpon community, Igueben LGA; Iguiye forest in Ovia North East LGA; Iruekpen, Ndokwa West (resulting in the arrest of Monday Nwocha); and in Egwalor village in Onwude LGA (leading to the arrest of Obune Prince and Chika Obi). In the latter operation, their Audi 80 salon car with the plate number BEN 406 CL, loaded with cannabis sativa, was also recovered.
In Kano state, on Saturday, October 14, at Gadar Tamburawa area, an ex-convict, Aminu Suleiman, 46, along with Haruna Abdurrahaman, 41, and Ojo Esezobor, 34, were arrested. The NDLEA recovered 106kgs of cannabis from them. Notably, Aminu had been previously arrested with 22kgs of cannabis on June 3, 2022, leading to his conviction on November 24, 2022.
In another development, at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Monday, October 16, four additional suspects—Inusa Ali, Yahaya Musa, Abba Audu, Ali Abubakar, and Bunu Kyari—were apprehended for their involvement in dealing 75.3kgs of skunk.
Simultaneously, operatives of the Zone J Command of the NDLEA discovered and seized 478kgs of cannabis in a forest in Ikere Ekiti on Friday, October 20.
In a separate operation, the Ondo state command recovered a total of 928kgs of the same substance in a bush near Shagari market along Ifon-Owo express road and Ibola camp, Ipele forest.
Moving to Borno state, on Saturday, October 21, a suspect named Sani Mohammed, 31, was arrested with 182kgs of cannabis at Njimtilo, along the Maiduguri–Damaturu road.
Crime
Troops Neutralise 13 IPOB Members, Apprehend 3 Kidnappers
The quest for peace in the southeast of Nigeria has seen troops of the Joint Task Force South-East, “Operation UDO KA,” take out 13 armed members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and arrest three kidnappers.
The task force Spokesman, Lt. Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, revealed this in a statement in Enugu, on Monday.
According to him, the feat was in furtherance of the troops’ clearance operations to make the southeast safe and peaceful throughout the festive season.
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Lt. Col. Unuakhalu said that the Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Hassan Dada, had called on all well-meaning citizens to continue to support the joint task force.
He opined that citizens of the southeast can do this by providing timely, reliable, and credible information.
In his words, “Remember, security is everybody’s business. It is not in the hands of security agencies alone.
“When you see something, say something by calling the JTF Operation UDO KA’s toll-free line -193 and press Option 2 — to speak directly to Headquarters Operation UDO KA.”
Offering more details, Lt. Col. Unuakhalu said that troops of Sector 1 of the task force on December 21, conducted an ambush operation along Amouka-Umouka Road in 9th Mile, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, to deny kidnappers freedom of action.
In the course of the operation, he asserted, troops came into contact with the kidnappers, and in a firefight ensued, and the troops neutralised one while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
“Items recovered at the scene were: one AK-47 rifle, two magazines, and 17 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition; two cell phones; one power bank; three ATM cards; one wristwatch; a bunch of keys; and the sum of N8,900,” he said.
He added that on December 16, troops of Sector 5 conducted a clearance operation within Mbosi and Isseke general areas in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra, where three IPOB members were neutralised.
“Items recovered included: one AK-47 rifle, two loaded AK-47 magazines, and three Dane guns, while a house belonging to one of the irredentist commanders and a shrine used for their fortification were destroyed.
“The gallant troops had earlier recovered five water gel Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and two batteries used for detonating the IEDs while on routine patrol along roads within Ihiala-Orlu, Lilu, Agba Lilu, and Orsumoghu general areas in Anambra State,” he added.
In a related development, he explained that on December 14, troops acting on credible and reliable information from members of the public arrested three suspected kidnappers at Itungwa in the Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia.
He said that on receiving the information about the movement of the suspected kidnappers, troops quickly mounted a snap checkpoint to apprehend the suspects.
“The suspects operating in a stolen tricycle on sighting the troops attempted to make a U-turn but were apprehended.
“Items recovered included: one AK-47 rifle, one G3 rifle, one locally-made single-barrel pistol, 10 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 34 rounds of 5.5mm ammunition, two AK-47 rifle magazines, two G3 rifle magazines, and one live cartridge.
“Other items recovered were: one mobile phone, the sum of N6,600, and two Knapsack bags used for concealing the weapons,” he said.
Crime
#EndBadGovernance Protests: NPF Shreds Amnesty’s Report, To Demand Retraction, Apology
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has urged the public to disregard the Amnesty International’s (AI) report on the #EndBadGovernance protests, which it described as false, misleading and calculated to tarnish its image.
The NPF has demanded an apology from the AI for its report dated November 28, 2024.
Biztellers reports that in the report, the AI accused the NPF of extrajudicial killings during the #EndBadGovernance protests, and that at least 24 lives were lost in six northern states.
The report, now being refuted by the NPF was titled “Bloody August: Nigeria Government’s Violent Crackdown on #EndBadGovernance Protests”.
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The NPF maintained that its findings were at variance with the AI’s allegations.
The NPF’s position was made public on Sunday by its Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi during a media briefing in Abuja.
Adejobi asserted that a special investigative panel had been constituted to verify the claims.
He highlighted that the Police’s panel, in collaboration with commissioners of police from the affected states, conducted extensive investigations and compiled a comprehensive report which pointed out inaccuracies in the AI’s allegations.
In his words, “Amnesty International is advised to reflect on its frequent false reporting on Nigeria’s law enforcement activities and ensure its reports are accurate and contain a true and fair representation of events affecting national security and public safety.
“Accurate reporting of facts is essential to the integrity of any international organisation, and Amnesty International should not be an exception.”
Adejobi added that the Police would write to demand a retraction of the report as well as a public apology for the alleged inaccuracies.
“The Nigeria Police Force will, in due course, write to Amnesty International to demand the retraction of this report from the public domain along with a public apology. The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in protecting the rights of all citizens while ensuring the security and stability of the nation.
“We, therefore, urge the public to be wary of sensational reports designed to incite mistrust and weaken confidence in law enforcement institutions,” Adejobi said.
On the Police’s findings in Borno, Adejobi maintained that the Police didn’t use grenades as claimed by the organisation.
He said, “In Borno State, it was established that the protesters were violent, engaging in widespread looting, pillaging, and wanton destruction of public and private property.
“For example, the Skill Acquisition Centre of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees was looted and vandalised.
“The warehouse of the World Food Programme, located on Baga/Maimalari Barracks Road, Maiduguri, was also looted, with several items belonging to the international organisation destroyed and stolen by some of the protesters.
“Therefore, the claims by Amnesty International that the police threw a hand grenade from a convoy of vehicles into a filling station killing three persons is a blatant falsehood and leaves right-thinking members of society dismayed at this reported falsehood by an international agency that ought to act in accordance with international norms and standards of fair and honest reporting of human rights violations in the country.”
On Niger State, Adejobi said the claim that three individuals were shot dead in Suleja was debunked in the police findings.
Adejobi said the alleged killing of a 21-year-old in Katsina was also found to be unsubstantiated, adding that local sources confirmed that no such incident occurred.
In the same vein, on Kaduna State, Adejobi asserted that contrary to the AI’s report, no protests occurred in Kaduna on October 1, 2024, and no police killings were recorded.
He said instead, an incident involving the Nigerian Army (NA) was identified and openly investigated.
According to Adejobi, the AI reported the deaths of two women and a man during protests in Jigawa, but the Police’s investigations revealed no such killings, and evidence suggested that the lone fatality was caused by protester violence, not Police action.
On Kano State, Adejobi said the report alleged 12 deaths in Kano due to police actions, stating that investigations indicated that these deaths resulted from violent confrontations involving looters and criminals, not the Police’s activity.
Crime
Man Arrested After Attempting To Divert Mexico Flight To U.S
Authorities in Mexico arrested a 31-year-old man on Sunday after he attempted to redirect a domestic flight to the United States, forcing an emergency landing in Guadalajara.
The Volaris Airbus A320 had departed from León, Guanajuato, at 7:17 a.m. local time and was bound for Tijuana.
However, about 45 minutes into the journey, the flight was diverted after the man tried to gain access to the cockpit.
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According to the Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection, the man “assaulted a flight attendant and attempted to enter the cockpit to divert the flight to the United States.”
The crew, who managed to subdue the suspect, issued an alert to make an emergency landing at Guadalajara International Airport.
The man, reportedly traveling with family, was taken into custody upon landing.
In a statement, Volaris said the suspect claimed to have been acting under duress.
“The aggressor told them a close relative had been kidnapped and, upon taking off from León, was threatened to be killed if he went to Tijuana,” the airline said.
Authorities have not disclosed how many passengers were on board.
The flight resumed its journey to Tijuana after the incident, arriving without further complications.