The Pacesetter Frontier Magazine

Tag: NDLEA

  • Tinubu Seeks New Laws For NDLEA, NSIB, National School Of Government

    Tinubu Seeks New Laws For NDLEA, NSIB, National School Of Government

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    President Bola Tinubu has forwarded three executive bills to the House of Representatives, seeking to reform the legal framework governing the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), expand the mandate of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and establish a National School of Government to replace the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON).

    The bills, dated October 12, 2026, were conveyed in separate letters read by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, during Thursday’s plenary.

    In the letters, received by the Speaker’s office on October 13, Tinubu invoked Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and urged lawmakers to give the proposals “expeditious consideration.”

    The NDLEA Bill, 2026, seeks to repeal the existing NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act, replacing them with a consolidated legal framework for combating drug-related offences.

    According to the President, the proposed law would strengthen enforcement against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs. It would also empower the agency to investigate individuals suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.

    The second proposal, the NSIB Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the bureau’s Establishment Act of 2022 to expand its responsibilities beyond aviation accidents and incidents.

    Under the proposed amendment, the NSIB would become an independent, multimodal safety investigation authority covering rail, maritime and other transport-related occurrences.

    Tinubu said the bill would also transfer supervisory oversight of the bureau to the Presidency and strengthen its institutional, operational and administrative capacity.

    The third bill seeks to repeal the ASCON Act of 2004 and establish the National School of Government, Nigeria, as a national institution focused on leadership development, policy delivery and executive capacity building.

    The proposed institution is expected to strengthen the skills of public officials and improve the implementation of government policies.

    ASCON currently provides management training, research and consultancy services to public- and private-sector organisations.

    The proposed legislation would establish a new statutory framework for leadership and executive training across government.

    The three bills will now proceed through the legislative process at the National Assembly, where lawmakers will examine their provisions before deciding whether to approve them.

    The proposals will not take effect until they complete the required legislative and constitutional processes.

  • Tinubu Sends NDLEA Reform, Safety Investigation Bills To Senate

    Tinubu Sends NDLEA Reform, Safety Investigation Bills To Senate

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    President Bola Tinubu has forwarded several bills to the Senate for consideration, including proposals to reform the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Act.

    The bills were conveyed to the Senate by its President, Godswill Akpabio, in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

    One of the proposals, the NDLEA Bill 2026, seeks to provide a consolidated legal framework for the agency’s operations and strengthen its powers, including its capacity to investigate individuals suspected of involvement in illicit drug-related activities.

    Another proposal, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Amendment Bill 2026, seeks to amend the existing 2022 law to make the bureau an independent authority and expand its mandate.

    The bill also proposes transferring supervisory oversight of the bureau to the Presidency and restructuring its administration.

    Tinubu also transmitted the National School of Government Bill 2026, which seeks to repeal the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria Act and establish a National School of Government.

    The proposed institution is expected to serve as a centre for governance training, public sector capacity development and institutional strengthening.

    In addition, the President submitted a bill seeking to domesticate the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional Protocols of 1977, which provide protections for victims of armed conflict.

    The proposal also covers the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which provides the legal framework for prosecuting genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

    The bills will be considered by the Senate as part of the legislative process.

  • NDLEA Arrests Newlywed Over Alleged Cocaine Trafficking At Enugu Airport

    NDLEA Arrests Newlywed Over Alleged Cocaine Trafficking At Enugu Airport

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 25-year-old businessman at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for allegedly attempting to traffic cocaine to Portugal.

    The suspect, identified as Lovely Chukwulobelu, was intercepted on Thursday, September 25, 2026, at the airport’s departure hall while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa, according to the NDLEA.

    The agency said the suspect had allegedly ingested 72 wraps of cocaine and was placed under observation following his arrest.

    He subsequently excreted all 72 wraps, the NDLEA said.

    According to the agency, the suspect told investigators that he previously operated a car decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos, before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.

    He reportedly returned to Nigeria recently and got married on September 13, 2026.

    The NDLEA said the suspect claimed he turned to the alleged drug trafficking in an attempt to recover expenses incurred during his wedding.

    The Enugu arrest was among a series of drug interdiction operations carried out by the agency across several states.

    At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 2,550,000 opioid pills during the examination of three monitored consignments at the airport’s import shed.

    The agency said the consignments, which arrived from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines, had a combined gross weight of 1,640.55 kilogrammes.

    The seized drugs included Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg.

    In Bauchi State, two men aged 35 and 45 were arrested along the Maiduguri bypass after NDLEA officers allegedly found 300 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 262.5kg concealed in a false compartment of a truck.

    In Edo State, the agency, with support from soldiers, destroyed two cannabis farms at Eko Camp, Ilushi. The farms were estimated to have a combined yield of 1,360.23kg.

    Two women, aged 36 and 40, were also arrested during a raid on Anifowoshe Street, Mushin, Lagos, where 3.4kg of cannabis was recovered, according to the NDLEA.

    At Ebute-Ero motor park in Lagos, officers arrested a 58-year-old man and allegedly recovered 5.92kg of cannabis, 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 8,400 tablets of nitrazepam and 40,000 pills of tramadol.

    In Oyo State, two Togolese nationals, aged 35 and 33, were arrested along the Iganna-Ilero road in Iganna.

    The NDLEA said 305.6kg of cannabis was recovered from two pickup vans allegedly transporting the substance, which it said had been sourced from Ghana and brought into Nigeria through the Oyo axis.

    At the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, five suspects were arrested after officers intercepted 420 cartons of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.

    The agency put the weight of the consignment at 1,688.4kg and said the substance was being transported from the border into Lagos in two vehicles.

    The operations came as the NDLEA continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign, with officers conducting awareness programmes in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.

    The agency said the activities were held in several states, including Oyo, Edo, Gombe and Kano, while the Delta Ports Command also carried out a WADA advocacy visit to the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatshe III.

    NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged personnel across the country to sustain the agency’s enforcement and drug-prevention efforts.

    The NDLEA has also recently announced the dismantling of a suspected Nigerian-Mexican drug network operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Eziama community, Obeagu, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. Two suspects were arrested and subsequently arraigned before the Federal High Court in Enugu.

  • NDLEA Arrests Mexican Suspect, Dismantles Meth Lab in Ebonyi

    NDLEA Arrests Mexican Suspect, Dismantles Meth Lab in Ebonyi

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a Mexican national allegedly linked to a transnational methamphetamine syndicate and uncovered an industrial-scale clandestine laboratory in Ebonyi State.

    The suspect, identified as Mexican national Arturo Carrera Loaiza, was arrested on August 19, 2026, while allegedly attempting to leave Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed the development on Tuesday during a briefing with journalists in Lagos.

    Marwa, represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the arrest followed months of investigation into a transnational drug network suspected of establishing methamphetamine laboratories in different parts of Nigeria.

    He said the investigation was connected to earlier operations in Ogun and Oyo states, where several Mexican nationals and Nigerians had been arrested.

    According to him, NDLEA operatives on May 16 arrested three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians at a forest location in Ogun State.

    Another Mexican national, 56-year-old Jose Villa Ochoa, and four Nigerians were later arrested on June 17 at a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in a forest area in Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.

    Marwa said investigations by the agency’s Special Operations Unit revealed that Ochoa allegedly identified Loaiza as the person who recruited him and brought him to Nigeria.

    He said international cooperation enabled investigators to obtain a photograph of Loaiza, which Ochoa allegedly identified during questioning.

    Further intelligence indicated that Loaiza arrived in Nigeria on June 10 alongside another Mexican national, Jose Ceballos Perez.

    Marwa said Loaiza was eventually tracked to the Lagos airport, where he was arrested while allegedly trying to leave the country.

    During interrogation, the suspect reportedly claimed that he came to Nigeria to establish a restaurant business and denied involvement in the production of methamphetamine.

    However, investigators allegedly recovered photographs showing him wearing a laboratory coat and standing beside equipment suspected to have been used in methamphetamine production.

    According to Marwa, forensic analysis of metadata from the photographs led investigators to a property under construction in Isiata Ugoni Okposi, Ebonyi State.

    A subsequent operation at the property on August 30 reportedly uncovered suspicious structures, chemical odours and other indications of possible illicit drug production.

    Marwa said analysis of CCTV footage recovered from the premises allegedly showed Loaiza and a Nigerian suspect, John Samuel Ivo Okike, moving chemicals and laboratory equipment from the property.

    Further intelligence reportedly led NDLEA operatives to another building, where additional chemicals and equipment suspected to be connected to methamphetamine production were recovered.

    Items recovered included acetone, toluene, hydrochloric acid, ethanol, P2B, tartaric acid, condensing units, fabricated reaction pots, weighing scales, gas burners and a laboratory coat allegedly linked to the suspects.

    The NDLEA chairman said CCTV footage, forensic findings and witness accounts had provided additional evidence as investigators continued efforts to establish the activities of the suspected syndicate.

    Marwa warned that the agency would not allow Nigeria to become a base for international drug cartels seeking to establish clandestine laboratories in rural communities.

    He said the arrest of Loaiza and the discovery of the Ebonyi facility, coming after similar operations in Ogun and Oyo, demonstrated the agency’s efforts to use intelligence and forensic investigation to disrupt transnational drug networks.

    Marwa commended personnel from the NDLEA Special Operations Unit, Strike Force, Forensics Department and the Ogun, Oyo and Ebonyi State Commands for their roles in the operations.

    He said investigations were ongoing to identify and apprehend other alleged members, financiers and collaborators linked to the syndicate.

  • NDLEA Warns Nigerians Against Accepting Unknown Cargoes From Abroad

    NDLEA Warns Nigerians Against Accepting Unknown Cargoes From Abroad

    Precious Nwonu, Enugu

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has cautioned Nigerians against collecting or receiving consolidated consignments from relatives, friends or associates abroad without knowing exactly what the packages contain.

    The agency warned that some Nigerians overseas are allegedly using consolidated cargoes to send illicit drugs into the country while listing unsuspecting family members and friends as consignees.

    The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, issued the warning in a post on X on Sunday, urging Nigerians to exercise caution before agreeing to receive packages on behalf of people abroad.

    According to Babafemi, substances identified as Colorado and Loud, both strains of cannabis, have been discovered in some of the consignments.

    He said recipients who have no knowledge of the contents could still face arrest and prosecution if illegal drugs are found in packages bearing their names.

    Babafemi wrote, “RED ALERT! The new thing now is that some of our ‘abroad’ people are sending home consolidated cargoes contaminated with illicit drugs especially Colorado and Loud, putting their family members and friends as consignees or recipients.”

    He advised Nigerians who were not involved in drug trafficking to decline requests to receive consignments where the contents were unknown.

    He added, “The warning here is, if you’re not part of the syndicate, don’t accept to receive consignments on behalf of your ‘abroad’ brother or sister or friend particularly if you don’t know the full content of the consignment.”

    Babafemi further warned that several people had already been arrested in similar circumstances, noting that NDLEA operatives continued to uncover such consignments during their operations.

    “Many are already behind bars for this and the number keeps increasing with daily operations by @ndlea_nigeria officers. Please heed this warning and save yourself of the jail experience,” he said.

    The warning was accompanied by video footage showing NDLEA operatives opening large black plastic-wrapped packages on a metal table.

    The footage showed clear plastic bags containing yellowish, lumpy substances suspected to be cannabis products being removed from the consignments.

    The latest warning comes as the NDLEA continues its efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit substances from being brought into Nigeria through various routes.

  • 49.7kg Heroin: NDLEA Arrest Drug Kingpin After Two Years on the Run 

    49.7kg Heroin: NDLEA Arrest Drug Kingpin After Two Years on the Run 

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested and repatriated Festus Ibewuike, alias Chidibest Ibewuike, a suspected drug kingpin who had been on the run for more than two years following the seizure of 49.7 kilogrammes of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

    Ibewuike, 52, was arrested at the airport in Cotonou, Benin Republic, on September 2, 2026, following actionable intelligence and coordinated efforts between the NDLEA and INTERPOL authorities in Nigeria and Benin.

    He was subsequently handed over to NDLEA operatives deployed in Cotonou on September 4 and brought back to Nigeria to face prosecution over his alleged role in the trafficking syndicate behind what the agency described as the largest single heroin consignment ever intercepted at the Lagos airport.

    The suspect had reportedly relocated to Mozambique, where he operated a hotel business allegedly used as a cover, while making efforts to evade Nigerian law enforcement by moving between Mozambique and Nigeria through neighbouring Benin Republic.

    His arrest followed a 12-day operation by operatives of the NDLEA MMIA Strategic Command in February 2024, during which 49.70kg of heroin was intercepted at the airport’s cargo terminal.

    The spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Wednesday, said the drugs were concealed in cartons containing metal-cutting machines and marked with the code ‘ND’.

    Investigations subsequently linked the parcels to Ibewuike, who allegedly operated through members of a wider trafficking network.

    The operation led to the arrest of several members of the syndicate, including his wife, Confidence Ndidiamaka Ibewuike, who investigators said routinely received drug-laden consignments on his behalf.

    He said the agency also secured the freezing of 107 bank accounts and forfeiture of properties allegedly connected to the cartel.

    He revealed that the suspects were charged before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, in charge number FHC/L/205C/2024.

    He said the suspects — Adinnu Felix Chinedu, Osita Emmanuel Obinna and Uzochukwu Frankline — have so far been convicted and sentenced by the court.

    He further noted others — Chidiebere Peter, Ibewuike Ndidiamaka and Igbokwuputa Onyinye — are still standing trial, while Ibewuike Festus, Osita Chidozie Cyril and another suspect identified as Arinze were charged in absentia.

    Following his repatriation, Ibewuike reportedly confirmed his identity during preliminary interviews and disclosed that he had changed his name from Chidibest Ibewuike to Festus Ibewuike.

    On September 5, he was taken to the NDLEA Central Exhibit Store in Ikoyi, Lagos, where he formally identified the heroin parcels bearing the ‘ND’ code, which the agency said had been established as being linked to him.

    Further investigation also uncovered his alleged connection to an earlier drug case involving the seizure of 40.255kg of methamphetamine.

    The earlier case was prosecuted before the Federal High Court, Lagos, under Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari in charge number FHC/L/203C/2013. One Chidi Ihedioha, who was prosecuted in connection with the case, was convicted by the court in 2023.

    Reacting to the latest development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), described Ibewuike’s arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s campaign against fleeing drug kingpins.

    Marwa warned drug traffickers who flee the country to escape prosecution that international borders would not shield them from justice.

    “This arrest is a major breakthrough in our resolve to track down and bring to justice every drug baron who thinks that fleeing Nigeria’s shores puts them beyond the reach of the law,” he said.

    He added: “As I have always vowed, the long arm of the NDLEA will catch up with anyone involved in this illicit trade, no matter how long it takes or how far they run.”

    According to him, Ibewuike’s more than two-year flight, including his alleged change of identity and relocation abroad, had not prevented the agency from tracking him down.

    “This should serve as a fresh warning to fleeing suspects still at large: the Agency will not relent until everyone of you is brought to book,” Marwa said.

    The NDLEA chairman commended the multinational cooperation that facilitated the arrest and transfer, particularly the Nigerian and Beninese INTERPOL National Central Bureaus, for their role in ensuring the smooth handover of the suspect.

    The agency said the development further demonstrated its determination to pursue suspected drug traffickers beyond Nigeria’s borders and ensure that fleeing suspects are eventually brought before the law. This Day

  • Navy Seizes 19 Bags of Cannabis in Anamvra, Hands Over to NDLEA

    Navy Seizes 19 Bags of Cannabis in Anamvra, Hands Over to NDLEA

    The Naval Outpost, Onitsha Command of the Nigerian Navy, has formally transferred 19 bags of confiscated illicit substances, heavily suspected to be Cannabis Sativa, to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The official handover took place at the NDLEA Onitsha Unit on Tuesday, following the successful recovery of the drugs at Atani Community, located within the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    According to the official handover documentation obtained on Wednesday, the Commanding Officer of the Naval Outpost, Onitsha, Kabir Yusuf, revealed that the illegal consignments were intercepted during distinct, intelligence-led security operations carried out within the command’s jurisdiction.

    Yusuf explained that personnel stationed at the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Amiyi, positioned at Atani Abo Community, initially uncovered the contraband during routine patrols.

    “The suspected illicit substances were recovered during a routine patrol by personnel of the Forward Operating Base, Amiyi, at Atani Abo Community,” Yusuf stated. “The patrol team sighted a vehicle suspected to be conveying Cannabis Sativa and immediately gave it a chase, where the suspect was said to have abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene.”

    The Commanding Officer added that a swift, follow-up enforcement operation immediately led the naval security operatives straight to a warehouse allegedly utilized by the fleeing suspect to stockpile contraband. A comprehensive search of the facility yielded the remainder of the bulk haul.

    “A follow-up operation subsequently led security operatives to a warehouse allegedly used by the suspect for storing illicit substances, where a thorough search resulted in the recovery of 19 bags of suspected Cannabis Sativa,” he said.

    According to Yusuf, the success of the raid highlights the unwavering vigilance, professional execution, and high operational readiness of the personnel at the Navy Outpost Onitsha in restoring sanity and completely wiping out the menace of dangerous narcotics in communities.

    Following the transfer of the 19 bags of Cannabis Sativa to the NDLEA Onitsha Unit for deeper profiling and subsequent legal actions, the Naval Outpost formally requested that the anti-narcotics agency feed the naval base with updates and final outcomes of the investigation once it is fully wrapped up.

  • NDLEA jails 677 drug traffickers, arrests 3,359, seizes 65,915.891kg of hard drugs in Q1

    Abuja—The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,NDLEA has said owing to its intensified war against illicit drug trafficking and abuse across Nigeria, no less than Six Hundred and Seventy Seven (677) traffickers have been convicted and sentenced to various jail terms between January and March 2022.

    The NDLEA added that a total of Three Thousand Three Hundred and Fifty Nine (3,359) arrests and 65,915.891 kilograms of assorted drugs were seized within the same period.

    A breakdown of further successes against drug abuse showed that, “No fewer than Two Thousand Two Hundred and Twenty Three (2,223) drug users were also counselled through brief interventions and rehabilitated in NDLEA facilities across the country in the first quarter of the year; figures that represent a fair balance between the Agency’s drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities”.

    A statement by Femi Babafemi,Director of Media and Advocacy said, “Lagos has the highest figure of drug seizures with 22,192.62 kilograms of illicit substances recovered from parts of the state, followed by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Command, Ikeja, also in Lagos, with 8,979.869kg of drugs seized between Jan and March, while Kano and Kaduna led the pack in the arrests of offenders with 194 arrests each within the same period.

    It noted: “A total of 257 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed in forests across Ondo state, 14.869 hectares suffered same fate in Edo while one hectare was destroyed in Bayelsa state within the same period..

    “A further breakdown of the drugs seized within the first quarter of the year shows Cannabis leading the table in January with 8,205.75kg; followed by Codeine -414.281kg; Diazepam -192.459kg; Tramadol -135.067kg; Rophynol -43.062kg and Cocaine -24.32kg.

    “In February, Cannabis also topped the list of seizures with 20,538.79kg; Codeine -1,848.052kg; Tramadol -540.354kg; Diazepam -137.041kg; Rophynol -80.261kg; Cocaine -15.727kg; Methamphetamine – 6.207kg and Heroin – 4.006kg.”

    “Cannabis also topped the list of seizures in March with 21,583.81kg; followed by Tramadol -8,965.319kg; Codeine -417.207kg; Diazepam -57.755kg; Cocaine -45.082kg; Methamphetamine -7.527kg; Rophynol -6.34kg and Heroin -1.497kg.”

    While appreciating the commitment of officers and men of the Agency for a commendable performance in the first quarter of the year, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, retd, urged them not to rest on their oars.

    He assured them that every outstanding performance would always attract commensurate commendation and/or reward.

    (Vanguard)

  • NDLEA seizes cash, arms, ammunitions and narcotics from 7 states

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted about one million, five hundred thousand tablets and capsules of pharmaceutical opioids such as Tramadol, Exol-5 and Diazepam in Edo State.

    The banned substances were loaded in Onitshga, Anambra State, heading to Yauri, Kebbi State.

    This is even as a total of 425,000 Diazepam tablets were recovered at Segemu, Kano.

    In addition, a total of N1,413,344 was seized along with firearms and ammunition from a suspected bandit and a drug kingpin in Plateau State, while over 137.754 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs were recovered during interdiction operations across seven states in the past week.

    A statement by the director of media and advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said operatives of the agency in Edo, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a trailer from Onitsha going to Yauri on January 14.

    A thorough search of the truck led to the discovery of psychotropic substances concealed under legitimate goods. The drugs seized included: 394,480 capsules and 3,000 tablets of Tramadol weighing 83.707kg; Exol-5: 647,500 tablets weighing 203.315kg; Diazepam: 12,500 tablets weighing 2.05kg; Bromazepam: 1,500 tablets weighing 0.45kg; Codeine based syrup: 999 bottles weighing 134.865kg; Pentazocine injections: 4,000 ampoules weighing 16.64kg.

    The driver of the truck, Bashir Lawali, 30, was arrested along with Abubakar Sani, 30, and Ali Abubakar, 19, while the exhibits in Kano were seized from one Sa’idu Yahya, 31.

    “Attempts by drug traffickers to export 73 parcels of cannabis (34.05kg) concealed in foodstuff plastic containers to the United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport(MMIA), Ikeja,Lagos, were frustrated by operatives on January 8, same way another 50 parcels of cannabis consignment, 27.25kg, meant for the United States was also intercepted at the export shed of the airport on Tuesday January 11Jan and at least three suspects so far arrested.

    “In reverse bid, moves by illicit drug merchants to bring into Nigeria 94 parcels of cannabis indica (Colorado) weighing 43.4kg through the Tincan seaport in Lagos were crushed on January 13, when operatives intercepted the drug inside a 40ft container from Canada. The exhibit was concealed inside a Toyota Camry car. This came on the heels of a similar seizure on January 11, of 59 parcels of Colorado (17.3kg), concealed in a Mercedes Benz vehicle imported from Canada.

    “In Plateau state, a fake security agent, Babagana Maaji has been arrested through a controlled delivery of 5.6kg cannabis from Lagos. The suspect based in Damaturu, Yobe state, was nabbed following the interception of a commercial bus bringing the consignment from Lagos to Gombe in Mararaban Jos on January 8.

    “On Tuesday, January 11, operatives of the Plateau command of the agency also arrested a suspected bandit, Abdullahi Usman Ahmad, 28, at Hwolshe with one Beretta pistol; seven rounds of live ammunition; two empty shells; 12 grammes of cannabis sativa; a pair of handcuffs and N1, 136,344, suspected to be ransom money as well as an Opel car with registration number ZAR 35 LQ.

    “In the same vein, leader of a cocaine distribution ring in Plateau, Chibueze Okoro John, 42, has been arrested along Zaria road, Jos, with quantities of cocaine and Tramadol recovered from him as well as a Sienna Bus (BWR 584 AL), Toyota Camry car (RBC 461 BF) and N 277, 000, which the suspect offered to the narcotic officers as bribe but was rejected.

    “In Delta state, the bid by 38-year-old Ejike Obiora, to smuggle different quantities of cocaine and heroin into the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South local government area , was foiled on January 8, when he was discovered to have concealed the drugs in foodstuffs meant for an inmate.

    “This is even as 598kg cannabis was recovered during a raid in Owo area of Ondo state with the two owners: Arataye Raimi, 41, and Tope Osinnuwa, 36, eventually arrested in follow up operations.

    “While one Abdullahi Mohammed was arrested in connection with the seizure of 48.5 blocks of cannabis in Potiskum, Yobe state, another fake security agent, Dike Davison was nabbed at Aliade, Benue state with 50grams of cannabis and 29 rounds of live ammunition of 7.62mm caliber

    “In Abuja, FCT, a buy and bust operation on Friday January, 14, led to the arrest of Habib Yusif, 41, with a total of 28.2kg cannabis recovered from him, while in Osun state, the trio of Samuel Joseph; Francis Ujor and Sola Johnson were arrested in Onikoko village Area 5, Ile-Ife, with 100 bags of cannabis weighing 1,530 kilograms recovered from them on Thursday January 13.

    “While commending the officers and men of the various commands for their remarkable efforts, Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Retd) assured them that their sacrifices, dedication to duty and exceptional feats would not go without commensurate commendation and rewards.

    (Sun)

  • The reason Why Cannabis cannot be legalised in Nigeria

     

    The agitation for the legalisation of Cannabis Sativa cannot succeed in Nigeria because the proliferation of illicit drugs often leads to crime, chaos and conflict, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has explained.

     

    In a statement issued on Friday by the spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. General Mohammed Bubba Marwa (retd.), made this statement as a guest speaker at the 2021 Ulefunta annual public lecture organised by the Deji of Akure Kingdom, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi and chaired by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae.

     

    Marwa said, “The proliferation of illicit drugs often engenders a pattern of crime, chaos and conflict. In the advanced world, it is the driver of the high crime rate and violent killings in the inner cities. In developing or third world countries, it is the escalator of strife, pogroms and civil war, and has played a big role in countries torn to pieces by tribal war, such as it is playing in Syria, which has become the hotbed of Captagon, and Afghanistan, which controls the opium trade.

    “We have seen narco-terrorism in countries like Colombia and Mexico where drug cartels are a law unto themselves and are as powerful, if not more powerful, than the state. So, there are real cases, not scenarios, of where and how illicit substances played a role in a society’s rapid descent into chaos and teetering on the brink of a failed state.

     

    “So the pertinent question for us today is: Have drugs played any role in the festering insecurity in Nigeria? The answer is yes. Of this, we have ample evidence.”

     

    Marwa, represented by his Special Adviser on National Drug Control Master Plan, Otunba Lanre Ipinmisho, stated that considering the intractable burden of insecurity facing the country, “We do not have the luxury of allowing a narcotic economy to take root and thrive in our society. Africa, nay, Nigeria has enough problems without adding the burden of narco-terrorism.”

     

     

    He said, “Of all the known illicit substances, Cannabis Sativa is the only one that is native to Nigeria and it is the most abused of all illicit drugs, and from the findings of the National Drug Survey of 2018, cannabis is becoming a national albatross.”

     

    While warning that the population of Nigerians hooked on cannabis alone was more than the population of countries like Portugal, Greece or the Republic of Benin, he said that as such Nigeria could not afford to toy with the grim reality of the danger of legalizing cannabis when all the needed infrastructure to monitor and control it are still far from being in place.

     

    “Where cannabis is concerned, we should not by any argument allow ourselves to become the proverbial fool that rushed in where angels fear to tread. Countries like Canada, which are pro-cannabis have strong and efficient institutions that are way ahead of ours by long mileages.

     

    “Given the reality of our law enforcement, controlled cultivation of cannabis is a mirage. Aren’t pharmaceutical opioids controlled? Tramadol, codeine, Rohypnol, Benzopam, are all controlled, yet, their trafficking and abuse is causing us unquantifiable human and economic loss.

     

    “And for those who point at the inherent economic benefit that could accrue from the legalisation of its cultivation, following our reality, would you be comfortable, if by tomorrow, your 13-year-old son can easily access marijuana, or you find some wraps of weed in his pocket, or you learnt that someone has introduced your 16-year-old daughter to smoking cannabis under the pretext that it has medicinal value?

     

    “Our individual answer to that question will give us a public opinion of where we should stand as a country in the cannabis debate,” he said.

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com

     

     

  • Spain bound Suspect swallows 113 wraps of Cocaine weighing 1.75kg worth N423 million

     

    According to the Commander, MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Garba, “the suspect excreted 39 wraps weighing 600 grammes at 9.58am on April 5; 13 wraps weighing 200 grammes at 6.30pm same day; 16 wraps weighing 250 grammes at 10.30pm same day; and 32 wraps weighing 500 grammes at 7.30am on April 6.”

     

    In the same vein, operatives at the airport have intercepted a 2.8kg of skunk meant for Dubai in UAE through Emirate Airline. The illicit drug was concealed in crayfish; bitter leaves and melons packaged in a sack but was recovered at the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA.

     

    Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), in his reaction commended officers and men of the MMIA Command of the Agency for not allowing criminal elements take advantage of the Easter holiday to further their illicit trade, and dent Nigeria’s image abroad.

     

     

     

    “We all must stay committed to the ongoing offensive action at the airports, seaports, land borders, on the streets of Nigerian cities and across the various drug joints and even in the forests where some are hiding to cultivate and process cannabis sativa. We must disrupt their illicit trade and dismantle their cartels,” he charged.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

  • NDLEA: The need for drug test to be conducted on the citizens of the country

    The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig-Gen Buba Marwa (retd), has advised parents to insist on drug tests for their children’s partners before marriage.

     

    According to him, such measures will ensure that their children do not get married to drug addicts.

     

    He also recommended drug tests for politicians, workers and students to be able to urgently provide help for those who need treatment and rehabilitation in addition to acting as a deterrent.

     

    Marwa stated this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with a firm, Primly Services Limited, for the supply of free drug test kits to NDLEA in Abuja on Thursday.

     

    A statement by the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Friday, said Marwa expressed happiness that the MoU was finally signed almost three years after the Federal Government had approved the deal.

     

    Marwa said, “At the centre of drug demand reduction is drug testing. Practically, all Nigerians should be subjected to drug tests – politicians, students, workers and all. We have set the ball rolling at the agency because charity begins at home. This will enable us to know those afflicted, who need treatment and rehabilitation.

     

    “Equally, it will deter drug abuse because if you know that the result of a drug test will hamper your progression in school, political career or at work, it will deter you. In the same vein, we do expect parents to make sure their children don’t get married to addicts by insisting on drug tests before marriage.”

     

    He expressed delight in the readiness by the Managing Director of Primly Services Ltd, Dr Vincent Udenze, to always contribute to efforts to rid Nigeria of illicit substances.

     

    “In the course of PACEDA’s (Presidential Advisory Committee on the Elimination of Drug Use) work, Primly Services was part of our resource persons, and through that, we got to know about this MoU, which had been approved by the Federal Government since 2019 and I’m surprised that, up till 2021, it has not been executed until now.”

     

    While commending the firm’s professionalism and willingness to partner with NDLEA in fighting the drug scourge afflicting the country, Marwa said the high-quality test kits came at no cost to the agency, adding that the company would only recover its cost from testing.

     

    “We should continue to look for more ways of cooperation to make Nigeria a drug-free nation, which is a task that must be done,” he said.

     

    Earlier, Udenze said, “We will ensure that the kits are one of the best in the country and we will not fail in our duty in this regard.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Source: www.punchng.com