The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Notorious robbery suspect held in Lagos

    Notorious robbery suspect held in Lagos

    Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 28-year-old suspect, John Samuel, alleged to be behind a recent armed robbery attack on Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

    Samuel, an ex-convict, was apprehended last Friday, at his hideout in Epe, following a police operation. He was said to have fired at and wounded a businessman, Gbenga Obama, before dispossessing him of a gold necklace and other valuables during a robbery on Gbajobi Street, Allen Avenue, on August 18.

    According to the police, CCTV footage captured the suspect shooting the victim with a pistol before fleeing the scene with an accomplice on a motorcycle. The victim, who sustained serious gunshot injuries, has since been treated and discharged from hospital.

    READ ALSO: Nine ways to celebrate a friend without breaking the bank

    Police investigations revealed that the stolen jewellery was later sold for n4 million. Samuel, who was recently released from prison after serving a six-year jail term for armed robbery, allegedly returned to crime shortly after his release.

    The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohudare Jimoh, commended the officers involved in the arrest, assuring residents that in vestigations were ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang.

    He urged Lagosians to go about their activities without fear, reiterating that the state has no safe haven for criminals.

  • Gunmen kill two Mobile Policemen in Kogi

    Gunmen kill two Mobile Policemen in Kogi

    Gunmen yesterday killed two Mobile Policemen on the Ilafin Road, Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    The council Chairman, Dr Joshua  Monday, confirmed the incident in a statement.

    He said:  “The Chairman of Yagba East Local Government Area, Dr. Joshua Dare Monday, received with shock and grief the sad news of the brutal killing of two gallant officers of the Nigeria Police Force, attached to MOPOL 70,on Sunday, September 21, 2025, in a deadly ambush by unknown assailants on Ilafin Road, Isanlu.

    “This tragic incident is not only an attack on the Nigeria Police Force but also an assault on the peace and security of our land. It represents a calculated attempt by enemies of progress to destabilise our society and instill fear in our people.

    READ ALSO: Nine ways to celebrate a friend without breaking the bank

    “While mourning the untimely loss of these brave officers, the Council chairman acknowledges their selfless sacrifice in safeguarding lives and property within Yagba East and beyond. He emphasised that their courage and loyalty to the nation will not be forgotten but will remain enshrined in the history of our community.’’

    Monday extended his condolences to the bereaved families, Nigeria Police, Kogi State Command, and the wider security community.

    The chairman urged relevant security agencies to investigate the heinous act, apprehend the perpetrators, and ensure they faced the law.

    He affirmed that no act of evil could overshadow the determination of the government and security operatives to maintain peace and order.

    The chairman reiterated his administration’s commitment to the protection of lives and property across all communities.

    There has not been comment on the incident by the state police command.

  • Wike affirms Jonah Capital’s original ownership of River Park Estate

    Wike affirms Jonah Capital’s original ownership of River Park Estate

    Minister, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has confirmed Ghanaian firm JonahCapital Nigeria Limited as the original owners of River Park Estate in Lugbe, Abuja.

    Wike made the clarification during a television programme, tracing the ownership dispute to an agreement signed between the FCT Administration and JonahCapital during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.  JonahCapital, promoted by Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, was allocated Plot 4, Cadastral Zone E30 Lugbe, for the development of the estate.

    According to the minister, the company later engaged Paulo Homes to facilitate building approvals from the FCT Development Control, a move he said was outside the terms of its agreement with the administration.

    “A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, S.I. Ameh, wrote a petition, and I set up a ministerial panel headed by the General Counsel of the FCT. Their lawyers made presentations. The FCT has no agreement with Paulo Homes. The only agreement we signed was with JonahCapital,” Wike said.

    Read Also: CJN to inaugurate 57 new SANs September 29

    He explained that while JonahCapital breached the terms of its lease by engaging Paulo Homes, its development lease has since expired. Wike said the administration decided to demolish structures put up by Paulo Homes and withdraw global Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) issued through the company, with a plan to reissue them directly to affected homeowners.

    On recent enforcement actions at the estate, the minister said the move was to resolve ownership disputes and prevent irregularities in land administration.

    Wike also criticised the activities of the Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit, led by Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, for holding a press conference alongside former Force Public Relations Officer Muyiwa Adejobi, where ownership of the estate was attributed to Paulo Homes.

  • 13 terrorists killed, bandit leaders, 28 criminals arrested in two-day nationwide onslaught

    13 terrorists killed, bandit leaders, 28 criminals arrested in two-day nationwide onslaught

    Troops have killed 13 terrorists and kidnappers in the ongoing onslaught against criminals nationwide.

    They also arrested two high-profile bandit leaders, Saauwan Wuaiyolna, in Benue State, and Chukwuepre Gideon, in Enugu State, alongside 28 other terrorists and criminals in operations from September 17 to 19.

    A source at the Army Headquarters told The Nation that the operation also led to the rescue of three kidnap victims, five terrorist family members, and recovery of a cache of weapons and other items.

    According to the source, Wuaiyolna, high-profile member of the notorious and wanted criminal gang led by AKIKI UTIVI, popularly known as Full Fire, was arrested by troops of Operation Whirl Stroke at Takum Junction in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State while attempting to monitor troops.

    He said Gideon, a notorious wanted criminal, was arrested through the efforts of the 103 Battalion, Nigeria Police, and Neighborhood Watch, during a raid at his hideout in the Mmaku community of Awgu Local Government Area in Enugu State. They recovered one motorcycle, one laptop, three unidentified flags, four empty cartridges, and other items.

    Read Also: CJN to inaugurate 57 new SANs September 29

    The source said the troops intensified counter-terrorism in the Northeast and Northwest, dealing decisive blows to terrorists and rescuing kidnap victims.

    “In Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, troops of 19 Battalion, supported by Civilian JTF and other volunteers, engaged Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP/JAS) terrorists, neutralising one and destroying their logistics structures. Two kidnapped victims were rescued during the operation,” he said.

    “In a similar operation in the Bama Local Government Area, five ISWAP/JAS family members, one woman and four children, surrendered to troops of 202 Battalion. Elsewhere in Konduga Local Government Area, troops of 222 Battalion ambushed and killed two terrorists following CCTV surveillance.

    “In Zamfara State, troops of 1 Brigade neutralised one terrorist and recovered an AK-47 rifle in Anka Local Government Area, while in another patrol recovered three rustled camels from terrorists attempting to move livestock around the Bakura axis. In Kaduna State, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA neutralised two terrorists at Ankwa in Kachia Local Government Area, recovering two AK-47 rifles, a motorcycle and a mobile phone.”

    According to the military source, troops of Army Headquarters Garrison, Department of State Service (DSS) and Police Anti-Kidnap Squad also dealt decisive blows to kidnappers in Abuja, killing three kidnappers in Kurudu high ground and rescuing one victim, and recovering two AK-47 rifles and ammunition.

    “Similarly, in Delta State, troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion neutralized two suspected kidnappers in Ika North Local Government Area, recovering one AK-47 rifle, magazines and 42 rounds of ammunition.”

    In the Southeast region, the military source revealed that the 34 Artillery Brigade neutralized two Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) militants during clearance operations in Imo State, recovering a locally fabricated gun, radios, IED-making materials, and Biafra insignia.

     He said troops also made significant strides against oil theft in the Southsouth, discovering over 6,500 litres of illegally refined products and dismantling cooking drums and receivers in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area. Additionally, in Delta State, three suspected oil bunkers were arrested with petroleum products in Ethiope East Local Government Area.

    According to the military source, troops also engaged criminal cultists and miscreants, arresting one cultist linked to kidnapping was arrested, while another was neutralised and one pump-action rifle was recovered, In Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State

    “In Cross River State, eight suspected miscreants were arrested in Obubura Local Government Area, following an ambush on troops, with clearance operations ongoing in the forests,” he said.

  • Two Brazil returnees excrete 116 wraps of heroin, cocaine in NDLEA custody

    Two Brazil returnees excrete 116 wraps of heroin, cocaine in NDLEA custody

    • Businesswoman conceals 1.40kg meth in butt pad

    Two Brazil returnees, Ofoma Sunday and Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu, have excreted a total of 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine they ingested after days in observatory custody, following their arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

    Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, said one of the suspects, 46-year-old Ofoma, was arrested last Tuesday at Terminal 2 of the airport upon his arrival from Laos, Brazil on an Ethiopian airlines flight. 

    He was taken for scan which confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs.

    Babafemi said  Ofoma had left for Brazil on September 3  to courier the consignment to Lagos for $2,500 on delivery.

    He said there was a follow-up at Eliata Hotel in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos where Ofoma was instructed to meet Nweke Jude Chuckwudi who was designated to oversee the excretion of the drugs at the hotel and recover them.

    He said the 55-year-old Nweke was arrested and a total of 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.452 kilograms were egested in eight excretions by Ofoma.

    Another Brazil returnee, Ukachukwu was arrested at the same airport during the clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Brazil via Addis Ababa last Friday.

    A body scan confirmed illicit drug insertion. Ukachukwu later expelled five big wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams.

    Babafemi said Ukachukwu confessed he have bought nine wraps of the class A drug in Brazil and inserted through his anus for nearly two hours.

    The statement added: “The suspect revealed that while on board his flight to Nigeria, he felt pressed and uncomfortable, which compelled him to use the lavatory. He expelled an additional two wraps, leaving him with only five wraps in his anus. He claimed to have been into clothing business before travelling to Brazil in 2017.

    “In 2020, he moved to the United States, where he was arrested for  immigration offence and was detained for over a year before being deported to Nigeria in 2022. In March 2025, he returned to Brazil, where he works, having obtained a Brazilian residence permit.”

    Also, a businesswoman, Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa, the NDLEA spokesman, added, was taken into custody after Aviation Security Officers of FAAN, in collaboration with NDLEA operatives, arrested her for concealing illicit drug in her underwear while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, Qatar.

    Babafemi said after a search, two big parcels of white crystalline substance that later tested positive to methamphetamine with a gross weight of 1.40 kilograms were recovered from her butt pad underwear.

    Read Also: CJN to inaugurate 57 new SANs September 29

    He said during preliminary interview with Ebere, she claimed she trades in used clothing and also operates a POS business in Enugu, where she was recruited into the illicit drug business.

    The statement added: “At the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives on September 15 intercepted a consignment of food items used to conceal 40 wraps of methamphetamine with a total weight of 2.30 kilograms heading to Hong Kong via Turkish Airlines. A 59-year-old suspect, Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus, who presented the consignment as part of a consolidated cargo, has been taken into custody.

    “Another consignment of illicit drug packaged for Europe was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos on September 18. During a examination of the shipment, seven pieces of phone charger going to New Zealand were found to contain 257 grams of cocaine.

    “In Adamawa, no fewer than 233,800 pills of tramadol were recovered by NDLEA operatives in three raids with two suspects arrested in parts of the state. A total of 195,600 pills of the opioid were recovered from an abandoned Toyota Sienna vehicle in Mayo Belwa area of Yola South on September 17, while a suspect Rita Zira was nabbed in Jambutu area of Jimeta Yola with 27,900 pills of tramadol discovered in her bedroom. Another suspect, Halilu Abubakar, 22, was arrested with 10,300 pills of same substance by NDLEA officers at Namtari checkpoint, Yola on September 20.

    “No less than 109 bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1,099.4 kilograms were seized from a suspect Hammed Danladi Aliyu, 40, by the agency’s operatives supported by the Community Protection Guards (CPG) along Gummi-Daki Takwas  Road, Zamfara State while conveying the consignment in a Mitsubishi Canter truck marked LRN 568XB to a village called Company in Gummi Local Government Area on September 20.

    “While two suspects: Babangida Usman and Ismail Ibrahim were arrested  with 14, 000 capsules of tramadol along Damaturu-Potiskum road, Yobe State, NDLEA operatives in Taraba State on September 17 nabbed Anas Hamisu, 28, with three sacks of skunk that weighed 25.525kg, at Garba-Chede, Bali Local Government Area.

    “In Edo State, two cannabis farms on 4.532025 hectares located at Atororo forest in Owan West LGA with an estimated yield of 11,330.0625kg were on  September 17 destroyed by NDLEA officers who also recovered 11 bags of processed skunk and seeds weighing 148kg. Suspects arrested at the plantations include: Mathew Onoja, 56; Moses Thomas Male, 18; and Friday Uchenjin, 38.

    Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the arrests and seizures represent a significant milestone iin their efforts to dismantle drug trafficking organisations in Nigeria and around the world.

    He commended the officers and men of the various Commands for the successes and enjoined them and their colleagues to work harder.

  • Troops arrest 17 suspected oil thieves, recover 45,000 litres of stolen products

    Troops arrest 17 suspected oil thieves, recover 45,000 litres of stolen products

    Troops of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, have destroyed nine illegal refineries, arrested 17 suspected oil thieves and recovered over 45,000 litres of stolen products across the Niger Delta.

    The acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt-Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, confirmed the feat in a statement.

    He said in Ogwu Community, Warri South Local Government Area, n Delta State, the troops discovered a metal storage facility with over 20,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), three pumping machines, three metering machines, and 25 litres of engine oil.

    He named other items as two empty tanks and a 20,000-litre capacity tanker truck with registration number BEN 223 ZW, Edo State,  loaded with over 10,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.

    Danjuma said around Biseni in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, the troops uncovered two illegal refining sites and three dugout pits containing over 7,000 litres of stolen products, which were destroyed.

    He said at Okordia in Yenagoa Local Government Area, a Toyota Camry with registration number ASB 71 BG, loaded with over 600 litres of AGO, was intercepted by the soldiers.

    Read Also: Otuabagi: Oil-rich land turns burial ground for children

    He said: “In Rivers State, during a routine patrol around Okarki Community in Ahoada West Local Government Area, troops intercepted a Toyota 4Runner SUV with registration number GBB 331 AE, conveying over 1,600 litres of stolen products.

    “Items recovered included a 250-metre hose, three-inch metal pipes, and six sacks containing 300 litres of illegally refined AGO. The driver abandoned the vehicle and fled on sighting the troops.

    “Also, at Ogbogolo Community in Ahoada West Local Government Area, troops discovered 23 sacks filled with 690 litres of illegally refined AGO.

    “At KM 45 in Degema Local Government Area, a wooden boat loaded with stolen products was intercepted. At Obiafor Oil Field in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, troops discovered a vandalised portion of the Oando pipeline, along with over 500 litres of stolen condensate.”

  • NGO publishes suicide prevention bill in Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, pidgin

    NGO publishes suicide prevention bill in Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, pidgin

    A national advocacy organisation, Nigerian Mental Health (NMH), in collaboration with the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Working Group, has translated the National Suicide Prevention Bill, which was introduced in the National Assembly earlier this year, into Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin.

    By enhancing accessibility, the initiative underscores that mental health crises are a shared responsibility for all Nigerians, making its provisions more understandable to diverse communities and sparking a national conversation.

    According to the organisation, Nigeria records an estimated 17.3 suicides per 100,000 annually and faces a severe shortage of trained mental health professionals, with about one psychiatrist for every 800,000 people, figures widely cited by the World Health Organization and the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria.

    It said these facts underlined the urgency of legal and service reforms.

    The Bill establishes a national framework that would decriminalise attempted suicide, currently subject to a one-year prison term in Nigeria, treating it as a public health issue and guaranteeing rights and aftercare for those in need.

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    The framework also includes creating a National Suicide Prevention Unit, establishing 24-hour crisis helplines, and integrating prevention into all levels of healthcare.

    Additionally, it mandates training and capacity-building for professionals and prioritises data collection and research to guide policy.

    “Translating the bill removes a major barrier to public engagement,” said Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, who introduced the legislation.

    Also speaking, Founder of Nigerian Mental Health, Chime Asonye, said: “When people can read the law in the language they speak, communities are better placed to hold leaders accountable and support life-saving change.

    “This is more than a translation; it is a tool for lifesaving conversations.

    “With the help of the Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN), the Asido Foundation, DepGenAfrica Nigeria, and other committed partners, we have made this bill accessible to millions. We encourage Nigerians to read, share, and discuss it with their families and friends.”

    The World Health Organization identifies decriminalisation and expanded access to care as key elements of suicide prevention, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3) prioritise good health and well-being.

    The translations align the bill with these global best practices and aim to make the legislation accessible to ordinary citizens.

    NMH and the Suicide Prevention Working Group are advocating for the bill to come up for its second reading by October 2025, in time for World Mental Health Day.

    They urged lawmakers to consider the translations and the bill’s provisions, as these will ensure the legislation is accessible and effective.

    The translated versions of the National Suicide Prevention Bill can be accessed on Nigerian Mental Health’s #SuicideNotCrime online portal, along with other resources to support psychosocial issues.

  • Two Brazil returnees excrete 116 wraps of heroin, cocaine in NDLEA custody

    Two Brazil returnees excrete 116 wraps of heroin, cocaine in NDLEA custody

    • ….businesswoman conceals 1.40kg meth in butt pad underwear 

    ….Agency intercepts illicit drug shipments in phone chargers, food items going to Europe, Hong Kong at Lagos airport

    …large consignments of skunk, opioid in Zamfara, Adamawa

    Two Brazil returnees: Ofoma Sunday and Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu have excreted a total of 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine they ingested after days in observatory custody following their arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

    Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said one of the suspects, 46-year-old Ofoma was arrested on Tuesday 16th September 2025 at terminal 2 of the Lagos airport upon his arrival from Laos, Brazil on an Ethiopian airlines flight. 

    According to the statement, he was taken for body scan which confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs.

    Babafemi said Ofoma had left Nigeria for Brazil on 3rd September to courier the consignment to Lagos for a reward of $2,500 upon successful delivery.

    He said a swift follow-up operation was conducted at Eliata Hotel in Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos where Ofoma was instructed to meet Nweke Jude Chuckwudi who was designated to oversee the excretion of the drugs at the hotel and recover them. 

    He said that the 55-year-old Nweke was arrested in the process. A total of 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.452 kilograms were egested in eight excretions by Ofoma.

    Similarly, he said, another Brazil returnee Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu, was arrested at the Lagos airport during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Brazil via Addis Ababa on Friday 19th September.

    According to the statement, he was taken for body scan which confirmed illicit drug insertion. Under excretion observation, Ukachukwu expelled five big wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams.

    Babafemi said in his statement, he confessed to have bought nine wraps of the class A drug in Brazil and inserted all into his anus, a process he claimed took him nearly two hours. 

    The statement reads, “During his transit through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he said he began to experience severe anal pain and decided to remove the wraps from his body. He stated that in an attempt to meet up with his connecting flight to Nigeria, he could only manage to reinsert seven wraps, after which he flushed the remaining two wraps in a toilet.

    “The suspect revealed that while on board his flight to Nigeria, he felt pressed and uncomfortable, which compelled him to use the lavatory. During the process, he expelled an additional two wraps, leaving him with only five wraps in his anus. He claimed to have been into clothing business before traveling to Brazil in 2017. 

    “In 2020, he moved to the United States, where he was arrested for immigration offence and was detained for over a year before being deported to Nigeria in 2022. In March 2025, he returned to Brazil, where he currently works, having already obtained a Brazilian residence permit.”

    The NDLEA Spokesman added that a businesswoman Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa was on Sunday 14th September taken into custody after Aviation Security Officers of FAAN in collaboration with NDLEA operatives attached to the screening point of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport arrested her for concealing illicit drug in her underwear while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha, Qatar.

    Babafemi said after a thorough search, two big parcels of white crystalline substance that later tested positive to methamphetamine with a gross weight of 1.40 kilograms were recovered from her butt pad underwear. 

    He said during preliminary interview with Ebere, she claimed she trades in used clothing and also operates a POS business in Enugu where she was recruited into the illicit drug business.

    The statement reads, “At the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives on Monday 15th September intercepted a consignment of food items used to conceal 40 wraps of methamphetamine with a total weight of 2.30 kilograms heading to Hong Kong via Turkish Airlines. A 59-year-old suspect, Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus, who presented the consignment as part of a consolidated cargo, has been taken into custody.

    “Another consignment of illicit drug packaged for Europe was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos on Thursday 18th September. During a thorough examination of the shipment, seven pieces of phone charger going to New Zealand were found to contain 257 grams of cocaine.

    “In Adamawa, no fewer than 233,800 pills of tramadol were recovered by NDLEA operatives in three raids with two suspects arrested in parts of the state. A total of 195,600 pills of the opioid were recovered from an abandoned Toyota Sienna vehicle in Mayo Belwa area of Yola South on Wednesday 17th September, while a suspect Rita Zira was nabbed in Jambutu area of Jimeta Yola with 27,900 pills of tramadol discovered in her bedroom. Another suspect, Halilu Abubakar, 22, was arrested with 10,300 pills of same substance by NDLEA officers at Namtari checkpoint, Yola on Saturday 20th September.

    “No less than 109 bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1,099.4 kilograms were seized from a suspect Hammed Danladi Aliyu, 40, by NDLEA operatives supported by members of the Community Protection Guards (CPG) along Gummi-Daki Takwas road, Zamfara state while conveying the consignment in a Mitsubishi Canter truck marked LRN 568XB to a village called Company in Gummi LGA on Saturday 20th September.

    “While two suspects: Babangida Usman and Ismail Ibrahim were arrested with 14, 000 capsules of tramadol along Damaturu-Potiskum road, Yobe state, NDLEA operatives in Taraba on Wednesday 17th September 17 nabbed Anas Hamisu, 28, with three sacks of skunk that weighed 25.525kg, at Garba-Chede, Bali LGA.

    “In Edo state, two cannabis farms on 4.532025 hectares located at Atororo forest in Owan West LGA with an estimated yield of 11,330.0625kg were on Wednesday 17th September destroyed by NDLEA officers who also recovered eleven bags of processed skunk and seeds weighing 148kg. Suspects arrested at the plantations include: Mathew Onoja, 56; Moses Thomas Male, 18; and Friday Uchenjin, 38.

    “With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. 

    “These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Sultan Abdulrahman College of Health Technology, Gwadabawa, Sokoto; Sarki Abdul Primary School, Dankama border town, Katsina; Government Secondary School, Gwaram, Jigawa; St. Mary Junior Secondary School, North Bank Makurdi, Benue; and Ummulkhair Islamiyya, Tudun Wada, Kano, while Zone 11 Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to Enugu State First Lady Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, among others.”

    The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said,

    “These arrests and seizures represent a significant milestone in our determined effort to dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in Nigeria and around the world, prioritizing those bent on targeting our productive youth population with illicit substances until they’re no longer able to inflict harm on our communities or misrepresent our country’s image in the global space.”

    He commended the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Adamawa, Zamfara, Edo, Taraba, and Yobe Commands for the various successful operations. He enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.

  • 13 terrorists killed, bandit leaders, 28 criminals arrested in nationwide onslaught 

    13 terrorists killed, bandit leaders, 28 criminals arrested in nationwide onslaught 

    Nigerian Army‘s troops have neutralized 13 terrorists and kidnappers in the ongoing intensified onslaught against criminals nationwide. 

    They also arrested two high-profile bandit leaders, Saauwan Wuaiyolna, in Taraba State, and Chukwuepre Gideon, in Enugu State, alongside 28 other terrorists and criminal elements in operations conducted from September 17 to 19.

    A source at the Army Headquarters told The Nation on Sunday that the operation during this period also led to the rescue of three kidnap victims, the rescue of five terrorist family members, and the recovery of a cache of weapons and other items.

    According to the source, Wuaiyolna, high-profile member of the notorious and wanted criminal gang led by AKIKI UTIVI, popularly known as Full Fire was arrested by troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE at Takum Junction in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State while attempting to monitor troops’ activities in furtherance of his nefarious operations.

    He said Gideon, a notorious wanted criminal, was arrested through the combined efforts of the 103 Battalion, Nigeria Police, and Neighborhood Watch, during a raid at his hideout in the Mmaku community of Awgu Local Government Area in Enugu State. The operation resulted in the recovery of one motorcycle, one laptop, three unidentified flags, four empty cartridges, and other items.

    The source said troops intensified counter-terrorism operations in the North-East and North West, dealing decisive blows to terrorists and rescuing kidnap victims.

    “In Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, troops of 19 Battalion, supported by Civilian JTF and other volunteers, engaged Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP/JAS) terrorists, neutralizing one and destroying their logistics structures. Two kidnapped victims were rescued during the operation,” he said.

    “In a similar operation in the Bama Local Government Area, five ISWAP/JAS family members, one woman and four children, surrendered to troops of 202 Battalion. Elsewhere in Konduga Local Government Area, troops of 222 Battalion ambushed and neutralized two terrorists following CCTV surveillance.

    “In Zamfara State, troops of 1 Brigade neutralized one terrorist and recovered an AK-47 rifle in Anka Local Government Area, while in another patrol recovered three rustled camels from terrorists attempting to move livestock around the Bakura axis. In Kaduna State, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA neutralized two terrorists at Ankwa in Kachia LGA, recovering two AK-47 rifles, a motorcycle and a mobile phone.”

    According to the military source, troops of Army Headquarters Garrison, Department of State Service (DSS) and Police Anti-Kidnap Squad also dealt decisive blows to kidnappers in Abuja, killing three kidnappers in Kurudu high ground and rescuing one victim, and recovering two AK-47 rifles and ammunition. 

    “Similarly, in Delta State, troops of 181 Amphibious Battalion neutralized two suspected kidnappers in Ika North Local Government Area, recovering one AK-47 rifle, magazines and 42 rounds of ammunition.”

    In the South-East region, the military source revealed that the 34 Artillery Brigade neutralized two Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) militants during clearance operations in Imo State, recovering a locally fabricated gun, radios, IED-making materials, and Biafra insignia.

    He said troops also made significant strides against oil theft in the South-South, discovering over 6,500 litres of illegally refined products and dismantling cooking drums and receivers in Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area. Additionally, in Delta State, three suspected oil bunkers were arrested with petroleum products in Ethiope East Local Government Area.

    According to the military source, troops also engaged criminal cultists and miscreants, arresting one cultist linked to kidnapping was arrested, while another was neutralized and one pump-action rifle was recovered, In Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State

    “In Cross River State, eight suspected miscreants were arrested in Obubura Local Government Area, following an ambush on troops, with clearance operations ongoing in the forests,” he said.

  • Police nab notorious armed robbery kingpin behind Allen Avenue gold jewellery attack

    Police nab notorious armed robbery kingpin behind Allen Avenue gold jewellery attack

    The Lagos State Police Command has arrested one John Samuel, a 28-year-old ex-convict and suspected armed robbery kingpin, hired assassin, and murderer, believed to be behind the violent Allen Avenue gold jewellery attack of August 18.

    Police operatives tracked and apprehended Samuel in his Epe hideout on Friday, September 19, at about 2 p.m., after weeks of surveillance.

    The suspect, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, was only recently released from prison after serving a six-year jail term for armed robbery. Barely a month after regaining freedom, police said he returned to crime with “even more viciousness.”

    According to investigators, on August 18, Samuel allegedly shot and wounded businessman Gbenga Obama in broad daylight at Gbajobi Street, Allen Avenue, Ikeja. CCTV footage from the scene showed the suspect firing at the victim with an English pistol before snatching his expensive gold necklace. His accomplice reportedly waited on a motorcycle to facilitate their escape.

    The victim, who sustained serious gunshot injuries, has since been treated and discharged from hospital.

    In his confessional statement, Samuel admitted selling the stolen jewellery for ₦4 million, a sum police say was far below its actual market value.

    The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohudare Jimoh, commended the gallantry of the operatives who trailed and arrested the suspect. 

    He assured residents that efforts are ongoing to track down other members of the gang and bring them to justice.

    “The Command reiterates its commitment to the safety and protection of all residents. Lagos has no hiding place for criminals,” Jimoh declared.