NDLEA Intercepts 44kg UK-Linked Cannabis, Drugs Hidden in Bread, Speakers

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted two consignments of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Colorado or “Colos,” shipped from the United Kingdom, while recovering more than 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs in coordinated operations across eight states.

The latest operations also uncovered consignments of illicit drugs concealed in music speakers and loaves of bread, highlighting the increasingly sophisticated methods allegedly being used by drug trafficking networks to move controlled substances within and outside Nigeria.

The NDLEA said its operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted a UK-bound consignment containing 27 parcels of Colorado weighing 32.20kg.

A real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was arrested on September 9 after allegedly arriving to collect a large luggage containing the illicit substance. According to the agency, Salami used a secret collection code reportedly sent to him by his brother based in the United Kingdom.

A follow-up operation linked to another UK consignment led to the arrest of 44-year-old Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, the designated recipient of another 12.25kg of Colorado. The suspect reportedly told investigators that his brother in the UK sent him the consignment.

The two UK-linked seizures amounted to 44.45kg of synthetic cannabis.

The NDLEA‘s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation also intercepted another consignment of Colorado concealed inside a music speaker at a motor park in Maza-Maza, Lagos.

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The agency said the speaker contained three packs of the illicit substance and was allegedly being transported to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with Liberia as the eventual destination.

A sting operation at a nearby eatery resulted in the arrest of 41-year-old tour agent Ifeanyi Obed Augustine and 46-year-old Obasi Ugochukwu, identified by the agency as the alleged owner of the consignment.

In another operation at Iddo Park, Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry on September 11 while he was allegedly attempting to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.

The nationwide crackdown extended beyond cannabis and synthetic drugs to pharmaceutical substances, including pregabalin, tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, codeine and flunitrazepam.

In Kano State, NDLEA operatives raiding the Sabon Gari area arrested 20-year-old Saidu Adamu with 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425kg.

In a separate stop-and-search operation along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia Road, officers recovered 1,700 tablets of diazepam allegedly concealed inside loaves of bread. A 28-year-old suspect, Habibu Sabitu, was arrested.

In Plateau State, operatives arrested 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor at Katako Market in Jos with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.

In Delta State, separate operations in Ughelli and Asaba resulted in the seizure of pentazocine injections, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, also known as Hypnox, and MDMA, popularly known as Molly.

The agency said some of the substances were concealed inside music speakers. Two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested in connection with the seizures.

The NDLEA also intensified its campaign against cannabis cultivation and distribution.

In Edo State, operatives destroyed 4,832.56kg of skunk, a form of cannabis, during raids on cannabis farms in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest, covering parts of Ovia South-West, Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas.

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A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was arrested during the operation on September 11.

In Ondo State, intelligence-led operatives raided a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure, where they recovered 186kg of skunk allegedly concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car.

The agency arrested 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala, who was allegedly preparing to move the consignment to Jos for onward distribution.

In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives arrested Hannah Michael at Gonin Gora with 369.6kg of cannabis.

Another major seizure was recorded in Bayelsa State, where four suspects were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg.

Those arrested were identified as 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, Motombo Silver, 44, Pere Andrew, 39, and Keme Andrew, 43.

The NDLEA said the latest operations were carried out across Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano states, resulting in the recovery of more than 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs and the arrest of several suspects.

The interceptions underline the wide range of channels allegedly being exploited by drug trafficking networks, including international consolidated cargoes, motor parks, road transportation and concealed compartments in everyday items.

The use of ordinary products such as bread and music speakers to conceal controlled substances also demonstrates the challenges faced by law enforcement authorities in identifying illicit consignments before they reach their destinations.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to maintain pressure on drug trafficking networks across the country.

Marwa charged the agency’s personnel to continue shutting down trafficking routes through airports, seaports, land borders and cannabis-producing areas in the hinterland.

The NDLEA has also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, combining enforcement operations with public awareness, prevention and community-based sensitisation.

The latest seizures come as the agency continues its efforts to disrupt both domestic and international drug supply chains and prevent controlled substances from reaching Nigerian communities and foreign destinations.

For the suspects arrested in the various operations, the allegations remain subject to investigation and prosecution in accordance with Nigerian law.

NDLEA Intercepts 44kg UK-Linked Cannabis, Drugs Hidden in Bread, Speakers

Igbo Ministers Link UK Separatist Crisis to Kanu’s Conviction, Demand His Release

A group of Concerned Igbo Ministers has linked renewed separatist agitation involving Nigerians in the United Kingdom to the conviction and continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and called on the Federal Government to release him.

The group argued that Kanu’s continued imprisonment has not resolved the grievances driving support for the Biafra separatist movement, insisting that a political and peaceful approach is needed to address the wider crisis.

The ministers said the Federal Government should consider dialogue, reconciliation and political engagement alongside security and judicial measures in dealing with separatist sentiments in the South-East and among some Nigerians abroad.

Their position comes amid renewed attention to activities by pro-Biafra groups in the United Kingdom, where supporters of Kanu have continued to campaign for his release and raise concerns over his conviction and treatment in detention.

The group reportedly maintained that the issues surrounding Kanu should not be viewed solely as a criminal matter, arguing that his case has become closely associated with broader grievances over governance, political representation and perceived marginalisation.

Kanu, a British-Nigerian separatist leader, has remained at the centre of Nigeria’s South-East separatist crisis for more than a decade.

He was arrested in Kenya in 2021 and subsequently returned to Nigeria, where he faced terrorism-related charges arising from his activities and broadcasts linked to the separatist campaign.

A Federal High Court in Abuja later convicted Kanu on terrorism-related charges and handed him multiple life sentences. He has challenged the conviction through the judicial process.

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The conviction has continued to generate controversy, with Kanu’s supporters and some community leaders arguing that the case should be resolved through political intervention.

The Nigerian government, however, has maintained that Kanu must answer to the charges against him and that his case is subject to the country’s judicial process.

The Concerned Igbo Ministers said the continued incarceration of the IPOB leader could make it more difficult to achieve lasting peace in the region.

They urged the authorities to examine the root causes of the separatist agitation and pursue measures capable of restoring confidence among communities affected by the prolonged crisis.

The group’s intervention adds to previous calls by some Igbo religious, political and community leaders for Kanu’s release and a broader political solution to the separatist conflict.

The debate over Kanu’s fate has also extended beyond Nigeria because of his British citizenship and the involvement of his family and supporters in legal and political campaigns in the UK.

British authorities have previously faced questions over Kanu’s detention in Nigeria, particularly following his controversial transfer from Kenya.

Kanu’s family had also pursued legal action in the United Kingdom over the circumstances surrounding his return to Nigeria, although British courts have previously rejected aspects of the challenge.

The controversy has remained closely connected to the wider activities of IPOB, which campaigns for an independent Biafra.

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The Nigerian government has proscribed IPOB and accused the group and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, of involvement in violence and attacks in the South-East.

IPOB has repeatedly rejected some of the allegations attributed to it and maintained that its campaign is focused on achieving self-determination for the people of the former Eastern Region.

The wider separatist conflict has nevertheless had significant consequences for residents and businesses in the South-East, including disruptions caused by sit-at-home orders, insecurity and attacks on public infrastructure.

Security agencies have continued operations against armed groups in the region, while political and community leaders have repeatedly called for approaches that combine security measures with dialogue and economic development.

The ministers’ latest demand comes against this background, with the group arguing that Kanu’s case should be considered as part of the broader search for peace and stability.

Supporters of Kanu have long maintained that his release could help reduce tensions and create an opportunity for dialogue between the Federal Government and representatives of communities advocating greater autonomy or self-determination.

Critics of such calls, however, argue that Kanu’s conviction followed a judicial process and that any decision concerning his sentence must respect the independence of the courts.

The demand for his release therefore remains politically sensitive, particularly as the Federal Government continues to address security challenges across the South-East.

For now, Nnamdi Kanu remains in custody, while his legal challenge continues.

The latest intervention by the Concerned Igbo Ministers has further intensified the debate over whether the government should pursue a judicial, political or negotiated approach to the Kanu case and the wider Biafra separatist agitation.

The Federal Government has yet to announce any decision to accept the ministers’ demand for Kanu’s release.

Igbo Ministers Link UK Separatist Crisis to Kanu’s Conviction, Demand His Release

Driver Flees With Employer’s Car Two Days After Employment

The Ogun State Police Command has recovered a 2016 Toyota Camry allegedly taken by a newly employed driver just two days after he was hired, while an alleged accomplice has been arrested in connection with the incident.

The vehicle, belonging to an Indian national based at the Ilupeju Industrial Estate in Lagos, was recovered from a hotel in Ifo, Ogun State, less than eight hours after it was reported missing.

The police identified the fleeing driver as Waidi Olaide Kolawale, who had reportedly been employed by the vehicle owner only two days before the incident.

According to the Ogun State Police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, the incident occurred on September 9 when Kolawale allegedly told his employer that he was taking the vehicle to a nearby vulcaniser to repair a tyre.

The driver, however, allegedly failed to return with the vehicle and instead absconded with the Toyota Camry.

The vehicle owner subsequently reported the incident to the police, while electronic tracking technology was used to establish its location.

The tracking information reportedly placed the vehicle in the Ifo axis, prompting the Divisional Police Officer of Ifo Division, Kamorudeen Olabisi, to deploy surveillance and anti-robbery operatives to recover it.

The police team subsequently tracked the vehicle through several locations before locating it at a hotel in Ifo at about 8:30pm.

Police said Kolawale fled after sighting the operatives, allegedly taking the vehicle’s ignition key with him.

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However, an alleged accomplice identified as Monday Adetunji was arrested at the scene.

Preliminary investigations reportedly revealed that the suspects had approached a mechanic with an alleged plan to remove the vehicle’s catalytic converter, also known as a catalyst.

The mechanic reportedly refused to carry out the work, after which the vehicle was eventually traced to the hotel where police recovered it.

The police have since secured the recovered Toyota Camry while efforts are ongoing to apprehend Kolawale and establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged theft.

Investigators are also working to determine whether other people were involved in the alleged plan and the intended purpose of removing the vehicle’s catalytic converter.

The swift recovery was made possible in part by the vehicle’s electronic tracking system, which enabled investigators to follow its movement after the owner reported it missing.

The incident highlights the security risks that vehicle owners may face when newly employed drivers are entrusted with access to their cars, particularly high-value vehicles.

It also underscores the usefulness of vehicle tracking technology in assisting security agencies to locate stolen vehicles and potentially identify those behind their disappearance.

The Ogun Police Command has continued to emphasise surveillance, intelligence gathering and rapid response in its efforts to tackle crime across the state.

Meanwhile, the police have not disclosed whether the arrested suspect has been formally charged before a court.

Kolawale remains wanted in connection with the incident, while investigations continue to determine the full extent of the alleged offence.

The allegations against the suspects remain subject to investigation and judicial determination.

Driver Flees With Employer’s Car Two Days After Employment