NDLEA Freezes N9.8bn, Seizes Filling Station, Buildings, SUVs in Major Drug Bust

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared a suspected drug kingpin and three of his associates wanted over their alleged involvement in operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory, producing illicit drugs and laundering proceeds from the illegal business. The agency also disclosed that it had frozen bank accounts linked to the suspects with a combined balance of N9,840,873,566.66 and secured interim forfeiture orders over several high-value assets allegedly acquired through drug proceeds. The suspects declared wanted are Nnamuka Kelvin Uchenna, popularly known as Odogwu; Emmanuella Chinonso Iroka; Nnamuka Ifeanyi Kingsley; and Ekechi Franklin Chijioke, also known as Ekene Okwunaga. According to the NDLEA, all four suspects have gone into hiding and are now fugitives from justice.

The declaration was based on an order granted by Justice Iniekenimi Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court in Owerri, Imo State, following an application filed by the NDLEA in Suit No. FHC/OW/CS/22/2026 on July 3, 2026. The case stems from the discovery of a clandestine methamphetamine-producing laboratory at Isiozi in Umuaka, Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, on February 25, 2026. During the operation, NDLEA operatives recovered 18.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and other incriminating items. Subsequent investigations and forensic analysis linked the four wanted suspects to the illegal laboratory and the wider drug syndicate.

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Through forensic financial investigation, NDLEA operatives traced and froze bank accounts linked to the suspects with a combined balance of N9,840,873,566.66. The agency also secured interim forfeiture orders covering multi-billion-naira assets allegedly owned by members of the syndicate. The seized assets include a filling station, multi-storey residential buildings, and four Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) with registration numbers: RLU 148 AJ, KJA 563 FZ, BWR 249 DY, and FST 208 HU.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and operatives involved in the operation, describing it as a clear demonstration of the agency’s resolve to dismantle drug trafficking networks and disrupt the financial architecture that sustains them. “This latest operation reaffirms our unwavering commitment to tracking down drug kingpins and their collaborators, no matter how sophisticated their network or how long they attempt to evade justice,” Marwa said. “The discovery of this clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Njaba, and the subsequent freezing of nearly ten billion naira in illicit funds, alongside the forfeiture of a filling station, multi-storey buildings and four exotic SUVs, sends an unambiguous message that the illegal drug business is no longer a safe haven for criminals seeking to launder their ill-gotten wealth through legitimate enterprises,” he added.

Marwa assured Nigerians that the agency would not relent in going after the fleeing suspects and anyone else linked to the syndicate. He also appealed to members of the public with useful information on the whereabouts of the wanted suspects to report to the nearest NDLEA office or through the agency’s confidential lines.

NDLEA Freezes N9.8bn, Seizes Filling Station, Buildings, SUVs in Major Drug Bust

FG Arraigns Three Suspects Over Abduction of Oyo Schoolchildren, Teachers

The Federal Government has arraigned three suspects before the Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged involvement in the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The defendants, who were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), are facing a 10-count charge bordering on terrorism, kidnapping, concealment of information, incitement to terrorism and illegal mining. The defendants were identified as Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, also known as Yunusa bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar. All three are natives of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.

According to the charge sheet, the three defendants allegedly conspired with three other suspects identified as Muhammad Sani, Jibril Mohammed and Ibrahim Khabab between January and May 2026 to kidnap schoolchildren and teachers in Oriire LGA, Oyo State. The alleged conspiracy is said to have violated Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The Federal Government also accused the defendants of aiding the execution of the abduction and deliberately concealing information regarding the identities and activities of the alleged masterminds despite having prior knowledge of the plot. The offences, according to the prosecution, contravene Sections 26(2) and 16(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In one of the charges, the Federal Government alleged that on or about June 2, 2026, the defendants professed membership of Darul Salam, an organisation described as an affiliate of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan, popularly known as Ansaru, a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria. The alleged offence is said to be contrary to Section 25(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act. The prosecution further alleged that the first defendant, Abdulrazak Umar, played a more active role in the activities of the terrorist group. According to the charge, Umar allegedly provided training and operational instructions to terrorists and incited members to commit acts of terrorism through a WhatsApp group titled “The Oneness of Allah is the Foundation of Peace”. The alleged offences are said to contravene Sections 15 and 2(2)(g) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, as well as Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.

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Apart from the terrorism-related charges, the Federal Government also accused Umar of engaging in illegal mining activities. The prosecution alleged that between 2024 and 2026, he unlawfully mined gold at streams located in the Chaza area of Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State, contrary to Section 8(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

The charges follow the abduction of pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15, 2026. Armed bandits invaded Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele, and Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers in one of the most shocking school attacks recorded in Oyo State. The attack also claimed the lives of a teacher and a commercial motorcyclist. One of the teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was beheaded in captivity. The kidnappers had initially demanded the release of detained terrorist commanders, payment of a 1 billion Naira ransom, two Hilux vehicles and the implementation of Sharia-related laws as conditions for freeing the victims.

The captives regained their freedom after 56 days in captivity on July 10, 2026, following a coordinated operation involving the military, the DSS and other security agencies. Security operatives advanced into the forest from multiple directions, engaging suspected kidnappers in a series of encounters that led to the rescue of all surviving hostages. According to security sources, the arrest of wives and children of the kidnappers proved to be a decisive turning point in the rescue operation. The family members were interrogated, and video recordings of the interrogations were leaked to the kidnappers, which reportedly unsettled them and forced them to abandon some of their earlier hardline demands. The kidnappers proposed releasing the captives in exchange for the freedom of their wives, a proposal that security agencies rejected. The final assault was ordered after fresh intelligence confirmed that the abducted schoolchildren and teachers were no longer being used as human shields. During the operation, several terrorists were killed, while eight others were arrested.

According to security sources, the suspects are expected to appear in court next week following the conclusion of investigations. The source added that investigations are still ongoing into the activities of other suspects linked to the case, stressing that the agency is committed to carrying out a thorough and diligent probe.

FG Arraigns Three Suspects Over Abduction of Oyo Schoolchildren, Teachers

All We Want Is Her Body – Mary Habila’s Father Pleads with IGP for Daughter’s Release

The family of the late Mary Habila, the 26-year-old nurse who died at the residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, demanding the immediate release of her remains for burial. Her father, Tanko Habila, accompanied by his wife, other family members and their legal representatives, submitted the petition at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Friday, July 17, 2026. Speaking to journalists shortly after filing the petition, the grieving father expressed deep frustration that nearly two weeks after his daughter’s death on June 27, 2026, the Ebonyi State Police Command had refused to release her body to the family for burial. According to him, the family was not interested in an autopsy and had no reason to suspect foul play in the circumstances surrounding Mary’s death. He argued that sudden deaths can occur without necessarily involving criminality. “As we are standing here, somebody can fall and die. It has happened. All we want is her body to be buried,” Tanko Habila said.

The petition, submitted through the family’s solicitors, K.A. Yusuf & Associates, alleged that despite repeated applications, personal visits and compliance with all lawful requirements, the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police had continued to refuse to authorise the release of Habila’s body. The family argued that the prolonged withholding of the body has caused “immense emotional, psychological, financial and cultural hardship,” depriving them of the opportunity to perform customary and religious burial rites. According to an affidavit earlier filed before the High Court of Justice in Ebonyi State, the family stated that it did not suspect any criminal act or foul play in Habila’s death and therefore saw no need for further investigation. The family maintained that its decision was made voluntarily and without pressure, coercion or inducement from any person. The family asked the IGP to transfer the matter from the Ebonyi State Police Command to the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, direct the immediate release of the body for burial, and investigate any officer found to have acted unlawfully.

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Despite the family’s opposition, the Ebonyi State Police Command has maintained that a post-mortem examination is critical to establishing the exact cause and circumstances of Habila’s death before concluding its ongoing investigation. Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed in a statement that the command received a distress call on June 27 from the Divisional Police Officer, Ohaozara Division, reporting a medical emergency involving Habila and requesting his presence at David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu. On arrival, the DPO was informed by hospital authorities that Habila had been brought in dead, prompting the Commissioner of Police to transfer the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough investigation. Preliminary findings indicated that Habila and a colleague were members of the medical team attached to the Minister of Works and had accompanied him to his hometown in Uburu, where she died in a room within the compound of his residence. “The Command considers the examination necessary, given the sensitive nature of the case and the imperative of establishing the true cause of death,” Ukandu stated. The command said it is awaiting the attendance of the deceased’s family or their duly authorised representative before the examination can be conducted.

Minister of Works David Umahi personally addressed the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death at a press conference in Abuja, describing her as a “daughter” and dismissing allegations linking him or his office to the incident. According to Umahi, Habila, a nurse employed by the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu, had lived with his family for about three years and had been battling an underlying medical condition for which he personally funded her treatment. He revealed that her latest medical bill amounted to about N2.2 million, which he said was paid by him. “The lady in question was like a daughter to me. She stayed with me for three years. She was a staff of the David Umahi Federal Teaching Hospital, Uburu. She was a nurse, not a physiotherapist, and her family and my family are like one,” Umahi said. Umahi disclosed that available evidence indicated that Habila had spoken with her boyfriend shortly before her death, complaining of persistent nose bleeding. She was later found dead after colleagues forced open the door to her room, which had been locked from the inside, with the bathroom tap still running. The minister rejected claims of foul play and condemned attempts to politicise what he described as a painful personal loss. He also disclosed that he had requested the Inspector-General of Police to transfer the investigation to Abuja to guarantee transparency and public confidence in the process.

The case has generated widespread public attention, with conflicting accounts and social media speculation fuelling demands for a transparent investigation. The Allied People’s Movement (APM) has called on President Bola Tinubu to suspend Umahi and order an open, independent inquest into the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has similarly urged the IGP to transfer the investigation from the Ebonyi State Police Command to Force Headquarters to guarantee transparency. The Southern Kaduna Youth Movement (SKYM) has also petitioned the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, seeking an independent investigation into the matter. Additionally, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Association of University Students (NAUS) have called for a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation, while the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has recommended that President Tinubu order Umahi to step down temporarily to allow for a comprehensive inquiry.

All We Want Is Her Body – Mary Habila’s Father Pleads with IGP for Daughter’s Release