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NDLEA cracks down on hard drug barons in nationwide raids
NDLEA cracks down on hard drug barons in nationwide raids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA (NDLEA) says it has recovered multi-billion-naira worth of cocaine concealed in heavy duty automobile pivot shafts, and Ghanaian fabric, Kente in a courier firm in Lagos.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, August 11, said this was among other such recoveries in a nationwide intelligence-led operation by officers of the Agency.
Babafemi said 2.32 kilograms of cocaine concealed in clothes, which was headed for the United Kingdom, was intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on Monday 5th August 2024.
He added that 10.494kg of same class A drug buried in heavy duty pivot shafts heading to the United States were recovered at the same logistics company after the NDLEA sniffer dogs fished out the automobile spare parts containing the illicit drug.
The NDLEA spokesman said in the same vein, five other consignments headed fir the US, UK and Canada were also intercepted at the courier firm in Lagos on Friday 9th August 2024.
He said they include 517 grams of cocaine in clothing materials; different quantities of pentazocine injection, promethazine injection and cocodamol pills, all heading to the UK as well as 297 pills of tramadol 225mg going to Canada.
Babafemi said in a different logistics company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 21 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 10kg coming from the US and meant for delivery in Abuja.
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He said in another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 7th August arrested a member of a cocaine trafficking network, Obiora Joseph Agudosi, at Alafia Orile, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos while attempting to move 9.00kg of cocaine to Onitsha, Anambra state.
He said two members of another cocaine syndicate based in Nnewi and Oba town, Anambra state were also arrested on Thursday 8th August in a follow up operation following the seizure of their consignments in a GUO transport company bus at Benin, Edo state same day.
“While the bus driver, Harrison Mbachu, 44, was arrested at Benin tollgate with a total of 2.865kg cocaine, Izuchkwu Arinze, 40, was picked at Nnewi town while attempting to collect his own consignment of 1.748kg cocaine and 514 grams sodium bicarbonate, with Ameachi Okoro, 39, arrested while trying to pick his own 1.117kg cocaine at Oba town,” he said.
Babafemi said meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at Tincan seaport Lagos on Wednesday 7th August intercepted 532 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 265.25kg in a black Toyota Sienna bus, which is one of the three vehicles in a container marked MSMU 6029570 coming from Montreal, Canada.
He said the seizure was made during 100% joint examination with men of Customs Service and other stakeholders.
The statement reads: “The following day, Thursday 8th August, the operatives recorded yet another seizure of 75 parcels of same substance weighing 37.5kg in a container marked FSCU-9274613, that came from Canada.
“In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 8th August with the support of men of operation Farauta Sector 3, Mayo Belwa arrested 49-year-old Joseph Peter with 425 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 291.200kg in his Toyota Camry car marked Lagos KSF 381 HM. He claimed he was bringing the consignment from Edo state to deliver in Yola, Adamawa State.
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“While two suspects: Adekunle Sunday Adebayo, 50, and Yahaya Mamuda, 35, were arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Tuesday 6th August with 29.5kg cannabis, NDLEA operatives in Lagos recovered 1,169 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance from a bus along Orchid road, Ajah on Sunday 4th August.
“No less than 1,230.00kg cannabis was destroyed on three hectares of farmland at Ikeje forest, Edimogo village, Igalamela/ Odolu LGA, Kogi state on Friday 9th August by NDLEA officers supported by men of the Nigerian Army while the owner, Danjuma Maji, 40, was arrested.
“With the same drive, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
“These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for women at Fowewe Sofuwa Islamic Centre, Saki, Oyo state; WADA sensitisation lecture and inauguration of community drug control committee at Nnando community, Anambra state; WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Ilorin, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Kwara state; and WADA sensitisation lecture to members of Ansaru-ud-deen Muslim Society of Nigeria in Ado Ekiti, among others.
“While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, Tincan, Lagos, Edo, Kano, Kogi, and Adamawa Commands as well as those of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to continue with their current balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”
NDLEA cracks down on hard drug barons in nationwide raids
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Peller Escapes Generator Fire at Lagos Home, Recalls Earlier Lekki–Epe Scare
Peller Escapes Generator Fire at Lagos Home, Recalls Earlier Lekki–Epe Scare
Nigerian TikTok sensation and streamer, Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, has narrowly escaped injury following a generator fire incident at his residence.
The social media influencer disclosed the incident on Saturday via his verified Instagram page, where he shared a video capturing the early-morning blaze. In the footage, flames could be seen engulfing his generator as Peller, visibly shaken, cried out for help while neighbors and occupants rushed to contain the fire.
After sustained efforts using buckets of water, the fire was eventually brought under control. The generator was completely destroyed, but the building itself and everyone inside the house were spared, preventing what could have escalated into a major tragedy.
Shortly after the incident, fans and followers flooded his comment section with messages of relief and gratitude, praising the swift response that prevented loss of life or further property damage. The video also circulated widely across other social media platforms, where viewers raised concerns about generator safety, ventilation, and fire preparedness in residential areas.
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As of the time of filing this report, the exact cause of the fire had not been independently confirmed, though preliminary reactions online speculated about possible fuel-related or electrical issues.
Earlier Lekki–Epe Expressway Incident
The generator fire comes months after Peller survived a separate and highly publicized scare along the Lekki–Epe Expressway.
During that earlier episode, which unfolded during a widely shared livestream, the influencer was seen driving while emotionally distressed. The broadcast, titled “RIP Peller,” sparked widespread concern after he made a series of alarming remarks that unsettled viewers.
At the time, Peller appeared agitated during a phone conversation believed to involve his girlfriend, amid online speculation about personal relationship challenges. The livestream ended abruptly after the vehicle was involved in a crash, though Peller later confirmed he survived the incident.
The back-to-back scares have renewed conversations among fans and industry observers about mental health awareness, content moderation during livestreams, and personal safety, particularly for young influencers who share real-time experiences with large audiences.
Despite the incidents, Peller has continued to engage his followers and has expressed appreciation for the overwhelming support he has received.
Peller Escapes Generator Fire at Lagos Home, Recalls Earlier Lekki–Epe Scare
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Abuja Church Expels Newly Married Woman Over Refusal to Consummate Marriage
Abuja Church Expels Newly Married Woman Over Refusal to Consummate Marriage
An Abuja-based church has expelled a newly married woman, Oyiza, after she allegedly refused to consummate her marriage with her husband, Isaac—an action that has sparked widespread debate over marital consent, religious authority, and women’s rights in Nigeria.
The couple, who were living in Ibadan, got married on September 6, 2025, following the completion of their traditional marriage rites in Okene and a court wedding in Ibadan. Oyiza is originally from Kogi State.
According to accounts presented by the husband and church officials, marital tensions began shortly after the wedding, with Oyiza reportedly declining all attempts at intimacy. She allegedly told her husband she did not love him and later accused her mother of pressuring her into the marriage.
Family members and church leaders reportedly intervened multiple times over several months in an attempt to resolve the matter. Despite repeated marriage counselling sessions, the woman was said to have maintained her position, insisting she was emotionally unprepared for the union.
Isaac claimed that prior to the wedding, Oyiza had expressed doubts about proceeding with the marriage but later reassured him and the church’s marriage committee that she was ready, leading to approval of the wedding plans.
Photos from the ceremony, later circulated on social media, showed Oyiza appearing cheerful among friends and church members. However, Isaac said the marriage quickly deteriorated after the wedding, describing the relationship as emotionally exhausting and restrictive.
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In February 2026, the controversy escalated after the church released a video on its YouTube channel announcing Oyiza’s expulsion and excommunication. The church’s International Director stated that five months of mediation had failed.
During the announcement, the cleric used strong and controversial language, accusing Oyiza of spiritual misconduct and urging members to pray against her, claiming she had disgraced the church. He also referenced traditional cultural practices, suggesting that emotional readiness should not prevent marital obligations—remarks that triggered intense backlash online.
The cleric further claimed that his wife received a spiritual revelation alleging that Oyiza was under a supernatural covenant preventing marital relations. These claims were made publicly but remain unverified.
Oyiza was not present during the announcement, and efforts to obtain her response have been unsuccessful.
The incident has since generated nationwide reactions, with many Nigerians, legal commentators, and rights advocates arguing that consent within marriage is non-negotiable and that religious institutions should not compel intimacy or publicly shame individuals over private marital disputes.
The case has reignited conversations around:
- Forced marriage and family pressure
- Consent and bodily autonomy
- Limits of church authority in private relationships
- Mental health and dignity of women
As of the time of reporting, the church has not released any further statement addressing the public criticism.
Abuja Church Expels Newly Married Woman Over Refusal to Consummate Marriage
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Pastor Sentenced to Death by Hanging for Murdering Landlord in Akwa Ibom
Pastor Sentenced to Death by Hanging for Murdering Landlord in Akwa Ibom
Prince Emmanuel Umoh, the resident pastor of Living Faith Church Chapel, Ifa Ikot Ubo–Ifa Ikot Okpon Branch in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has been sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of his landlord, Gabriel Bassey, a 500‑level civil engineering student at the University of Uyo.
Umoh was found guilty by Justice Gabriel Ette of the Akwa Ibom State High Court after evidence showed he fatally stabbed Bassey on December 21, 2020, inside the estate in Ifa Ikot Ubo, a community in Uyo Local Government Area. The judgment was delivered following a trial that lasted more than five years.
The prosecution established that Bassey had moved into his late mother’s property in Ifa Ikot Ubo to secure the family estate and be closer to school. The property previously housed a nursery school his mother built before her death in December 2019.
Court records show that part of the estate — a hall connected to a two‑bedroom apartment occupied by Bassey and his younger brother, Emmanuel Bassey — was leased to Living Faith Church for worship and community use at an annual rent of ₦150,000, with permission from Bassey’s father, Emana Bassey, a retired principal. The church began using the hall before the full rent was paid.
Umoh, who was later appointed the chapel’s first resident pastor, was given a spare key to the deceased’s apartment to allow access to church property stored inside. Evidence presented in court revealed that after this arrangement, personal items belonging to the deceased’s late mother — including clothing, dishes and valuables — began to go missing.
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The father, Mr. Emana Bassey, testified that he initially approved the spare key arrangement. However, when items started disappearing, he instructed his son to return the key. The defendant claimed he had lost the key, prompting concerns over security. The church’s senior pastor, Owoidoho Akpan, who testified for the defence, gave the Bassey family ₦5,000 to replace the locks. After the locks were changed, no further items were reported missing, the court heard.
Additional tensions arose between Umoh and Bassey over the use of rent funds supposedly meant for hall renovations, with disagreements escalating in the weeks leading up to the murder.
On the day of the incident, neighbours observed Umoh entering the premises shortly before cries of “Jesus” were heard. Minutes later, he was seen wearing a blood‑stained white garment, claiming he had fallen while fixing a banner. Bassey was not seen alive again.
Five days later, on December 26, 2020, Bassey’s decomposing body was found in his room, wrapped in a mat with multiple stab wounds and a butcher’s knife beside him. Forensic evidence and witness testimony linked Umoh to the crime, with bloodstains on his clothing and the fact that he was the last person seen with the deceased.
Umoh was arraigned on December 6, 2021, on a single count of murder. He pleaded not guilty, and the prosecution called six witnesses, including members of the Bassey family and church officials, to support its case.
In his lengthy judgment, Justice Ette described the crime as deeply troubling and a betrayal of trust, particularly because it was committed by a religious leader on church grounds.
“Life is sacred, and those who represent God on earth should teach that. It is an irony and quite appalling when a man who claims to be the representative of the divine on earth stoops so low as to denigrate the very essence of his calling and take someone’s life on the premises of the church,” the judge said.
He added that individuals who violate public trust in this way threaten society and must be punished in accordance with the law.
Having found the defendant guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the court pronounced sentence:
“I hereby sentence you to death by hanging.”
The conviction brings to an end nearly six years of legal proceedings and underscores the rule of law in Akwa Ibom State, even when the accused holds a position of religious leadership.
Pastor Sentenced to Death by Hanging for Murdering Landlord in Akwa Ibom
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