NDLEA seizes Abuja-bound ‘laughing gas’ consignments, intercepts illicit drugs in Lagos, Kogi, others

Over four tons of illicit and controlled drugs including consignments of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas, skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and tramadol have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, during interdiction operations in Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo states.

A statement signed by spokesman of the anti-narcotic agency, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, also said 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas with a total weight of 2,547.2 kilograms loaded in two Toyota Sienna buses were on Friday 22nd September intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.

According to the statement : “Two suspects: Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe who were taking the consignments to the nation’s Federal Capital Territory for distribution have been arrested and taken into custody.

” While one of the Toyota Sienna buses marked KTU 582 HV was conveying 99 cartons containing 594 cylinders weighing 1,267.200kgs, the second bus with registration number FKJ 329 YA was conveying 100 cartons of the substance with 600 cylinders weighing 1,280kgs. A 48-year-old woman, Mrs. Ugo Eluba was also arrested in Abuja in a follow up operation after 2,400 ampules of pentazocine injection and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 intercepted in Kogi state were traced to her.

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“In the FCT, operatives intercepted 977 kilograms of skunk on Wednesday 20th September in a trailer marked LSR 343 XW, bearing cartons of maggi. The skunk consignment was loaded into the truck at Ipele junction in Ondo state. While 959kgs of the substance were meant for distribution in Sokoto state, the rest was to be dropped off at Gwagwalada. Two suspects: Auwal Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar have been arrested in connection with the seizure, while two other suspects: Mutari Abdulazeez, 31, and Ayuba Madaki, 28, were also arrested on Saturday 23rd September at Zuba area of the FCT with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis and 13, 930 pills of tramadol.

“In the same vein, Shuaibu Yusif, 27, and Abubakar Hussaini, 20, were on Saturday 23rd September nabbed with 89.1kgs of skunk along Kano -Hadejia road, Jigawa state during a stop and search patrol by NDLEA operatives.

” No fewer than 6,000 ampules of pentazocine injection were recovered from a suspect, Usman Musa Sidi, 35, on Monday 18th September along Abuja – Forest road, Kaduna while on his way to Bauchi state. A follow up operation in Bauchi led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Dominic Chukwuma, 35, on Tuesday 19th September, with at least 2.58kgs of Diazepam and 36.55kgs of pentazocine injection recovered from his home. Two other suspects: Inuwa Nuhu and Isiyaku Dahiru Sani were also arrested same Tuesday in connection with the seizure of 49 blocks of cannabis sativa concealed in a black sack weighing 26kgs in a commercial vehicle coming from Ogere, Ogun state to Kano.

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“While a total of 183kgs of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from body compartments of a J5 bus intercepted in Lagos on Wednesday 20th September, operatives in Sokoto, on Tuesday 19th September arrested one Charles Okeke, 44, with 473 bottles of codeine syrup at Unguwar Kosai area of Sokoto. In Edo state, 365 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 258kgs were recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KTU 886 EZ at Igarra, Akoko Edo LGA.

“In a massive operation between Monday 11th and Wednesday 13th September, NDLEA operatives stormed thick forests in Ijesha Isu-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti state, where they destroyed 40 tons (40,000 kilograms) of cannabis plants covering 16 hectares of farmland.”

NDLEA seizes Abuja-bound ‘laughing gas’ consignments, intercepts illicit drugs in Lagos, Kogi, others

‘It’s not Buhari, El-Rufai or Islam related’ – Rep seeks massive retweet of S/Kaduna’s illegal gun factory

A member of the House of Representatives for Kaduna North Federal constituency, Muhammed El-Rufai, has called for a massive retweet of a post on X (formerly Twitter) on the discovery of illegal gun factory in Southern Kaduna.

The lawmaker, who is a son of former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in a post on his verified X handle on Saturday, shared a tweet by one Kawu Garba, on the gun factory in Kaduna and urged followers to retweet aggressively.

“Please retweet aggressively. The normal failures will not because it is not Buhari, El-Rufa’i or Islam related,” the outspoken lawmaker said.

 “The Nigerian army discovered a gun factory in Kafanchan, Southern Kaduna. The owner of the factory Monday Dunia has confessed to fueling the crisis in Kaduna and Plateau to keep his business running.

” History will always be kind to Malam Nasiru El-rufa’i. I hope the fools that have never been to Kaduna State but always throw baseless accusations against him can read what’s written on the wall.”

It would be recalled that the Nigerian Army had on Friday uncovered a gun manufacturing factory in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

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A statement shared on the verified social media pages of the Nigerian Army, said the feat was recorded by men of Operation SAFE HAVEN in the Southern Kaduna axis.

It reads in full : “In line with the Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Armoured Division, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar’s resolve to deal decisively with sponsors and perpetrators of crime as well as mopping up illegal weapons in OPSH Joint Operations Area, troops have uncovered a gun manufacturing factory in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The discovery followed a week long intelligence operations that finally led to the capture of a wanted gunrunner Napoleon John who has been on the wanted list of OPSH. The suspect who confessed to the crime led troops to a concealed factory where arms of different calibre were sold by another miscreant identified as Monday Dunia, who confessed to have been in the business for more than five years fuelling the crisis in Kaduna and neighbouring Plateau States.

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A thorough search of the factory led to the recovery of 22 different weapons to include 7 pistols, 2 locally fabricated AK 47 rifles, 2 military grade AK 47 rifles and 9 revolvers. Others include one submachine gun, rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, machine tools and a gas cylinder. In a follow on operations by midnight of yesterday uptill early hours of today, 22 September 2023, troops raided another hideout in Adua 1 village in Kafanchan and captured additional 2 x AK-47 Rifles, 2 x revolver rifles, live rounds of 9mm and 7.62 ammunitions, 6 x dangerous daggers, one x hacker axe, several empty cases of 7.62mm special rounds, 2 mobile phones, one fragmental jacket, 2 Police uniforms, one military camouflage trousers, one ammunition magazine carrier, one pistol holster, one military grade camel pouch, one police combat helmet, 2 masks, 4 identity cards, gunpowder, shrapnels, charms and amulets. Also recovered were machine tools and other equipment. The major kingpin(name withheld) is still on the run but would soon be apprehended.

While commending troops for their doggedness and resilience, the GOC/ Commander OPSH also vowed to ensure all fleeing syndicate members were arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law. He warned sponsors and perpetrators of criminalities to immediately abandon their evil ways and embrace lawful means of livelihood.

General AE Abubakar also thanked the general public for their unwavering support in the fight against criminality and urged them not to relent in furnishing the troops with actionable information. He further assured to treat information provided with utmost secrecy and confidentiality.

Recall that the GOC/Commander OPSH issued a stern warning to criminals during a stakeholders’ engagement with traditional and religious leaders on 10 September 2023 held at Zangon Kataf.”

‘It’s not Buhari, El-Rufai or Islam related’ – Rep seeks massive retweet of S/Kaduna’s illegal gun factory

33 killed in petrol warehouse fire at Seme border

A fire at a smuggled petrol warehouse in Seme Krake, a Beninous town on the border with Nigeria yesterday left no fewer than 33 people dead, local authorities said.

Dallys Ahouangbegnon, chief of the local fire brigade, said the fire, which broke out close to the pineapple market in the town, spread to houses and vehicles parked near the site.

Three injured individuals were evacuated for medical treatment.

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Some of those who managed to escape to Banouto from the scene described the effect of the fire as catastrophic and the loss of lives and property as staggering.

Firefighters who rushed to the scene had a hectic time quelling the fire, they said.

Smuggled petrol from Nigeria continues to thrive despite the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government; an action that drove up fuel price.

Thousands of litres of petrol sold on the streets of Benin’s towns and neighborhoods generally come from stations located along the Benin-Nigeria border.

The trade, which generates huge profits, also entails major risks, given the precarious conditions in which the product is stored. As a result, fires occur frequently with heavy tolls.

33 killed in petrol warehouse fire at Seme border