Tag: NDLEA

Alleged drug deal: DCP Kyari ask court to strike out case

In the motion filed by his counsel Ikpeazu Ikpeazu, suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, has asked the court to strike out the drug trafficking charges preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), alleging that the offence his being tried for was committed during a police investigation and the Police Service Commission (PSC) has the authority to discipline the offenders.

According to his counsel, Ikpeazu said the five-count charge is similar or related to allegations previously made by the applicants’ Police Service Commission in respect of disciplinary action against police officers and it was for the same subject matter and for the same period.

It reads: “This charge against the applicants’ affected the completion of this constitutional procedure.

The application adds that the internal disciplinary action of the Police Service Commission provided by the Constitution against Abba Kyari and other applicants is a condition precedent before they can be charged by any other security agent/agency.

The disciplinary action by the Police Service Commission commenced earnestly and timely. The applicants had previously answered a query issued to them by the police authority before the charge herein was filed against the applicants.

I know as a fact that the Police Service Commission has through the office of the IGP commenced the disciplinary procedure against the applicants and other defendants prior to the institution of this charge.

Without subjecting the applicants to the police disciplinary procedures that are constitutionally set down, the applicants are charged before the federal high court with counts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 under the NDLEA act and alleged to have committed the offenses in the course of the performance of their duties as police officers.

Failure of the complainant herein to await the disciplinary action against the applicants renders the charge incompetent and deprives this court of jurisdiction to entertain this charge.”the court notice read in part

It added that Abba Kyari and others have not waived their rights under the police disciplinary control which has begun before the instant charge was filed.

October 19, 2022
NDLEA arrests 121 suspects, seals 13 properties in Kaduna

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kaduna State Command, have arrested 121 suspected drug traffickers and sealed 13 properties belonging to them.

The NDLEA Commander, Mr Umar Adoro, told newsmen on Monday in Kaduna that the operation was conducted in September.

Adoro said 27 notorious drug joints were dismantled across the state.

He said the illicit drug outlets were located in Kawo, Kabala Costain, Numba Zango, Zaria City, Sabon gari, Nupe street and Unguwar Muazu.

Others are Unguwar shanu, Maraban Jos, Dan Magaji, Hayin Banki and Kafanchan among others.

He added that among the 121 suspects, 13 were females.

The commander said the drugs seized included 247,172kg Indian hemp, 0.041kg Cocaine, 0.004kg of heroin, 0.363kg of Tramadol, 74, 441kg Psychotropic substance and 0.001kg Methamphetamine.

“The grand total weight of drugs seized was 322,476kg within the period under review,” he added.

The Commander appealed to citizens for timely and useful information on illicit drug dealers, to enable the agency to take prompt action.

He advised parents and guardians to always be watchful of their wards on the friends they moved with all the time .

He said the war against drug trafficking and consumption would continue until it was brought to a standstill in the state.

October 3, 2022
BREAKING: NDLEA busts mansion in VGC, discover 13million pills of Tramadol

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has busted a mansion stored with a large amount of Tramadol in Lagos.

The substances are contained in hundreds of cartons kept in a house in Victoria Garden City (VGC).

The estate, mostly occupied by the rich, is located along the Lekki-Ajah corridor.

NDLEA Director of Media, Femi Babafemi announced the operation Monday morning.

“Another VGC drug bust! As massive and beautiful this mansion located in highbrow VGC Lekki Lagos, pictured here looks, it’s not occupied by humans.

“Used to warehouse over 13million pills of Tramadol 225mg by another billionaire drug baron now in @ndlea_nigeria net”, Babafemi tweeted.

October 3, 2022
[Videos/Photos]: Ex-footballer nabbed at Lagos airport for cocaine trafficking

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested an ex-footballer, Okafor Emmanuel Junior at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on his arrival from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on board an Ethiopian airlines flight with 1.40kg crack cocaine concealed in his bags.

The 33-year-old indigene of Arochukwu Local Government, Abia State was arrested on Monday 26th September 2022 after anti-narcotic officers discovered he concealed the illicit substance in the handles of his bags and padded the top edges of same with the class A drug.

During preliminary interview, Okafor disclosed that he was an ex-footballer with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH Enugu FC, where he played for four seasons before leaving for Sri Lanka in 2014.

He further stated that he moved to Brazil from Sri Lanka after playing for two seasons but could not advance his football career in Brazil due lack of official documents.

Another Brazilian returnee, Ibeh Chinedu Damian was arrested same day upon his arrival at the Lagos airport from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Ethiopian airlines flight. Ibeh who hails from Ahiazu, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, was found to have concealed 3.20kg black cocaine popularly known as ‘Lucci’ in false bottoms of his two bags.

In his statement, he said he was to be paid three million, one hundred thousand naira (N3,100,000) on successful delivery of the drug in Nigeria.

In the same vein, attempt by a 32-year-old businesswoman, Mrs. Pamela Odin to traffic 2.150kg tablets of rohypnol through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja to Istanbul, Turkey has been thwarted by NDLEA operatives. The mother of one was arrested on Friday 23rd Sept. while attempting to board a Turkish airline flight with the drug concealed inside pepper and packed among foodstuff.

The indigene of Afiesere village, Ughelli North Local Government, Delta State said she operates a restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey but came to Nigeria to see her relatives and buy food items for her restaurant business.

Meanwhile, two Malians: Mohammed Demoele, 38 and Coulibaly Maliki, 56, have been arrested by officers of the Marine Unit of NDLEA at Ebute Ero jetty in Lagos for attempting to export 34.2kg bottles of new psychoactive substance, Akuskura to Mali through Cotonou, Benin Republic.

In Taraba state, operatives on Thursday 29th Sept. intercepted 100 compressed blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 73.500kg, concealed inside animal feeds, while their counterparts in Ogun state on Saturday 1st October arrested a physically challenged drug dealer, Abdulraham Mohammed, with 104kg of compressed Cannabis Sativa recovered from him. Another suspect, Ms. Safiya Bello, was also arrested in Shagamu area of the state with 27kg of the psychotropic substance.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of Seaports Operations, MMIA, Ogun, and Taraba Commands for their resilience, while charging them and others across the country to intensify ongoing offensive action against drug cartels and traffickers wherever they may be located in any part of Nigeria.

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October 2, 2022
Buhari hails NDLEA boss, Marwa on unmatched drug bust

President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), on the successful operation of the Agency under him.

Buhari stated this against the backdrop of operations that have led to the smashing of an international drug syndicate and recovery of the largest cocaine haul measuring 1,855kilograms.

In a telephone call to the chairman of the anti-narcotics agency from New York where he is attending the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77), President Buhari said that the news of the recovery gladdens his heart.

Also Read

NDLEA intercepts 18 pump action guns, 1,300 Catridges in Kogi

“I deeply appreciate the work that you have put into the eradication of the drug menace. It gladdens my heart as I continue to follow the successes achieved under your leadership.

“You have demonstrated over and again that choosing you to lead this fight against wicked merchants of death whose sole aim is to endanger and truncate the future of our youth is a very good choice. Please keep up the good work,” he said.

At a meeting later with members of his delegation, the President in a statement by his media aide, Femi Adesina, said, “Buba Marwa is doing well. Two tonnes of cocaine, that’s a haul.”

September 20, 2022
BREAKING: Cocaine warehouse busted in Lagos, N193bn worth of crack seized

In what appears to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s premier anti-narcotic agency, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos where 1.8tons (1,855 kilograms) of the illicit drug worth more than Two Hundred and Seventy Eight Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($278, 250,000) equivalent of about One Hundred and Ninety Four Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy Five Million (N194, 775,000,000) Naira in street value were seized.

At least, four drug barons including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager have been arrested in the well-coordinated and intelligence-led operation that lasted two days across different locations in Lagos state. Kingpins of the cocaine cartel in custody include Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo state; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra state; Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo state; Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo state and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica. They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the Agency has been trailing since 2018.

Located at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, the warehouse was raided on Sunday 18th September, 2022, according to a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, while the barons were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between Sunday night and Monday 19th September.

The statement reads in part “Preliminary investigation reveals the class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums.

“While commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation including those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the bust is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed”.

September 19, 2022
NDLEA intercepts 18 pump action guns, 1,300 Catridges in Kogi

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on patrol along Okene-Abuja highway, on Saturday, September 17, 2022, intercepted a J-5 bus with 18 pieces of pump action rifles and 1,300 cartridges in Kogi State.

The vehicle was coming from Onitsha, Anambra State enroute Kaduna-Zaria in Kaduna State.

The anti-narcotics agency said two suspects conveying the arms and ammunition, Chukwudi Aronu, 51, and Shuaibu Gambo, 23, were arrested.

This was revealed in a statement signed by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.

He also said, “Another suspect, Anthony Agada, 37, conveying 1,000 cartridges, was equally nabbed in a bus coming from Onitsha to Abuja same day.”

Meanwhile, in another operation by NDLEA operatives, 1,404 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,040 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized from a vehicle coming from Onitsha enroute Sokoto, with the receiver, Stanley Raymond, 39, and the sender, Shadrack Ifediora, 46, arrested in follow-up operations in Sokoto and Anambra respectively.

Also, operatives of the NDLEA, on Tuesday, September 13, intercepted another trafficker, Chukwu Kingsley, on his way to Rome, Italy on an Asky Airline flight.

A search of his luggage shows he had concealed among food condiments 11,460 tablets of tramadol 225mg with a gross weight of 5.7kg and 39 bottles of codeine syrup. The 49-year-old suspect is a known haulage agent who hails from Oru West local government area of Imo State.

Also, at the Lagos airport, a freight agent, Lawal Adeyemi, was arrested same day for attempting to export some sachets of lexotan among other non-controlled drugs to Liberia, while operatives equally seized 593.90 kilograms of khat leaf at the NAHCO import shed of the airport on Thursday, September 15 after a joint examination of the cargo by a combined team of security agencies.

September 19, 2022
Back from Ethiopian prison, ex-convict arrested with cocaine at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an ex-convict, Onyeka Madukolu, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, for importing 5.90 kilograms of cocaine.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that the drugs were concealed in cans of deodorants and ladies’ lip gloss and were imported into Nigeria.

He said that the suspect was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in Ethiopia for drug trafficking offences and released from prison in 2020.

He added that he was again arrested on Friday at the Lagos Airport on his return from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

He also added that a search of his luggage revealed he had concealed 5.90kg cocaine inside cans of deodorants and female lip gloss.

“During preliminary interview, he claimed to have gone into the drug business to raise fresh capital to start a legitimate business after his release from Ethiopian prison in 2020.

“The father of two kids, one each from a Nigerian woman and a Brazilian lady, said he was into motor spare parts business before going into the criminal trade.

“The 44-year old indigene of Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra, said he was expecting to be paid N2 million on successful delivery of the illicit drug in Nigeria,” he said.

https://twitter.com/FemiBabafemi/status/1571480862855667713

NDLEA intercepts 26,600 bottles of psychoactive substance ‘Akuskura’ in Kano, arrests producer

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an alleged notable producer of new psychoactive substance, popularly called Akuskura with 26,600 bottles of the illicit substances.

The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, that the suspect was arrested on Sept. 13.

Babafemi said the suspect, Qasim Ademola, was arrested by anti-narcotic officers with the Akuskura substances meant for distribution across Northern states.

He said that the consignment was seized on Sept.15 along Zaria-Kano road, Gadar Tamburawa, Kano.

He added that the 39-year old proprietor from Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State and three of his distributors, were arrested in follow-up operations.

In another development, NDLEA operatives intercepted a drug trafficker, Chukwu Kingsley on his way to Rome, Italy on an Asky Airline Flight.

Babafemi said that a search on his luggage showed he had concealed among food condiments 11,460 tablets of tramadol 225mg with a gross weight of 5.7kg and 39 bottles of Codeine Syrup.

He said that the 49-year old suspect was a known haulage agent who hailed from Oru West Local Government Area of Imo.

Also at the Lagos airport, a freight agent, Lawal Adeyemi, was arrested same day for attempting to export some sachets of lexotan, among other non-controlled drugs to Liberia.

Babafemi said that the NDLEA operatives however, equally seized 593.90 kilograms of khat leaf at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) import shed of the airport on Sept. 15.

This he said, was after a joint examination of the cargo by a combined team of security agencies.

Babafemi said the Chairman, NDLEA, retired, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the command and their counterparts in Lagos and Kano for their vigilance and resilience.

Marwa charged them and others across the country, to remain focussed as they daily discharge their responsibilities.

NDLEA impounds 18 pump action guns, 2,300 cartridges in Kogi

NDLEA impounded a Peugeot J5 vehicle loaded with 18 pieces of pump action rifles and 1,300 cartridges in Kogi on Saturday.

The vehicle took off from Onitsha in Anambra and was heading to Zaria in Kaduna State when it was intercepted on the Okene-Abuja Highway.

NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that two suspects found in the vehicle, Chukwudi Aronu, 51, and Shuaibu Gambo, 23, were arrested.

He added that also on Saturday, one Anthony Agada, 37, conveying 1,000 ammunition cartridges to Abuja from Onitsha was nabbed in a bus.

He stated also that 1,404 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,040 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized from another vehicle which also took off from Onitsha and was heading to Sokoto.

Babafemi added that the arranged receiver of the drugs, Stanley Raymond, 39, was arrested in Sokoto, while the sender, Shadrack Ifediora, 46, was simultaneously arrested in Onitsha.

Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, a drug dealer, Mohammed Dalhatu aka Dawa, was arrested at Sabon Gari, Zaria with eight bags of Indian hemp weighing 67kg.

Another suspect, Maikudi Hassan, was arrested at Gubuci village in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State also with five bags of Indian hemp weighing 54.2kg.

“On Thursday Sept. 15, operatives also arrested Mary Ugwu and Hawwa Idi, at Anchau town in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State with 721 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 37,000 tablets of Exol-5 and nine ampoules of diazepam injection as well as 6.8kg of rubber solution.

“In Edo, NDLEA recovered 285kg of Indian hemp in two raids at Okpuje, Owan West Local Government Area, on Friday Sept. 16.

“In Lagos, 972.5kg of Indian hemp was recovered from an electronics shop at Alaba Market and one of the suspects, Mrs Ebere Aja, 38, was arrested.

“Not less than 335.1kg of Indian hemp was also seized in a raid at Kwanar Kundum area of Bauchi town, where two suspects, Usman Garba and Najib Ibrahim, were arrested,’’ Babafemi stated.

Babafemi quoted NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa as directing that the arms and ammunition impounded in Kogi be hand over to the police for further investigation.

September 18, 2022
Kyari denies ownership of estate, shopping mall, polo field

Embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, on Monday, spoke on the allegation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) that he owns some assets ranging from polo playground, lands, farmland, shopping mall, residential estate across the country.

Kyari debunked the allegation saying that he doesn’t own those properties linked to him by NDLEA.

Kyari who spoke through his legal adviser, , Hamza Tani on Monday said the allegation was cooked up by NDLEA to further compound his woes.

According to him, the agency resorted to cheap blackmail because “NDLEA’s case in court against Abba Kyari and four others is not going well for them.”

Meanwhile, Kyari has released the details of the money in his account.

They are N2.8 million in his UBA account, the only account he has been using for the past eight years; 7,000 pounds in GTB kept over eight years ago and N350,000 in GTB kept many years ago.

Others were N200,000 in Sterling Bank and Access Bank account not in use for over eight years.

His lawyer said, “They expected the court case to go smoothly in their favour the way their sponsored media trials went viral between February and April 2022. They failed to understand that unlike media trials, courts need real evidence and facts which NDLEA don’t have in this case.

“By all means, out of desperation, again, NDLEA wanted to spoil Abba Kyari’s name at all cost because they know that all their initial efforts have failed as overwhelming majority of good Nigerians who want peace and security for the nation are still behind Abba Kyari despite the set-up by NDLEA against Abba Kyari in January 2022, which was followed by massive sponsored media trial earlier this year.

“Again, NDLEA is sponsoring fabricated lies, untrue stories, and flimsy allegations, trumped-up and false charges in court without justification against Abba kyari.”

He recalled that on August 29, 2022, Justice Inyang Ekwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a suit filed by the Attorney-General of Federation to extradite Abba Kyari to the United States of America.

“On August 30, the NDLEA filed another 24 Count charges against DCP Abba Kyari just to mislead the general public and tarnish his image despite the same matter being before Federal High Court in Maiduguri and without any evidence linking Abba Kyari to any of those properties or any link to any drug money, stealing government money or any proceed of any crime,” Tani said.

Tani further explained that NDLEA was up to a mischief, adding that the allegations linking his clint to those properties were thoughtless, baseless and misleading the general public.

Tani’s statement partly reads, “The businessmen who own those properties and gave their documents have already filed their cases against NDLEA in Federal High Court Maiduguri. The NDLEA without any evidence went and marked innocent people’s properties in Maiduguri and Abuja in April 2022 and released the news to the media which went viral April 2022.

“These whole properties matter is before Federal High Court in Maiduguri but NDLEA is still desperate by trying to link Abba Kyari without any evidence to financial crimes and properties that do not belong to him, neither is there one kobo of drug money or any crime money that is linked to Abba Kyari in any way.

September 6, 2022
Embattled super cop, Abba Kyari again denied bail in drug case

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT) has dismissed the fresh bail application filed by embattled super cop, DCP Abba Kyari.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling on Tuesday, held that Kyari had not given sufficient grounds for the application to be granted.

The judge said the detained police officer failed to raise new facts in his latest application after being denied the earlier bail request.

Nwite consequently adjourned the matter until Oct 19, Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 for trial continuation.

The judge had, on July 20, fixed today for the ruling on the bail plea filed by Kyari and other police officers charged by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for drug offence.

Kyari had prayed the court for another bail following the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by terrorists who freed scores of their members.

Kyari and other defendants are being detained in the Kuje Correctional Centre. On July 5, Boko Haram breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), led an attack on the custodial centre.

The Federal Government said 879 detainees escaped, including all 68 imprisoned Boko Haram members.

August 30, 2022