PDP, Kwara disagree over palliative distribution

Labour Party has again denied working clandestinely for President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general election. The National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, clarified the party’s position in a statement issued in Abuja, on Friday. Ifoh’s rebuttal was in response to a viral video where a popular
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Labour Party has again denied working clandestinely for President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general election. The National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, clarified the party’s position in a statement issued in Abuja, on Friday. Ifoh’s rebuttal was in response to a viral video where a popular

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has announced that its operatives have smashed two major cross-border drug trafficking syndicates with cocaine and opioids worth billions of naira recovered from them. The agency said the development comes after months of intelligence gathering and painstaking surveillance by its operatives. NDLEA stated that six leaders of the
NDLEA smashes cross-border drug syndicates, arrests 6 kingpins, recovers cocaine, opioids

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has announced that its operatives have smashed two major cross-border drug trafficking syndicates with cocaine and opioids worth billions of naira recovered from them.

The agency said the development comes after months of intelligence gathering and painstaking surveillance by its operatives.

NDLEA stated that six leaders of the cartels were arrested in different parts of the country.

This was announced on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja.

Babafemi said the syndicates, which comprise Nigerians based in Mubi, Adamawa state; Onitsha, Anambra state, and Lagos state as well as Cameroonians, came under NDLEA radar after they were suspected of being major suppliers of drugs to terror groups operating in Nigeria and Cameroon.

He named the leaders of the syndicates so far arrested to include: Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu Anayo, Ezeh Amaechi Martin and Adejumo Elijah Ishola.

“Intelligence gathered revealed that some psychoactive substances including tramadol were often sourced by Ibrahim Bawuro and Ibrahim Najib from a notorious drug dealer in Onitsha: Nelson Udechukwu Anayo and thereafter packed and concealed in vehicles in the premises of Ezeh Amaechi Martin, an associate of Udechukwu.

“The duo of Ibrahim Bawuro and Ibrahim Najib will thereafter transport the drugs from Onitsha to Yola and subsequently to other parts of the North and Cameroon in specially constructed false compartments of vehicles, which travel from the East to the North at night.

On 7th October 2024, Bawuro and Najib were trailed from Onitsha where they had gone to buy another consignment and eventually arrested in Taraba the following day 8th October while a total of 276,500 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Toyota Avensis saloon car marked DKA 57 TT, which they abandoned on the Jalingo-Yola expressway when they noticed NDLEA operatives were on their trail.

“Follow up operations were subsequently carried out in Delta and Anambra states where Ezeh Amaechi Martin and Udechukwu Nelson Anayo were arrested by operatives of the NDLEA Directorate of Intelligence, which coordinated the whole effort with their counterparts in Taraba, Adamawa, Delta and Anambra.

“Another leader of a different syndicate, Adejumo Elijah Ishola, 37, was arrested by operatives of a special operation unit of the Agency on Tuesday 5th November at Seme border in Lagos on his way from Ghana with 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and 600grams of synthetic cannabis. This followed months of intelligence and surveillance on his cross-border criminal activities,” Babafemi stated.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Apapa seaport Lagos on Wednesday 6th November intercepted Thirty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (31,750,000) pills of 240mg Voltron, a controlled opioid, packaged and concealed in a container imported from India, as diclofenac sodium 100mg tablets.

NDLEA announced that the discovery was made during a joint examination of the container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.

The anti-narcotic agency also disclosed that its operatives intercepted a 700grams consignment of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, import shed Ikeja Lagos, NDLEA officers on Tuesday 5th November.

Babafemi, who announced this, said a software engineer, Olu Marshal, who showed up to collect the package was promptly arrested and a follow up search of his home in Lekki led to the recovery of some drug paraphernalia, including a cannabis crusher.

He also stated that attempt by another suspect, Orji Ogbonna Nnaorji to send 32.50kg bottles of codeine syrup and 5.70kg cannabis to London, UK, concealed in tiger nuts cargo through the export shed of the Lagos airport was frustrated by NDLEA operatives on Friday 8th November. A follow up operation led to the arrest of Orji at his warehouse in Ajao estate, Lagos.

“In Kwara state, not less than 162,800 pills of opioids were seized by NDLEA operatives from four suspects during interdiction operations in parts of the state. While 112,200 tablets of tramadol were recovered from Wahab Alao Saliu, 18,900 tablets of same opioid were recovered from Dalha Musa both at Eiyenkorin area of Ilorin; 29,000 pills of tramadol, 200 ampoules of diazepam and 99 bottles of codeine syrup seized from Ahmed Isiaka, just as 2,500 tabs of tramadol were seized from Ahmed Garba, both at Bode Saadu in Moro local government area of the state on Friday 8th November.

“In Abuja, NDLEA operatives in the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday 7th November intercepted a truck along Abaji- Kwali road with 755.50kg cannabis concealed under empty cartons of noodles. The truck driver, Lukman Rasheed, 41, claimed that bags of the psychoactive substance were loaded into the trailer in Ogbese, Ondo state after departing Lagos with only empty cartons of noodles.

“A suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, 43, was arrested by operatives on Monday 4th November at Ibi, Taraba state while conveying to Kano 361 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 156.95kg in a commercial bus marked WKR 772 XA. Not less than 245 blocks of same substance with a total weight of 121kg were recovered by NDLEA officers on patrol along Wukari – Ibi road on Thursday 7th November.

“Two suspects: Hamza Yakubu, 30, and Abdulra’uf Danjuma, 23, were on Wednesday 6th November arrested at Gidan Manjagab area of Jos, Plateau state with 113 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 141kg, while a Chadian, Hassan Muhammad Ali, 31, was nabbed on Tuesday 5th November at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria-Kano road, Kano, with 3,000 pills of tramadol 225mg.

“While a suspect Ibrahim Adamu was arrested at Jere area of Kaduna state with 35 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 338.8 kilograms, NDLEA operatives in Edo state on Friday 8th November recovered 1,078kg cannabis at Okhuokhuo – Isi forest and 228kg of same substance at Sabo- Auchi.

“In Ondo state, four suspects: Friday Daniel, Patrick Felix, Samuel Agada and Igwe Chukwuka were arrested at Emure Ile with 672kg cannabis sativa, while 513kg of same substance was seized at Gbodo camp, Ikun Akoko and a total of 4, 908kg cannabis recovered from a suspect Musibau Kosama at Alabi Yellow, Ijoka area of Akure on Wednesday 6th November,” the statement added.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of DI, SIU, Apapa, MMIA, FCT, Taraba, Kwara, Plateau, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, and Ondo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.

Marwa also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.

NDLEA smashes cross-border drug syndicates, arrests 6 kingpins, recovers cocaine, opioids

The former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Anthony Agbazuere, has made startling revelations about the administration he served, alleging that traditional rulers in the state received just seven thousand Naira as a monthly stipend. Agbazuere, who made this statement during the Ehi La Uguru Day celebration on Tuesday, said that only a few
Abia traditional rulers recieved only N7,000 monthly pay – Ikpeazu’s Ex-Chief of Staff, Agbazuere

The former Chief of Staff to ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Anthony Agbazuere, has made startling revelations about the administration he served, alleging that traditional rulers in the state received just seven thousand Naira as a monthly stipend.

Agbazuere, who made this statement during the Ehi La Uguru Day celebration on Tuesday, said that only a few monarchs received twenty-one thousand Naira as a stipend before the advent of the current administration under Governor Alex Otti.

The lawyer, regarded as one of the most influential figures during Ikpeazu’s administration, highlighted that the current administration is building many projects. He also claimed that the advice he provided to the previous administration was not implemented.

“Before Governor Alex Otti came on board, traditional rulers were receiving a stipend of 7,000 Naira, while a few others got 21,000 Naira. But he has increased it to 250,000 Naira monthly. He has shown capacity and deserves our support,” Agbazuere said.

Agbazuere also criticized the former administration of Governor Ikpeazu for abandoning the old Abia Airport project. He praised Governor Otti for partnering with the federal government to build an international airport in the state.

“Somebody said that he wanted to build an airport but then claimed that it was traditional rulers who told him not to proceed with the project.

“An airport project we already approved, and somebody turned around to claim that traditional rulers told him not to continue. I don’t understand,” Agbazuere remarked.

Meanwhile, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia, Eric Ikwuagwu, has stated that the party would not respond to Agbazuere’s statements, as the former Chief of Staff is now a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Responding to a message from a DAILY POST correspondent, Ikwuagwu said: “The man is a loose cannon praying for political revival.”

Abia traditional rulers recieved only N7,000 monthly pay – Ikpeazu’s Ex-Chief of Staff, Agbazuere