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NDLEA Smashes Hajj Cocaine Ring, Seizes ₦9.3bn Drugs Nationwide

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By Adenike Lawal

 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered a syndicate using Hajj pilgrimages to traffic cocaine to Saudi Arabia, arresting key suspects and seizing drugs and counterfeit currency across the country in a sweeping operation.

Spokesman Femi Babafemi confirmed on Sunday that Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani and Muhammad Aji Shugaba were arrested in Kano following the earlier arrest of two Hajj-bound pilgrims who had ingested 90 wraps of cocaine.

The pilgrims, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, were intercepted at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on May 26 while boarding Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 940 to Jeddah.

Scans revealed the drugs in their system and they later excreted a total of 1.04 kilograms of cocaine under medical supervision.

Investigations led to the arrest of the cartel’s ringleaders in Kano. In another incident on May 28, NDLEA operatives arrested 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Leonard Okigbo at the same airport.

He was caught attempting to smuggle 1.41 kilograms of cocaine hidden in 65 wraps while heading to Iran via Qatar Airways flight QR1432.

In a joint operation with Customs and other agencies at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, officers seized seven containers loaded with banned pharmaceuticals.

The haul included hundreds of thousands of bottles of codeine syrup and over five million tablets of tapentadol with a combined street value of ₦9.35 billion.

Along the Kano-Maiduguri road on May 30, NDLEA arrested two suspects, Abubakar Hussein and Sahabi Adamu, with counterfeit US dollars totaling $900,000.

The case has been handed over to relevant authorities for investigation.

On May 27 in Adamawa, officers recovered 390 blocks of cannabis weighing over 275 kilograms from an abandoned vehicle along the Ngurore-Yola road.

In Ilorin, Kwara State, a well-known female trafficker, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai, was arrested on May 31 at Oja Oba with quantities of tramadol, flunitrazepam and codeine syrup.

The agency also intensified its drug education campaign under the War Against Drug Abuse initiative by holding sensitization sessions in secondary schools across Katsina, Enugu, Anambra, Kano and Cross River states.

NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the coordination of officers nationwide and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to combining enforcement with education to fight drug abuse and trafficking across Nigeria.

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Crime

ICPC Recovers Alleged Wiretapping Devices from El Rufai Home, Secures 14 Day Detention Order

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By Omoniyi David

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission said it recovered suspected wiretapping devices and sensitive security documents from the Abuja residence of former Kaduna State governor Nasir el Rufai.

The commission disclosed that a Magistrate Court in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, granted a 14 day detention order to allow investigators conclude their probe.

According to the agency, electronic equipment capable of intercepting phone conversations was discovered during a search at el Rufai’s Asokoro home. Officials also said documents described as sensitive to national security were recovered.

The ICPC dismissed claims that the former governor was being unlawfully detained or politically targeted, insisting that due process was followed.

In filings before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, the commission urged the court to dismiss el Rufai’s suit alleging violation of his fundamental rights, maintaining that its actions were lawful and necessary for a thorough investigation.

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Police Arrest Two in Abuja Over Alleged Homicide of 16 Year Old

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By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Command, have arrested two suspects over the alleged culpable homicide of a 16 year old boy, Chidera Benjamin, in the Byazhin area of Abuja.

The suspects, identified as Cosmos Okafor, 31, and Okechukwu Wisdom, 17, were arrested following the incident which occurred on Thursday, February 12, 2026, according to the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh.

Adeh said police received a distress call that Benjamin allegedly attacked his mother with a machete during a domestic dispute. Preliminary findings showed the mother had accused him of transferring money from her bank account to his Opay account without her consent.

The boy allegedly became violent during the confrontation and inflicted serious injury on her hand.

The police said two neighbours who witnessed the incident allegedly attacked the teenager in response. He sustained severe injuries and was rushed to Kubwa General Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.

The suspects are in custody and will be charged to court after investigations. The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, urged residents to avoid jungle justice and resolve disputes through lawful means.

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Crime

Poison Allegation: Expect DSS Invitation, NSA Office Replies El-Rufai

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By Patrick Idowu

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), has replied former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, over his allegation that the agency imported a toxic chemical from Poland, telling him to expect an invitation from the Department of State Services (DSS), as the matter has been referred for investigation.

El-Rufai had written to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, claiming opposition leaders had information that ONSA procured about 10 kilograms of thallium sulphate, a highly poisonous substance.

He requested clarification on the purpose, supplier, permits, quantity, storage arrangements and regulatory oversight, including involvement of agencies such as NAFDAC and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

In a response released to journalists on Sunday night, ONSA denied the allegation, stating it neither procured nor initiated any process to purchase thallium sulphate and had no intention of doing so.

The letter, signed by Brigadier-General O.M. Adesuyi on behalf of the NSA, said the allegation had been referred to the DSS for a comprehensive investigation, adding that El-Rufai and others with relevant information would be invited to provide evidence.

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