Crime
63-year-old arrested for shipping drugs to daughter in Dubai
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a major importer of Loud variant of cannabis from the United States, Abibu Afis Sola and a 63-year-old grandfather, Afolabi Abideen Kolawole, who ships illicit substances to his daughter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Sola was arrested with others at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
He was arrested in connection with a 19.30kg Colorado consignment from Los Angeles, USA, which was intercepted on June 30, at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) cargo import shed of the Lagos airport.
NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, yesterday, said a 37.1kg consignment of Loud intercepted on July 7 was also traced to Sola, while he was still being interviewed in custody.
But Kolawole, the 63-year-old grandfather behind an intercepted drug exhibit going to Dubai, on August 4, was arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, August 18 after more than four sets of arrests eventually unravelled him.
The grand pa confessed that he was responsible for the concealment and packaging of the cannabis inside the black native soap used as a mode of concealment.
He also admitted this was his second attempt at sending such illicit substances to his daughter, Barakat, in Dubai.
In all, a total of 2.32 million tablets and capsules of tramadol, pregabalin, hypnox, diazepam and exol-5 including 7, 353 bottles of a new psychoactive substance locally called Akuskura, meant for the seven states were seized from locations across Kaduna, Kogi, Sokoto, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In Kaduna State, a drug dealer Umar Sanusi was arrested on Friday, August 12, during a follow-up operation in Kano and brought back to Kaduna where his consignment of 50 cartons of pregabalin 300mg, containing 750,000 capsules, weighing 375kgs, earlier seized along Abuja-Kaduna expressway was counted and weighed in his presence.
The same day, operatives also intercepted along Abuja-Kaduna express road 7,068 bottles of a new dangerous substance of abuse called Akuskura meant for Kaduna, Zamfara, Gombe, Kano and Borno.
The recipients were arrested in Kaduna and Zamfara during follow-up operations. The following day, Saturday, August 13, 285 bottles of the NPS were recovered from a dealer, Abubakar Ahmad, along the same highway.
In Kogi State, about 696,000 tablets of tramadol and exol-5 among others loaded into a truck at Onitsha, Anambra State and heading to Maiduguri, Borno State, were seized along Okene-Abuja Expressway on Friday, August 19, while NDLEA operatives also recovered 300,000 tablets of diazepam from a suspect, Faruku Bello, 30, in Sokoto State on Wednesday, August 17.
Also, anti-narcotic officers of the agency in Abuja, FCT at the weekend, equally intercepted a bus loaded with 323, 200 tablets of tramadol 225mg and others at Onitsha, Anambra State heading to Nasarawa State. The driver of the vehicle, Osita Nwobodo, 45, who made fruitless bids to compromise the operatives have also been arrested.
A freight agent, Miss Njoko Elizabeth, 37, was also arrested for attempting to export 250grammes of tramadol and cannabis to Dubai through the NAHCO export shed.
The drug exhibits were concealed inside some gallons of palm oil and honey, which were packed among food items and hair attachments.
Also at the Lagos airport, 249,600 tablets of tramadol 225mg have been recovered from a shipment from India at Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) import shed of the MMIA.
The consignment, which arrived from India via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airline flight on August 4 was eventually evacuated on Wednesday, August 17 as an abandoned seizure.
SIMILARLY, an Italy-bound passenger, Oziengbe Ehighalua Andrew, 55, was on Friday, August 19, arrested with 600 grammes of tramadol 200mg, while attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy, via Casablanca.
In the same vein, seven cartons of khat leaf with a total weight of 295kg have been seized at the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport. The consignment came into Nigeria from Tanzania through Cairo on Egypt Air.
Operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation (DOGI), in NDLEA, attached to courier firms have intercepted 11.36kg heroin and cannabis packaged for UAE, Netherlands and Omar. The drugs were concealed in dictionaries, fancy light and body cream.
In Niger State, 139 bags and 176 compressed blocks of cannabis loaded in Ogere, Ogun State and heading to Zaria, Kaduna State were seized by NDLEA operatives along Abuja-Kaduna road, Suleja, from a company vehicle while the driver, Sani Mohammed, 44, and his assistant, Abubakar Abubakar, 30, were arrested.
Also, raids carried out in Akala, Mushin area of Lagos also led to the arrest of Pelumi Goodness and Ola Funke, while over 1,171.75kg cannabis and 29 litres of codeine syrup were recovered.
At least nine passengers have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus at Dungus Junction in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The attack reportedly occurred around 9:40 p.m. when the bus, which was travelling towards Jos, stopped at the junction to drop off some passengers.
Several other passengers were reportedly injured in the attack and rushed to hospitals for treatment.
Lawan Suleiman, a neighbour and teacher of one of the victims, identified the driver as Ibrahim and said three of the victims were from his community in Bukuru.
“The driver is Ibrahim and he was my student. Three of them are from our community here in Bukuru. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital. But relatives are preparing to collect them for burial,” Suleiman said.
The bus was reportedly riddled with bullets, with bloodstains visible inside the vehicle after the attack.
Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when the attackers opened fire on the vehicle.
Tengwong said one of those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow.
“The incident happened around 9.40 p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development and we lament the loss of lives,” he said.
He added that some passengers sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to hospitals, while some of the injured reportedly later died.
The attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of commuters travelling along the route at night amid continuing security challenges in parts of Plateau State.
As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The Enugu State Police Command has ordered an investigation into two separate incidents of alleged disruption of political gatherings in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.
The incidents reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Ndiuno-Obuoffia community and St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
According to the statement, armed hoodlums allegedly disrupted a National Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia with sporadic gunshots, leaving two attendees injured.
In a separate incident at St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani, hoodlums allegedly destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.
The police said operatives were promptly deployed to both locations after receiving reports of the incidents to prevent further breaches of peace and track down the fleeing suspects.
The Command, however, noted that neither of the political gatherings had been formally brought to the attention of the police for security coverage.
CP Giwa reiterated his warning that all political activities in the state must be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.
He stressed that electoral offences are punishable under the law and warned political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other acts capable of disrupting public peace or the electoral process.
The Commissioner urged political parties and other stakeholders to notify the police ahead of campaigns, meetings, rallies and other political gatherings to enable the Command to make adequate security arrangements.
He assured residents that the police would continue to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for lawful political activities while dealing decisively with anyone found violating the law.
The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the death of a man who was allegedly stabbed by a suspected attacker after Friday prayers in Sokoto.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Rufa’i Ahmad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the deceased was among those involved in the incident that followed the stabbing of prominent Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukuwa.
According to Ahmad, the suspect used a knife to stab Lukuwa in the stomach immediately after the Jumu’at congregation.
He said the suspect was subsequently killed by a mob, while Lukuwa was rushed to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), where he is receiving treatment.
The PPRO added that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, saying the situation was under control and urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
The incident reportedly followed allegations that Lukuwa made remarks considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad, which had generated anger among some Muslim faithful.
A Sokoto-based gangster, Dahiru Maibarewa, had also reportedly threatened to kill Lukuwa over the alleged remarks, while demonstrations had taken place in parts of Sokoto metropolis.
NAN further reported that a coalition of Islamic groups had petitioned the Sokoto State Government and security agencies, calling for action against Lukuwa over remarks they described as capable of provoking violence.
At a September 4 press conference, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Yagawal urged Muslims to oppose what he described as blasphemous content by clerics, while calling for peaceful coexistence.
Yagawal, Leader of the National Sufi Council of Nigeria and a National Commissioner at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), said Lukuwa’s alleged utterances were unbecoming and capable of triggering violence among Muslim communities.
He said the coalition had called on the Federal and Sokoto State governments, as well as security agencies, to investigate and take appropriate action over the matter.
The Nigeria Police Force has allegedly arrested the General Manager of JKD Television/Hamada Radio Network, Kaduna, Charles Abah, and a security guard following a video produced by the station about Ibrahim Kabir Masari, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs.
The station’s management, in a statement issued on Friday, alleged that police operatives invaded its premises while searching for a staff member, Zainab Salihu Yabagi, who presented the video explainer.
According to the management, the officers insisted on seeing Yabagi in connection with the video before arresting Abah and the security guard.
The two men were subsequently taken to the Kaduna State Police Command, the station alleged.
The management described the arrests as unacceptable and called for their immediate release.
Amnesty International Nigeria also condemned the incident, describing the alleged raid as an “unlawful and outrageous invasion” of the station’s premises.
The organisation alleged that Abah and the security guard were arbitrarily arrested, adding that police authorities had been seeking Yabagi over the video and had previously declared her wanted.
Amnesty International said the incident reflected a wider pattern of alleged attempts to intimidate newsrooms and create a climate of fear among journalists in Nigeria.
It maintained that public officials, regardless of their positions, should remain open to scrutiny and criticism in the public interest.
JKD TV/Hamada Radio Network is chaired by Yusuf Mamman, a former Nigerian ambassador to Spain and former spokesman for former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.
A 20-year-old woman has recounted how a Nigerian man dragged her into a wooded area in Wrexham, Wales, and raped her after offering to escort her home from a night out.
The victim, whose identity has been withheld, said the attack occurred on September 7, 2025, after 24-year-old Gift Oladele approached her while she was walking home.
According to an account published by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Oladele told the woman that he was heading in the same direction and offered to accompany her.
However, when they reached an isolated area, he allegedly grabbed her over the mouth and dragged her into the woods.
“He was a lot bigger than I was. I tried pushing him away, but he overpowered me,” the woman said.
She said Oladele covered her mouth and prevented her from calling for help before violently assaulting her.
The victim said she feared that she would be killed after Oladele allegedly asked if it was her first experience of rape.
“My brain just switched into survival mode. It was weird. It was either I do what he says and get home to my mum, or he is going to kill me,” she recalled.
She said the attacker struck her six times on the head and left bruises on her body.
According to her, after the assault, Oladele allegedly told her, “I think you’ve had enough now. At least you have been raped by someone good-looking.”
She also alleged that he threatened to track her down if she reported the incident and warned that he could take photographs of her and publish them online.
Despite the threats, the woman immediately told her parents what had happened after arriving home at about 3:30am, prompting her father to contact the police.
“I felt numb. I was hysterical. My brain couldn’t figure out what had just happened,” she said.
Oladele was arrested the following day at his cousin’s residence in Wrexham. Police reportedly discovered that he had attempted to conceal a mobile phone, which subsequently revealed internet searches relating to sexual attacks.
Oladele was sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court in April to 17 years in prison after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. He was also given an extended licence period of eight years, bringing the total sentence to 25 years.
He had been convicted at Mold Crown Court in March after denying the offences and claiming that the victim had consented.
The court also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order protecting the victim for life.
At the time of the Wrexham attack, Oladele was reportedly on bail over another rape allegation in Manchester dating back to November 2024. He had also previously been jailed in 2022 for a sexually motivated attack.
Oladele, a Nigerian citizen born in Italy, had previously challenged attempts by UK authorities to deport him to Nigeria on human rights grounds.
Following his earlier prison sentence, the authorities sought to deport him, but he argued that removal would violate his right to private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
An immigration tribunal subsequently ruled in his favour, holding that his deportation would be disproportionate. Two subsequent appeals by the Home Office were also rejected.
Reacting to the decision, the victim’s mother questioned why her daughter’s rights appeared not to have received similar consideration.
Wrexham Chief Inspector Caroline Mullen-Hurst described Oladele as “a dangerous predator” and commended the victim for her courage in reporting the attack.
She said Oladele showed no remorse for his crimes and forced the victim to relive the traumatic experience during the trial.
The victim said the assault had continued to affect her physical and emotional wellbeing, including making it difficult for her to eat.
She added that there were times when she cried uncontrollably and struggled with thoughts about continuing to live.
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