Crime
NDLEA nabs Brazilian returnee with cocaine in private parts
A Brazilian returnee, Igwedum Uche Benson has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos with pellets of cocaine concealed in his private part.
NDLEA said Igwedum was nabbed at the Lagos airport on Monday 20th June upon his arrival on Ethiopian Airlines from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa.
According to a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, “Preliminary investigations reveal the suspect had swallowed 50 wraps of cocaine before departing Brazil and excreted 48 pellets in Addis Ababa where he handed them over to another person.
“He however claimed he was unable to excrete the remaining two wraps at the hotel room in Addis Ababa before boarding his flight but later excreted them in the aircraft restroom during the flight from Ethiopia to Lagos.
“In the same vein, after three weeks of painstaking investigation and tracking, operatives of the MMIA command of NDLEA on Saturday night, 25th June arrested a drug kingpin, Onyekachi Chukwuma Macdonald behind attempts to export 40 parcels of Methamphetamine popularly called Mkpuru Mmiri locally to London, United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport.
“Onyekachi was arrested at Manacola estate, Alakuko area of Lagos at the weekend, three weeks after his Mkpuru Mmiri consignment weighing 2.05kilograms was intercepted at the airport and his freight agent, Peter Christopher Anikan arrested on 7th June.
“During his interview, the suspect said he’s from Ahiazu, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo state and had lived in Dubai, UAE for 10 years before returning to Nigeria in 2019.
“He stated that after his return to Nigeria he opened a phone accessories shop in Sango Otta, Ogun state but the business collapsed.
“He then started sending cigarettes to London and decided to conceal the illicit drug in the consignment after advice by a friend”.
Closely related is the seizure of another consignment of 2kg Mkpuru Mmiri at a courier house in Owerri, Imo state.
The cargo seized on Wednesday 22nd June had ankara and lace fabrics in which two cylindrical cellophanes containing the drug heading to Hong Kong were concealed.
Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives on Friday 24th June intercepted 500,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg packed in 10 cartons and labelled Tramaking imported from Karachi, Pakistan on Emirates Airline.
The consignment weighing 407.60kg was seized during a joint examination with Customs and NAFDAC officials.
Same day, a Dubai, UAE-bound passenger, Alegbeleye Taiwo was arrested at the departure hall of the MMIA with 40 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
The 21-year-old suspect claims he’s from Osun state.
Meanwhile, two kingpins behind the importation of two recent drug consignments from Canada concealed in vehicle containers through the Tincan seaport in Apapa, Lagos have been arrested by NDLEA operatives.
One of them, Gboyega Ayoola Elegbeji was arrested at his house, 14 Bakare Street, Idi Araba, Lagos on Wednesday 22nd June, for importing a 40ft container TRHU7874497 containing 33 parcels of cannabis indica (Colorado) weighing16.5kg.
The second suspect, Sunday Joe Oyebola, (aka Otunba) was arrested on Thursday 23rd June.
He’s linked to the importation of a 40ft container MEDU4389887 containing four vehicles used to conceal 290 parcels weighing 145kg cannabis indica (Colorado) from Montreal, Canada.
He had been on the run since March and had in the course of the investigation attempted to bribe officers with N10million to influence the case.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Tincan, and Imo state Commands of the Agency for the drug seizures and arrests especially of those who thought they could evade the long arm of the law.
He encouraged them and their compatriots across other formations to intensify their efforts towards achieving set goals.
This was said to be part of renewed efforts to tackle insecurity.
Disu gave the directive on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
According to the IG, the order followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive that the persistent insecurity in Benue State must be brought to an end.
He stressed that only authorised security personnel were legally permitted to bear firearms, warning that the era of passive policing was over.
“You cannot move around freely carrying arms as if there is no law and order in this country. It will not be tolerated,” he said.
Disu disclosed that police officers had been empowered under Force Order 237 to respond decisively to armed threats without waiting for directives from superior officers.
“We are tired of losing our men. We are tired of police officers, soldiers, and other members of the security agencies dying anyhow.
“They have been instructed to shoot at sight. They have been trained to do what is necessary. But we will not succeed without the cooperation of all of you.”
He called on residents to support security agencies with credible information, stressing that public cooperation remains critical to the fight against armed criminality.
Benue State has witnessed repeated attacks by armed groups in recent months, resulting in the loss of lives, displacement of residents and destruction of property.
The federal government has continued to deploy additional security personnel and adopt tougher measures aimed at restoring peace in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Fresh fears have gripped residents of Ifite Awka following an alleged plot by suspected gunmen to establish camps in the area where four Fulani herders were killed two days ago.
Security reports indicate that the attack may have been aimed at scaring away visitors to the bush in an attempt to facilitate the establishment of new camps in the area.
Residents recalled that similar tactics had allegedly been used by criminal elements to take over communities, often with the assistance of local collaborators.
The area shares boundaries with Awka North Local Government Area, where there have been reports of gunmen operating in some communities.
Following the development, youths from Ifite Awka have stormed the Ifite Agu area in a manhunt for the suspected gunmen.
The development comes as Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has issued a fresh directive to traditional rulers and President-Generals (PGs) of communities to take charge of the security architecture in their respective areas in conjunction with local security operatives and the mayors of the 21 local government areas.
It was gathered that as early as 5 a.m., some youths in the area had moved into the bushes in search of the suspected gunmen and cattle reportedly missing following the incident.
The youths were accompanied by local hunters who assisted in the search.
Speaking with reporters, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Christian Aburime, confirmed the fresh directive to traditional rulers and President-Generals of communities across the state.
He said, “We have a government that is people-oriented and that is the government of Prof. Charles Soludo, who is a man that loves the people, is at home with the ordinary people and feels their pains.”
Aburime described the incident as unfortunate and urged the police and other relevant security agencies to take immediate action.
He noted that traditional rulers and President-Generals are the first points of contact when it comes to the security of lives and property in their communities, adding that the governor had reiterated his charge to security stakeholders to take control of security in their respective areas.
He, however, said the possibility of sabotage could not be ruled out, but added that it would be premature to draw conclusions before the completion of investigations by the relevant security agencies.
“The issue of sabotage against security in Anambra State cannot be ruled out, and that could just be an attempt to undermine the efforts of the government. But I cannot categorically tell you that it is an act of sabotage. We have to wait for the investigations of the security agencies before drawing conclusions,” he said.
He added that the Agunechemba Security Squad was working to improve security in the state, noting that residents had commended the governor for the improved security situation.
“We have a good security architecture in place, and I can tell you that this could just be an isolated incident. Everything necessary that needs to be done will be done in that regard,” Aburime said.
He stressed that security was the responsibility of everyone, regardless of social status or position.
“It is very simple, and the governor has always said that security is everybody’s business. When it happens, it affects everyone, irrespective of class or position,” he said.
According to him, “The President-Generals and traditional rulers are the first points of security in their communities and should be able to ensure that there is no security breach in their respective localities.”
He urged residents to provide useful intelligence to security agencies, assuring them that their identities would be protected.
“If you see something, say something. These people doing these things are human beings, and they live in the localities. People should be able to know them. They should avail us of intelligence reports, and that will help us fish them out. Your identity will always be protected,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CP Ahmed Sanusi, has urged residents, particularly youths, to resist attempts by police officers to search their mobile phones during stop-and-search operations.
Sanusi said such searches violate a directive issued by the Inspector-General of Police, stressing that officers are not permitted to randomly search the phones of members of the public.
The commissioner made the remarks during a press conference shared by News Central Television on Tuesday.
He explained that although mobile phones could be used as evidence in criminal investigations, they should only be examined after a suspect has been lawfully arrested and taken to a police station.
According to him, officers are not authorised to stop people on the road and demand access to their phones merely on suspicion that they may be involved in internet fraud or other criminal activities.
Sanusi urged residents confronted by officers demanding to search their phones to seek assistance by contacting the police emergency line or nearby police officers.
He reaffirmed the FCT Police Command’s commitment to enforcing the Inspector-General’s directive, warning that officers found violating the order would face disciplinary action.
He said the command would continue to take action against officers who abuse their authority or engage in extortion under the guise of conducting stop-and-search operations.
The Cross River State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, Udeme Emmanuel Ekpeme, for allegedly impersonating a medical doctor and defrauding a woman of ₦500,000 under the guise of securing employment for her children at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists on Tuesday in Calabar.
According to the statement, Ekpeme was arrested by officers attached to the Uwanse Division in Calabar South Local Government Area following a petition by a 45-year-old woman, Mrs Edemawan Samuel.
The complainant alleged that the suspect falsely presented himself as a medical doctor and collected ₦500,000 from her after promising to facilitate employment for her children at UCTH.
Police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect allegedly used the false representation to deceive the woman into handing over the money.
Relevant exhibits believed to be connected to the alleged offences were also recovered during the investigation, while the suspect remains in police custody.
The police spokesperson said the suspect is being investigated for alleged impersonation, obtaining money by false pretence and unlawful use of medical equipment.
The Commissioner of Police, Rashid Afegbua, has directed detectives to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the full extent of the suspect’s activities and identify any other possible victims or accomplices.
The command said the suspect would be charged to court upon completion of investigations if sufficient evidence is established.
The police assured members of the public that further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.
The arrest comes weeks after the Edo State Police Command announced the arrest of a 46-year-old man, Osaze Okungbowa, who was accused of impersonating a medical doctor and allegedly delivering babies and trafficking newborns.
The Edo suspect was arrested following a complaint by a woman, Princess Oke, who reported that the baby she delivered under his care had gone missing, leading to a police investigation.
Also killed were three women, including the commander’s sister, who were with him during the attack.
The assailants reportedly attacked the vigilante commander while he was relaxing outside his compound with the women along Oba Road in Omoku.
It was gathered that the killing may have been a reprisal following a violent clash linked to a community dispute.
A source told our correspondent that a youth meeting had been disrupted earlier on Tuesday after armed security personnel and OSPAC members allegedly stormed the venue and opened fire, leaving two youths with gunshot injuries.
Videos of the aftermath of the attack circulating on social media and seen by our correspondent on Wednesday showed multiple casualties, including the three women.
Residents, some believed to be relatives of the victims, were seen crying at the scene, while others carried the injured into a vehicle.
A source told our correspondent that the incident had caused panic in the area, with some residents fleeing to safer locations and business activities disrupted.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said, “As I speak to you, many businesses and markets have remained shut since Tuesday.
“Many residents have also fled to neighbouring communities for safety because of fear. There is serious panic here.”
Confirming the incident in a voice note, the Public Relations Officer of OSPAC in Rivers State, Nkem Godknows, said the gunmen attacked the vigilante commander while he was sitting with his sister and her friend near his residence.
He further said two other victims sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospital, where they are receiving treatment.
He said, “It was about 5:05 p.m. Our commander was hanging out with his sister and friend around his neighbourhood. Before you know it, the gunmen got there and shot him dead.
“There are three women that died on the spot, while two others are in the hospital with bullet wounds.
“We reported to the police immediately. My call to the people of Omoku and ONELGA in general is that they should remain calm. Nobody should panic.
“By God’s grace, OSPAC and the security agencies are on top of the matter. I also appeal to the government and the security personnel to come to the aid of OSPAC because we are not properly taken care of.
“We are not paid. We have no source of income.”
When contacted on Wednesday afternoon, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the attack and expressed sadness over the incident, describing it as a setback to the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.
Agabe said the command strongly condemned the attack and reiterated its commitment to ensuring that those responsible are arrested and prosecuted.
She said, “I can confirm the incident. The Rivers State Police Command is saddened by this incident, which has disturbed the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.
“The command condemns this act in its entirety and assures that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
“The Rivers State Police Command seeks credible information from members of the public that will assist us in our ongoing investigation.”
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