In a series of high-stakes, intelligence-led operations spanning three weeks, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has once again outmaneuvered drug barons attempting to use sophisticated deceptive techniques. The agency successfully dismantled an international trafficking syndicate, intercepting cocaine consignments cleverly concealed in tins of palm kernel extract destined for the United Kingdom. Following a strategic raid on the group’s packaging warehouse, operatives unraveled all three layers of the criminal network, culminating in the arrest of the syndicate’s kingpin. In a statement released on Sunday, April 5, the Agency’s Director…
Category: Crime
Bloodshed Averted: Troops Foil Terrorist Incursion in Plateau; Two Injured
“Bloodshed was narrowly averted in Plateau State as troops from OPEP Sector 9 intercepted a terrorist incursion in Shendam LGA. Following a high-stakes distress call near the Yelwa cattle market, the Nigerian Army’s rapid response forced the gunmen into retreat, though two residents are currently receiving medical attention for injuries sustained in the crossfire. As reported by Zagazola Makama, security forces responded to a 7:30 a.m. distress call Friday along the Yelwa cattle market axis. The intervention followed reports of sporadic shooting by suspected insurgents in the Lake Chad region…
Starving Terror: NDLEA and US-DEA Unite to Combat Narco-Terrorism; Marwa Vows to Crush Drug Trade as DEA Hails Agency’s ‘Tremendous Strides’
Building on its growing global profile and unwavering resistance to narcotics, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (US-DEA) have reaffirmed their commitment to a strategic partnership. This collaboration aims to dismantle drug cartels and strip them of the financial power used to fuel violent extremism and organized crime. In a statement released Tuesday, March 31, by the Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA and US-DEA reaffirmed their partnership during a bilateral strategic workshop in Abuja. Addressing the session at the Agency’s headquarters, NDLEA…
Hooked: NDLEA Intercepts Large Cocaine Consignment Hidden in Stockfish Heads; Octogenarian Nabbed in Ekiti Meth Bust.
Echoing the NDLEA Chairman’s warning that drug barons can run but never hide, the Agency’s elite ‘eagle eye’ detectives haveintercepted a large cocaine shipment cleverly concealed in imported stockfish. The crackdown further crippled an international smuggling ring with the arrest of a kingpin orchestrating drug shipments to India and beyond. In a statement released on Sunday, March 29th, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the dismantling of a trans-border drug syndicate following an intensive intelligence-led operation. The crackdown culminated in a…
Massive Blow to Terror Groups: 150+ Bandits Perish in Sokoto Waterway Disaster
End of the Road: More Than 150 Bandits Drown in Sokoto Boat Mishap In a major blow to criminal elements in the Northwest, at least 150 suspected bandits reportedly drowned on Saturday after their boat capsized in the Sabon Gida area of Sabon Birni Local Government, Sokoto State. Official police confirmation is still pending, but renowned security expert Zagazola Makama has verified the reports through multiple ground sources. According to Makama, the incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, March 21, when a vessel carrying a large number of heavily…
NDLEA Busts Major Drug Ring: Opioids Hidden in Jackets and Cream Tubes at Lagos Airport; Nationwide Raids Seize Tons of Illicit Consignments
In continuation of its routine crackdown on drug peddlers and the eradication of illicit substances within Nigeria, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted several high-profile ‘barons’ at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a Lagos courier firm. The arrests followed desperate attempts by Drug Trafficking Organisations (DTOs) to smuggle methamphetamine and opioids to Europe by concealing them within carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers. These foiled operations highlight the Agency’s unwavering commitment to dismantling syndicates and securing Nigeria’s borders against the drug…
U.S. Court Sentences Nigerian Extradited from South Africa to 90 Months for $4.1M Fraud
The law has caught up with James Junior Aliyu, a Nigerian national, who has been sentenced to 90 months in a U.S. federal prison for his involvement in a $4.1 million wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Following his extradition from South Africa, Aliyu was also ordered to forfeit $1.2 million in criminal proceeds and pay $2.4 million in restitution to victims of the scheme. In a formal statement released Saturday, March 21, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that Aliyu has been ordered to forfeit $1.2 million in…
Nigeria Fines Vessel, 10 Sailors $6M Over Cocaine Bust as Marwa Declares Waters ‘No Longer a Haven’ for Cartels
A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 10 Filipino sailors and their merchant vessel, the MV Nord Bosporus, for the unlawful importation of 20 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria. In a statement released Wednesday, March 18, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi announced a swift legal victory: the conviction of a vessel and its crew just four months after their arrest. It could be recalled that the vessel was intercepted by the NDLEA at the Apapa Seaport on November 16, 2025, following its arrival from Santos, Brazil.…
NDLEA Arrests UK-Bound Septuagenarian with 11kg Cocaine in Balloons; Seizes 340,000 Codeine Bottles in Massive Lagos Raids
In a significant blow to international drug trafficking, NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) have arrested 74-year-old Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka. The septuagenarian was apprehended after a massive consignment of cocaine, concealed within foil and balloons, was discovered stashed in his luggage during a UK-bound flight screening. In a statement released on Sunday, March 15, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest of a 74-year-old septuagenarian, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, at the Abuja airport. The suspect, who claimed to be traveling to London for a…
From Diapers to Explosives: NDLEA Nabs Ex-Lagos Council Chief, Intercepts 500 IEDs and Cameroonian Drug Suspect
In a relentless drive to rid the nation of illicit drugs, the NDLEA has arrested Sheleru Sadiq Olalekan, a former two-term Ibeju-Lekki councillor. Acting on credible intelligence linking him to a narcotics ring, operatives apprehended the ex-official as part of a wider crackdown on high-profile trafficking. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi announced on Sunday, March 8, the arrest of a 45-year-old former local council chief currently serving as a legislative aide. Operatives apprehended the suspect on Monday, March 2, at his Ilado residence in Ibeju-Lekki, where a search uncovered 40 kilograms…