In a major victory against transnational drug networks, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled another industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratory and intercepted a fleeing Mexican drug kingpin at the Lagos airport. The high-stakes operation underscores a desperate, shifting trend by international syndicates to infiltrate Nigeria’s remote forests and rural communities to set up illicit factories. A statement issued on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, noted that the briefing in Lagos highlighted a breakthrough. Addressing journalists, the Chairman and Chief Executive…
Category: News
BASHCMA Concludes Strategic Retreat, Targets Wider Health Coverage
By:Bashir Hassan Abubakar The Bauchi State Health Contributory Management Agency (BASHCMA) has concluded its 2026 Strategic Retreat for its Governing Board and Management, renewing its commitment to improving operations and expanding access to affordable, quality healthcare across the state. In his address during the engagement, Executive Secretary Alhaji Ibrahim Inuwa Duguri said the retreat reviewed the agency’s operations, identified areas for improvement and developed strategies for institutional growth. He called for innovative, results-driven leadership and stronger collaboration among management, the Governing Board and partners. The State Head of Service urged…
Bread, Speakers & ‘Colos’: NDLEA’s 8-State Raid Nets Grandma, Realtor, 2.3 Tons of Drugs
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple UK-linked shipments of synthetic cannabis—popularly known as ‘Colos’—and uncovered a web of cross-border smuggling operations. The illicit cargoes, which included drugs heavily concealed inside commercial music speakers, were tracked to transit hubs in Lagos, resulting in the immediate arrest of at least seven suspects. The crackdown began at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, where NDLEA operatives intercepted a consolidated cargo hiding 27 parcels of ‘Colos’ weighing 32.20kg. According to a statement released on…
Band A Reclassiication: Let The Service Come Before the Hgher Tariff
By: Dr. Philip B. Olusola,. Lead City University, Ibadan The recent reclassification of some communities and feeders within the coverage area of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) to Band A has been received with mixed feelings. For residents who have endured years of inadequate and unreliable electricity supply, the prospect of enjoying more stable power is certainly welcome. Indeed, nobody who desires development can reasonably oppose improved electricity supply. But while we welcome better electricity, there is a legitimate question that deserves the attention of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory…
Bauchi to Tackle High Inflation with Multi-Sector Technical Committee
By: Bashir Hassan Abubakar The Bauchi State Government has inaugurated a Technical Working Committee (TWC) on Headline Inflation to identify state-specific factors driving the rising cost of goods and services and develop practical measures to ease economic hardship on residents. Inaugurated on Wednesday at the Conference Hall of the Bauchi State Bureau of Statistics, the committee has 30 days to conduct a comprehensive assessment of inflationary pressures in the state and submit a mitigation plan to the government. The Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Aminu Hammayo, who represented Governor…
Blue Economy: Udofia Charges IMION Graduates to Drive Logistics Overhaul
The International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION) has wrapped up a high-level, three-day executive course aimed at equipping critical stakeholders with the tools to overhaul Nigeria’s maritime logistics and unlock the vast potentials of the Blue Economy. Held under the theme “Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth: Transforming Nigeria’s Blue Economy Through Smart Logistics, Trade Facilitation and Sustainable Growth,” the intense capacity-building session ran from September 7 to September 9, 2026. To institutionalise this knowledge, the Institute has entered strategic partnerships including an ongoing engagement with the Admiralty…
No Hiding Place: NDLEA Nabs Fugitive Festus Ibewuike Over 49.7kg Heroin as Marwa Vows to Hunt All Suspects
In line with Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa’s (Rtd) uncompromising stance that drug barons can only run but never hide, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully orchestrated the arrest and repatriation of Festus Ibewuike (alias Chidibest Ibewuike). The fugitive drug kingpin had evaded law enforcement for over two years following the interception of the single largest heroin consignment ever recorded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. Ibewuike, who fled to Mozambique and operated a hotel business as a front, was one of three suspects…
Trade Facilitation: IMION Urges NPERA, Stakeholders to Boost Port Compliance
Maritime and logistics experts have called on the newly established Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency (NPERA) to champion the implementation of a single-window port system. This mechanism, featuring full ecosystem visibility across all trade nodes, is projected to secure robust regulatory control and seamless trade facilitation The call was made in Lagos during the three-day Executive Course on Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth, hosted by the International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION). Addressing stakeholders, the Director-General of the African Centre for Supply Chain Management, Dr. Obiora Madu,…
Blue Economy: IMION, Experts Urge Regulators to Overhaul Logistics Efficiency
Without efficient logistics, the full potential of the blue economy remains trapped at the coastline, impacting the movement of goods and services across the maritime environment, the Director-General, International Maritime Institute of Nigeria (IMION), Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia (rtd), has said. Speaking on Monday at the IMION Auditorium, NNS Quorra in Apapa, Lagos, Rear Admiral Thaddeus Udofia (rtd) declared open a three-day executive training on “Logistics and Trade Facilitation for Blue Economy Growth.” Addressing stakeholders, the IMION Director-General described logistics as “the backbone of the maritime industry,” emphasizing that it…
Sooth News Loses Friend—Nasiru Marafa Gusau, Bursar of NOUN
Sooth News is deeply bereaved following the tragic passing of one of its closest allies, Malam Nasiru Marafa Gusau, the Bursar of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Malam Marafa was reportedly attacked and killed on Sunday, August 6,while returning to Abuja after leaving Gusau before Tsafe. The deceased shared a deep, decades-long bond with the Publisher of Sooth News. Their friendship began during their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year in Ogun State in 1996, where Marafa served in the accounts section of the Ogun State University Teaching…