The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has detained a newlywed businessman at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, for attempting to traffic 72 wraps of ingested cocaine.

The suspect (name withheld) is travelling to Portugal, where he resides.

This is contained in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that the 25-year-old groom was intercepted by the NDLEA operatives at the departure hall of the Enugu airport on Sept. 25, with cocaine in his gut and wedding ring on his finger.

Babafemi said that the suspect attempted to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Portugal via Addis Ababa.

He said that the suspect was placed under excretion observation, and egested 72 wraps of cocaine.

The spokesman said that preliminary investigation showed that the suspect was into car decoration business in the Ojo area of Lagos before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.

“The suspect returned to Nigeria recently, and married on Sept 13. He resorted to the criminal trade to offset expenses incurred during his wedding,” he said.

Babafemi said that on Sept. 22, the agency uncovered one of the biggest opioid hauls at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

He said that the operatives during a joint examination of three monitored consignments seized 2,550,000 pills of Tramaking 225mg, Tramaking 250mg, and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined gross weight of 1,640.55 kilograms.

The spokesman said that the consignments were imported from India and Bangladesh via Qatar Airways, RwandAir, and Ethiopian Airlines.

In Bauchi, Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects along the Maiduguri Bypass with 300 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 262.5kg, concealed in the false bottom of a truck marked MUB 757 YH.

He said that on Sept. 23, NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers destroyed two cannabis farms with a combined estimated yield of 1,360.23kg at Eko Camp, Ilushi in Edo.

Babafemi added that the operatives on Sept. 26, detained two female suspects during a raid at Anifowoshe Street in Mushin Lagos, and recovered 3.4kg skunk from them.

Also, Babafemi said that the operatives intercepted a 58-year-old man on Sept. 26, at Ebute-Ero Motor Park in Lagos, with large quantities of illicit consignments.

He said that the seized drugs included 5.920kg skunk; 2,400 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 8,400 tablets of nitrazepam; and 40,000 pills of tramadol.

Similarly, two Togolese were nabbed by the NDLEA officers on Sept. 26, at Iganna – Ilero Road, Iganna, Oyo State, with 305.6kg of skunk.

Babafemi said that the illicit substances were concealed in two pick-up vans used for a cross-border trafficking racket, moving Ghanaian-sourced cannabis into Nigeria through the Oyo axis.

Additionally, at the Seme border in Badagry, Lagos, five suspects were arrested with 420 cartons of nitrous oxide popularly called “laughing gas” weighing 1,688.4kg, along with two vehicles used in conveying the substances from the border into Lagos.

According to Babafemi, NDLEA commands and formation are continuing with the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across the country.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) as commending officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Oyo, Edo, Seme, and Bauchi Commands for the successful operations.

Marwa enjoined the officers across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency. (NAN)

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have arrested approximately 300 persons, following a raid on identified crime flashpoints, shanties and incomplete buildings across the FCT.

According to the command, the raid was part of ongoing efforts to prevent crime, disrupt criminal activities, and enhance the safety and security of residents.

The operation took place on Saturday, September 19, 2026.

This was revealed in a statement issued at the Command’s headquarters in Abuja by the Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, and tweeted via the command’s X handle on Sunday.

Adeh noted that the suspects are currently undergoing “thorough screening and profiling,” adding that offenders will be charged to court, while those with no case to answer will be released.

“The operation, carried out across various locations, led to the raid of several identified criminal hideouts, with approximately 300 persons taken into custody for screening. Items recovered during the operation include knives, a toy gun, cannabis and other illicit drugs.

“The suspects are currently undergoing thorough screening and profiling. Those found to have committed offences will be appropriately charged to court in accordance with the law, while persons found to have no case to answer will be released after due screening,” the statement partly read.

The command’s Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, stressed the command’s commitment to sustain “intelligence-led raids and proactive policing operations across the Territory, particularly at locations identified as potential hideouts for criminals.”

He advised the youths and residents within the FCT to desist from drug abuse and urged those already suffering from it to seek appropriate counselling and rehabilitation support.

Sanusi said, “The CP further cautions youths and other residents against the use and abuse of illicit drugs, stressing that substance abuse can impair judgment, fuel violent and criminal behaviour, and expose individuals and communities to serious security risks.

“He urges anyone struggling with drug use to seek appropriate counselling and rehabilitation support rather than allowing substance abuse to lead them into criminal activities.”

The police boss further cautioned police officers involved in such operations to maintain professional conduct, adding that they shouldn’t use raids or arrests as an “avenue for extortion, intimidation, harassment or unlawful demands for money, stressing that any officer found engaging in such misconduct will face appropriate disciplinary action.

“The FCT Police Command remains committed to protecting lives and property and calls on residents to continue providing credible and timely information on suspicious activities and criminal hideouts within their communities.

“For emergencies or to provide useful security information, members of the public are encouraged to contact the FCT Police Command through the emergency line 08032003913,” the statement concluded.

From Dan Amasingha, Minna

At least 33 suspected illegal miners have died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State, sparking protests by youths and demands from relatives for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The detainees were among scores of suspected illegal miners arrested during a “burst operation” conducted by the NSCDC Mining Marshals at M.

I. Wushishi/Lukoto Village on September 15 and 16.

The Niger State Command of the NSCDC confirmed that detainees died while in custody but said the deaths were linked to a suspected outbreak of disease.

The Corps said the remains had been deposited at the General Hospital, Minna, for medical examination to establish the actual cause of death.

However, survivors and relatives have given a different account, alleging that overcrowding and poor ventilation in the detention facility contributed to the deaths.

One survivor, Dauda Shehu, an indigene of Allawa in Shiroro Local Government Area, alleged that about 65 detainees were packed into a poorly ventilated cell.

“We were jam-packed; there was no ventilation for us to breathe well,” Shehu said.

He alleged that detainees struggled for air, banged on the cell door and repeatedly called for help as some began collapsing, but claimed their pleas were not answered.

Shehu also questioned the reported casualty figure, saying only six survivors were taken to the General Hospital.

Another survivor, who declined to be identified, alleged that some detainees died during the night while others died the following morning. He said those who survived were largely people near the entrance who were able to attract attention by screaming for help.

The survivors also disputed the suggestion that those arrested were armed criminals, with Shehu alleging that some of them had fled their communities because of bandit attacks and were engaged in mining to earn a living.

Relatives of the deceased have meanwhile demanded access to the bodies and called for independent autopsies.

Abdullahi, whose son Salim was among those arrested, said the family had repeatedly visited the NSCDC command to seek his release before learning of his death.

He alleged that relatives had been taking food to the detainees and that his son had eaten food supplied by the family on Wednesday, a day before they discovered that he had died.

“We need justice. They should release the corpses to us and we will seek for independent autopsy,” he said.

The allegations of suffocation, poisoning, tear-gassing or other forms of mistreatment have not been independently established.

In its statement, signed by the Niger State Commandant, Comdt. Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, the NSCDC said the operation led to the arrest of scores of suspected illegal miners and the recovery of various exhibits.

The Corps said it was working with sister security agencies to manage the situation and appealed to residents and relatives of the deceased to remain calm and refrain from actions capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.

The NSCDC also reaffirmed its commitment to human rights and international human rights charters in carrying out its statutory responsibilities.

The conflicting accounts have heightened concerns over the number of people detained, the conditions in which they were held, the timing and cause of the deaths, and whether those who became ill received adequate medical attention.

The identities of the deceased and details of the exhibits reportedly recovered during the operation had not been publicly released as of Thursday.

The situation remained tense in Minna, with youths reportedly protesting and relatives and other members of the public gathering at the General Hospital where the remains were deposited.

The cause of the deaths remains officially unestablished pending medical examination and further investigation.

The deceased were arrested as suspects and had not been convicted of any offence.