The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said its operatives have arrested a notorious drug kingpin, 36-year-old Sunday Ibigide, in Asaba, Delta State, three years after launching a manhunt for him over drug trafficking offences.
NDLEA said the suspect was arrested while attempting to move 250 blocks of skunk weighing 138 kilograms with his distribution bus.
This was announced on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
Babafemi disclosed that Ibigide came under searchlight on 19th March 2022 in connection with the seizure of 24.137kg of the same psychoactive substance and 10 grams of molly but thereafter went underground.
However, following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives in Delta State were able to arrest him along with one of his aides, Clement Osuya, 27, while they were trying to move the 250 parcels of skunk for distribution on Sunday, 10th August 2025.
Similarly, Babafemi announced that no fewer than six suspects were arrested on Thursday, 14th and Friday, 15th August when NDLEA operatives, supported by the military and vigilantes, raided three cannabis farms in Enugu Ezike, Enugu State, where a total of 37,500kg of skunk was destroyed on 15 hectares of farmland.
Those arrested include: Ugwuanyi Chinaso, 23; James Negedu, 26; Sopuruchukwu Obido, 22; Ebuka Onu, 30; Ukwueze Sunday, 42; and Oguche Friday; while 74.5kg of the illicit substance was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects.
While 20,700 pills of tramadol and cocodamol were seized from a suspect, Emmanuel Ayogu, 53, by NDLEA officers on patrol along Nsukka Road, 9th Mile, Enugu, on Saturday, 16th August, two other suspects, Nsubechukwu Achidde, 24, and Osiaja Simple Frank, 41, were arrested with 27.6kg of skunk the same day at the New Market, Enugu.
In Lagos, a 52-year-old woman, Muyibat Mumuni, was arrested with her son, Faruk Mumuni, 25, by NDLEA operatives at Ladega Street, Mushin, on Wednesday, 13th August, for storing and distributing 298 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 149kg, while another suspect, Emmanuel Samuel, was nabbed on Friday, 15th August, in the Ajah area of Lekki, where 8.5kg of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis, was recovered from their apartment.
Not less than 128,000 capsules of tramadol were recovered from a suspect, Sani Mohammed, 32, who was arrested by NDLEA officers at Jauro Jatau, Gombe, Gombe State, on Monday, 11th August, while a total of 337,800 capsules of the same pharmaceutical opioid were seized by operatives on patrol along Okene-Lokoja Highway, Kogi State, from the driver of a commercial bus, Sulaiman Oyedokun, 47, coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, and heading to Kotangora, Niger State.
While a total of 11,250kg of skunk was destroyed on 4.5 hectares of farmland on Tuesday, 12th August, when NDLEA operatives, assisted by Sardauna Emirate Council and the Nigeria Forest Hunters Security Service, raided the Tanmiya Forest in Sardauna LGA, Taraba State, 29,840 capsules of tramadol were seized from a suspect, Saleh Babangida, 20, at a checkpoint in Wukari area of the state on Saturday, 16th August.
In Kaduna, two suspects, Mohammed Amdife, 46, and Sulaiman Mohammed, 22, were arrested in connection with the seizure of 22,640 pills of tramadol and rohypnol at Gwargwaje checkpoint, Zaria, and Tudun Wada area of the state. Two other suspects, Caroline David, 51, and Abdulhadi Umar, 30, were nabbed over the seizure of 111.1kg of skunk intercepted along Zaria-Kano Road.
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, a total of 875,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over N6.1 billion in street value and 3,500,000 pills of trodol benzhexol valued at N1.7 billion were recovered from five containers under NDLEA intelligence tracking and watch-list during joint examination with Customs Service and other security agencies on Wednesday, 13th and Thursday, 14th August, at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) of the Onne Port.
In Edo, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 13th August, recovered 24 bags of skunk weighing 432kg in a bush along Warake-Auchi Road in Etsako West LGA, while 130kg of the same substance was seized at a warehouse in Sobe, Owan West LGA, the following day.
A suspect, Tahiru Madu Manga, 25, was nabbed by NDLEA officers along Zaria-Kano Road with 16kg of skunk, and another suspect, Ibrahim Audu, 47, was arrested with 76kg of the same psychoactive substance at Gadar Tamburawa along Zaria-Kano Road, Kano State, on Wednesday, 13th August.
No fewer than 4,320 ampoules of ketamine injection were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at Gbaji checkpoint along Badagry-Lagos Highway on Monday, 11th August, with a suspect, Akeem Adegun, arrested.
While commending the officers and men of PHPC, Gombe, Kogi, Lagos, Edo, Kano, Delta, Taraba, and Seme Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
The Eleme Local Government Council in Rivers State has arrested two suspects linked to a stolen Toyota Corolla.
The Chief Security Officer of the council, Comr. Greg Emere Ogosu, who confirmed the incident on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 said the arrests followed ongoing efforts to fight crime in the area.
According to Ogosu, the suspects had been under watch since April 5, 2026, when the stolen car was found hidden at New Road in Onne.
The duo was later arrested after a manhunt and confessed to the crime.
He added that they have been handed over to the Nigeria Police for proper investigation and prosecution, stressing that there is no room for jungle justice in Eleme.
The council also warned that criminal activities will not be allowed in the area.
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed 20 persons in Pubagu, Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, and Mayo-Ladde in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Our correspondent gathered that the terrorists stormed the two border communities around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, overpowering local security operatives before killing residents.
Confirming the attack exclusively to PUNCH Online on Wednesday, the Chairman of Askira Uba Local Government Area, Mada Saidu, said 11 people were killed in Pubagu, Borno State, while nine lost their lives in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
He said, “Yes, there was an attack in Pubagu, Askira Uba, yesterday, Tuesday, around 4 p.m. Eleven people were killed. While in Mayo-Ladde, Hong Local Government in Adamawa State, nine people were killed.”
The two locations, according to him, are separated by a river.
“In total, we have 20 deaths, 11 from Askira Uba in Borno, nine from Hong Local Government, Adamawa,” he added.
Saidu noted that the insurgents overpowered local security operatives, gained access to the communities, and shot their victims.
“I later went there together with the Army. Initially, it was local security that was there, that is, hunters and vigilantes. But they were overpowered by the terrorists,” he stated.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the communities on motorcycles and operated for hours, destroying homes and looting property.
One of the survivors, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Yesterday evening, the terrorists stormed our community in Pubagu. They shot sporadically for hours, burning houses and shops. They killed both men and women after operating for over one hour.”
The source added that the terrorists operated with little resistance from security operatives.
“The local vigilantes and hunters tried their best. Unfortunately, the terrorists were well armed and in much greater numbers. The resistance was not strong enough. The hunters later fled for their lives, too,” the source added.
On April 16, PUNCH Online reported that Boko Haram terrorists killed four soldiers and one civilian in Mussa community in Askira Uba Local Government Area.
The Chairman of the local government, Mada Saidu, who confirmed the earlier attack, said the civilian casualty was a woman.
Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Ikoyi, Lagos have commenced an investigation of a suspected fake lawyer, John Anoruo, for possession of a forged seal of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA.
Anoruo, who operates a legal and educational consultancy in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, was arrested by EFCC operatives on Monday, April 20, 2026.
The agency in a statement said his case began after he submitted a petition dated September 22, 2025 to the EFCC, on behalf of his clients, against the management of a company, Global West Vessel Specialist Nigeria Limited.
However, investigations revealed that both the petition and the subsequent Letter of Withdrawal dated March 5, 2026, bore a forged seal of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, which Anoruo confessed to have obtained from an undisclosed business centre in Lagos.
During investigations,the 55-year-old claimed that although he obtained a Law degree in 2018 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, through evening classes, he did not attend the Nigerian Law School.
The agency says the suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
