Bandits have released 37 villagers abducted from Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State after weeks of negotiations that led to a peace agreement, a lawmaker, Abdulraham Kandarawa, has said.
Kandarawa, who represents Bakori Constituency in the state House of Assembly, said on Friday that the latest release brought the number of freed villagers to 82.
He had earlier disclosed that 45 captives were freed under the same peace arrangement.
Speaking to journalists in Katsina, Kandarawa said the villagers, held in Sabe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, were released without ransom following sustained negotiations with the bandits.
“Today, through the grace of God, we have finally received our people who were held captive. Insha Allah, they are back, and none is left in their hands,” he said.
The released hostages include 17 women, two infants, and 18 men.
Kandarawa emphasised that the bandits had promised to release the captives if the community maintained peace, a commitment they fulfilled.
“We want to call on all citizens to embrace peace. It is everybody’s business. If we have offended anyone, we will amend, just to live in peace,” Kandarawa appealed, highlighting the negotiation’s foundation on promises of non-violence.
The lawmaker thanked the bandits for adhering to their word, stressing that no ransom was paid.
“This is what they promised, and they fulfilled it today,” he said.
However, Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda has earlier denied negotiations with bandits while on several fora said it was purely a community initiative while he applauded the initiative as well celebrated the return of peace to the state through the truce.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Onyekwere, 47, was apprehended on Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the arrival hall of the airport during the inward clearance of passengers on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg, following what the agency described as “processed intelligence.”
NDLEA operatives said the suspect was subjected to a full-body scan, which confirmed the concealment of illicit drugs.
A subsequent strip search led to the discovery of a large parcel of white powdery substance, later confirmed to be cocaine, wrapped around the suspect’s right thigh.
Further search also revealed two additional wraps of the same substance concealed in the soles of a pair of flat shoes worn by the suspect.
“In all, three large wraps of cocaine, with a gross weight of 1.60 kilograms, were recovered from his body and footwear,” the agency disclosed.
During preliminary interrogation, Onyekwere confessed that he purchased the cocaine consignment in Brazil with the intention of reselling it in Nigeria.
According to him, the proceeds were meant to raise capital to boost his business and also finance the naming ceremony of his newly born child.
The suspect, who resides at Rua Ever, Mulariuha, São Paulo, told investigators that he has lived in Brazil since 2008 and has been operating a toy business for about nine years.
In a related development, the NDLEA intercepted a massive consignment of cannabis at the Tincan seaport in Lagos.
A statement issued on Sunday, February 1, by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing 1,183 kilograms, were discovered in a container imported from Montreal, Canada.
The seizure was made on Wednesday, January 28, during a joint examination by NDLEA officers, Customs and other security agencies.
“The illicit consignments were concealed inside two vehicles, a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix car,” Babafemi said.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a long truck marked T 31589 LA along the Dei-Dei–Abuja Expressway in the early hours of Tuesday, January 26.
Three suspects, Andy Chidogu, 49; Kenneth Ogene, 45; and Sadiq Olanrewaju, 27, were arrested for conveying 176 bags of skunk weighing 2,735 kilograms and one kilogram of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis.
Investigations revealed that Ogene, the driver, had earlier transported 800 bags of flour from Lagos to Ekpoma, Edo State, before negotiating to transport the drugs to another destination for N1.7 million.
Multiple Seizures, Arrests Across Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Kano
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested Shaibu Yusuf on Tuesday, January 27, along the Auchi–Abuja Expressway while attempting to transport 66 bags of skunk concealed in charcoal bags to Katsina.
Also in Edo, NDLEA operatives, supported by personnel of the Nigerian Army, raided a cannabis farm at Ebora Camp, Ilushi, in Esan South East Local Government Area, where 4,063.675 kilograms of skunk were destroyed across over 1.6 hectares of farmland.
Recovered at the camp were 328 kilograms of processed cannabis and seeds, while suspects arrested include Jeremiah Nwodeh, 46; Chukwudi Pius, 33; Pius Ogaba, 46; and Onora Kwene, 35.
In Anambra State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a cement truck at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, on Wednesday, January 28. A search revealed 345.2 kilograms of skunk concealed with bags of cement. One of the occupants, Abum Okeke, 42, was arrested.
In Ondo State, two suspects, Tunde Ogundele, 39, and Soji Elegbelye, 46, were arrested at Eleyewo community in Akure North in connection with the seizure of 473 kilograms of skunk.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives arrested Abdullahi Usman, 45, along Murtala Mohammed Way with 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection, while 4,390 pills of tramadol were recovered from Musa Shuaibu, 42, in the Gaya area of the state.
More Arrests At Lagos, Seme Border
In Lagos, Oragwan Ekene was arrested on Friday, January 30, at Okeyson Park, Alaba, with 15.5 kilograms of skunk heading to Onitsha, Anambra State.
Similarly, 3.5 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a sound system and cereal packs in the luggage of Omang Peter Edward at the Seme border, Badagry, on Tuesday, January 27, as he attempted to enter Nigeria from Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Babafemi said NDLEA officers across commands also intensified the War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities nationwide.
While commending officers of the MMIA, Tincan, Niger, Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Ondo and Kano commands for their professionalism, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Nigerian security agencies have reportedly concluded investigations into an alleged coup plot aimed at violently overthrowing President Bola Tinubu’s administration, identifying 40 suspects across the military, police, and civilian sectors.
It was reports that the suspects include senior military officers, a police officer, and civilians allegedly involved in reconnaissance, funding, and propaganda operations.
A Premium Times report quoted security sources as having identified 13 individuals apprehended by the State Security Service (SSS), including two military personnel (one retired), one police officer, and 10 civilians.
Sixteen military officers were arrested for direct participation, two civilians for reconnaissance, two for incitement to civil disobedience to justify the coup, and five others in connection with funding channels.
“One detained soldier escaped custody but was later rearrested by SSS operatives in Bauchi,” insiders told Premium Times.
Investigation Completed, Court-Martial Pending
It was reports that the Defence Headquarters confirmed that the investigation had been concluded and forwarded to “appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations.”
The military described the findings as identifying “several officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government,” calling such actions “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
“At least 25 military officers and personnel are expected to face trial in connection with the coup attempt,” a source familiar with the investigation said.
An unspecified number of civilians remain in custody, under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the SSS, for roles in financing, logistics, and coordination.
Investigators revealed that the plotters initially aimed to disrupt the handover of power from former President Muhammadu Buhari to President Tinubu on May 29, 2023. However, the plan stalled due to insufficient funds and logistical gaps.
The conspiracy was reportedly revived in 2025 after former Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva allegedly transferred nearly N1 billion to three bank accounts operated by a Bureau De Change operator, intelligence sources said.
Retired Major General Adamu, identified as a key figure, along with Sylva and three other suspects, remain at large. One fleeing suspect has been traced to South America, though details remain undisclosed for security reasons.
Presidential and Government Officials Targeted
Sources revealed that the alleged coup plotters had planned assassinations of President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas.
“They were waiting for a day when all of them would be in the country. Wherever they were, they would be assassinated,” one source told journalists.
Service Chiefs, commanders of the Guards Brigade, and other strategic figures were also reportedly targeted. Informants within the Presidential Villa were said to be monitoring the movements of the officials.
Investigators also disclosed that some officers were tasked with seizing strategic locations, including the Presidential Villa, Niger Barracks, the Armed Forces of Nigeria Complex, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Full List Of Suspects Includes high-ranking officers such as:
Brigadier General MA Sadiq (Army Headquarters Garrison), Colonel MA Ma’aji (Defence Space Administration) and Lieutenant Colonel S Bappah (525 Signal Regiment).
Other officers include Lieutenant Colonels AA Hayatu, P Dangnap, M Almakura, AA Jarma, SM Gana, alongside majors, captains, lieutenants, and non-commissioned officers.
Civilian suspects include Umoru Zekeri (Julius Berger Villa Electrician), Ali Isah (Villa ambulance driver), and Stanley Kingsley Amandi (actor allegedly hired as a propagandist).
Details of six other suspects remain unclear as of press time, Naija News understands.
Below is the full list of the 40 suspects and their supposed units and addresses.
NAME – UNIT/ADDRESS
MA Sadiq (Brigadier General) – Army Headquarters Garrison
MA Ma’aji (Colonel) – Defence Space Administration
S Bappah (Lt. Colonel) – 525 Signal Regiment
AA Hayatu (Lt Colonel) – 130 Battalion Main, Ogoja, Cross River State
P Dangnap (Lt Colonel) – 134 Special Force Battalion
M Almakura (Lt Colonel) – 197 Special Force Battalion
AA Jarma (Lt Colonel) – CO, 35 Battalion Katsina
SM Gana (Lt Colonel) – 115 Task Force Battalion
AD Dauda (Maj) – Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji
JM GANAKS (Maj) – Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji
AJ Ibrahim (Maj) – Army Headquarters’ Department of Policy and Plans
MM Jiddah (Maj) – 26 Battalion
MA Usman (Maj) – 35 Battalion
D Yusuf (Maj) – Forward Operating Base Molai (AHQ SG)
J Iliyasu (Maj) – 3 Division Garrison
A Mohammed (Maj) – 63 Brigade Garrison
DB Abdullahi (Lt Cdr) – Naval Base Abuja
SB Adamu (Sqn Ldr) – National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC)
NG Zuzu (Sqn Ldr) – Headquarters, Nigeria Air Force Camp
G Binuga (Captain) – 1 NMF Brigade
AA Yusuf (Captain) – Nigerian Army of the School of Finance and Administration (NASFA)
Bello (Captain) – 82 Division Garrison
SS Felix (Lt) – 81 Division Provost Group
J Aminu (Lt) – Headquarters Directorate of Army Public Relations (DAPR)
Nasiru Ibrahim – (WO) 82 Division Garrison
Sanda Usman (Sgt) – 167 Special Force Battalion
Mohammed Zubairu – (Sgt) 177 Guards Battalion
Momoh Audu (Cpl) – 343 Artillery Regiment
Ahmed Ibrahim (Inspector) – 24 Police Mobile Force, Presidential Villa
EO Victor (Navy Capt/Rtd) – 3 Abraham Avenue off Odili Road, Port Harcourt
Umoru Zekeri – Julius Berger, Villa Electrician
Y Nasiru (LCpl) – 82 Division Garrison
Sambo Danladi (LCpl) – 82 Division Garrison
Abdul Abdullahi (SSgt) – 82 Division Garrison
Ali Isah – Villa Ambulance Driver
ML Mohammed (Capt) – 18 Battalion
UI Yusuf (Wg Cdr) – International/Helicopter Flying School, Enugu
IM Gana (Maj Gen Rtd) – No 34 A Army Estate, Kubwa, Abuja
Stanley Kingsley Amandi – Propagandist
Goni Bukar
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Franklin Onyekwere, at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for allegedly concealing parcels of cocaine in his private parts and the soles of his footwear.
The NDLEA said Onyekwere was arrested on Thursday, January 29, 2026, during the inward clearance of South African Airways passengers arriving from Brazil via Johannesburg, following processed intelligence.
According to the agency, the 47-year-old suspect was taken for a full body scan, which confirmed illicit drug concealment.
“He was subjected to a strip search, during which a large parcel of a white powdery substance, later confirmed to be cocaine, was discovered wrapped around his right thigh. A further search revealed two additional wraps of the same substance concealed in the sole of a pair of flat shoes worn by the suspect,” the NDLEA said.
In all, three large wraps of cocaine with a gross weight of 1.60 kilogrammes were recovered from his body and footwear.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspect allegedly admitted purchasing the drugs in Brazil with the intention of reselling them in Nigeria to raise capital for his business and to finance the naming ceremony of his newborn child.
Onyekwere, who lives on Rua Ever, Mulariuha, São Paulo, reportedly said he had been in Brazil since 2008 and had operated a toy business for about nine years.
Meanwhile, at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers, in a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 1,183kg, imported from Montreal, Canada.
The illicit consignment was hidden inside two vehicles — a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix — inside a container examined on Wednesday, January 28.
In Niger State, operatives acting on intelligence on Tuesday, January 26, intercepted a truck along the Dei-Dei–Abuja Expressway and arrested Andy Chidogu, 49; Kenneth Ogene, 45; and Sadiq Olanrewaju, 27, for transporting 176 bags of skunk weighing 2,735kg and one kilogramme of Colorado concealed in the vehicle.
Investigations showed the truck had earlier carried flour from Lagos to Ekpoma, Edo State, before being used to convey the drugs for a fee of ₦1.7 million.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers on January 27 arrested Shaibu Yusuf along the Auchi-Abuja Expressway with 66 bags of skunk concealed in charcoal sacks, weighing 792kg, bound for Katsina.
Also in Edo, operatives supported by the Nigerian Army raided a cannabis farm at Ebora Camp, Ilushi, in Esan South-East LGA, where over 4,063kg of skunk was destroyed on 1.6 hectares of farmland, while 328kg of processed cannabis and seeds were recovered. Four suspects were arrested.
In Anambra State, officers intercepted a cement truck at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, and recovered 345.2kg of skunk concealed in cement bags, leading to the arrest of Abum Okeke, 42.
In Ondo State, two suspects — Tunde Ogundele, 39, and Soji Elegbeleye, 46 — were arrested in Akure North with 473kg of skunk.
In Kano, Abdullahi Usman, 45, was arrested with 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine, while another suspect, Musa Shuaibu, 42, was caught in Gaya with 4,390 tramadol pills.
In Lagos, Oragwan Ekene was arrested at Alaba with 15.5kg of skunk heading to Onitsha, while at the Seme border, Badagry, NDLEA recovered 3.5kg of skunk from the luggage of Omang Peter Edward arriving from Cotonou, Benin Republic.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers of the MMIA, Tincan, Niger, Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Lagos and Kano Commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain a balanced approach to drug supply and demand reduction.
Across the country, the agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
