Crime
PHOTOS: NDLEA Seizes Over 7.6 Million Tramadol Pills, 76 Tonnes Of Cannabis In Nationwide Raids
The Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized more than 7.6 million tramadol pills and 76,273.4 kilograms of various cannabis strains—including Colorado, Loud, and Skunk—with several members of drug trafficking networks arrested in connection with the seizures.
The Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Out of the total opioids seized during the raids, not less than 3,874,000 pills of tramadol 225mg and 100mg, and others as well as 252.2litres of codeine syrup were recovered from a warehouse at Oko market, Asaba, Delta state on Saturday 6th December 2025, while no fewer than 1.2 million tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from a suspect Kelechi Nwakocha, 35, on Wednesday 3rd December.
In Adamawa state, NDLEA officers on Monday, 1st December 2025, intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus marked MGU 554 XB along Maraba-Mubi, coming from Jos, Plateau state, and heading to Mubi, with a total of 1,577,112 capsules of tramadol and Exol-5 tablets, all concealed inside jumbo bags mixed with new rubber sandals and slippers. Two suspects: Kabiru Buba, 25, and Hamza Abubakar, 32, were arrested in connection with the seizure. Similarly, another suspect, Mudansir Rabiu, 27, was nabbed along Zaria-Kano road, Kano state, with 197,000 pills of Exol-5.
Operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA stormed forests in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti state, where they destroyed 14,654 kilograms of skunk and arrested two suspects: Yusuf Iliyasu, 50, and Okumu Chinedu, 26. In another operation, the operatives on Tuesday, 2nd December, stormed the forests in Asin-Ekiti, Ikole LGA, Ekiti state, where they destroyed 54,300kg of skunk in two large warehouses that were razed, while 28.3kg of the same psychoactive substance was recovered for prosecution.
Following actionable intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, 2nd December, raided Igoba forest in Akure North LGA, Ondo state, where a total of 2,483 compressed blocks of skunk and 247 bags of the same substance, all weighing 5,442 kilograms, were recovered, and five suspects were arrested. Those nabbed include: Jacob Omodowo, 66; Joy Oluatobi Peace, 24;
Babatunde Olamide, 40; Echi Fidelis Joseph, 57; and Ankrah Akano, 56.
While 500kg of the same substance was recovered from a Mercedes-Benz van marked MGU 614 XB by NDLEA officers on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road in Niger state on 4th December, with the driver Amos Yakubu, 46, arrested, operatives in the FCT Abuja on Wednesday, 3rd December, intercepted a consignment of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, weighing 22kg at Abaji expressway.
A follow-up operation at the Jabi park in Abuja led to the arrest of a female receiver, Ali Blessing, 33. Also in the FCT, a suspect, Aliyu Usman, 39, was arrested by operatives on Friday, 5th December, with 24kg of skunk and 573,500 pills of Exol-5 along the Kwali-Gwagwalada expressway.
In Lagos operatives recovered 217 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 113kg from a suspect Ezenwa Udoka at Ladipo market, Mushin, while Izuchukwu Usulor was nabbed with 351kg skunk at Onipanu area of the state on 5th December and Susan Okoro arrested with 104.1kg of same psychoactive substance at Trade Fair complex, Ojo, on Tuesday 2nd December.
A total of 447.5 kilograms of skunk was recovered from two Honda Accord cars marked ABC-678 KK and GGE-772 FB at Agho forest, Akoko Edo LGA, Edo State. A suspect Dada Adedara Babawibi, 56, was apprehended in connection with the seizure. A raid operation at a warehouse in the Isiefve community, Ohuwunde LGA, led to the seizure of 315.8kg of skunk and the arrest of a suspect, Stanley Obasuwa.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities, among others, in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitisation lectures for students and staff of St. Michael’s Academy, Sabon Gari, Kano; Harry Pass Secondary School, Masaje, Gboko LGA, Benue; and Community Junior Secondary School, Okuru-Ama, Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of SOU, Delta, Adamawa, Imo, Ondo, Lagos, Kano, FCT, Niger and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, are well appreciated.
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Crime
NDLEA Nabs Drug Trafficker with Fake Pregnancy as Ivorian Excretes 82 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport
Troops of the Nigerian Army under 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke have intercepted a suspected gun-runner and recovered 969 rounds of ammunition during a stop-and-search operation in Taraba State.
The suspect, identified as Monday Reuben, 48, was arrested on February 21, 2026, at Sarkin Kudu in Ibi Local Government Area following what the Army described as actionable and credible intelligence.
According to a statement issued by Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade, vigilant troops on sentry duty flagged down an Audi vehicle with registration number RBC 798 DV (Abuja). A thorough search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a cache of arms, ammunition and other items.
Recovered from the suspect were two AK-47 rifles, 197 empty magazines, one box of 7.62 x 51mm NATO ammunition containing 250 rounds, 14 packs of 9mm Parabellum ammunition comprising 700 rounds, and 19 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
The troops also recovered ₦2,440,000 in cash, a wallet containing four identification cards and four ATM cards, one Android phone, one Itel keypad phone, a power bank, eight bottles of perfume, a rechargeable touch light, and assorted local charms.
The suspect, who hails from Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State, is currently in military custody alongside the recovered items and will be handed over to appropriate authorities for further investigation and necessary action.
Commander of 6 Brigade/Sector 3 OPWS, Brigadier General Chukwuemeka Micheal Akaliro, commended the troops for their alertness and professionalism. He urged them to sustain the operational tempo in line with the directive of the Chief of Army Staff to rid Taraba State of criminal elements and threats to lives and property.
Akaliro further reiterated that the Brigade would continue to implement its reward and sanction policy, assuring that officers and soldiers involved in the successful operation would be duly recognized for their diligence and commitment to duty.
The latest interception underscores ongoing efforts by security forces to curb the proliferation of illegal arms and sustain peace across Taraba State.
By PRNigeria
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Crime
PHOTOS: 651 suspects arrested, $4.3m recovered as Interpol busts $45m online scams in Nigeria, Kenya and other African countries
The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has said law enforcement agencies have arrested 651 suspects and recovered over $4.3 million during a major crackdown on online fraud across African countries, including Nigeria and Kenya.
According to the press statement issued on Thursday, February 19, 2026, the sting, codenamed Operation Red Card 2.0, ran from December 8, 2025, to January 30, 2026, targeting high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud and fraudulent loan applications.
According to the press statement issued on Thursday, February 19, 2026, investigations during the operation uncovered scams linked to more than $45 million in financial losses and identified 1,217 victims, mostly from Africa.
“Law enforcement agencies from 16 African countries have made 651 arrests and recovered more than USD 4.3 million in an international cybercrime operation against online scams,” the statement read.
Operation Red Card 2.0 (8 December 2025 to 30 January 2026) targeted the infrastructure and actors behind high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud and fraudulent mobile loan applications.
During the eight-week operation, investigations exposed scams linked to over USD 45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, predominantly from the African continent but also from other regions of the world.
Authorities also seized 2,341 devices and took down 1,442 malicious IPs, domains and servers, as well as other related infrastructure.
INTERPOL supported the operation through critical intelligence sharing, real-time information exchange and capacity-building activities, including training on digital forensic tools.
“These organized cybercriminal syndicates inflict devastating financial and psychological harm on individuals, businesses and entire communities with their false promises. Operation Red Card highlights the importance of collaboration when combatting transnational cybercrime. I encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help,” Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate.
According to the statement, In Nigeria, police dismantled a high-yield investment fraud ring that recruited young individuals to carry out cyber-enabled crimes using phishing, identity theft, social engineering and fake digital asset investment schemes. Over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts were taken down and investigators uncovered a residential property constructed by the syndicate ringleader to serve as the operational hub for the criminal activities.
In Kenya, authorities made 27 arrests linked to fraud schemes that used messaging apps, social media and fictitious testimonials to lure victims into making fake investments in reputable global corporations. Scammers solicited small initial investments ‒ as low as USD 50 ‒ with claims of lucrative returns. Victims were shown fabricated account statements or dashboards but withdrawal requests were systematically blocked.
In Côte d’Ivoire, law enforcement made 58 arrests and seized 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops and over 300 SIM cards in a targeted operation against mobile loan fraud. These scams predominantly targeted vulnerable populations through deceptive mobile applications and messaging services, attracting victims with promises of quick, unsecured loans, only to impose fees, enforce abusive debt-collection practices and illicitly harvest sensitive personal and financial data.
In a separate major success for Nigerian authorities, six members of a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate were arrested for infiltrating the internal platform of a major telecommunications provider through compromised staff login credentials. An investigation led to the disruption of the scheme, which involved siphoning significant volumes of airtime and data for illegal resale.
During Operation Red Card 2.0, INTERPOL worked closely with its partners, Cybercrime Atlas, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs and Uppsala Security, leveraging their data and expertise to provide critical intelligence to participating countries.
The operation was conducted under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), an initiative funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
The Global Action on Cybercrime Enhanced (GLACY-e) project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe, provided operation-specific support.
Participating member countries include, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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