…as NDLEA intercepts US, Canada, Sweden-bound opioids in black soup containers, designer wears
…uncovers clandestine codeine syrup factory in Abia
…arrests woman, son over 1,187kg skunk seizure in Ondo
Three weeks after escaping arrest at his home in Anguwan Makera, Kuta, Shiroro local government area of Niger state, a notorious supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in the area, 33-year-old Mohammed Sani (alias Gamboli), has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at his hideout.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Babafemi said that following credible intelligence about the illicit drug activities of Gamboli, NDLEA operatives had on 20th November 2025 raided his house at Anguwan Makera, Kuta, where they recovered 471.8 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
Babafemi said that though he escaped arrest during the raid and has since been in hiding, the manhunt for him eventually paid off on Thursday, 11th December, when NDLEA officers acting on processed intelligence traced and arrested him at one of his drug joints in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta.
Babafemi said intelligence reports had indicated that Gamboli is a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in Shiroro local government area.
He added that, meanwhile, NDLEA officers in Abia on Thursday, 11th December, raided a clandestine codeine syrup-manufacturing factory at Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, in Osisioma local government area of the state.
During the operation, he said operatives recovered a total of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,152.2kg.
The statement reads, “In Enugu state, operatives on Thursday, 11th December arrested Ossai Emeka, 45, along Onitsha – Enugu Ezike road with 7.2kg skunk, while Enoje Agada, 40, was nabbed along Enugu-Ezike -Ette road with 94.6kg of the same psychoactive substance.
“A raid carried out by NDLEA operatives at a notorious drug joint known as “Beere the California” at Ido in Oyo state on Thursday, 11th December, led to the seizure of 3.4kg skunk, 1.6kg Colorado, a synthetic cannabis and 400grams of methamphetamine.
“The owner of the drug joint, identified as ‘Idowu the killer, ‘ is currently at large, while a suspect, Ajibade Faruk, was nabbed at the joint. Another operation at Idi Oro, Elekuro, Ibadan on Friday 12th December, led to the arrest of Olusanya Abosede, 35, and the seizure of 238.4kg skunk.”
Babafemi said that while the duo of Bashiru Babalola, 43, and Ugunwale Ranti, 50, were arrested on Wednesday, 10th December at Gbaji checkpoint, Seme road, Badagry, Lagos, with 50,000 pills of tramadol 250mg, NDLEA operatives in Ogun state arrested two suspects: Akinwale Makanjuola and Joseph Owolabi with 73kg skunk at Iperu.
He added that another suspect, Wasiu Lateef, was nabbed with 25kg of the same substance at Oke Agbede, Imeko area of the state on Tuesday, 9th December.
He said, “In Ondo state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Monday, 10th December, raided a compound in Ogbese, Akure North local government area, where they arrested a 55-year-old woman, Veronica Obi and her 29-year-old son, Bright Obi, and recovered 1,187 kilograms of skunk and its seeds from them.
“A suspect, Ohiomah Igbafe, 44, was arrested during a raid operation at Uroe community, Owan East local government area of Edo state, where 461kg skunk and its seeds were recovered on Tuesday, 9th December.
“In Gombe state, a suspect, Muhammed Sani (alias Sha-Mu-Sha), 50, was arrested with 40,000 capsules of tramadol at Tunfure area, Gombe, while two other suspects: Muhammad Abdullahi (a.k.a Sakalala), 52, and Muhammed Hamza (a.k.a Mamman), 32, were nabbed at Ashaka Jalingo, with 56kg skunk on Monday, 8th December.
“No fewer than 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline and bromazepam concealed in containers of local black soap, and designer wears, in six different consignments going to the US, Canada and Sweden were intercepted and seized by NDLEA operatives at two major courier companies in Lagos between Tuesday, 9th and Wednesday, 10th December 2025.”
Babafemi said at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Saturday, 13th December, intercepted a consignment of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579kg during a joint examination of a container with men of the Customs Service and other security agencies.
“In like manner, 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 enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Community Senior Secondary School, Sheme, Katsina; Government College, Tudun Wada Dankade, Kano; and Methodist High School, Makurdi, Benue, while the Enugu state command of the Agency paid a WADA advocacy visit to HRM Igwe Ikechukwu Samuel Asadu, Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers.
“While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Niger, Abia, Oyo, Enugu, Seme, Ogun, Ondo, Gombe, Apapa, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures, and their dexterity, 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 statement reads.
One hundred and thirty persons have been arrested after men of the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI raided a suspected fraud compound in Ghana and arrested more than 130 people.
The FBI Director, Kash Patel, disclosed this in a post shared on his official X account on Thursday.
Patel said the operation, codenamed “Operation Blackout”, was carried out in the week as part of the FBI’s efforts to dismantle global scam centres.
“OPERATION BLACKOUT: This is the FBI’s global scam-centre fraud demolition. Another takedown this week out of Ghana,” Patel wrote.
He said the operation had so far resulted in nearly $10m in identified losses, 89 victims identified, more than 130 individuals arrested or detained, including victims who would be repatriated to their home countries, and more than 300 devices seized.
“Investigation is ongoing. These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives – and this @FBI is crushing them in every corner of the world. More to come,” he said.
Patel also gave an update on the overall Operation Blackout figures, saying roughly $17bn had been seized, hundreds of alleged scammers arrested and thousands of trafficked workers freed.
He added that more than 10,000 Americans had been warned before losing their money, while an estimated $670m in losses had been prevented.
The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a suspect, Adewale Arojah, identified as a prophet’s son, for allegedly impersonating a renowned cleric on Facebook and defrauding multiple victims of over N18m under the guise of offering prayers and spiritual assistance.
According to a statement by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, on Thursday, the arrest followed a complaint lodged on October 3, 2026, by Muyiwa Akogun, popularly known on Facebook as “Prophet Dr. Muyiwa Akogun”.
The command said Akogun alerted the police after members of the public complained about “fraudulent activities being perpetrated in his name through a duplicated Facebook profile.”
“Upon receipt of the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer, Ilaro Division, immediately detailed intelligence and detective operatives to track down the perpetrator,” the statement said.
It added that “through sustained technological monitoring and intelligence-led analysis, the suspect was tracked to a nearby village in Ajegunle, via the Ilaro/Ibogun axis, where he was successfully apprehended.”
The police said the suspect confessed during interrogation to impersonating the cleric on Facebook.
“During a rigorous interrogation, the suspect confessed to impersonating the real Prophet Akogun on Facebook.
“He admitted to using the cleric’s identity to deliver fake prophecies and offer prayer services to vulnerable individuals, thereby defrauding victims residing both within Nigeria and in the diaspora,” Babaseyi said.
The command said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect allegedly targeted people seeking spiritual assistance through the prophet’s Facebook page.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect systematically targeted victims seeking spiritual assistance on the said prophet’s Facebook page, gains their trust and swindled them of funds amounting to over ₦18 million,” it said.
The suspect has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
The command said the investigation would be used to ascertain the extent of the crime, identify potential accomplices, and ensure possible prosecution.
The command said the arrest was part of its efforts to tackle online fraud and identity theft in the state.
“The swift arrest highlights the Ogun State Police Command’s resolve to dismantle online fraud networks, curb identity theft, and deny cybercriminals safe space to operate across the state,” Babaseyi said.
The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Bode Ojajuni, commended the Ilaro operatives for what the statement described as their “vigilance, tactical discipline, and swift response”.
The CP also reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting residents from digital and physical threats.
The command advised members of the public to exercise caution when dealing with religious leaders and public figures on social media.
“The Command advises members of the public to exercise caution and due diligence when engaging with religious leaders or public figures on social media platforms,” the statement said.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has summoned heads of security agencies in the state to a meeting following a spike in security breaches, particularly recent killings involving rival cult groups in the state.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Samuel Ojo, disclosed this during an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, saying the meeting would be held on Wednesday.
Ojo said the meeting would deliberate on and address the killings by suspected cultists in the state.
He added that the meeting would also discuss measures to make forests in the state safer, in view of the recent killing of an ISWAP leader in Owo, Ondo State.
“We are holding a security meeting on Wednesday, by the special grace of God, to reassure our people and put our security agencies on their toes.
“What happened in Ondo is a lesson to those criminals hibernating in the forests.
We will not take it lightly with anyone using the forest as a hideout,” he said.
He further said, “Aside from that, we are also using the meeting to address the incessant killings by rival cult groups in the past weeks.
“We need to meet and discuss how to stop these killings by cult groups or any other violent crimes hiding under that canopy.”
The governor’s aide, who stressed the need to stop the killings to protect Osun’s corporate image, warned perpetrators of violent crimes to desist or face dire consequences.
“We need to stop it, so as not to give our state a bad name, because nobody knows what they are fighting for or why they are killing themselves,” Ojo said.
The PUNCH reports that two separate attacks by members of rival cult groups, which occurred in Osogbo, the state capital, between last Friday and Sunday, left two people dead and about five others injured.
In reaction to the latest cult attack, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, subsequently ordered tactical teams to raid suspected criminal hideouts in Osogbo.
