Crime
PHOTOS: NDLEA arrests two grandpas for drug trafficking in Abia, Ekiti
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested two elderly men, aged 83 and 78, in separate operations in Abia and Ekiti states as part of a nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking.
The arrests were announced on Sunday in a statement by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, the 83-year-old suspect, Pa John Ofiel, was apprehended on April 28 during a raid at Samek area by Powerline in Aba, Abia State, following credible intelligence.
Officers reportedly recovered 700 grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in retail sachets. The suspect claimed he was previously a shoemaker before engaging in the drug trade.
In a similar operation, NDLEA operatives in Ekiti State arrested a 78-year-old man, Ogunjobi Samuel, on April 30 at his residence on Owode Street, Ilupeju-Ekiti. About 350 grams of skunk were allegedly recovered from him.
In Oyo State, two women — Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31 — were arrested in connection with the seizure of 1.925 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis. King was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on April 29, while Opeyemi was arrested in a follow-up operation at Iwo Road, Ibadan, as she attempted to receive the consignment.
Also in Ibadan, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspected drug dealer, Taofik Adeyemi, 49, alongside his associate, Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, on May 2 at Erunmu after months of evading arrest. Recovered from them were 3.085 kilograms of skunk and a Toyota Camry car.
Two of Adeyemi’s alleged accomplices had earlier been arrested in December 2025 and are currently facing prosecution at the Federal High Court in Ibadan.
In Osun State, a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was arrested on April 30 at Ile-Ife toll gate along the Ibadan-Ilesha Expressway with a carton containing 7 kilograms of skunk and 15 grams of methamphetamine.
A subsequent operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the drugs, Ifedayo Babalola, 40, in Ilesha.
In Borno State, NDLEA officers arrested a 27-year-old suspect, Yahaya Shehu, on April 29 along the Damaturu-Maiduguri road, recovering 76,440 pills of Tramadol (225mg).
In a separate operation, a truck driver, Magaji Isa, 30, was apprehended with 14,000 capsules of Tramadol, while a follow-up raid in Biu led to the arrest of the alleged owner, Abdulhamid Mahmud, 28.
Further interceptions included the seizure of 290 kilograms of skunk from two suspects, Ojo Major Ebose, 36, and Chika Obiechefula, 32, along the Abuja-Jos highway in Kaduna State.
In Jigawa State, NDLEA operatives recovered 49,800 capsules of Tramadol from two suspects arrested along Bauchi Road in Hadejia.
In Lagos State, a raid at Awolowo Market in Mushin on May 2 led to the recovery of 740 kilograms of skunk. Meanwhile, in Edo State, a suspect identified as Godstime Godspower, 25, was arrested in Idogbo community, Benin City, with various illicit drugs including Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, Swinol, and methamphetamine.
The agency also said its commands nationwide sustained their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation campaigns in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across affected states for their efforts, urging them to maintain the momentum in both enforcement and public awareness initiatives.
The NDLEA has made great strides in apprehending drug pushers in Nigeria since Buba Marwa was first appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021. He has since been reappointed by the incumbent, President Tinubu.
FOLLOW US ON:
The Lagos State Government has sealed more than 20 properties in Ikeja Local Government Area over various physical planning violations as part of efforts to enforce compliance with the state’s planning laws and regulations.
A statement by the Lagos state government said the enforcement exercise was carried out by the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, LASPPPA, and was led by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning, Tpl. Olayinka Wasiu, alongside the General Manager of LASPPPA, Tpl. Kehinde Osinaike, and directors of the authority.
The affected properties include landed properties, uncompleted buildings and structures with unauthorised extensions found to be in breach of the Lagos State Physical Planning Law.
Speaking during the exercise, Wasiu said the enforcement was a proactive step aimed at preventing building collapse, promoting orderly physical development and ensuring strict compliance with the Lagos State Physical Planning Law.
“The State Government remains committed to safeguarding lives and property by enforcing planning regulations that guarantee a safe, resilient and sustainable built environment across Lagos State,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary disclosed that owners of the affected properties had earlier been served contravention notices, which clearly outlined the steps required to regularise their developments before the enforcement exercise became necessary.
He urged property owners and developers to always obtain the required planning permits and approvals before embarking on any development or structural alteration.
According to him, compliance with planning regulations is essential to achieving sustainable urban development.
Wasiu also reiterated that the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, through LASPPPA, would continue to strengthen monitoring and enforcement activities across Lagos State to curb illegal developments and preserve the integrity of the built environment.
He further assured law-abiding residents that the authority remains committed to ensuring a properly planned and legally compliant built environment that supports the Lagos State Government’s goal of developing a safe, modern and sustainable megacity.
FOLLOW US ON:
Crime
PHOTOS: Nigerian-American pharmacist convicted of illegally distributing 300,000 oxycodone pills in US
A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida, United States, has convicted a Nigerian-American licensed pharmacist and pharmacy owner, Olushola Yusuf, for her role in dispensing over 300,000 oxycodone 30mg pills to patrons who had no medical need for the drug.
The United States Department of Justice announced this in a press release on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Yusuf, 60, of Tampa, dispensed oxycodone to nearly all her pharmacy customers.
Yusuf charged customers approximately 10 times the typical cost of the drug and required payment from them in cash.
In total, Yusuf dispensed at least 326,079 pills of oxycodone 30mg during the conspiracy. Oxycodone 30mg is the maximum strength available of the drug and is both sought after and potentially dangerous due to its potency.
It is typically prescribed to seriously ill patients, such as those suffering from chronic cancer pain or traumatic injuries.
“The defendant abused the public trust by using her pharmacies to unlawfully distribute deadly opioids,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division.
“This conviction sends an unmistakable message: whether you deal drugs on a street corner or from behind a pharmacy counter, the Fraud Division will hold you fully accountable under the law.”
“By distributing dangerous and highly addictive narcotics, the defendant demonstrated a clear disregard for their community and endangered countless residents who should have been able to trust their pharmacist,” said FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia.
“The opioid epidemic continues to plague our nation, which is why the FBI, along with our partners, will continue to hold the criminals poisoning our communities with these drugs accountable.”
“Olushola Yusuf did not simply ignore red flags. She built her business around them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida.
“She knowingly flooded South Florida communities with more than 335,000 high-dose oxycodone pills, even after her employees and the DEA warned her about the dangers of her conduct. Yusuf charged extraordinary cash prices, served drug dealers and customers who traveled long distances, and put profit ahead of patients, public safety, and her responsibilities as a pharmacist. Yesterday, a federal jury held her accountable.”
“Pharmacists occupy a position of public trust and serve as a critical safeguard against the diversion of controlled substances,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Chief of Operations Matthew W. Allen.
“By dispensing hundreds of thousands of oxycodone pills to virtually anyone willing to pay inflated cash prices, the defendant abandoned that responsibility, exploited addiction, and endangered lives for personal profit.
“This conviction reinforces DEA’s commitment to the American people: no one is above the law when they violate the public’s trust and contribute to the unlawful distribution of dangerous drugs.”
“It’s a serious issue when people in the medical field use their positions to distribute illicit substances to those with no medical need for such substances,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Bobbitt of the DEA West Palm Beach District Office.
“This pharmacist dispensed thousands of oxycodone pills for profit and in the process contributed to opioid addiction in South Florida. Our diversion investigators have brought many of these criminals to justice and will continue to do so to protect our communities.”
“By unlawfully dispensing massive quantities of addictive controlled substances to people with no legitimate medical need, the pharmacist in this case brazenly disregarded patient safety and the law,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Miranda L. Bennett for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG).
“HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who exploit their professional licenses and endanger the public, and we will ensure they are held fully accountable.”
Yusuf owned and operated two pharmacies, Boots LLC d/b/a Striderite (Boots) in Margate, and Chans Pharmacy Plus, Inc. (Chans) in Pembroke Pines.
Yusuf distributed oxycodone 30mg pills through these pharmacies.
Customers drove long distances to have Yusuf fill prescriptions that they could not get filled at any other pharmacy.
Some customers paid as much as $1,300 a month in cash to Yusuf for the drugs. And some customers were drug dealers, who picked up oxycodone pills purportedly on behalf of dozens of patients at a time who were not present.
According to witnesses at trial, Yusuf kept the doors to her pharmacies locked during business hours, directing employees only to open the door for certain identified customers.
Yusuf continued to dispense the oxycodone in this way even after repeated warnings from her employees and the DEA about the dangers of her pharmacy operations.
A jury convicted Yusuf of conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and five counts of illegal drug distribution.
Yusuf’s co-defendant, Saman Gimenez, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs and is scheduled to be sentenced in October of this year.
Yusuf faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each count. Sentencing is scheduled to occur on October 14.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DEA, HHS-OIG, and FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Angela Benoit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
FOLLOW US ON:
The Lagos State Special Offences Court has granted social media influencer Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO, bail in the sum of N20 million in her ongoing trial over an alleged N69 million fraud.
The court ordered that she provide two responsible sureties in the same amount, with each submitting a three-year bank statement or proof of a fixed deposit worth at least N20 million. The judge also directed that both Blessing CEO and her sureties be verified through the Lagos State Judiciary’s Bail Information Management System.
Her defence informed the court that her international passport had been lost, presenting an affidavit of loss and a public notice. The court subsequently ordered the Nigerian Immigration Service to place her on a travel watchlist until the case is concluded.
The matter was adjourned to October 12, 2026, for continuation of trial. Blessing CEO is also facing a separate N36 million alleged fraud and theft case before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi.
FOLLOW US ON:
Alleged Coup: Document Reveals People Assigned To Attack Aso Rock, Service Chiefs’ Residences, Airports
Tinubu: Fresh Details Emerge On Alleged Military Coup Plot
ESUT Suspends Lecturers Over Alleged Extortion, Rule Breaches
‘Sleeping Prince’ of Saudi Arabia dies after 20 years in coma
How A Class Of 24 Students Produced 2 Presidents, 4 Governors, 2 Ministers, 4 Emirs, 3 Justices, 4 Ambassadors and Other Influential Leaders
2027: Atiku delays ADC membership card collection amid rumoured Jonathan comeback
Video – Where Is the Real Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland? | Sunday Igboho Speaks to the People of Kwara
🚨 Video – Another Nigerian Reportedly Killed in South Africa | Calls for Justice Grow
Video – Enugu Air Emergency Landing | What Happened on July 23, 2026?
-
News2 hours agoBago to Fulanis: Ask your children to quit kidnapping
-
News9 hours ago
No governor has power to suspend NURTW – MC Oluomo speaks after Governor Adeleke suspended activities of the group in Osun
-
Politics24 hours ago
2027: Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria reject ms Muslim-Muslim Ticket
-
News9 hours agoReturn home – President Tinubu pleads with diaspora health workers
-
Crime23 hours ago
Police arrest 6 Liberians for alleged abduction, human trafficking, and visa scam in Lagos
-
News1 hour ago
Gumi questions absence of government dialogue with Boko Haram, bandits
-
News23 hours ago
Shoot anyone with illegal firearms, IG orders police
-
Crime23 hours ago
PHOTOS: Police arrest three suspects for vandalism, recover stolen transformer components and cables in Yobe
