Crime
PHOTOS: Alleged Nigerian drug kingpin arrested in Bangkok after dramatic standoff
Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) investigators in Thailand have arrested the alleged head of a Nigerian drug network in a dramatic late-night operation during which the suspect attempted to ram his way through a police blockade.
The arrest was made on Tuesday night, June 9, 2026 during an operation dubbed “Clipping the Wings of the Dodorima Boss” by officers from the MPB and the Bangkok branch of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
The suspect, identified as Ikenna Patrick Azubuike, 36, was arrested outside a condominium on Rama III Road in Bangkok’s Yannawa district.
The suspect commonly referred to as Patrick was charged with possessing and selling a Category 2 narcotic (cocaine) without permission, and resisting arrest.
Authorities said further charges related to money laundering are being considered.
The operation led to the seizure of cocaine, a vehicle, cash, funds held in bank accounts and other assets worth more than 700,000 baht.
Investigations that led to the arrest began on May 22, when police investigators, led by MPB deputy commissioner Pol Maj Gen Theeradej Thamsuthee, conducted a raid on a luxury condominium near Phra Nang Klao Bridge in Nonthaburi, which was allegedly being used as a base for a romance scam operation. Six foreign nationals were arrested during that operation.
Later, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Samrarn Nuanma ordered the MPB to widen the investigation, leading to links between the romance scam syndicate and the cocaine trafficking network of a major criminal organisation with more than 300 million baht circulating through its operations.
Investigators said the network operated under the name Dodorima, described as a regional alliance of African criminal figures in Thailand. They are believed to be an off chute of a larger international organisation known as NBM of Africa.
Officers found that members of the group sought to disguise their activities through highly visible charitable donations and community outreach programmes.
Investigators identified Patrick as the apparent leader of the Dodorima network in Thailand.
They said the Nigerian man had lived in Thailand for more than seven years, travelling frequently between Thailand and Africa.
According to police, Patrick initially worked as a street-level cocaine dealer in tourist areas before rising up through the ranks.
Investigators estimated that more than 380 million baht flowed through the network’s accounts over the past year alone.
Authorities also believed he sent substantial sums back to Nigeria, where he allegedly built a large mansion.
The MPB said the investigation proved difficult because the suspect was surrounded by trusted associates and employed sophisticated methods to conceal financial transactions and evade detection.
The investigators eventually discovered that although Patrick was no longer directly involved in most street-level drug sales, he appeared to maintain influence through the distribution of cocaine to prominent clients, leading authorities to launch the operation that resulted in his arrest.
On the day of the arrest, the arresting team tracked Patrick as he drove into a luxury condominium complex on Rama III Road.
The officers attempted to stop his vehicle using a car-blocking strategy, but he reversed into officers in an effort to escape, injuring several.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradej, who led the operation, ordered officers to smash the vehicle’s windows and disable its engine. Patrick was then taken into custody.
A search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered about 18 grammes of cocaine. A subsequent search of his condominium unit led to the seizure of cash and other assets valued at about 700,000 baht.
Following the arrest, investigators said they uncovered intelligence suggesting links to a wider transnational criminal network.
Authorities also found messages in a private group chat in which members appeared to ridicule Thai cocaine users, including one message stating: “The powder they snort comes from our backsides.”
Patrick has been handed over to investigators at Bang Phongphang police station for legal proceedings. Assets seized under anti-money laundering measures have been transferred to the ONCB for further tracing.
During questioning, Patrick partially admitted to the allegations against him, acknowledging involvement with cocaine but denying money-laundering offences.
He claimed the group’s activities centred on charitable donations funded through a fish-export business between Thailand and Nigeria.
The suspect said the word “Dodomira” means “hello”.
Pol Maj Gen Theeradej said the arrest represented a significant blow to a major transnational syndicate, disrupting both drug trafficking and financial laundering activities.
“The MPB would work with the ONCB and international partners to trace financial flows and apprehend all Thai and foreign accomplices linked to the organisation, he said.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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