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PHOTOS: NDLEA Nabs South African Woman with 5.75kg Heroin, Seizes N10.3bn Cannabis
he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old South African woman, identified as Will Ann, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria while travelling with her three-year-old son.
The agency also announced the seizure of 4,143.5 kilogrammes of synthetic cannabis valued at over N10.3 billion at the Apapa Seaport, Lagos, alongside several other major anti-drug operations across the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the suspect was arrested on Monday, July 6, during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha.
According to the NDLEA, the woman allegedly concealed 14 large blocks of heroin inside two suitcases and initially denied travelling with any checked baggage.
The agency said its operatives, however, discovered that the baggage tags matched the claim tags attached to her passport, forcing her to admit ownership of the luggage.
“Though she initially denied travelling with check-in bags, after operatives were able to quickly establish that the two bags containing the drugs had tags which tallied with the claim tags attached to her passport, she recanted and admitted ownership of the bags, adding that she forgot she checked in the two bags,” the statement said.
The suspect reportedly told investigators she travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.
The NDLEA added that intelligence reports linked her to a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Cambodia-South Africa route, allegedly involving her husband and partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager.
In a related operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, operatives arrested a 48-year-old commercial motorcycle rider, Onyechere Chinadu, after he arrived from Madagascar via Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
The agency said 87 wraps of methamphetamine were initially recovered from his backpack, concealed inside clothing.
According to investigators, the suspect confessed that he had worked as an okada rider in Lagos for 15 years before being recruited into international drug trafficking by an associate based in Uganda.
NDLEA said the suspect admitted swallowing methamphetamine pellets in Uganda before embarking on his trip to Madagascar to deliver the illicit consignment.
After he was reportedly denied entry into Madagascar, his sponsor allegedly redirected him to Lagos, where he was arrested.
The agency said he was placed under observation because he could not state the exact number of drug pellets he had ingested. Between his arrest and July 11, he excreted 13 additional pellets, bringing the total recovery to 100 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.715 kilogrammes.
Meanwhile, at the Apapa Seaport, Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted 8,287 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent synthetic cannabis strain, weighing 4,143.5 kilogrammes with an estimated street value exceeding N10.3 billion.
The agency said the consignment was uncovered during a joint examination involving NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies after weeks of intelligence-led surveillance on the container imported from Montreal, Canada.
“The discovery followed weeks of targeted tracking and monitoring of the shipment since its departure from Montreal, Canada, by operatives of the Maritime Intelligence Unit of NDLEA in close collaboration with the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency,” the statement said.
In another operation, the anti-narcotics agency said it thwarted an attempt to export 2.5 kilogrammes of skunk concealed inside a gas compressor bound for Cyprus through a Lagos-based courier company.
Beyond enforcement activities, the NDLEA said its commands across the country continued the War Against Drug Abuse campaign through sensitisation programmes in secondary schools in Ebonyi, Kano, Ekiti and Ogun states, while officials of its Zone 14 Command paid an advocacy visit to Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, praised the commands for combining aggressive drug supply reduction efforts with sustained public awareness campaigns.
Marwa urged officers nationwide to remain committed to the agency’s fight against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse, charging them “not to rest on their past laurels” in the ongoing campaign against narcotics.
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The family of Michael Oyedokun, one of the teachers killed during the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, has appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to recover his body to enable them give him a befitting burial.
The appeal comes after the remaining abducted pupils and teachers regained their freedom following a coordinated security operation.
In a fresh statement shared on Instagram on Saturday by Oluwabukolami, who has been the family’s spokesperson, expressed gratitude over the successful rescue of the pupils and teachers but said their grief remained unresolved because Oyedokun’s body had yet to be recovered 58 days after he was killed.
“We are grateful to the government and security agencies for the safe return of the children and teachers. Every family reunited with their loved one is a reminder that hope still exists.
“But our family remains in mourning,” the statement partly read.
The slain teacher, Michael Oyedokun, who was a victim of the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State…Photo Credit: its_boukeey
The family said despite the successful rescue operation, they were still waiting for the opportunity to recover Oyedokun’s remains and give him a dignified burial.
“Fifty-eight days after Michael Olugbade Oyedokun was taken from us, we are still waiting… not for a miracle, but for the opportunity to lay him to rest,” the family said.
According to the family, the inability to recover his body has prolonged the pain and denied his wife, children and relatives the closure they desperately need.
“Every day without his body is another day his wife cannot say goodbye. Another day, his children have no grave to visit. Another day, our family is denied the dignity and closure that every human being deserves,” the statement read.
The slain teacher, Michael Oyedokun, who was a victim of the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State…Photo Credit: its_boukeey
The family appealed directly to the authorities to intensify efforts to recover the slain teacher’s body.
“We respectfully appeal to the authorities: please bring Michael’s body home.
“Help us recover his body so we can give him the honourable and befitting burial he deserves. Our grief cannot begin to heal until we can bring him home.
“Please don’t let our final goodbye remain unfinished.
“Bring Michael home,” the family said.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that the family expressed mixed emotions following the rescue of the remaining abducted pupils and teachers, saying while other families were celebrating the return of their loved ones, theirs would never experience such joy.
Reacting after the victims regained their freedom on Friday, Oluwabukolami, who identified herself as Oyedokun’s niece and has served as the family’s spokesperson since the incident, congratulated the rescued victims and their families but lamented that her uncle would never return home.
“They are finally home.
“My heart rejoices with every family that has been reunited with their loved ones after weeks of pain, fear, and uncertainty. Welcome home.”
She, however, noted that the joy of other families could not erase her family’s loss.
“But as others celebrate, my family mourns.
“My uncle, Mr Michael Olugbade Oyedokun, will never come home. He was taken from us, and his life was brutally cut short. Our joy is incomplete because one chair at our table will remain empty forever.”
She concluded by paying tribute to the late teacher.
“Today, we celebrate those who returned, while remembering the one who never did.
“Rest in peace, Uncle Michael. You will never be forgotten.”
PUNCH Online reported that the Presidency confirmed the rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers after 57 days in captivity, with eight suspected kidnappers arrested and several others neutralised during the operation.
The attack occurred on May 15 when gunmen invaded Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, Community Grammar School and L.A. Primary School, Esiele, in Oriire Local Government Area, abducting scores of pupils and teachers.
During the attack, Oyedokun and another teacher, Esiyan Adegboye, were killed. While Adegboye was buried on May 22 in Ogbomoso after his body was recovered, Oyedokun’s body has yet to be found. This has left his family unable to perform his burial rites, despite the rescue of the remaining victims.
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PHOTOS: Rescued Oyo pupils, teachers to remain under medical observation for 48 hours — Makinde
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said the safe rescue of the teachers and pupils held captive by bandits for 56 days is a moment of gratitude and relief for the state.
The governor said the rescued pupils and teachers would remain under observation for 48 hours.
“The rescued victims will remain under medical observation for the next 48 hours, after which an assessment will be conducted before their formal transfer from military authorities to the Oyo State Government for further management and rehabilitation,” he said.
The governor spoke on Saturday after visiting the rescued pupils and teachers, who are receiving medical attention at the Headquarters of the 2 Division Nigerian Army Medical Services, Odogbo Barracks, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, following their release from captivity.
“All 39 pupils and five of the seven abducted teachers had been rescued and reunited with security personnel, giving glory to God and commending officers and men of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies for their efforts in securing the victims’ freedom,” the governor said.
“The rescue operation came with sacrifices,” Makinde added, revealing that, “some security operatives lost their lives during the operation.”
The governor extended condolences to the bereaved families, assuring them that the sacrifices of their loved ones would not be in vain.
Speaking on the condition of the rescued victims, the governor disclosed that the pupils and teachers were happy to regain their freedom. “Some of them appear physically weak, and will require medical care and psychosocial support to overcome post-traumatic experiences from their prolonged captivity,” he said.
Makinde also disclosed that arrangements were being made to bring family members to the barracks to see their loved ones, particularly noting the case of a young girl who had repeatedly asked for her mother since regaining her freedom.
He urged Nigerians to remain united in the face of security challenges, stressing that, “difficult periods should serve as moments for collective action rather than division.”
Makinde added that he would officially brief the people of Oyo State and Nigerians in the coming week on the circumstances surrounding the abduction and the efforts that culminated in the successful rescue of the victims.
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Five female members of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Wuse II, Abuja, have d!ed in a road accident.
The accident occurred on Friday, July 10, 2026 while the delegation was traveling to Samaru Kataf in Southern Kaduna for the burial of the mother of one Mrs. Avong.
The deceased have been identified as: Mrs. Naomi Barnabas, Mrs. Julie Ladan, Mrs. Grace (Gambo) Daniel Sati, Mrs. Esther Tukur and Mrs. Theresa S. Gandu.
Several other members of the delegation reportedly sustained injuries and are receiving medical treatment.
The tragic incident has left the church and the families of the victims in mourning.
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