Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman, Joseph Cyril, for ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine while attempting to travel to Italy through Addis Ababa and France.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Cyril was arrested at the departure hall of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Sunday, August 2, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930.
Babafemi said the suspect was subsequently placed on excretion observation, during which he expelled 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510kg.
The statement said, “The suspect who was nabbed at the departure hall of the airport on Sunday, 2nd August 2026 during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930, was subsequently placed on excretion observation during which he excreted 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilograms.”
Giving details of the investigation, Babafemi said, “Investigations revealed that Cyril had arrived Nigeria from Italy on 13th July 2026 and ingested the drug in a hotel in Awka, Anambra State before proceeding to Enugu to board his flight to Europe on Sunday 2nd August.”
The NDLEA spokesman added that the suspect admitted agreeing to traffic the drugs for money.
“In his statement, he claimed he has been doing business in Italy for years before agreeing to traffic the drug consignment for a fee of 3,500 Euros in order to raise money to relocate to Germany where his family is based,”Babafemi said.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives foiled attempts by traffickers to export 1.2kg of cocaine concealed inside 25 phone chargers to Saudi Arabia.
Babafemi said, “Attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 1.2 kilograms of cocaine concealed in 25 pieces of phone chargers going to Saudi Arabia were thwarted by NDLEA operatives at a courier firm in Lagos.”
He added that another attempt to export cocaine to Italy was also stopped.
“A similar bid to send 500 grams of the same class A drug hidden in the false bottom of a backpack to Italy was equally aborted in another logistics company by NDLEA officers on Monday 3rd August,” he stated.
The agency also intercepted another shipment of cannabis from the United States.
According to Babafemi, “a consignment of 2.3kg Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, coming from the United States was intercepted in another shipping company in Lagos on Tuesday 4th August.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Akure-Ilesha Expressway intercepted a truck heading north with 1,633kg of skunk concealed in bags of rice chaff.
Babafemi said, “NDLEA officers on patrol along Akure-Ilesha expressway on Tuesday 4th August intercepted a truck heading to the North with 1,633 kilograms of skunk concealed in bags of rice shafts.”
He disclosed that two suspects, Buba Jamilu, 40, and Sanusi Ibrahim, 30, were arrested in connection with the consignment.
“Two suspects: Buba Jamilu, 40, and Sanusi Ibrahim, 30, transporting the consignment were arrested,” he stated.
The agency also recovered 147kg of skunk from the Ita Ogbolu forest during a separate operation.
Babafemi said, “a total of 147kg skunk was recovered from Ita Ogbolu forest during a raid operation on Monday 3rd August.”
In Oyo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided a drug warehouse in Elebure village, Orire Local Government Area, recovering more than 731kg of cannabis.
According to the statement, “In Oyo state, operatives acting on credible intelligence on Monday 3rd August raided a drug warehouse in Elebure village, Orire LGA, where they recovered 731.03 kilograms and arrested a suspect, Felicia Thompson, 57, while her partner, Thompson Vincent Nwaka is at large.”
In Edo State, the agency said operatives, supported by soldiers, recovered 604.5kg of skunkduring another raid.
Babafemi stated, “In a similar operation in Edo state on Wednesday 5th August, operatives supported by soldiers recovered 65 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 604.5kg at Ewe Luleha in Owan West LGA.”
In Abia State, NDLEA operatives arrested 31-year-old Chibuike Charles, a suspected drug joint operator, during a raid at Samec by Powerline base in Osisioma Local Government Area.
Babafemi said, “While a drug joint operator, Chibuike Charles, 31, was arrested during a raid at his Samec by powerline base in Osisioma LGA, Abia state where 7kg of skunk was seized on Thursday 6th August.”
In Lagos, the agency said it finally arrested a wanted drug dealer, Adome Claude Sikuru, after three months of searching for him.
According to the statement, “a notorious wanted drug dealer, Adome Claude Sikuru was on Saturday 8th August nabbed at the fibre market drug jungle, Badagry, Lagos, after a three-month manhunt for him.”
The agency added, “As at the time of his arrest, 88.5kg of skunk was seized from him.”
At the Tincan Port Complex in Lagos, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with Customs and other security agencies, intercepted a consignment containing cannabis-infused confectioneries.
Babafemi said, “A total of 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cookies and gummies infused with cannabis weighing 309.4kg were discovered during a joint examination of a 40ft container by NDLEA officers, Customs and other security agencies on Tuesday 4th August at the Tincan port complex Lagos.”
He added that “a suspect, Larry Nnaji, has already been arrested in connection with the seizure.”
The prosecution on Wednesday presented five witnesses and video evidence at the trial of content creator Ifeanyi Ogbonna, popularly known as Odogwu Asaba, over alleged rape and manslaughter in connection with the death of 20-year-old Favour Agbro.
The witnesses included Agbro’s twin sister, brother and father, the doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination, and an investigating police officer. The case is being heard by the Delta State High Court in Asaba.
However, the defence counsel requested more time to study the statements of the prosecution witnesses and the additional evidence served on the defence.
Speaking after the proceedings, the prosecution said it was prepared to proceed with the case but acknowledged the need to allow the defence adequate time to examine the materials.
The prosecution team was led by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe, SAN, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Tejiri Anuhwin, and other state counsel.
Ogbonna had pleaded not guilty to the charges on October 21, 2026, before Justice Michael Nduka Obi. The allegations relate to Agbro’s death in June 2026.
The court adjourned the case until November 19, 2026, for the continuation of the trial, when the prosecution is expected to proceed with its witnesses and evidence.
Recall that the court had remanded the content creator at the Ogwashi-Uku Maximum Correctional Centre after he was arrested and arraigned following allegations of raping Agbro, who later died after ingesting a toxic substance.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a man, Ugwumba Enyinnaya, for allegedly impersonating a lawyer and practising for more than 11 years.
The state Police Public Relations Officerzz, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the arrest followed an investigation into a petition alleging obtaining money by false pretence.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly collected ₦650,000 from one Chukwu David in March 2026 to facilitate the processing and approval of a street naming in Ohaozara Local Government Area.
The petitioner alleged that Enyinnaya presented himself as a lawyer with years of legal experience.
The police said investigations following his arrest revealed that he had been parading himself as a legal practitioner despite not being a lawyer.
During interrogation, the suspect admitted that he was not a lawyer, according to the statement.
“A search of his apartment led to the recovery of several exhibits, including a Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal; a portrait of the suspect dressed in barrister’s regalia; purported Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree certificates for the suspect bearing the name of Enugu State University of Science and Technology; a barrister’s robe and wig; judgements allegedly procured from the court and various legal documents allegedly prepared by him, including powers of attorney and deeds of conveyance,” the statement said.
The police said the suspect had been charged to court.
The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, CP Hope Okafor, commended the operatives for uncovering the alleged impersonation and urged members of the public to verify the credentials of people offering legal services.
A yet-to-be-identified motorcycle operator has been killed, and two others injured, after a speeding driver, allegedly fleeing police officers, knocked down three motorcycle riders on Liasu Road in the Idimu area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Saturday night during a police chase involving a vehicle suspected to belong to Internet fraudsters.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle while attempting to escape from the pursuing officers and knocked down the three motorcycle riders in the process.
One of the riders was said to have died on the spot, while the two others sustained injuries.
It was gathered that the driver and other occupants of the vehicle abandoned it and fled after realising what had happened.
An eyewitness who gave his name simply as Wahab said the vehicle was being chased from the Ile-Iwe end of the road towards the Council bus stop.
He said, “They were coming from the Ile-Iwe side when police officers in a minibus tried to stop them. It was in the process that they increased their speed and drove recklessly.
“It was when the driver lost control that he ran into the okada riders. The one directly hit died on the spot, and the driver and other male adults in the vehicle ran out of the vehicle and fled.”
The vehicle was subsequently towed to the nearest police station, while the injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital.
The incident, however, sparked a protest by commercial motorcycle riders operating along Powerline and Liasu roads, as they stopped conveying passengers to demand justice for their colleagues.
According to another resident, Titi Jayeoba, the protest left several residents stranded as they struggled to find alternative means of transportation.
“We were stranded on Sunday after the okada riders refused to operate. People who depend on motorcycles to get to church and other places were stranded. The tricycles available could not carry everybody, so many people found it difficult to get to their destinations.
“And some were not even interested in tricycles because they would not take them into their streets,” Jayeoba stated.
It was gathered that normalcy had since returned to the area after the motorcycle operators resumed operations later in the evening.
The deceased victim was also said to have been buried according to Islamic rites.
When contacted on Tuesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident. She, however, promised to revert.
