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Police Arrest Four Journalists, 14 Others Over Anti-Fuel, Power Tariff Hike Protest
Policemen of Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, arrested no fewer than 14 protesters and four journalists during an anti-fuel and electricity tariff hike protest and forcefully dispersed the protesters at Ojuelegba area of the state.
The protest was organised by leaders of the Lagos Chapels the Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN), National Conscience Party of Nigeria (NCP), and Campaign for Workers Democratic Rights (CWDR), to protest the recent hike the in the pump price of petrol, increase in electricity tariff and perceived de-registration of some political parties, including SPN and NCP.
Those arrested were National Youth Leader of SPN, Chinedu Bossah, SPN’s National Executive member, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Dagga Tolar, Christopher Harry, Abisoye Kosoko, Tunde Yusuf, Akande Abiola, Ayo Ademiluyi, Ifeanyi Onwunalu, Davy Fidel, Adetunji Gbenga, Usman Khadijat, Moshood Oshunfurewa and Taiwo Alao.
The journalists were, Ifeoluwa Adediran of Premium Times, Abiodun Ayeoba of Sahara Reporters, Awoniyi Oluwatosin of Objectv Media and Daniel Tanimu of Galaxy TV.
The peaceful protest which took-off at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), sub-national secretariat, Jejuosho, Yaba, was without incident until the protesters got to Ojuelegba.
At Ojulegba, the policemen, it was gathered, from Area C swooped on the protesters from different directions, including those following them from Tejuosho, and surrounded the protesters.
One of the leaders of the protesters, and Chairman of CWDR, Rufus Olusesan, told newsmen that the leader of the policemen ordered the protesters “to surrender their protest materials including posters, handbills and banners, but we refused and told them that the constitution guarantees us the right to peaceful protest.
“The policemen started cocking their guns, threatening to shoot us and ordered us to seat on the floor. That was how 14 of us and four journalists were arrested, crammed in a police van and taken to Area C. From Area C, our arrested colleagues including the four journalists were taken to Police Headquarters, Ikeja. It was at the police headquarters that the four journalists were released.”
It was gathered that the arrested protesters were accused of breaching the state social distancing protocol of Covid-19 and had been taken to Oshodi office of State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation.
At the time of this report, it was gathered that police officials were preparing to arraign the protesters.
Condemning their arrest, umbrella body for pro-labour civil society organisations, Joint Action Front (JAF), demanded their immediate and unconditional release.
The JAF, in a statement by its Secretary, Abiodun Aremu, among others, said its “attention had been drawn to illegal arrest of comrades from SPN, and others by police and security operatives of the Area C Command.
“Journalists, who were covering the event were also arrested alongside the leaders and members of SPN for protesting this morning against fuel price hike, electricity tariff and the deregistration of SPN.
“JAF hereby demands the immediate and unconditional release of all the arrested comrades and the journalists who did no wrong exercising their legitimate and constitutional rights of expression and protest.”
Similarly, the SPN, in a statement by its National Chairperson, Abiodun Bamigboye, said “SPN condemns the unjust arrest of members and journalists for protesting against anti-poor policies by the Buhari Government.
“We demand for immediate release of all arrested protesters. We demand an end to violation of human rights under Buhari government. The SPN strongly condemns the brutalisation and arrest of members of our party and journalists by officers of the Nigerian Police Force.
“The arrested SPN members and leaders were on a peaceful protest today in Lagos to demand immediate reversal of the obnoxious increase in electricity tariff and fuel price by the Buhari/APC government, and for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to respect the judgment of the Appeal Court by relisting SPN and other political parties.
“The arrested people include the National Secretary of the SPN, Chinedu Bossah, National Youth Leader of SPN, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, SPN National Executive member, Dagga Tolar, and about 11 others, as well as four journalists with Galaxy TV, Saharatv, Premium Times and Objectv. Cameras and phones of the journalists have been seized and destroyed while all arrested were physically brutalized.
“We demand the immediate release of all arrested, public apology from the police and payment of medical bills and other damages to those arrested. The unjust arrest today again reveals the despotic character of the Buhari/APC government and further betrays its anti-democratic and anti-masses character. While the government is launching attacks on economic rights of the working and poor people, it, at the same time, wants to deny them democratic rights to express their minds.
“It also exposes the desperate attempt of the Nigerian ruling class to ensure Nigerians are short-changed and denied of a genuine political voice like the SPN. Obviously, the Buhari government knows that its rule is no more popular, given serial attacks on the living conditions of the people, mismanagement of the economy, and massive corruption going on in the government”.
Earlier before the kick-off of the protest at NLC office in Yaba, leaders of the protesters had berated the hikes in pump price of petrol and electricity tariff, saying, among others, “We call on the mass of the working people to reject in its entirety the recent increases of fuel price and electricity tariff by the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
“Despite privatizing the power sector in November, 2013, the government has invested over $20billion and still plans to spend another $6billion while the power companies have failed to invest but continuously steal from the people through outrageous estimated billing, sale of prepaid meters at exorbitant prices, poor electricity supply and incessant tariff hike.
“The full weight of the labour movement is needed to challenge this anti-poor regime and resist these attacks. We call on the leadership of the two labour centres, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Trade Union Congress (TUC), to mobilize for a 48-hour general strike as the beginning of a series of sustained mass actions to resist these attacks and neo-liberal policies.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances concealed in carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers through Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a Lagos-based courier firm.
The agency said two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.
In a statement released yesterday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome, Italy.
The statement partly read, “Two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.
“One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, 2026, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
“In his statement, Ehianuka, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.”
In another operation on Wednesday, March 18, Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage uncovered 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets.
“No fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg; and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan,” the statement added.
In a separate operation at a courier firm in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.
“Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand,” he said.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
Babafemi said the agency also recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, adding that two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on the Third Mainland Bridge while conveying 8,380 bottles of the syrup.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on March 16.
In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on March 18, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday, March 17, arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
In a similar development, “Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, March 20,” Babafemi said.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo Highway with 77,660 capsules of tramadol, while in Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.
The suspects include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
The agency said its commands across the country also intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, and communities during the week.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the balanced approach to drug control efforts.
News
RSG Applauds FRSC, NDLEA For Enhancing Security In Rivers …As NDLEA Pushes For Drug Tests In Schools, NYSC Camps
The Rivers State Government has commended the dedication and collaboration of federal government agencies in sustaining security in the State.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the State Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Bature Dawa, in Port Harcourt, last week, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara appreciates the strong synergy between the agencies in promoting his administration’s vision of peace, prosperity and progress in the State.
Wokoma urged residents to remain law-abiding, noting that respect for the law is essential for good governance and sustainable development in all parts of the state.
He stated that the governor has remained committed to initiatives that promote peace and social order, stressing that the administration will continue to support programmes of federal agencies aimed at strengthening security and public safety.
“Our governor is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Rivers State. I therefore encourage all residents, especially young people who are often targeted by those involved in drug abuse, to stay away from drugs, crime and reckless driving,” he said.
In his remarks, the State NDLEA boss, Dawa, disclosed that the agency has arrested 39 suspects in the state from December 2025 to date, including 16 new cases currently under investigation.
He explained that the NDLEA, through its Drug Demand Reduction and Drug Supply Control Units, has intensified efforts to curb the spread of illicit drugs and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Dawa also called on parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, while urging hotel owners and managers to remain vigilant and prevent their facilities from being used for drug-related activities.
He further advocated the introduction of drug integrity tests in schools and within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as part of measures to discourage drug abuse among young people.
In a related development, Dr Wokoma received the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Inyang Umoh, during a courtesy visit, and urged residents to abide by road safety laws and drive in consideration of other road users.
In his remarks, the FRSC boss expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the continuous support to the Corps.
Muslims in Rivers State have commended Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his dedication and commitment to the development of the state.
They also lauded the governor for promoting peaceful co-existence among various religious groups in the state.
Vice President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ,Alhaji Nasil Awhelegbe Uhor, gave the commendation last Friday during the Eid-el Fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fasting period, at the Port Harcourt Central Mosque, Niger Street, Port Harcourt.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the prayer, Alhaji Uhor said Governor Fubara has shown exemplary leadership in the affairs of the state.
Uhor who is the leader of the South South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, called on Muslims to remain committed to the ideal of peace and fear of the Almighty Allah.
According to the Rivers State Islamic leader, the message is for Muslims to imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink into their lives and shape their ways of doing things.
He urged Muslims to imbibe the culture of love and respect for one another.
“My message is that all Muslims should imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink with them,” he advised.
Uhor stressed the need for Muslims and all Nigerians to remain patriotic, while avoiding all forms of anti-social behaviours.
He also called on the political leaders to put the country first, stressing that there is no need for Nigerians to continue to wallow in abject poverty when the country is so rich with natural resources.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim S Yalo, urged Muslims to fear God, and speak the truth always.
According to him, time has come for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of peaceful coexistence, speak the truth and be each others keeper.
“Nigerians own a duty to ensure peace, live together in fear of God and speak the truth always,” he said.
By: John Bibor