Business

NDLEA Nabs Woman Over Drug Concealment

Published

4 years ago

July 20, 2022

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 27 year old woman, Mrs. Opoola Mujidat, for concealing drugs in a bag and passing it on for distribution in Oman, Middle East.
A release by the Director, Media & Advocacy, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Headquarters, Femi Babafemi, in Lagos, stated that the drugs were “concealed in fetish bowls, containing scary native black soap and sponge in bags carried by two Oman-bound male passengers at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos”.
The release stated that the passengers, Raji Babatunde Kazeem and Akinbobola Omoniyi, were scheduled to “travel together to Oman on Ethiopian Airlines flight on Monday,11th July when they were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the airport.
“A search of their luggage revealed wraps of cannabis sativa hidden in bowls of native black soap and sponge packed into a bag containing food items, which Kazeem was carrying.
“Both Kazeem and Omoniyi immediately alerted the anti-narcotic officers that Mujidat, who was still within the vicinity, gave them the bag containing the illicit substance at the airport”.
According to the statement, Mujidat was promptly arrested, and, on interrogation, accepted responsibility, saying that she brought the luggage for the two passengers to give to her husband in Oman.
Mujidat, who hails from Oyo East Local Governmwnt Area in Oyo State, confessed to packaging the bag containing the food items, including the black soap used to conceal the illicit substance.
Meanwhile, in Nasarawa State, NDLEA operatives intercepted over 91 jumbo bags of cannabis, weighing 1,029.5kg concealed in a truck and mounted on a natural gas tank by Doma road, around 500 Housing Estate, Lafia.
A 52-year-old suspect, Ernest Ojieh, was arrested in connection with the seizure on Saturday, 9th July.
“This was barely four days after operatives at Agwan Doka, Lafia, seized 38 big bags of the same substance with a total weight of 367kg. Two suspects: Abdullahi Iliyasu, 30, and Bashir Mohammed, 29 were arrested over the seizure”, according to the statement.
The statement continued that in Kaduna and Adamawa States, over half a million pills of pharmaceutical opioids were seized and suspects arrested in raid operations across the two states.
In Kaduna, 294,400 pills of Tramadol and Diazepam were seized from Shaban Nasir, Aminu Usman and Shamsudeen Hussaini, along Abuja-Kaduna Express Road, while Sa’idu Yahaya and Umar Abubakar were apprehended during a follow up operation in Kano, all on Friday 15th July.

In the same vein, over 227,000 different grades of Tramadol tablets were seized during the raid of a patent medicine store at Sabon Layi, close to Mubi main market, Mubi North LGA, Adamawa State on Sunday 3rd July.

Items recovered from the store where a suspect, Nasiru Abubakar, 27, was arrested include Tramadol 250mg (aka Boko Haram); Royal Tramadol 225mg (aka Vectra); Tramaking Tramadol 225mg (aka Jan Dara); Tramadol 200mg (aka Dogari); and Tramadol 100mg (aka Green).

Another suspect, Idris Adamu, 25, was also arrested in a shoe shop in the same Sabon Layi where over 5,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg were recovered from him.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Adamawa Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) warned the drug cartels that no matter the ingenuity of their modes of concealment, the dedicated workforce of the Agency will always expose them and their tricks.

By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.

Business

Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’, Ikeja, has impound Cocaine Substance valued at ?2.35 billion alongside 15 trailer-loads of foreign rice and a wide range of contraband across the South-West.

This was disclosed to Newsmen during a press briefing in Lagos by Controller of the Unit, Comptroller Gambo Aliyu,

Aliyu revealed that the seizures were made over an eight-week period, underscoring intensified enforcement efforts.

According to him, operatives foiled 473 smuggling attempts within the period, leading to the confiscation of 8,794 bags of 50kg foreign rice, 22 used vehicles, 328 bales of used clothing, and 31,705 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

He said other seized items include a Mercedes-Benz vehicle and various food products such as poultry, vegetable oil, spaghetti, and sugar.

Aliyu clarified that the rice displayed at the briefing represented cumulative interceptions made at different locations and times across the zone.

“All the rice you see here are accumulative of seizures carried out at different places, at different times, and through different interdictions,”

Beyond the economic implications, the Comptroller emphasized the social cost of drug trafficking, warning that narcotics continue to destroy families and fuel criminal activities.

“It may surprise you to know that many homes are broken due to drugs.

” Our mandate is to cut off the supply chain, and that is exactly what we are doing,”.

Similarly Customs operatives at the Gbaji outpost intercepted a 71 year-old suspect along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor with 6.35kg of cocaine concealed in a Toyota Highlander.

The drugs, comprising both powdered and crystalline forms, were valued at ?2.35 billion.

Under a special enforcement drive, codenamed “Operation Hawk,” the unit also seized 3,340 parcels of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as “Ghanaian loud,” weighing 1,540kg.

The substances, along with three suspects, have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

In a related operation, officers intercepted four cylinders of mercury hidden in a vehicle along the same corridor. Aliyu described the substance as hazardous and subject to international regulation.

Overall, the Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seizures stands at approximately ?5.5 billion, reflecting the scale of enforcement activities.

Additionally, the unit recovered ?97.7 million through Demand Notices issued on under-declared consignments.

Aliyu reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to deploying modern technology—including geospatial intelligence, drone surveillance, and real-time tracking—to strengthen border security and clamp down on smuggling networks.

CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Dangote, Nicolai Tangen To Partner In strategic sectors

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

Chief Executive Officer of Norges Bank Investment Management, Nicolai Tangen ( manager of the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund) has expressed interest in partnering with Dangote Group to expand investments across Africa, particularly in strategic sectors such as power, energy, renewable energy, agriculture, fertiliser and cement.

This was made known during a meeting of Chief Executive of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote with Nicolai Tangen, the manager of Norwegian investment institution (with assets estimated at about $1.9 trillion) .

Also present at the meeting were Svein Tore Holsether, Chief Executive Officer of Yara International, and Terje Pilskog, Chief Executive Officer of Scatec, a global renewable energy company.

The engagement reflects growing international investor confidence in Africa’s industrial and infrastructure potential, as well as the increasing role of indigenous conglomerates such as Dangote Group in driving large-scale economic transformation across the continent.

Industry observers say the proposed collaboration could create significant opportunities for investments in critical sectors linked to energy transition, food security, industrialisation and infrastructure development.

The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, regarded as one of the world’s leading institutional investors, has in recent years increased its focus on emerging markets, with Africa seen as a major frontier for long-term investment and value creation.

Analysts believe a partnership between Norges Bank Investment Management and Dangote Group could unlock substantial capital flows into infrastructure and industrial projects across Africa, helping to accelerate economic growth and regional integration.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos