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NDLEA Intercepts Illicit Drug Consignment In Commercial Bus Engine
Operatives of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of Indian hemp and other psychoactive drugs hidden in the engine compartment of a commercial bus travelling interstate.
Spokesman of the agency, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that the drugs, weighing at least 5.2kg, were intercepted on Thursday on Gbongan-Ibadan Road in Osun.
He added that the 35-year-old driver of the bus who took responsibility for the concealment was taken into custody for investigation.
“On Wednesday, the previous day, a 26-year-old lady, who produces and distributes “skuchies’’ was arrested in Osogbo, during a raid on her hideout.
“At least, 16.5 litres of skuchies and different quantities of molly and Indian hemp were recovered from her during the raid,’’ Babafemi stated.
Molly acts both as a stimulant and hallucinogen, producing an energising effect, distortions in time and perception, and enhanced enjoyment of tactile experiences.
Babafemi stated also that NDLEA operatives arrested a 70-year-old grandfather, and a 65-year-old man in Borno on Saturday for drug trafficking.
They were arrested in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala respectively alongside a 24-year-old and a 28-year-old.
Babafemi said that 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from them.
“Also on Saturday, NDLEA operatives at Geidam in Yobe intercepted a Volkswagen Golf 3 car heading to Gagamari in Niger Republic.
“The 28-year-old driver was to deliver 40 blocks of Indian hemp weighing 24.5kg to a dealer.
“Forty-two cartons, containing 8,400 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,260kg were also recovered from a 29-year-old driver, on Katsina Road, Kaduna on Tuesday March 5.
“In Kano State, a 35-year-old was arrested for being in possession of 62kg of Indian hemp at Gadar Tamburawa area, where a 40-year-old was also nabbed with 244 bottles of codeine syrup,’’ he stated.
Babafemi added that NDLEA operatives also arrested a 28-year-old man on Kano-Maiduguri Road on Thursday with 49,800 pills of tramadol.
“In Lagos State, NDLEA operatives arrested a man at Igbo Elerin area on Wednesday and seized 84 litres of “skuchies’’, 1.1 litres of codeine syrup, 4kg of Indian hemp and 800 tablets of tramadol from him,’’ he stated.
The NDLEA spokesman also stated that operatives arrested at least eight suspects on Friday when they raided the notorious Karu abattoir drug joint in the FCT.
The operatives recovered 51.3kg of Indian hemp in the raid.
In Plateau, two suspects, aged 45 years and 38 years were arrested on Monday, March 4 at Zawan, in Jos South Local Government Area while in possession of Indian hemp weighing 611.438kg.
Babafemi stated also that NDLEA officers intercepted a Zaria, Kaduna State-bound commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra on Wednesday March 6 in Kogi.
He added that NDLEA operatives also intercepted 8,580 pills of tramadol and exol-5 from a 40-year-old suspect on Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Expressway in the outgone week.
“In Enugu, operatives raided some lockup shops at New Market on March 5 and seized 371.42kg Indian hemp and 9.49g of methamphetamine,’’ Babafemi also stated.
He added that the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended its officers in Borno, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, Osun, Lagos, Plateau, Enugu, Yobe and FCT for jobs well done in the outgone week.
Marwa charged the officers and their colleagues in other formations nationwide not to rest on their oars as they continued to intensify their drug demand and supply reduction activities.
Nigerians may experience an increase in the prices of premium energy products diesel and petrol as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery temporarily halts the sale of petroleum products in Naira.
“This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US dollars,” the company said in a statement yesterday.
The $20billion refinery based in Lagos said the sales of its products in Naira have exceeded the value of Naira-denominated crude it has received from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
“As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the company explained.
The refinery said it remained committed to serving the Nigerian market and would resume the sale of its product to the local market in Naira as soon as it received crude cargoes from the NNPCL in Naira.
“As soon as we receive an allocation of Naira-denominated crude cargoes from NNPC, we will promptly resume petroleum product sales in Naira,” it said.
The announcement by the refinery comes amid its price war with the NNPCL.
As part of moves to reduce the strain on the US dollars, and guarantee price stability of petroleum products, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in July 2024, directed the NNPCL to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery and other local refineries in naira and not in United States’ greenback.
In the beginning of March 2025, the NNPCL said its Naira-denominated crude sales agreement with the Dangote Refinery was structured for six months with March 2025 as the expiration date.
The state company, however, said that talks were on to replace the contract, and that over 48 million barrels of crude oil have been made available to Dangote Refinery since October 2024 under the Naira-denominated arrangement.
The NNPCL also said it had made over 84 million barrels of crude oil available to the private refinery since it commenced operations in 2023.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, faces energy challenges, with all its state-owned refineries non-operational for decades until 2024. The country was heavily reliant on imported refined petroleum products, with the state-run NNPCL being the major importer of the essential commodities.
Fuel queues are commonplace in the country. Prices of petrol more than quadrupled since the removal of subsidy in May 2023 by President Bola Tinubu, from around ¦ 200/litre to about ¦ 1,000/litre, compounding the woes of the citizens who power their vehicles, and generating sets with petrol, no thanks to decades-long epileptic electricity supply.
Last December, the billionaire industrialist commenced operations at the facility situated in Lagos with 350,000 barrels a day. The refinery, which was initially bogged by regulatory battles, hopes to achieve its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day by the end of the year. The refinery has begun the supply of diesel and aviation fuel to marketers in the country and now petrol.
Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna has overtaken Egypt’s Omar Assar to become Africa’s highest-ranked player in the world, now sitting at 18th in the week 12 ranking released on Tuesday.
Aruna moved up from 19th place in week 11 to 18th in the latest ranking, while Assar dropped from 17th to 19th.
Denmark’s Jonathan Groth took over Assar’s 17th place, moving up from 18th.
Despite finishing as runner-up at the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup, Aruna’s impressive performances at the WTT tournaments this year have boosted his ranking.
Aruna remains the only African male player to have reached the semi-finals of the WTT Contender Doha, repeating his 2023 feat earlier this year in January.
This achievement has propelled him ahead of Assar, who beat him to become the champion of the 2025 ITTF Africa Cup.
Aruna’s next tournament is the WTT Contender Chennai which serves off in India from March 23 to 20.
In the women’s singles, Egypt’s Hana Goda maintained her top spot in Africa, moving up one place to 26th in the week 12 ITTF ranking. Her compatriot, Dina Meshref, remained static at 33rd, holding her position as the second-best-ranked female player in Africa.
China’s Wang Chuqin retained his position as the second-best player globally, behind his compatriot Lin Shidong, who continues to hold the top spot. Japanese superstar Tomokazu Harimoto dethroned China’s Liang Jingkun as the third-best player in the world after his semifinal finish in Chongqing.
In the women’s ranking, the top five remained unchanged, with China’s Sun Yingsha holding onto her top spot after retaining her WTT Champions Chongqing title.
