News
NDLEA Arrests Saudi-Bound Wanted Drug Kingpin, Storms Lagos Colos Lab
Operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, have arrested a wanted drug lord, 40-year-old YussufAbayomiAzeez, while on his way to Saudi Arabia for a lesser hajj pilgrimage (Umrah).
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said the arrest followed months of intelligence and surveillance on him and his criminal drug activities.
Babafemi said, “The drug kingpin had been arrested and charged for drug offences in the United Kingdom, but jumped bail and escaped to Nigeria.
“Soon after settling down in Lagos, he set up a massive clandestine laboratory in the Lekki area of the state for the production of Colorado, a deadly synthetic cannabis, and other illicit substances.
“At about 6.30am on Thursday, 6th November 2025, Yussuf walked into the waiting hands of NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to board his flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
“He was swiftly driven to his 17 Vincent Eku Street, Ogombo, Lekki, clandestine laboratory, which has been under surveillance for a while.
“At the time of his arrest, Yussuf was found in the company of another suspect, 43-year-old AbideenKekere-Ekun.
“Inside the massive building, operatives from the Agency’s Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring were able to dismantle all installed laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals, and already produced illicit substances, including Colorado, all weighing 148.3 kilograms”.
At the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, Lagos, NDLEA operatives in conjunction with men of Customs Service and other security agencies on Friday, 7th November, discovered 105.5kg Molly, a designer drug, and 500grams of methamphetamine during a joint examination of a shipment.
In Niger state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, 6th November, intercepted Ibrahim Mohammed, 35, in a Volvo truck marked GRZ 872 XA along Kainji-Wawa road while conveying 87,000 pills of tramadol and 72kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis.
Also, in Taraba State, not less than 34,520 capsules of tramadol were found concealed in different compartments of a Toyota Corolla car marked GAN 102 AR, which was intercepted along Zaki-Biam – Wukari road on Monday, 3rd November, while the driver, AliyuSamaila, 25, was arrested.
The opioids were loaded from Onitsha, Anambra State, and were heading to Cameroon. In another operation in Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 6th November arrested a suspect, Felix TankoChinedu, 28, with 15,020 capsules of tramadol at Kasuwabera ATC in Ardo Kola LGA.
In Kogi state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway on Wednesday, 5th November, intercepted a consignment of 7.600kg Loud, a strong strain of cannabis.
A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of the owner, ChukwunonsoAnieze, 40, while no fewer than 175,000 pills of opioids were recovered from another consignment at the same location on the same day.
Three suspects, OlayideOyidiran, 39; AbdulsalamAbdulsalam, 28; and OpeyemiTijjani, 39, were nabbed on Wednesday, 5th November, at the Abuja/Kaduna tollgate with 769kg of skunk being conveyed in a truck marked TRE 897 BE, coming from Lagos en route to Owo, Ondo State, and heading to Kano.
In Edo State, a 73-year-old grandpa, James Ugbedo, was on Friday, 7th November, in a cannabis plantation at Igbeshi forest, Imiakebo, Etsako East LGA, where 1,459.75kg of skunk was destroyed and 5.6kg of the same substance evacuated.
In Bayelsa State, a 70-year-old grandma, Mrs. Comfort Odudu, was nabbed at Onopa, Yenagoa, with 5kg of skunk on Tuesday, 4th November.
Continuing, NDLEA said, “With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities, among others, in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Transfiguration Seminary Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Day Secondary School, SabonkasuwaKontagora, Niger state; Immanuel College High School (Snr), Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Girls Secondary School, Ilelah, Sokoto; Government Day Secondary School, Namtari, Adamawa, and NURTW leaders and members in BirninKebbi, Kebbi state, among others.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed BubaMarwa (rtd) commended the officers and men of SOP, DFCM, Tincan, Edo, Taraba, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger, and Bayelsa Commands for the various successful operations.
He urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the Agency’s drug control efforts.
Marwa said, “The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for the production of Colorado and other dangerous synthetic substances and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming barely a week after similar actions were taken against another cartel in Ajao estate Lagos shows that these are no doubt the first in the series of what will be many strikes against merchants of death who prey on the weak in our communities.
“Let it be known to those still hiding in the dark that the NDLEA, supported by our local and international law enforcement partners, will continue to hunt them and bring them to justice”, Marwa added.
Nigeria’s crude oil and condensate production rose to 1,677,777 barrels per day in August 2026, representing a 0.4 per cent increase from the 1.67 million bpd recorded in July.
The increase, though modest, marked another month of improved oil production as the country sustained compliance with its Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) crude oil quota.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday by its Head, Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu.
The regulator stated that crude oil production, excluding condensates, stood at 1,500,190 barrels per day in August.
It said the country met its OPEC quota for the fourth consecutive month, reflecting continued efforts by operators to restore affected production capacity and address operational bottlenecks.
The latest increase followed the resolution of operational challenges involving the Single Buoy Mooring at the Erha field, which had affected production performance in the preceding month.
The NUPRC said the restoration of normal evacuation and production operations at the asset contributed positively to the overall output recorded during the month.
The statement read, “The NUPRC attributed the modest improvement in August production largely to the resolution of the Single Buoy Mooring operational challenges at the Erha field, which had adversely impacted production performance in the preceding month.
“The restoration of normal evacuation and production operations at the asset contributed positively to overall production volumes during the period under review.”
The regulator added that production activities across most other producing assets remained relatively stable, with operators sustaining measures aimed at improving efficiency, maintaining asset integrity and reducing operational disruptions.
According to the commission, the lowest daily crude oil and condensate production recorded in August was 1.64 million bpd, while the highest stood at 1.71 million bpd.
A breakdown of production by terminals and streams showed that the Bonny Terminal recorded the highest average output during the month, accounting for 320.04 thousand bpd.
Forcados Terminal followed with 317.40 thousand bpd, while the Qua Iboe Terminal recorded an average of 171.72 thousand bpd of crude oil and condensates.
Escravos Oil Terminal posted a daily average of 131.71 thousand bpd, while Bonga ranked fifth among the leading producing terminals with an average of 92.50 thousand bdp of crude oil.
The August output represented an increase of 6,777 bpd from July’s 1,671,000 barrels per day, based on the rounded July figure. It was also 57,621 bpd, lower than the 1,735,398 bpd recorded in June.
The June figure represented a decline of about 3.3 per cent in August when compared with the latest available June production data.
The NUPRC said the August performance reflected the industry’s continued efforts to resolve operational constraints and restore affected production capacity.
It stated, “While the increase recorded in August was modest, it reflects the industry’s continued efforts to address operational bottlenecks and restore affected production capacity.
“Stakeholders remain focused on enhancing asset reliability, improving operational resilience and advancing intervention programs to support sustained production growth in the coming months.”
The regulator further emphasised the importance of timely intervention, effective asset management and collaboration among industry stakeholders in safeguarding the country’s crude oil production capacity.
Nigeria’s oil production has remained a major focus of government efforts to increase revenue, improve foreign exchange earnings and strengthen the country’s ability to meet its OPEC production quota.
News
RSLGSC: Critics Of Biometric Exercise Are Haters Of Rivers -Chairman …Insists Commission Never Sacked 21,000 Workers …Discovers Seven-Year-Old On Staff Roll
Chairman, Rivers State Local Government Service Commission (RSLGSC), Sir Israel N. Amadi, has described the critics of the recently conducted biometric verification exercise of local government workers as people who do not mean well for the State.
Amadi stated this at the inauguration of the Ad-Hoc Biometric Verification Complaints Committee in Port Harcourt, recently.
He stressed that the exercise was not designed to sack workers but to sanitise the local government workforce and establish an accurate personnel database.
The LG Commission boss explained that contrary to reports that about 21,000 local government workers had been sacked, the exercise actually uncovered 4,109 additional personnel on the payroll, some of whom were reportedly overseas while others were found to be working in different establishments within the State.
He said the verification also revealed several disturbing irregularities, including the employment of a seven-year-old child, persons allegedly engaged in dual employment, duplicate Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), closed or suspected forged bank accounts and other discrepancies in workers’ records.
Amadi explained that the total staff strength of the 23 local government councils, based on status reports as of July 24, 2025, stood at 30,523, excluding Emohua Local Government Area, but subsequently rose to 34,684, representing a variance of 4,109 personnel allegedly recruited into the system within one month.
He said the development did not sit well with the Commission and prompted it to invite some principal officers of the affected local government councils for questioning, particularly as the increase occurred after the biometric verification exercise had already been announced.
The Commission Chairman said the verification exercise was initiated following a meeting in September 2025 between the State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, his predecessor, Chief Nyesom Wike, members of the Commission and other stakeholders over lingering disagreements in Emohua Local Government Area and issues involving workers allegedly engaged in dual employment.
He disclosed that Fubara subsequently directed the Commission to conduct physical verification and biometric audit of local government staff across the state, beginning with Emohua on November 3, 2025, while Simforest Limited was engaged as consultant to establish a centralised portal and undertake biometric capture, payroll and human resource management functions.
Amadi said the exercise was preceded by extensive sensitisation through radio, television and print media, while workers were required to submit documents including appointment and confirmation letters, promotion letters, age declaration, First School Leaving Certificate, BVN, NIN and salary account statements covering six years, among others.
He added that the consultant, in collaboration with commercial banks, authenticated the account numbers and statements submitted by workers, leading to the discovery of several closed or allegedly forged accounts, persons in dual employment, duplicate BVNs and workers who were below 18 years at the time of their employment.
According to him, the Commission also constituted a Project Steering Committee comprising representatives of the Office of the Head of Service, Office of the Accountant-General, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), the Local Government Service Commission and the consulting firm to ensure transparency and proper oversight.
He said representatives were deployed to verification centres across the local government areas to monitor the process and ensure that no genuine worker was denied access.
Amadi explained further that the inauguration of the Ad-Hoc Biometric Verification Complaints Committee was aimed at giving workers who were not captured, or who believed they were wrongly affected by the exercise, an opportunity to present their complaints for consideration.
The 12-member committee, chaired by the Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Iyingi S. I. Brown, has one month to complete its assignment and submit its findings.
Members of the committee include Dame (Dr.) Tong Awani, Dr. Gwara L. Nuka, Dame (Dr.) Josephine Chukwujwe, Sammy Apiat, Hon. Alwell Ihunda, the NULGE President, Rivers State; the NLC President, Rivers State Council, Charles Emini, Biometric Verification Consultant, while Samuel Epogo, Assistant Director, DSS Rivers State, and the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, are to serve as observers, and Barrister George as the Secretary of the committee.
Meanwhile, Dr. Brown, who spoke through a representative, pledged that the committee would be thorough, diligent and objective in carrying out the assignment.
By: King Onunwor
President Bola Tinubu, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, have been listed as presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) respectively.
This was contained in the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2027 general election.
They are among the 18 presidential candidates on the list for the January 16, 2027 presidential election, released by the commission on Saturday.
The list, signed by the Secretary of the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contains the names of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, their ages, gender and educational qualifications.
The final list retains the major contenders, including Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, African Action Congress candidate, Omoyele Sowore, Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Sandy Onor, and Labour Party candidate, Sunday Okereke.
Tinubu is paired with Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Atiku with former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, while Obi is running with former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Other candidates on the final list are Rufai Adekunle Omo-Aje of the Action Alliance; Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Action Democratic Party; Yusuf Kabiru of the Action Peoples Party; Oluseyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement; Sunday Adenuga of the Boot Party; Moses Adebisi of the Democratic Liberty Alliance; Ada Okwori of the National Democratic Party; and Nkem Okereke of the National Rescue Movement.
Others are Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party; Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party; Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party; and Daniel Nwanyanwu of the Zenith Labour Party.
The publication comes about six weeks after the commission released the personal particulars and credentials of 19 presidential candidates and their running mates.
The earlier publication, made on August 2, was based on the candidates’ Form EC9 and contained information including educational qualifications, dates of birth, occupations and other personal details submitted to the commission.
The August list had included Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, Onor, Sowore, Duke, Ada Okwori, Chukwu Anita Zugwai of the Young Progressives Party, Rufai Omo-Aje, Adenuga, Samuel Memeh of the Democratic Liberty Alliance, Nwanyanwu, Okereke, Okereke Iken Esther of the National Rescue Movement, Abbas-Bin Aliyu, Dikwa Suleiman Mohammed of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Adebayo, Seyi Makinde and Yusuf Kabiru.
Notably, however, the final list shows two significant changes.
The candidate for the YPP has changed, with Chukwu Zugwai, who appeared on the August provisional list, now replaced by Peter Agada.
Agada is listed as 54 years old and is running with Patience Ndidi Key.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party has also been removed from the presidential contest.
Dikwa Mohammed, who was previously listed as the party’s presidential candidate in August, did not appear in the final document.
The NNPP is therefore not among the 18 parties with presidential candidates in the published final list.
The reduction from 19 to 18 candidates changes the 19-person field which was previously widely regarded as the working list ahead of the final publication.
Meanwhile, the final list has also put to rest debates about the entry of some notable names in the presidential race.
Also absent from the list is businessman, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who had laid claim to the presidential ticket of the Accord Party.
The party had earlier said it would not field a presidential candidate after concluding that none of its aspirants met the nomination deadline.
Also worthy of note is that the final document shows two female presidential candidates: Okwori of the NDP and Okereke of the NRM, while the other presidential candidates are men.
The list also shows four female vice-presidential candidates, including Peace Egobia Ofordile of the APP, Bintu Konto of the Labour Party, Nafisat Usaku Abubakar of the DLA and Patience Ndidi Key of the YPP.
The six women represent only 16.7 per cent of the 36-person presidential/vice-presidential field, far less than the push for a 35 per cent affirmative action for women’s representation in politics.
Meanwhile, the ages of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates range from 35 to 80, reflecting a contest that combines relatively younger candidates with political veterans such as Atiku, 79, and Donald Duke, 64.
INEC had fixed January 16, 2027, as the date for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
The release of the final list therefore signals a major milestone in the preparations for the 2027 poll, as the commission moves from the publication of provisional candidate particulars to the definitive field of presidential candidates.
