Category: Crime Diary

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking between the two countries.

The agreement was signed on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the agreement as the culmination of years of engagement between the two agencies.

Marwa said the MoU would deepen intelligence sharing and joint enforcement action along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.

According to a statement signed by NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, between 2021 and 2026, the agency intercepted about 354.7kg of illicit drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, concealed in consignments destined for the UAE.

He said the seizures resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects, underscoring the need for stronger cooperation between the two countries.

Marwa also highlighted NDLEA’s nationwide record between January 2021 and July 2026, including more than 91,000 arrests, among them 243 suspected drug barons; seizure of over 15.5 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals; and 16,469 convictions.

He added that more than 53,000 drug users had received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, while the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through community and school engagements.

The NDLEA chairman said the new partnership would build on existing cooperation, including the exchange of liaison personnel, sharing of operational information and technical collaboration.

He added that the UAE planned to provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items to help prevent inadvertent violations.

The Chairman of NDEA, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to disrupt trafficking networks exploiting the strong trade, travel and people-to-people ties between the two countries.

He described the MoU as a natural progression of an already productive relationship between the two agencies.

Both agencies expressed confidence that the agreement would lead to stronger intelligence sharing, more effective joint operations and the dismantling of trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.

They said the partnership was in line with the shared global responsibility to combat organised drug trafficking championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

LAGOS, Nigeria (NPA) — The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has intensified enforcement operations across identified traffic flashpoints in the state, impounding 84 commercial and private vehicles for various traffic violations during a weekend crackdown in Idumota, Iddo, Ijora-Olopa, Costain and Onipanu.

The enforcement exercise was aimed at restoring order and ensuring compliance with traffic regulations, particularly along corridors where persistent violations by motorists and commercial bus operators have continued to affect road safety and the free flow of traffic.

In a statement on Sunday, LASTMA Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, said the agency was particularly concerned about the practice of commercial buses reversing against traffic along the one-way stretch from Iddo to Idumota through Cater Bridge.

He described the practice as dangerous, saying motorists, commuters and pedestrians approaching the bridge could have little or no warning that a commercial vehicle was unlawfully reversing against the prescribed direction of traffic.

According to LASTMA, such manoeuvres could result in serious collisions, injuries and fatalities.

The enforcement operation, however, encountered resistance from some individuals, with LASTMA personnel reportedly assaulted and injured while carrying out their duties.

The agency said some individuals who attacked its personnel and damaged operational vehicles were apprehended.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, described the enforcement as a necessary intervention to curb what he called a growing culture of impunity among some road users and restore discipline along critical traffic corridors.

Bakare-Oki reiterated that the agency had repeatedly warned transport operators, commercial bus drivers and other road users against using under-bridge spaces, road setbacks and unauthorised locations as illegal garages.

He said such practices obstruct effective traffic management and pose risks to public safety.

The general manager said the sustained enforcement campaign was aimed at ensuring compliance with traffic regulations, deterring hazardous driving practices and protecting the lives and property of motorists, commuters, pedestrians and other road users.

He stressed that no individual or group would be allowed to appropriate public roads, bridges or under-bridge spaces for illegal loading, parking, vehicle repairs or garage operations.

LASTMA consequently urged commercial bus operators, motorists, transport unions and other stakeholders to desist from one-way driving, dangerous reversing, illegal parking, indiscriminate loading and the occupation of unauthorised garages or under-bridge locations.

The agency warned that further violations would attract appropriate enforcement measures in accordance with Lagos State traffic laws.

Members of the public were also urged to report dangerous driving, traffic obstructions, reckless motorists and other traffic-related violations through the LASTMA toll-free short code 3367, to enable the agency to respond promptly and prevent avoidable incidents across the state’s road network.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Olayemi Cardoso, and the apex bank seven days to account for $6.23 million in allegedly diverted or unaccounted-for election funds and more than ₦1.63 trillion in other public funds, or face legal action.

The organisation made the demand in a letter dated Sept. 26, 2026, signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare.

According to SERAP, the allegations are documented in Volume II of the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2023 Annual Report, published on Aug. 7, 2026. The organisation said the findings variously covered the period from January to December 2023.

SERAP said the funds include more than ₦1.25 trillion in unrecovered CBN intervention loans to state governments; ₦116.18 billion in unrecovered loans to distressed and liquidated banks; ₦262.86 billion disbursed under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme; and $6.23 million in payments linked to an alleged fraudulent election-funding request purportedly made by former President Muhammadu Buhari.

SERAP urged Cardoso and the CBN to disclose details of the beneficiaries of the intervention loans, amounts disbursed and measures taken to recover the funds.

The organisation also demanded an account of the ₦262.86 billion disbursed under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, including the names and number of beneficiaries and participating “Anchors”, amounts disbursed, utilisation, monitoring arrangements and recovery measures.

On the alleged election-funding payment, SERAP asked the CBN to account for the $6.23 million reportedly spent following a purported request for election funding by Buhari and publish the findings of any internal investigation into the alleged fraud.

“The accountability of public institutions, including the CBN, is a crucial pillar of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy,” SERAP said.

The organisation said the scale and nature of the findings required “urgent, independent and transparent action”, raising questions about the custody, expenditure, accounting, safeguarding and recovery of public resources.

According to SERAP, the Auditor-General’s findings raise concerns about the management and accountability of public resources and potential violations of the 1999 Constitution, national anti-corruption laws and Nigeria’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.

SERAP called for credible investigations capable of establishing the facts, identifying those responsible and securing recovery where public funds were unlawfully lost.

It also urged the CBN to refer suspected criminal conduct to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other competent authorities where necessary.

The organisation called for an independent forensic reconciliation of the sums identified by the Auditor-General, involving relevant oversight and law-enforcement institutions where necessary, and urged the preservation of records relating to the transactions and investigations.

SERAP said the CBN’s institutional independence should not be interpreted as immunity from constitutional audit, statutory accounting requirements, public financial oversight or investigation of credible allegations of financial misconduct.

According to the organisation, the Auditor-General reportedly found that the CBN failed to recover ₦1.252 trillion in intervention loans granted to various states in 2023.

SERAP said the Auditor-General expressed concern that the funds might have been diverted to private purposes and recommended their recovery and remittance to the treasury.

The organisation also cited an alleged failure by the CBN to recover ₦116.18 billion in loans granted to distressed and liquidated banks and to provide audited or draft financial statements and schedules of recoveries and outstanding balances for audit scrutiny.

On the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, SERAP said the Auditor-General reported that ₦262.86 billion had been spent to support farmers but that some of the funds remained with participating “Anchors”, potentially undermining the programme’s food-security objectives.

The organisation further said the CBN had failed to provide the list and number of beneficiaries and the programme’s impact for audit assessment or recover the outstanding funds.

SERAP also cited an alleged failure by the CBN to investigate a reported fraud involving ₦6.23 million at its Abuja Branch.

According to the organisation, the CBN’s internal audit reportedly found that the money was spent based on a request for election funding purportedly made by Buhari. SERAP said the Auditor-General reported that the CBN did not provide its investigation report for scrutiny and feared that the funds could have been lost or fraudulently paid.

The organisation also highlighted other findings attributed to the Auditor-General, including the alleged failure to account for seven boxes of Awaiting Examination (A/E) currency notes, as well as concerns over unserviceable vehicles abandoned at the CBN’s Lagos and Abeokuta branch offices.

SERAP said the Auditor-General warned that the issues could affect branch operations and recommended sanctions or evidence of disposal and replacement of the affected vehicles.

The organisation cited constitutional provisions requiring the state to abolish corrupt practices and abuse of power, as well as provisions of the CBN Act 2007 concerning the bank’s accounts, assets, financial reporting, management and audit.

SERAP also cited Nigeria’s obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption, particularly provisions relating to anti-corruption policies and the proper management of public affairs and public funds.

The organisation said identifying those responsible, ensuring that suspected perpetrators are brought to justice and recovering missing or unaccounted-for public funds would serve the public interest.

It added that Nigerians had a right to know the whereabouts and status of public funds identified in the Auditor-General’s report.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has urged religious leaders across Nigeria to continually preach against corruption and its harmful effects on society.

Olukoyede made the call in Abuja on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, at the second 2026 Council Meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) and the launch of the Anti-Corruption Interfaith Manual for religious leaders.

Presenting a paper at the event, Olukoyede said the theme, “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria,” required stakeholders in the fight against corruption to recognise that the wellbeing of Nigerians depends on the actions of individual citizens.

He said acts of corruption undermine shared prosperity and that one of the most consequential contributions religious leaders could make was to restore the moral dignity of honest living.

According to him, corruption “privatizes what is shared, converts the commonwealth into private advantage, and allows one person to flourish by making many others poorer,” adding that the EFCC’s role was to defend the integrity of the commonwealth.

Olukoyede said Christianity and Islam could retain their distinctive beliefs and traditions while their adherents worked together to promote peace, justice, human dignity and national wellbeing.

He said the EFCC had been engaging religious leaders through an interfaith framework to encourage them to incorporate anti-corruption messages into their sermons and teachings.

“We have been doing this through the inter-faith framework. Over the years, we have specifically spelt out what should be the roles of religious leaders and the doctrine they need to pass down to their followers. We believe that no religion condones corruption and no faith entertains fraudulent engagements,” he said.

The EFCC chairman said the Commission had also worked with Christian and Muslim leaders over the years to develop an Interfaith Manual outlining the doctrinal positions of the holy books on corruption.

“We are using this opportunity to launch the Manual which we hope our religious leaders will surely find useful in preaching anti-corruption messages to their members,” he said.

Olukoyede stressed that corruption and financial crimes had no religious or ethnic boundaries, noting that their effects were felt across society.

“Financial crime has no religion. Corruption has no tribe. Fraud does not become Christian or Muslim because of the identity of the person accused of committing it,” he said.

He cited poor healthcare, deteriorating infrastructure, unemployment and inflation as examples of challenges that affect Nigerians regardless of their religious affiliation.

“We enjoin our pastors and imams to keep faith with the manual and actively engage their members to know why corruption is heinous,” he said.

Olukoyede urged religious institutions to take a more active role in shaping the values and conduct of Nigerians, saying faith communities could help prevent corruption by promoting honesty and challenging the glorification of wealth without regard to its source.

“Religious institutions have extraordinary responsibility in Nigeria’s anti-corruption struggle. The EFCC can investigate a person’s conduct. Faith communities can influence that person’s character. We can prosecute fraud. Religious teaching can cultivate honesty,” he said.

“We can confiscate illicit wealth. Churches and mosques can challenge the values that make society worship wealth without questioning its source. We can punish corruption after the event. Faith can help prevent it before it begins.”

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel allegedly operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Eziama community, Obeagu, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The operation led to the arrest of two alleged kingpins, 45-year-old Chukwu Obumneme Christopher, alias Brown, and 60-year-old Chukwu Georginus Monday, alias George, following months of intelligence gathering and surveillance.

According to a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, the suspects allegedly operated the laboratory in partnership with Rodriguez Villanueva, a Mexican national based in Mexico City and described by the agency as a member of a Mexican drug cartel.

The two suspects were arraigned before Justice Mabel Taiye Segun-Bello of the Federal High Court, Enugu Judicial Division, on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, organisation, management and financing of a drug trafficking organisation, and unlawful possession of precursor chemicals used in methamphetamine production.

Following their pleas, the court fixed Oct. 21, 2026, for trial after the NDLEA applied for an accelerated hearing.

Also named in the charge and currently at large are Uchenna, alias Uche; Celestine Ikemefuna Iwuchukwu; and Villanueva.

The NDLEA said investigations by its Special Operations Unit revealed a sophisticated transnational operation. Surveillance conducted between Dec. 1 and 4, 2025, reportedly tracked Brown’s movements across Lagos, Enugu and Anambra states before leading operatives to a compound in Obeagu.

The agency said the compound housed a clandestine laboratory capable of producing methamphetamine in commercial quantities, equipped with improvised reactors and distillation apparatus. It added that the facility was similar to laboratories recently dismantled in Ogun, Oyo and Ebonyi states.

A search of the premises reportedly led to the recovery of 690 litres of methylamine, 1,000 litres of isopropyl alcohol, 300 litres of hydrochloric acid, 290 litres each of toluene and acetone, 400 litres of liquid sodium hydroxide, 125kg of N-phenylacetamide, 414kg of lead acetate and 769.6kg of tartaric acid, among other controlled substances.

The NDLEA said the quantity and combination of chemicals were consistent with a P2P-based methamphetamine manufacturing operation.

A related search of George’s family residence also led to the recovery of eight large fuel tanks, four commercial gas burners, four dehydrators and 11kg of ephedrine, according to the agency.

Reacting to the operation, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the agency would continue efforts to track down suspects linked to the cartel and ensure they face the law.

Marwa commended the officers involved in the operation, describing the dismantling of the syndicate as further evidence that transnational drug networks would not be allowed to establish themselves in Nigeria.

He said the agency’s intelligence-driven operations and international partnerships would continue to target loopholes exploited by drug traffickers, while urging NDLEA personnel to sustain enforcement efforts against illicit drug production and trafficking.