Crime
NDLEA Arrests Brazilian with N3bn Heroin at Abuja Airport, others (Images)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported a series of significant operations across the country, including the interception of 30.09 kilograms of heroin concealed in coffee packs, valued at over N3 billion in street value, smuggled by a Brazilian national at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.
In a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, was arrested on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon arrival from a Qatar Airways flight QR1431.
Acting on intelligence, operatives searched her two checked-in bags and discovered 21 factory-sealed packets of Brazilian coffee. Instead of the beverage, the packets contained white heroin totaling 30.09kg – marking the largest single heroin seizure at the Abuja airport.
The suspect claimed she intended the trip as a holiday.
The agency also highlighted efforts to disrupt illicit supply chains linked to potential security threats. On Friday, January 23, operatives arrested two suspects, Aminu Ali Baba, 20, and Abdulrasheed Abubakar, 28, in connection with two bags containing 140 packets of explosives intended for Kano and Kaduna.
The bags were intercepted in a commercial bus along the Kaduna-Zaria highway in Zaria, with follow-up arrests made at Karota park in Kano and Mando park in Kaduna.
Additional raids yielded substantial drug recoveries:- At Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos on Tuesday, January 20, two passengers bound for Istanbul, Turkey, were intercepted with 3,990 pills of tapentadol and tramaking concealed in food items.
– Marine Command operatives seized 1,848kg of Ghana Loud cannabis (in 44 jumbo bags) from a wooden boat at Jakande beach, Lekki, Lagos, early Thursday, January 22.
– In Borno State on Wednesday, January 21, 179,590 pills of tramadol and diazepam hidden in charcoal and animal feed sacks were recovered from a public transport vehicle from Potiskum, Yobe, leading to the arrest of Rabiu Imam, 32, in Maiduguri.
– In Niger State, Mrs. Eze Cynthia Chioma was arrested in Mokwa on Friday, January 23, following the seizure of 78,500 tramadol pills in Kwara State; her husband is already facing trial for similar offenses.
– In Ekiti State on Saturday, January 24, operatives arrested 72-year-old Afolalu Joseph and Abu Bunmi (alias Go Slow), 45, recovering 62kg of skunk.
– In Edo State, village head Chief James Abamu and Aboy Egah Abamu were taken into custody after soldiers transferred them following a raid at Lagos camp, Ilushi, on Wednesday, January 21, where 681kg skunk and 181kg cannabis seeds were recovered.
– Other seizures included 210kg skunk in Benue, 254.5kg in FCT, 39,800 tramadol pills in Lagos, 30,003 opioid pills and 20 liters of codeine in Delta, and 1,500kg skunk in Ondo.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization efforts in schools and communities across states like Taraba, Osun, Imo, Benue, and Katsina.
Commending officers from various commands for their professionalism, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged all personnel to sustain high standards in supply and demand reduction activities nationwide.
Crime
Police Arrest 32 Suspected Bandits in Kwara Forest Crackdowns
the operation targeted criminal hideouts in forest areas around Awi, Kaiama, Patigi, and Babanla, where the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other violent crimes
Photo: IGP Tunji Disu
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested thirty two suspected bandits during intelligence-led operations targeting criminal networks operating in forest corridors across the state.
The police said that two of those arrested are foreign nationals from Niger Republic who are suspected to have collaborated with local bandits in cross-border criminal activities.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, disclosed that the suspects were apprehended during coordinated raids carried out by operatives of the Kwara State Police Command and detectives of the Intelligence Response Team.
The police assures that the suspects will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.
She explained that the operation targeted criminal hideouts in forest areas around Awi, Kaiama, Patigi, and Babanla, where the suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other violent crimes.
Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, during an operational visit to Kaiama, commended officers of the command and the Intelligence Response Team for what he described as a successful operation against forest-based criminal gangs.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Friday 6, at Eha-Amufu and Umuhu in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area, Enugu State, arrested a suspected notorious Eastern Security Network (ESN) commander, Sabastine Odo Odam, and Ejike Daniel, a suspected member of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Security sources revealed that the arrest followed months of sustained intelligence gathering on activities of the suspects.
The arrests came on the heels of series of violent attacks on police stations and killings between 2024 and 2026, all in Isi-Uzo LGA.
“Both men have confessed to being masterminds of a chain of attacks on police stations and carting away of weapons. The attacks include the February 26 killing of 11 labourers, and that of five policeman between December 24, 2025 and January 26, 2026.
“The arrests represent a major success for the DSS in the fight against insecurity in the southeast and country at large,” remarked the source.
Residents of Isi-Uzo LGA expressed excitement as news of the arrests filtered in. Many noted that the arrests will restore some peace to the affected communities.
Both suspects are currently in the custody of the DSS and awaiting arraignment in court, the source added.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari of a 23-count charge alleging non-declaration of assets, brought by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, March 5, 2026, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt against Kyari and his co-defendants, including his two brothers.
The judge held that the NDLEA did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that the disputed properties allegedly linked to Kyari belonged to him or that he failed to declare them. He described aspects of the case as unsubstantiated and lacking credible proof.
This acquittal pertains specifically to the asset declaration and related allegations. Kyari continues to face separate ongoing charges, including those related to drug trafficking matters.
Kyari, once celebrated as a top police investigator, has been suspended amid multiple legal battles. The ruling marks a significant development in one of his high-profile cases.
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