The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Nigerian businessman, Chijioke Nnanna Igbokwe who ingested 81 pellets of cocaine in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He was arrested on arrival to Nigeria at Murtala Muhammad International Airport on Sunday January 26, 2025 during compulsory clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight.

 A release made by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed that Igbokwe, departed Lagos on 22 January to Addis Ababa, where he ingested the 81 wraps of cocaine the following day, 23 January. After which he  boarded a flight to Beirut, Lebanon, to deliver the consignment for a fee of $3,000. Upon arrival in Beirut, he was refused entry because he had less than $2,000, the minimum amount required for entry.

He was subsequently deported to Addis Ababa, where he attempted to excrete the illicit drugs but was unsuccessful. He then proceeded to Lagos on Saturday, 25 January, still carrying the consignment in his bowel. He was arrested upon arrival at Lagos Airport by NDLEA officers on 26 January.

Igbokwe was promptly subjected to a body scan, which revealed illicit drugs in his system, and was thereafter taken into NDLEA custody for excretion observation.

After five days under excretion observation, he managed to expel only 24 pellets following initial medical intervention at the agency’s medical facility and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

Due to complications from underlying medical conditions and the urgency of his situation, the suspect was admitted to a tertiary facility, where he underwent exploratory laparotomy to extract the remaining 57 wraps of cocaine. The surgery was conducted after his wife and brother signed the necessary consent forms on Thursday, 30 January. 

In total, 81 pellets of the Class A drug, with a gross weight of 1.943 kilograms, were recovered from his stomach.

 OWERRI PRISON BREAK ESCAPEE ARRESTED BY NSCDC FOR ATTEMPTED ROBBERY 

By Dorcas Samson Achi 

One of 2021 Owerri Prison Break Escapees has been arrested by officers of Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) on the 5th of July, 2024, when he invaded the office complex of the secretary to Imo State government in Owerri. 

According to reports, two syndicates who were identified to be one Israel Akinregbide, 31 years of age from Ondo State and one Kalu Chinonso, 28 years old from Ebonyi State, invaded the office complex of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Cosmas Iwu, alongside other criminals when they were captured. 

 Investigations disclosed that Kalu Chinonso was one of the escapees from the 2021 Owerri Prison break.

Speaking to the Press,  the Imo State Commandant of Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mathew Sunday Ovye revealed that the suspects were arrested by his men posted to the office of secretary to Imo State Government.

His words "these suspects invaded the office complex of the secretary to Imo State government in their numbers with the intention of vandalizing the premises, but were unaware of the presence of operatives of NSCDC who engaged them and arrested two of them while others took to their heels"

 Ovye emphasized that his command will always be committed to the Corps' mandates of fighting crime and criminalities, as well as protecting critical national assets and infrastructures.

Furthermore, he vehemently condemned the ongoing social vices at the Freedom Square in Owerri Capital City, and used the medium to warn the perpetrators of such nefarious activities to abstain totally from them or face the full weight of the law.

Commandant Ovye also reinstated the synergy that exists between the security agencies in the state, in their strong commitment to their constitutional responsibilities of ensuring protection of lives and properties of Imo citizens. 

The jail escapee was later handed over to the Nigeria Correctional Service, lmo State Command for the law to take its full course.

By Dorcas Samson Achi 

Following the fatal accident that occured at the Imo State University Junction on the 18th of May, 2024, Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Imo State, Prof. Francis Dike, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has faulted the new speed bumps recently placed on Orji/Owerri lanes. 

In a statement signed by him, he commended the authorities for their quick reaction, describing such intervention as evidence of concern for Imo citizens, while revealing that the speed bumps are not actually the necessary safety measures required. 

His words "May I respectfully submit that this is the wrong thing to do on those lanes. From my experience and the little knowledge left of the physics I learned at school, the explanation of most accidents there is due to the jilopy juggernauts failing brakes and in the descent gather speed before they plunge into people. A speed bump will only exacerbate things by telescoping the juggernauts and making them plunge into the area, probably with whiplash effects. Such a scenario will spell Armageddon and Chukwuabiama kere uwa forbid that on His people. 

"I have heard many suggestions, including flyover, but that does not address the root cause of 'brake failure' by juggernauts. Not to put too fine a point, the problem is brake failure by jillopy juggernauts. The solution must be to my mind, getting rickety juggernauts and vehicles off our roads. The authorities must see that these rejects or scraps elsewhere are off our roads or at least go for maintenance tests every other month. 

"Around 2012, I was a victim of one of them at Amaraku and inspite of the vehicle not having certificate of road worthiness, no Insurance and no consistent Registration plates, the Police released the vehicle to the owner few days later without compliance". 

He cited the case of a young girl who was involved in the same road accident disaster with him. 

According to him, the poor teenage girl's parent's cry for treatment expenses was met with the DPO retorting if the vehicle owner is Dangote to be required to pay for all that deposit?, adding that it is very regretful that the poor girl has been ruined for life following the accident, but most unfortunate that our cruel society goes on mindless.