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How We Intercepted N6bn Insurgents’ Drugs in Lagos port – NDLEA Boss, Marwa

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has given details of how loads of Captagon, a brand of Amphetamine meant for insurgents camps in Nigeria were intercepted by operatives of the Agency at the Apapa port in Lagos.
The agency’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, in a release, said Marwa made the disclosure while speaking at a media briefing to update the public on the recent seizure.
Marwa condemned the evil intent of those behind the importation of the illicit substance into the country at a very critical time when the nation is facing some security challenges. He vowed that the Agency would not rest untill everyone connected to the consignment is arrested and prosecuted.
According to him, Sometime in March 2021, we received intel from our international partners on the shipment of illicit narcotics to Nigeria from the Middle East through the Apapa port. The container passed through three countries and was transloaded in a North African country, but we kept track of it along with our partners.
“We made the first attempt to examine the container on Thursday, August 26, 2021, and what we found inside the container were three (3) pieces of marble polishing machines, otherwise called sanders.
Further scrutiny on Monday, August 31, with the NDLEA sniffer dogs turned up a positive indication on the rotor coil of one of the three machines. The next day, Wednesday, 1st September, 18,560 tablets of drug suspected to be Amphetamine (Captagon) weighing 3.2kg was found deeply concealed in one of the coils.
The following day, Thursday, September 2, the other two machines were dismantled, and in all, a total of 451, 807 tablets, weighing 74.119 kilograms, were discovered hidden inside their rotor coils.
Going by the street value of about $25 per tablet, the importer would have raised $11.3million, which is equivalent to N6 billion.
“Imagine the impact of this drug in the hands of criminal gangs or a fraction of the profit from its sale being used to fuel criminalities across the country, we can think of our worst-case scenarios and they will still be farther from the repercussions that could be unleashed on the country.
“It may interest you to know that, as far as we know, this is the first time this drug is being brought into any African country South of the Sahara. This tiny, highly addictive pill, widely available across the Middle East, produces a euphoric intensity in users, allowing them to stay awake for days, making them fearless, predisposes them to reckless action that puts the lives of people around them in jeopardy.
“What should give any discerning Nigerian a nightmare concerning this drug is the fact that its production and sale is controlled by militias and large criminal groups in the Middle East. And beyond any doubt, Captagon has been linked to the escalation of the Syrian Civil War. A lot of seizures have been made since 2017, mostly in the Arabian Peninsula, and in Italy and Turkey, and the point of origination, almost all the time, were traced back to Syria and Lebanon. This gave rise to the theory that ISIS is behind the production and sale of Captagon as a means of generating funds for weapons and combatants, and for use as a stimulant to keep them fighting.
“Lest we forget, Captagon was the name of the drug found on the phone of the French-Tunisian terrorist who killed 84 civilians in France on Bastille Day in 2016. That is the drug we have on our hands now. If these facts are not grim enough, we should all remember a lesson from history, when in World War Two, Nazi Germany wreaked havoc across Europe with chemically-enhanced soldiers that the combined forces of Europe could not tame.
“This is the same condition we have presently with insurgents, bandits, cultists, robbers, kidnappers and herders spilling rampaging across the country.
Given the dark and dangerous background of Captagon, its not difficult to guess correctly that the destination for the seized drug is none other than the camps of insurgents and bandits all over the country.”
He assured Nigerians that the Agency would continue to work hard with support from local and international partners to block availability and access to all manners of illicit substances across the country.
“Given the Zero Tolerance of NDLEA for production, trafficking and abuse of any illicit substance, our approach to this discovery couldnt be casual. The first arrest has been made and well not rest on our oars until every person connected to this shipment is arrested, he added.
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Rivers Govt Insists Oko-Jumbo Remains Assembly Speaker Amid Supreme Court Judgment

The Rivers State Government has clarified that the withdrawal of Governor Siminialayi Fubara’s appeal at the Supreme Court regarding the 2024 budget does not affect the legitimacy of Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The appeal, which challenged lower court rulings to represent the 2024 budget to the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly, was deemed unnecessary and withdrawn by the governor.
In a statement issued on Monday in Port Harcourt, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joseph Johnson, explained that the appeal had become an academic exercise since the 2024 budget cycle had already concluded.
Johnson stated: “The 2024 budget became spent on the 31st December of 2024 fiscal year. The appeal is of no useful purpose. The only reasonable thing left to do is to withdraw the appeal and have it dismissed.”
He emphasized that the Supreme Court’s decision does not invalidate the legality of the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly, affirming that Oko-Jumbo remains the authentic Speaker. “The Supreme Court is a very busy court. It will be most unwise to belabour the Honourable Court with academic appeals without any practical or utilitarian value,” Johnson added.
He further dismissed claims by political opponents, stating: “That is the appeal that the urchins are celebrating. There is no Supreme Court judgment against Gov. Fubara, ignore the outdated political propaganda by some desperate politicians.”
Johnson reiterated: “Supreme Court ruled on the Appeal over the 2024 budget voluntarily withdrawn by Gov. Fubara because 2024 budget cycle have ended and no need wasting time discussing a budget that have been fully spent and implemented. Rt. Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo is still authentic speaker and nothing can change that.”
The clarification comes amid political tensions in the state, with the government reaffirming its commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the stability of the legislative process under Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo’s leadership.
News
S’Court Dismisses Fubara’s Appeal Against Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly

An appeal filed by Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, challenging the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly has been dismissed by the Supreme Court in Abuja.
Fubara was also ordered to pay N2m to the Assembly and the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, by a five-member panel led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji on Monday.
The case was dismissed after Fubara’s lawyer, Yusuf Ali, withdrew the suit.
Recall that on October 10, 2024, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, admonished Fubara for failing to follow the rule of law in his actions.
The court further held that Fubara’s actions violated Section 96 of the 1999 Constitution, which requires at least one-third of the Assembly members to form a quorum.
The court noted that “four out of 31 members cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, constitute the required quorum for legislative business.”
Meanwhile, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court also ruled against Fubara’s presentation of the 2024 budget before the four-member Assembly led by Edison Ehie.
The budget presentation was a result of the leadership crisis within the Rivers State House of Assembly. Fubara had argued that the Amaewhule-led faction lost its legitimacy after defecting from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
However, the lower courts ruled that he failed to provide evidence of their defection and, therefore, could not legally present the budget to a four-member House.
Following the Court of Appeal judgment, Fubara approached the Supreme Court to set aside the lower court’s ruling and allow him to present the budget to the Ehie-led faction.
However, when the case was called on Monday, Fubara’s counsel, Yusuf Ali, informed the Supreme Court that the governor had decided to withdraw the appeal.
Ali stated that a notice dated February 6 had already been filed, explaining that the appeal had been overtaken by events.
All 17 respondents in the case, represented by various lawyers, did not oppose the withdrawal. However, J.B. Daudu (SAN), representing the 3rd to 12th respondents (National Assembly and its leadership), and Wole Olanipekun (SAN), representing the 1st and 2nd respondents (Rivers State House of Assembly and Amaewhule), requested a cost of N2 million.
Daudu further urged the court to dismiss the appeal rather than strike it out, as issues had already been joined.
The five-member Supreme Court panel dismissed the appeal after confirming that the withdrawal was not opposed.
In a brief ruling, Justice Abba-Aji declared the appeal dismissed and awarded a cost of N2 million in favour of the 1st to 12th respondents.
The Punch
News
Ex-Minister Turaki in Court over Adultery, False Marriage Allegations

A former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki (SAN), has been arraigned before a Magistrate Court at Zone 2 in Abuja on allegations bordering on false marriage, adultery, among others.
Turaki pleaded not guilty when the First Information Report (FIR) was read to him in the dock on Thursday before the presiding Magistrate of Court 9, Abubakar Jega.
He insisted that the alleged offences are not true.
According to the FIR, the former minister is accused of “deceitfully inducing belief of lawful marriage, adultery by a man and criminal intimidation, contrary to sections 383, 387 and 389 of the Penal Code.”
The prosecution stated that the investigation of the case followed a petition dated August 9, 2024, received by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force FCID, Abuja.
It further stated that the investigation revealed that “you Barrister Kabiru Taminu Turaki (SAN), between December 2014 and August 2016, deceitfully cohabited Ms. Hadiza Musa Bafta at a hotel called Han’s Place.
“You also co-habited her at Ideal Home Holiday, Asokoro between August 2016 and November 2021.
“You hired a place for her at No. 12 Clement Akpagbo Close, Gauzape from November 2021 and made her believe you were married to her and continuously had sexual intercourse with her, which resulted to a baby girl.
“You abandoned Hadiza Musa Baffa with her only child and denied the paternity. You threatened to use your influence and position to terminate the lives of mother and child.
“You are thereby suspected to have committed the above offences.”
Shortly after Turaki:s arraignment, the prosecuting lawyer , Chijioke Okorie urged the court to set a date for the commencement of trial.
Turaki’s lawyer, A. I. Mohammed, who did not object to the prosecution’s request for a date for trial, applied for bail for the defendant on the grounds that he would be available whenever he is required to attend court.
Magistrate Jega granted bail to Turaki at N1million with two sureties in like sum.
He said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and must provide evidence of the residences.
The magistrate then adjourned to March 11 for the commencement of trial.
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