News

Hoodlums Overpower NDLEA Operatives, Free Suspect in Rivers

Published

3 years ago

April 18, 2023

Eric

Hoodlums have reportedly attacked operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Odunze lane, Mile 3 axis of Diobu in Port Harcourt and freed an arrested suspect, Izuu Isuofia.

According to The Punch, three officials of the NDLEA, who disguised as civilians were on Friday, on an operation in the area (Odunze lane at Mile 3 Diobu) last known for illicit drug activities on Friday.

An eyewitness, who spoke to The Punch on the condition of anonymity, said the NDLEA operatives had arrested a suspected drug dealer in the area popularly known as ’50’ and were dragging him to a waiting patrol van stationed at a nearby street along IKwerre Road Iheoma street in Mile 3 Diobu when some suspected cultists swooped in on the officials.

The eye witness said minutes later, over 100 hoodlums, bearing bottles and other dangerous weapons started pelting stones and bottles at the NDLEA team, some of whom sustained some injuries.

“The NDLEA men fired some shots into the air, but the cult boys were still stoning and they eventually aided the escape of their ally ’50’ before the NDLEA patrol van arrived on the scene.

“Because of that, there was serious traffic on that Ikwerre Road axis. Many people who have businesses there and even people passing on that street ran away because of the shooting.”

Meanwhile, the NDLEA has confirmed the attack on its personnel, saying the suspect, ‘50’ was arrested with large quantities of cannabis sativa.

The NDLEA spokesman, Rivers State Command, Emmanuel Ogbumgbada in a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt said the hoodlums also carted away the drugs seized alongside the suspect.

The statement titled: ‘‘Mob attack on operatives of NDLEA Rivers State Command,” however, said the state Commander had ordered the re-arrest of the fugitive and his gang members.

The statement read, “In the evening of Friday, April 14, 2023, operatives of NDLEA Rivers state command raided a hangout/drinking joint around Odunze street, mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt and a suspected drug dealer named Izuu Isuofia popularly called ’50’ was apprehended with a large quantity of Cannabis Sativa.

“While trying to move the suspect to the patrol van, he raised alarm and was resisting arrest which resulted in a scuffle, and within minutes, hoodlums in their large numbers attacked our officers with bottles and stones, and managed to free the already handcuffed suspect as well as carting away his exhibit before the arrival of our back-up team.

“The state Commander, Ahmed Mamuda has tasked operatives of the Command to deploy all necessary arsenals to ensure that the suspect and his cohorts are arrested and brought to justice.”

News

El-Rufai’s Son, Bello, Dumps APC, Joins ADC

Published

2 days ago

May 7, 2026

Eric

Bello El-Rufai, the son of former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The speaker said Bello El-Rufai joined the ADC alongside two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Kaduna State — Reps Umar Ajilo and Suleiman Yahaya Richifa.

He also announced the defection of Kamilu Ado, a lawmaker from Kano State, from the ADC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Speaker also announced the resignation of Rep. Joshua Obika, representing the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory, from the APC to the NDC.

The defected members, however, cited internal crises and uncertainty within their former parties as reasons for their defections.

News

Gunmen Kill Driver, Abduct Passengers on Benin-Ore Expressway

Published

3 weeks ago

April 20, 2026

Eric

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have attacked a commercial bus operated by GUO Transport along the Benn-Ore expressway, killing the driver and abducting several passengers in what underscores Nigeria’s deepening insecurity on major highways.

Reports indicate that the assailants ambushed the South East-bound vehicle, opened fire on the driver, who died at the scene, and subsequently whisked away passengers to an unknown destination.

The incident is believed to have occurred along a notorious stretch of the highway linking the South-West to the South-South, long plagued by banditry and abductions.

While official confirmation from security agencies is expected, local sources and a circulating video showed that passengers might have forcefully been taken into nearby forests, a tactic commonly employed by kidnapping syndicates operating along the corridor. Similar attacks in the past have involved mass abductions, with victims later released after ransom payments.

News

Police Retirees Block Aso Rock Gate, Demand Action on Pension Scheme

Published

3 weeks ago

April 20, 2026

Eric

Some retirees of the Nigeria Police Force under the aegis of the Police Retired Officers Forum of Nigeria (PROF) have staged a protest at the Presidential Villa in Abuja demanding President Bola Tinubu sign the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly in December 2025.

The bill seeks to withdraw the Nigeria Police Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme.

The protesters, under the scorching sun, walked from the Three Arms Zone in Abuja through the street in front of the Police Headquarters.

They carried placards with various inscriptions, in addition to the Nigerian flag and the flag of the Nigeria Police Force.

Led by its National Coordinator, CSP Raphael Irowainu, the protesters described the retention of the NPF in the Contributory Pension Scheme as fraudulent and illegal.

They also said the CPS is inhumane and obnoxious.

According to them, the protest seeks to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to give assent to the Police Exit Bill passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to the President on 16th March 2026.

They said that when signed into law, the Act will totally exempt the police from what they called a “slavery and untimely death-inducing pension scheme.”

The protesters, accompanied by some of their spouses and children, also blocked Gate 8 leading into the Presidential Villa, causing obstruction to vehicular movement.

Efforts by Villa security personnel to dissuade them from the protest proved abortive as they insisted on seeing the President.

They laid their mats in front of the gate, singing songs of solidarity, while some of them lay on the floor.

As of the time of filing this report, no one from the Villa had addressed the protesters.

CSP Irowainu said that their main purpose is to prevail on President Tinubu to sign the bill exiting the Nigeria Police Force from the CPS, which he said has been passed and transmitted to him by the National Assembly.

He lamented that while other security agencies in the country such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, SSS and others have all been exited from the scheme, the police remain trapped in it.

“Our major aim here is to prevail on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign our bill—the bill exiting the police from the Contributory Pension Scheme—passed by the National Assembly on 4th December 2025 and transmitted to him on 16th March, 2026, into law, nothing more than that.

“The soldiers have been exited, the SSS has been exited, the Air Force has been exited, the Navy has been exited, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has been exited. The police, who are the father of them all, are trapped in this obnoxious Contributory Pension Scheme,” CSP Irowainu said.

It is not the first time retired officers are staging a protest over the CPS. In July last year, they demonstrated at the National Assembly to demand their removal from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS).

The demonstrators, mostly elderly, stood in the rain holding placards and chanting anti-government songs.

Some of the retired police officers also besieged the Force Headquarters in Abuja to protest against the CPS.

Addressing the protesters at the time, the then Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, said the welfare of retired police officers was being addressed, but that the exit of the Force from the Contributory Pension Scheme was not something that could be implemented immediately.

He, however, advised the leaders of the protest to refrain from spreading misinformation, stressing that the Force could not abandon its own.