Business

NDLEA arrests India-bound Businessman with cocaine, recovers N3.6b Colos, codeine in Lagos

Published

3 weeks ago

August 16, 2026

Preport

BY NKECHI BAECHE-ESEZOBOR—A 48-year-old businessman Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi who liquidated all his assets to chase a dream of quick riches in the illicit drug trade has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, while heading to New Delhi, India, with 1.550 kilograms of cocaine cleverly concealed within the side walls and railings of his bag.

Nwankwo who deals in marbles in Lagos was arrested at the departure hall of terminal II of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India. A search of his check-in bag uncovered 1.550 kilograms of cocaine factory-fitted in the walls and railings of his bag.
In a candid confession that lays bare the desperation that fuels the drug trade, Nwankwo said he had sold off his marble business and every asset he owned to raise the ₦23 million he paid for the consignment, with the expectation of selling it in India for as much as N100 million. With his assets gone, and Nwankwo’s dream of transiting from a marble trader to a drug kingpin effectively shattered following his arrest, the suspect remains in custody awaiting prosecution and likely time in jail.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu street Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, where a massive stockpile of codeine-based syrup was discovered. A total of 3,776 cartons, comprising 377,600 bottles of the controlled substance, valued at over N2.6 billion, were recovered between Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August 2026.
In yet another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 14th August raided the residence of a 55-year-old kingpin Shoremi Kayode, at 37 Ogundare street, Ipaja estate, Ipaja area of Lagos, recovering 324 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a street value of Nine Hundred and Seventy-Two Million Naira (N972,000,000). Also recovered from the suspect were a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car.
In Kwara, two suspects: Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30, were on Thursday 13th August arrested at Kam Wire area of Ilorin with 55.96kg skunk in a truck marked DKA 350 XL recovered, while two other suspects: 70-year-old grandpa Abdulfatai Oyelaran and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50, were nabbed by NDLEA officers on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Ibadan, Oyo state on Wednesday 12th August. Recovered from their Toyota Sienna vehicle marked FFA-115KA, include: 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection.
A total of 124,100 pills of tramadol; 786 bottles of codeine syrup; 2,598 tablets of rohypnol;
4,800 tablets of diazepam; 470 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from two suspects: Osaro Ikpoba, 43, and Samuel Godbless, 18, along Onitsha/Asaba expressway on Thursday 13th August, while another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was nabbed with 1,244 pieces of cartridges and monetary exhibit of eight million naira (N8,000,000) only along Kwale/Ozoro expressway on Wednesday 12th August.
A Toyota Corolla car with registration number MKD 341 EA was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Riyom/Jos road, Jos Plateau state where 239,490 caps of tramaforce, a brand of tramadol were recovered and a suspect Kasum Sherif arrested.
In Kano, six suspects were arrested on Monday 10th August by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Zaria-Kano road. They include: Okodili Ibeabuchi, 60; Onyeka Vincent, 47; Nwanko Wisdom, 36; Success Chigozie, 30; Emmanuel Jude, 27; and Chinedu Peter, 39. Large consignments of opioids were recovered from them include 728,958 pills of tramadol, rohypnol, and others as well as 360 grams of cocaine, 99.8 grams of methamphetamine, 50 bottles of codeine syrup and and 2.7 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
Also in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday 14th August raided the Zawaciki Gida Dubu, Kumbotso LGA, where they recovered 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8kg and arrested two suspects: Mustapha Iliya, 30, and Abdulwahab Abdulrashid, 24 in connection with the seizure.
A total of 4,628.9775kg skunk was destroyed on two cannabis farms that measured 1.851591 hectares at Ugboku/Igbanke forest, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo state where a suspect Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested in one of the farms during a raid by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 12th August. Another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was nabbed with 25.857kg Loud and 93 grams of meth during a raid of drug joints at Oluku area of Benin city on Friday 14th August.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Madarasatu Sheikh Muhammad Rabi’u Arabic School, Kano and Olomu Junior Secondary School, Ajah, Lagos state, among others.
While commending the officers, men and women of MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

The post NDLEA arrests India-bound Businessman with cocaine, recovers N3.6b Colos, codeine in Lagos appeared first on Business Today NG.

Related Topics:Arrests Businessman cocaine codeine Colos Indiabound Lagos N3.6b NDLEA recovers

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NGX N-Zero Begins Corporate Climate Baseline Assessments

Published

6 hours ago

September 6, 2026

Preport

Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) has commenced corporate baseline assessments under its N-Zero initiative, marking the next phase of its effort to help Nigerian businesses strengthen climate readiness, develop credible net-zero pathways and position for emerging opportunities in climate-aligned capital.

Launched in January in partnership with DEG Impulse gGmbH and Africa Foresight Group (AFG), N-Zero is designed to support companies in moving from climate ambition to practical action by strengthening their capabilities in climate strategy, emissions measurement, transition planning and access to emerging carbon-market opportunities.

The baseline assessment will establish each participating company’s starting point and provide a structured view of its readiness across key areas, including climate-risk management, emissions measurement and reporting, target-setting, transition planning, technical capabilities and understanding of carbon-market opportunities. The findings will identify priority gaps and inform tailored support for each company.

Since its launch, N-Zero has engaged more than 50 companies across key sectors of the economy, with 17 formally onboarded as community members and more than 100 companies receiving the baseline survey. Current community members include Access Holdings, Dangote Cement, United Bank for Africa, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, First HoldCo, Fidelity Bank, Zenith Bank, Wema Bank, NEM Insurance, Chapel Hill Denham, BUA Cement, Caverton Offshore Support Group, Presco, Oando, HBM Nigeria, Seplat Energy and Skyway Aviation Handling Company, with further companies being engaged as the initiative expands.

Commenting on the development, Temi Popoola, GMD/CEO, NGX Group, said:

“The transition to a net-zero economy is increasingly becoming a factor in competitiveness, investor confidence and access to capital. Nigerian businesses therefore need to move beyond climate ambition to demonstrate measurable and credible progress. N-Zero is designed to help companies understand where they stand today, identify the gaps that matter most and build practical pathways towards where they need to be. The baseline assessment is a critical step because it gives us the evidence and insight required to tailor support and help participating companies turn climate intent into measurable action and long-term value.”

Following the baseline exercise, companies will undergo needs assessments combining digital diagnostics with expert technical review to determine their readiness levels, identify priority gaps for intervention and define the next steps towards credible climate targets, transition plans and implementation.

N-Zero is structured as a progression from awareness and assessment to target setting, transition planning, validation, implementation and impact tracking. This approach is intended to help companies strengthen internal capabilities while identifying commercial opportunities arising from the transition to a lower-carbon economy.

Under the 2026 roadmap, baseline analysis and initial needs assessments are expected to conclude in September, followed by partner-led sessions and tailored support packages in October and November. The broader programme targets include supporting participating companies to develop science-aligned targets and transition plans, assess emissions-reduction potential, facilitate eligible carbon-offsetting projects and track progress towards the reduction or avoidance of approximately 20,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions.

For NGX Group, the initiative also supports the development of a more climate-ready corporate sector and a capital market better positioned to respond to the risks and opportunities associated with the global transition to a lower-carbon economy.

As N-Zero enters this next phase, its focus is clear: establishing a measurable baseline for corporate climate readiness and helping Nigerian businesses move from commitment to credible, verifiable action.

The post NGX N-Zero Begins Corporate Climate Baseline Assessments appeared first on Business Today NG.

Business

Uncertainty as Nigerian woman remains unreachable after arriving Doha airport

Published

14 hours ago

September 6, 2026

Preport

The family of a 37-year-old Nigerian woman who travelled to Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday has raised concerns after she became unreachable shortly after arriving in the country.

The woman, Saratu Jibo Yusuf, travelled from Lagos to Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR1408 on 1 September, according to her ticket, which PREMIUM TIMES saw.

Her brother, Jonathan Jibo, told PREMIUM TIMES that the last communication he had with his sister was via WhatsApp while she was still on the aircraft, using its Wi-Fi, on Tuesday.

He said a family friend who was expected to receive her at the airport was already waiting when the flight arrived, but could not find her.

The family subsequently contacted the airline and the airport, where they were told that Ms Yusuf had collected her luggage and left the terminal.

Mr Jibo said the issue was particularly worrying because his sister was familiar with airport procedures, having worked at the Lagos airport for almost 12 years.

“She is not even a child. She is 37 and always wants to be independent and hardworking,” he told PREMIUM TIMES.

According to him, this was Ms Yusuf’s first trip outside Nigeria. She had no friends in Qatar whom the family could contact immediately, and the family had already arranged and paid for her accommodation months before the journey.

She was also expected to resume work in Doha a few weeks after her arrival, he said.

Mr Jibo added that his sister had financed the trip herself and that the family had no reason to expect she would voluntarily cut off communication immediately upon arrival.

“She worked and financed everything from scratch,” Mr Jibo said, expressing concern over her whereabouts.

**Saratu Jibo Yusuf’s flight ticket seen by PREMIUM TIMES.**

Family seeks answers

Mr Jibo raised the alarm on Thursday after 48 hours without hearing from his sister.

He called for the review of CCTV footage and urged authorities to establish the last person seen with her after she left the airport.

The family has also forwarded details of the case to the Nigerian authorities and the Nigerian Embassy in Doha, with relatives hoping to learn her whereabouts.

The case has drawn attention to the importance of tracing the movements of passengers who become unreachable after leaving airports.

In May 2024, a similar concern was raised over Janet Kwalmi Ere, a 67-year-old woman who arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos from London.

Ms Ere was reported missing after boarding an airport taxi shortly after her arrival. Former Senator Ben Murray-Bruce called for airport CCTV footage to be reviewed and for the taxi she boarded to be identified.

Three days later, Mr Murray-Bruce announced that Ms Ere had been found and thanked security agencies and others who assisted in the search. He did not disclose details of where or how she was located.

The earlier case highlights the importance of quickly establishing what happens to passengers after they leave an airport, particularly when their families are unable to reach them.

NCAA reaction

Reacting to the development, Michael Achimugu, director of public affairs and consumer protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), said he had contacted the airline and was informed that CCTV footage showed Ms Yusuf arrived safely, collected her luggage and exited the terminal.

He said further checks were being made to establish whether she had reached the hotel booked for her and whether she had arrived there by the hotel’s pick-up vehicle.

According to Mr Achimugu, Qatar’s visa booking system is tied to a specific hotel reservation, and Discover Qatar would be able to check the accommodation details linked to Ms Yusuf’s trip.

He also said he had informed the airline of the family’s concerns, including fears about possible human trafficking or forced labour.

Mr Achimugu, however, did not say Ms Yusuf had been trafficked, abducted or subjected to forced labour.

He said if checks established that she did not reach the hotel, authorities would have to begin a manhunt.

He urged the family to remain calm while efforts to establish her whereabouts continued, adding that although the matter was not formally within his purview, he had intervened to assist the family.

He also said the investigation was taking time because it was the weekend and a public holiday period in Qatar.

READ ALSO: Qatar Airways’ Lagos–Doha flight returns safely after in-flight technical issue

Airline responds

Qatar Airways responded to the issue on Saturday after Mr Jibo’s message to the airline. He sent the airline his sister’s flight details and asked it to investigate the matter.

In a message seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the airline said it understood the family’s concerns and was in contact with its team to obtain information that could help clarify the situation.

“Hello, Jonathan. We understand your concern and are in touch with our team to inquire about any information that may help clarify the situation,” the airline said.

It added that it would share updates as soon as they became available.

The airline’s response came after the family had spent days trying to establish Ms Yusuf’s whereabouts.

As of Sunday morning, there was no confirmation from the family, Qatar Airways or Nigerian authorities that Ms Yusuf had been found.