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NDLEA intercepts South African lady with 3-year-old son as cover to traffic heroin

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A 38-year-old South African lady, Ms. Will Jessica Ann has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja after she was found to have concealed 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75 kilograms in her luggage, using her three-year-old son as a cover to beat security checks and evade thorough screening.

The suspect was arrested by NDLEA officers on Monday 6th July 2026 during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha to Abuja. Though she initially denied travelling with check-in bags, but after operatives were able to quickly establish that the two bags containing the drugs had tags which tallied with the claim tags attached to her passport, she recounted and admitted ownership of the bags adding that she forgot she checked in the two bags.
She claimed to have travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja. Intelligence leading to her arrests indicates she is a member of a transnational drug trafficking organization along with her husband/partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, based in Cambodia from where they operate their drug network along the Cambodian-South African axis.
In another successful interdiction operation, NDLEA officers at the terminal 2 arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos on 28th June 2026 intercepted a commercial motorcycle operator popularly known as ‘Okada rider’, 48-year-old Onyechere Daniel Chinadu following his arrival from Madagascar via Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airways flight.
A thorough search of his back pack, which he had checked in, led to the discovery of 87 wraps of methamphetamine concealed within cloths in his bag. In his statement, Onyechere claimed he has been working for 15 years as an Okada rider at Oke-Afo area of Lagos before his Uganda based friend recruited him into drug trafficking.
He said he ingested the recovered pellets of methamphetamine in Uganda before embarking on his planned journey to Madagascar to deliver the drug consignment. He however said that upon arrival in Madagascar, he was denied entry by Immigration authorities. As a result, his friend and sponsor, Ozor Igo, based in Uganda rerouted his flight to Lagos, where he was eventually arrested by NDLEA officers.
The suspect was unable to state the exact number of pellets he had ingested in Uganda and as a result, he was placed under excretion observation for a period of three days. Between the date of his arrest and 1st of July, he was able to excrete 13 pellets in addition to the initial 87 wraps recovered from him, bringing the total number to 100 wraps of methamphetamine with a gross weight of 1.715 kilograms.
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, a total of 8,287 nylon bags of Canadian Loud weighing 4,143.5 kilograms worth over N10.3 billion in street value were discovered in a container imported from Canada during a joint examination of the shipment by NDLEA officers, Customs personnel and other security agencies on Friday 10th July 2026.
The discovery followed weeks of targeted tracking and monitoring of the shipment since its departure from Montreal, Canada, by operatives of the Maritime Intelligence Unit of NDLEA in close collaboration with the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency. Meanwhile, an attempt to export a 2.5kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed in a gas compressor going to Cyprus through a courier company in Lagos has been thwarted by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation(DOGI).
With the same zeal, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for students and staff of Nnodo Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Government Girls Secondary School, Sabon Gida, Sharada, Kano; Royal Jesuit College, Agbado Ekiti; and Community Secondary School, Idofa, Ogun, while the leadership of Zone 14 Command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara at Government House Port Harcourt, among others.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, NAIA, MIU, and, Apapa Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country not to rest on their past laurels.

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Rex Insurance Meets NAICOM Minimum Capital Requirement Under NIIRA 2025

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BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—Rex Insurance Limited has successfully met the new Minimum Capital Requirement (MCR) prescribed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) under the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, (NIIRA) 2025, reinforcing its financial strength, enhancing its underwriting capacity and reaffirming its unwavering commitment to policyholders and stakeholders.

The announcement follows NAICOM’s publication of insurance companies confirmed to have complied with the new capital requirement.

A statement released today by the company, said the achievement reflects the disciplined financial management, strong corporate governance, and strategic vision that have positioned Rex Insurance Limited as a resilient organization committed to delivering greater value to customers while supporting national economic growth.

“It also marks the beginning of a new phase in the Company’s journey, one focused on sustaining capital strength, accelerating profitable growth, enhancing operational excellence, and delivering superior customer value.

Commenting on the milestone, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Rex Insurance Limited, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, said: “Meeting the new Minimum Capital Requirement is a significant milestone in our journey and demonstrates the resilience of our business as well as the confidence of our shareholders in our long-term vision. It also reinforces our ability to honour our commitments to policyholders while positioning us for sustainable growth in an evolving insurance landscape.”

She further emphasized “Our recapitalization marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Rex Insurance. It is not an end, but a strategic foundation for sustainable growth and long-term value creation. With a stronger capitalbase, we are well equipped to increase our underwriting capacity, elevate customer experience, and deepen our investment in technology, innovation, and operational excellence.

“This enhanced financial strength enables us to provide smarter insurance solutions that respond to the evolving needs of our customers, deliver greater value to our stakeholders, support the advancement of Nigeria’s insurance industry, and maintain our unwavering commitment to prompt claims settlement to our policyholders”

Rex Insurance commended NAICOM for its leadership in strengthening the insurance sector through the recapitalization exercise and remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote a more resilient, competitive, and inclusive insurance market.

The insurer expressed its appreciation to its shareholders, Board of Directors, employees, customers, brokers, and business partners for their unwavering support and confidence, which have contributed to this important achievement .

“As the industry enters a new phase of growth, Rex Insurance’s focus now shifts from achieving capital adequacy to sustaining capital strength through disciplined execution, profitable growth, continuous innovation, and exceptional customer experience.”

The Company remains committed to delivering reliable insurance solutions, honouring its promises to policyholders, and creating sustainable value for all stakeholders while strengthening its position as a trusted insurance partner

About Rex Insurance Limited 
Rex Insurance Limited (Rex) is licensed by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to offer the full range of general and special risks insurance products to the insuring public. With decades of experience in the Nigerian market, Rex Insurance has an enviable reputation for technical competence and financial strength.
With a vision of being the “Preferred Nigerian Insurance Company”, our strategic direction within the next 5 years is to focus on growth and profitability with the aim of growing the company’s gross premium written and be amongst the Top-Top-Tier general insurance companies in the market.

Operating from twelve (12) business locations nationwide to ensure maximum outreach and
accessibility, we have an unwavering dedication to our core values of Resilience, Efficiency,
eXellence, Integrity & Teamwork (REXIT).

The post Rex Insurance Meets NAICOM Minimum Capital Requirement Under NIIRA 2025 appeared first on Business Today NG.

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FULL LIST: NIIRA 2025: NAICOM Eyes Liquidation for Non-Compliant Operators

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BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The National Insurance Commission,((NAICOM),  on Monday said only eight insurance companies are yet to be verified by the commission.

The commission disclosed this today while releasing the 43 insurance firms that met the new minimum capital requirements set up by NIIRA

According to NAICOM “The eight insurance companies submitted evidence of compliance shortly before the statutory deadline are currently undergoing final verification and regulatory review.

This, the commission said would be concluded within fourteen days.

Insurance companies not listed among the 43 verified firms include those currently undergoing final regulatory review, as well as unverified operators at risk of liquidation—such as NICON Insurance Plc; Goldlink Insurance Plc Nigerian Reinsurance; Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation ; Royal Exchange Prudential Life Plc;  Tangerine Life Insurance Limited; Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc; African Alliance Insurance Plc; Guinea Insurance Plc; Regency Alliance Insurance Plc; Staco Insurance Plc; Alliance & General Insurance; Universal Insurance Plc; emPle General Insurance Company Nigeria Limited and emPle Life Assurance Limited.

NAICOM had announced the successful completion of the twelve-month insurance sector recapitalization exercise undertaken pursuant to Section 15 and other relevant provisions of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025, signed into law on 31 July 2025 by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as part of his administration’s financial sector transformation agenda towards the attainment of a US$1 trillion economy by 2030.

The successful conclusion of the exercise marks a defining milestone in the transformation of Nigeria’s insurance industry and signals the beginning of a new era for insurance in the country.

Following the enactment of NIIRA 2025, the Commission commenced a structured implementation process to provide strategic oversight, ensure transparency, support operators throughout the transition, and facilitate the effective implementation of the new minimum capital requirements within the statutory compliance period.

To ensure an orderly, transparent, credible, and verifiable process, the Commission issued the Guidelines on the Implementation of Minimum Capital Requirements (MCR) for Insurance and Reinsurance Companies in Nigeria.

The Guidelines provided detailed guidance on the statutory minimum capital requirements under NIIRA 2025, eligible and ineligible capital instruments, admissible and non-admissible assets, verification and validation procedures, regulatory timelines, reporting obligations, and supervisory expectations throughout the implementation period.

The post FULL LIST: NIIRA 2025: NAICOM Eyes Liquidation for Non-Compliant Operators appeared first on Business Today NG.

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