The command also disclosed that firearms and other incriminating exhibits, including a motorcycle, were recovered in the process.

Enugu State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Daniel Ndukwe, who made this disclosure through a statement issued late on the night of Tuesday, 26 August, 2025, said the arrests were part of the Command’s sustained efforts to clamp down on violent crimes in the state.

The suspects, according to Ndukwe, include Okafor Chukwuka, 28, arrested on August 20 with a locally made double-barrel gun, and two others, Emeka Odo, 45, and Ugochukwu Eze, 35, apprehended on August 18 with stolen goods and firearms.

“Preliminary investigations link the suspect Okafor to an armed robbery incident that occurred in Nara Unataeze, Nkanu East LGA, about two weeks earlier, during which a motorcycle was snatched at gunpoint.”

According to the state police image –maker, Emeka Odo confessed to robbing a motorcyclist of his motorcycle and selling it to Ugochukwu Eze. Recovered items include a motorcycle, firearms, live cartridges, and suspected charms.
“We will arraign the suspects in court once investigations are concluded,” Ndukwe stated.

Ndukwe stated in the statement that the state Commissioner of Police, Mamman Giwa, commended the operatives and charged them to sustain the tempo, reiterating the Command’s unwavering resolve to rid the state of unrepentant criminals.

Meanwhile, the state police boss, has urged citizens to support the police with timely and credible information to enhance proactive crime prevention and effective policing.
“The Command is determined to sustain its efforts in combating crime and will not relent in making Enugu State safe for all law-abiding residents,” Giwa said.

Edo Police Confirm Rescuing 16 kidnap Victims Along Benin-Lagos Road

At least 16 kidnapped victims in a series of coordinated operations along the Benin–Lagos and Benin–Akure highways have been rescued by the operatives of the Edo State Police Command.

Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, who confirmed the development through a statement issued confirmed on Wednesday, 27 August, 2025, disclosed that the operations followed separate incidents on August 23, 2025, when armed kidnappers blocked sections of the highways and abducted several travellers.

According to Iyamu, distress calls prompted the swift mobilisation of operatives from the Iguobazuwa and Ekiadolor Divisions, supported by tactical teams, local vigilantes, and hunters. The teams embarked on intensive bush-combing operations to track the abductors and free the victims.

The state police image –maker added in the statement that state police Commissioner , Monday Agbonika, personally led the operation along the Benin–Akure axis, deploying drones and other technical support to enhance precision.

“Six victims were rescued along the Benin–Akure Road, including one with a gunshot injury who is now receiving treatment. Three more victims were freed on the Benin–Lagos Road, while an additional seven regained their freedom on August 25,” the statement read.

According to the state police publicist, Agbonika commended the operatives, vigilantes, and local hunters for their collaboration, stressing that the partnership between security agencies and communities remains vital in tackling violent crime

.Agbonika also assured the public that efforts are ongoing to rescue remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators, adding that the command would continue to deploy human and technological resources to secure Edo highways.

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA),Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has called for collective action involving families, religious and community leaders to stem the tide of substance abuse, cultism and banditry among Nigerian youths.

Marwa who made the call while delivering the keynote address at a seminar organized by the Ijebu Ode Council of Olorituns in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state today themed “Dangers of drug abuse, cultism and banditry among youths”, noted that collective responsibility must be embraced by all stakeholders to curb the menace of the inter-linked social vices of illicit drugs, cultism and banditry.

He said the triple threat of cult-related violence, rampant abuse of drugs and illicit substances, and the challenge of banditry across various regions, is a reality that must be dealt with decisively.

“While these issues may appear distinct, they are intricately connected, feeding one another in a cycle of destruction that must be broken if our society is to thrive. Cultism, once largely confined to tertiary institutions, has insidiously spread into secondary schools and neighbourhoods. What began as secret gatherings has transformed into violent confraternities, often manipulated by political or criminal interests. These groups lure young people, often under the guise of brotherhood, protection or empowerment, into a world of fear, violence and premature death. Tragically, the hands of many of our youth have been stained with the blood of their peers, all for false promises of belonging and power.”
According to the NDLEA boss, “It is projected that the number of people using drugs will increase by 40% in Africa. When they say Africa, I want us to think of Nigeria, because Nigeria has one of the highest drug use prevalences in the world.”
He however said that despite the projection by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), all hope is not lost. “As a nation and as communities, we still possess the power to reverse this trend”, he assured.
“The first step is collective responsibility. Parents, religious institutions, traditional rulers, educational authorities and community leaders must rise with one voice against these vices. The family unit must be strengthened as the first point of moral instruction, while schools should be safe spaces that promote discipline, mentorship and awareness.
“We must also invest in youth development by creating opportunities for education, entrepreneurship, skills acquisition and sports. Idle hands, as we know, are the devil’s workshop. When our young people find purpose and meaning, they are less likely to seek false validation from cults or drugs”, Marwa stated.
Dwelling on how the NDLEA is responding to the challenge, Marwa said “we have intensified our war against drug trafficking and abuse.Nationwide raids have led to significant seizures and arrests, which we share weekly on our official channels.
“In the past 54 months, we have arrested 67, 345 traffickers, including 95 barons, and 12, 415 of them are presently serving various jail terms. The barons we have arrested are not anonymous people in society. They include big business people and socialites—some of them have chieftaincy titles—and also government officials, including those tasked with maintaining law and order. That tells how deeply the rot had eaten into the fabric of our society.
“Within the period, we have seized more than 11.2 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and destroyed 1,572 hectares of cannabis farms mostly in Southwest States where some people are cultivating cannabis on a large scale, utilising land that should have been used for other cash crops for illicit crops.
“We are also scaling up our Drug Demand Reduction programmes, including school outreaches, community sensitisation and rehabilitation initiatives. We have within the same period conducted 11,584 sensitisatioin lectures in schools, work places, woship centres, motor parks, palaces of traditional rulers and communities, while 27, 187 drug users have been treated and rehabilitated through our 30 rehab facilities across the country in addition to thousands of others who have benefitted from the psychosocial support services provided on our tollfree helpline: 080010203040.”
While challenging other stakeholders, he said “we cannot do it alone. We need communities like Ijebu-Ode to partner with us, to speak up, to report suspicious activities and to support our advocacy drives.
“Moreover, security architecture must be enhanced at the grassroots level. Local vigilante groups, properly trained and coordinated, can serve as the eyes and ears of the community, working closely with law enforcement agencies to disrupt cult gatherings and prevent violent incidents.
“We must rekindle the moral and spiritual fabric of our society. We must remind our youth that there is dignity in labour, pride in learning and honour in integrity. The path to greatness is not paved with shortcuts of violence and drugs, but with hard work, vision and purpose.”
He commended the Council of Oloritun for organizing the seminar and the choice of the theme. “Your commitment to community and youth development is clear, and I encourage other councils across Nigeria to emulate this initiative. Let us rise as one people to rescue our children, secure our streets and restore the values that once defined our land”, he added.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Council, Chief Adebisi Adeola Alausa commended Marwa for accepting the Council’s invitation. “Your presence today reflects our shared commitment to safeguarding the future of our community and our nation. We are gathered here not merely as individuals, but as a united front, as traditional leaders, government officials, parents, educators, and most importantly, our youths, to confront challenges that threaten the very fabric of our society. The issues we address today, the drug abuse, cultism, and banditry, are not distant problems”
Chairman of the occasion, Senator Lekan Mustapha describe different approaches Marwa as a visionary leader based on his past records of performance as military governor of Borno and Lagos as well as his transformation of NDLEA into reckoning both locally and internationally. “That you honoured our invitation shows your passion for the job, the safety and protection of our youths from drug and other vices”, he added.
Marwa seized the opportunity of his presence in Ijebu Ode to pay the family of the late Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, a condolence visit

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