The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has counselled and rehabilitated more than 54,000 drug users over the past five years.

The Agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), disclosed this on Friday in Benin, at the second Regimental Sergeant Majors’ (RSMs) Convention.

Marwa, who emphasised that substance dependence was a treatable health condition requiring intervention and support, urged the Nigerian Army to strengthen efforts to prevent drug abuse among its personnel.

He spoke on the theme: “Combating Drug Abuse and Substance Misuse in the Nigerian Army: The Role of RSMs in Prevention, Early Detection and Rehabilitation”.

According to him, drug dependence should not automatically be treated as a moral failure or grounds for discarding affected personnel.

He stressed the need to balance discipline with appropriate treatment.

“A drug user is not automatically a criminal to be thrown away. In many cases, he is a sick man who needs help,” he said.

Marwa said the NDLEA’s rehabilitation efforts formed part of a broader response to the country’s drug problem, which also involved enforcement, prevention and public sensitisation.

He cited the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, which estimated that 14.3 million Nigerians aged betwwen 15 and 64 had used drugs in 2017, representing 14.4 per cent of the population.

He said drug-use prevalence in Lagos was 33 per cent, underscoring the scale of the challenge confronting the country.

The NDLEA chairman disclosed that the agency had arrested more than 76,000 suspects, including 250 drug barons, in the past five years.

He added that it seized more than 16 million kilogrammes of illicit substances, destroyed over 2,000 hectares of cannabis farms and secured 16,691 convictions within the period.

“The agency also conducted 17,000 War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy activities in schools, workplaces, markets, motor parks and communities, ” he said.

Marwa said substance misuse posed a serious threat to the Nigerian Army’s combat readiness, discipline and operational effectiveness.

“Why is drug abuse a combat readiness issue? Some may think that drug abuse is a welfare or social problem. It is far more than that. It is an operational problem in the army and a command problem,” he said.

He explained that drugs could impair soldiers’ judgement and trigger aggression, paranoia and delusion, potentially endangering colleagues and civilians during military operations.

He warned that substance misuse could also result in absenteeism, indiscipline, theft of military property and weakened unit cohesion.

“Combat requires reliability. One unreliable man can lead to the loss of lives of 10 men or more,” he said.

Marwa identified RSMs as critical to preventing drug abuse within military formations, describing them as the conscience of their units and a vital link between soldiers and commanding officers.

He said their daily interaction with personnel placed them in a strategic position to detect behavioural changes and identify possible cases of substance misuse early.

“You are the commanding officer’s most honest adviser. You must tell the commander the truth. You are the principal moral boss of the unit. You can build morale or kill it,” he said.

He urged the RSMs to lead by example, maintain discipline and educate soldiers on the dangers of drug abuse during unit meetings and other engagements.

He listed possible warning signs to include unusual drowsiness, red or glazed eyes, weight loss, poor hygiene, tremors, slurred speech, unexplained debts, missing property and frequent disappearances.

He cautioned that no single sign was conclusive evidence of drug use, stressing that proper testing was necessary.

“The conclusive way to confirm drug use is through the drug integrity test,” he said.

Marwa also urged military authorities to distinguish between drug trafficking and substance dependence, saying traffickers should face the law while personnel struggling with addiction should be assessed for treatment.

He said the circumstances of each case should be considered, including whether a wounded soldier had become dependent on pain medication.

The chairman disclosed that the NDLEA had rehabilitation centres across the country and was willing to share expertise with the army, including training its medical and welfare personnel.

Marwa called for stronger collaboration between the army and NDLEA, particularly in intelligence gathering and operations against drug trafficking networks.

He warned that traffickers could attempt to compromise military personnel with money and other inducements, urging RSMs to reject such approaches and report suspicious activities.

He acknowledged the army’s support for NDLEA operations, particularly in conducting raids on cannabis farms located in remote forests.

“The NDLEA cannot fight this war alone. The army cannot fight this war alone. Drug abuse is a shared enemy,” he said.

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigations into the alleged diversion of N525 millions customer’s fund by a former Head of Operations of a new generation bank , Obinna Nwaobi.

EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

According to him, Nwaobi is being investigated over alleged authorisation of the criminal diversion of N515 million from the Debt Service Reserve Account (DSRA) belonging to a customer, DAHUA Paper Company, without authorisation.

“The commission had received a petition dated June 22, 2026 from the bank against Nwaobi, alleging that the said sum left its customer’s account in three tranches of N200 millions N150 millions and N165 millions respectively on July 17, 2024.

“The petitioner explained that the said account from which the money was moved, was reactivated in June 2024.

“Upon reactivation, the account was not placed on Post No Debit as required, which led to the fraudulent withdrawals from the account.

“These transactions were processed from our Okpara Avenue, Enugu Branch, using forged documents and authorised by Obinna Nwaobi (Head of Operations),” the petitioner alleged.

Oyewale said preliminary investigations revealed that the said account was a Bank of Industry loan repayment account, not accessible to customers as it is meant for repayment of loan.

“Withdrawals or transfers to third parties are not allowed on loan repayment accounts without the approval of the Account Officer, the Regional Manager and the Credit Monitoring Team.

“Transactions that took place on the account were, however, made illegally with forged documents and allegedly authorised by the suspect who happened to be the Head of Operations at that time.”

He said that the suspect was currently standing trial for another case of unauthorised withdrawal of 510,000 dollars from the same bank before a Federal High Court in Enugu.

He said that the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

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A travel agent, Kehinde Oluwole, on Thursday appeared before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, over an alleged N1.1 million visa fraud.

Oluwole, 46, is facing a two-count charge of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, Insp Samuel Owolabi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences in 2024, at Yerokun area of Ibadan.

Owolabi alleged that the defendant collected the N1.1million from the complainant, Mr Idris Abioye, to procure a Canadian family visa for him, but failed to do so.

He said that the defendant converted the money to his personal use.

Owolabi said that all efforts made by the complainant to get the visa or a refund from the defendant proved abortive.

He said the offences contravened Sections 419 and 390(9) of the Criminal Law of Oyo State, 2000.

The Magistrate, Mrs Gladys Olanrewaju, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Olanrewaju ordered that one of the sureties must own a land within the court’s jurisdiction.

She adjourned the case until Dec.15 for mention.

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The police on Thursday arraigned a 23-year-old man, Olawale Abioye,  before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan,  over alleged threat to life and assault.

Abioye, whose address was not provided, is facing a three-count charges of conspiracy, threat to life and assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, Insp Samuel Owolabi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences with some others still at large on Nov. 3 at 9.45 p.m. in Apata area of Ibadan.

Owolabi alleged that the defendant threatened to kill the complainants, Messrs Samad Oyedele, Ademola Idris and Quyum Alibi over an undisclosed matter.

He alleged that the defendant chased the complainants with a knife and broken bottle and injured Alabi with the broken bottle.

He said the offences contravened Sections 516, 86 and 355 of the Criminal Law of Oyo State, 2000.

The Magistrate, Mrs Gladys Olanrewaju, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case until Dec. 2 for mention.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Sen. David Mark.

Justice Peter Lifu, in a judgment, also invalidated all decisions taken by the party under the Mark-led leadership.

Justice Lifu declared as illegal the Mark-led Caretaker Committee, which conducted the primary election that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 presidential election.

The judge ruled in favour of former ADC National Deputy Chairman, North-East, Mr Nafiu-Bala Gombe, who challenged the process through which the Mark-led leadership assumed control of the party.

It was reported that Gombe had, in the suit, argued that following the resignation of former National Chairman of the party, Chief Ralph Nwosu, he was constitutionally entitled to take over the party’s leadership.

He consequently asked the court to invalidate all actions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the National Secretary, and other members of their caretaker committee, from parading themselves as valid leaders of the party.

The plaintiff maintained that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

Delivering the judgment, Justice Lifu upheld Gombe’s claims and granted the reliefs sought.

Reacting to the judgment, the ADC National Welfare Secretary, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who was joined in the suit as an interested party, said the party would appeal the ruling.

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The Kaduna Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has confirmed how its operatives foiled an armed robbery attempt along the Kaduna-Zaria highway.

The Command Public Relations Officer, Mr Sani Garba, told our reporter in Kaduna on Thursday that the incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday.

According to Garba, the incident occurred at about 3 a.m. on Sunday near the agency’s checkpoint close to Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria.

He explained that the operatives were alerted after one of the motorists reportedly escaped from the suspected robbers and raised the alarm.

“Some armed robbers had blocked the highway when one of their victims managed to escape and alerted our men stationed nearby.

“Our operatives immediately moved to the scene and engaged the suspects in a gun duel, forcing them to abandon the operation and flee,” he said.

He said the timely intervention of the operatives prevented the suspected robbers from abducting any of the motorists or other road users.

The NDLEA spokesperson added that no abduction was recorded during the incident.

It was reported that a video circulating on social media showed several vehicles, including articulated trucks, abandoned along the highway following the encounter.

Some of the trucks were seen with their engines running, while their drivers and other occupants were apparently nowhere around.

The footage also showed NDLEA operatives moving around the scene, inspecting the abandoned vehicles and documenting the aftermath of the incident.

In the video, an officer speaking in Hausa said the suspected robbers fled upon sighting the approaching NDLEA personnel.

Another officer was heard directing colleagues to gather abandoned belongings and convey them in a truck for recovery.

Garba assured motorists and other road users of the command’s commitment to supporting security agencies in protecting lives and property.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies.

He also called on motorists to cooperate with security personnel to strengthen safety along the Kaduna-Zaria highway.

Also speaking on the incident, a senior operative of the Kaduna Vigilance Service (KadVS) who spoke under condition of anonymity said nobody was kidnapped during the incident.

The senior KadVS official, who spoke to our reporter in Zaria said occupants of the abandoned vehicles had returned and continued their journeys after security operatives intervened.

According to him, the service had successfully repelled more than five separate attacks at the same location along the highway in October, preventing suspected criminals from carrying out their operations.

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it arrested more than 1,200 suspects and seized over 30 tonnes of illicit substances in Edo in 2025.

Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said this on Wednesday in Benin during a visit to the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II.

Marwa, who was accompanied by senior agency officials, including the NDLEA commandants in Edo and Delta, sought the traditional ruler’s support in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking.

He said more than 15 million Nigerians were abusing drugs, representing about three times the global average, with devastating consequences for young people, families and communities.

“The drug scourge has continued to devastate our youth, our families and our communities,” he said.

Marwa said the problem affected all communities, including the Benin Kingdom, and required a collective response involving traditional institutions, religious organisations, civil society groups, government and the media.

“But most importantly, the traditional institution, which is arguably the most respected institution in Nigeria today,” he said.

He explained that the NDLEA’s responsibilities included enforcing drug laws and providing counselling, treatment and rehabilitation for people struggling with drug dependence.

Marwa also highlighted alternative development as a new pillar of the agency’s drug control strategy, aimed at encouraging cannabis farmers to cultivate legal crops such as cassava, yam and maize.

He said cannabis accounted for 75 per cent of the 16 million kilogrammes of illicit substances seized by the agency nationwide in the past six years.

According to him, the initiative seeks to help farmers abandon illicit cultivation for legitimate livelihoods, with government support for infrastructure, including roads, schools, clinics and water supply.

Marwa said the programme had commenced as a pilot project in three communities in Ondo State, with the possibility of extending it to Edo.

He added that he had presented the proposal to the Edo governor, who welcomed the initiative.

The NDLEA chairman sought the Oba’s blessing and support in encouraging communities across the kingdom to shun drug abuse and trafficking.

Responding, Oba Ewuare II commended Marwa for his efforts against drug abuse and other social problems.

The traditional ruler said he had a suggestion for improving the agency’s operations and would communicate it privately to Marwa.

“I have a suggestion I will make in writing that I will not want to say here in public to NDLEA, as my own thinking on how to improve the work of NDLEA,” he said.

The Oba also acknowledged the importance of collective efforts in addressing societal challenges and wished Marwa and his delegation well.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed Dec. 8 for judgment in a N10 billion rights suit filed by former Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

It was reported that El-Rufai also  joined  ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, SAN, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) in the suit.

He alleged that they prevented him from having access to his wife, Mrs Aichatou Asabe; and son, Abba while in custody.

Justice Chigozie Onah fixed the date after the former govenor’s counsel, Ubong Akpan; the ICPC’s lawyer, Yetunde Mosunmola, and Maimuna Lami-Shiru, who appeared for the AGF, adopted their processes and presented their arguments for and against the case.

Earlier when the case was called, the judge ordered that the footage of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the ICPC’s office be played for 20 minutes each by parties to prove their arguments.

The commission, led by its lawyer, demonstrated some parts of the video clip in the open court.

Parts of the footage played include the incident of July 7 where Asabe, escorted by an officer, came to deliver food to the ex-governor at about 2:37pm, the incident involving Abba and the July 4 incident.

Mosunmola then urged the court to disregard El-Rufai’s claim.

On his part, Akpan, who asked that some parts of the footage of the CCTV earlier demonstrated be replayed, argued that neither Abba (El-Rufai’s son) nor Asabe had breached any security protocol from the video evidence to warrant their denial.

After the video recording was played, the parties adopted their processes.

Adopting his court documents, Akpan said their originating process was dated and filed on Aug. 13.

He said it was supported by an originating motion, an affidavit and an exhibit attached to the eight-paragraph affidavit with a written address.

The lawyer said four additional affidavits were filed in support of their arguments, urging the court to grant all their reliefs.

Akpan, who raised a sole question for determination, prayed the court to determine whether the respondents had been able to place any material fact before the court to prove their decision to bar El-Rufai’s wife access.

He argued that if there must be a denial of access to the detained ex-govenor, there must be justification which must be verifiable.

“I, therefore, submit that non of the materials before my lord shows a verifiability and justification,” he said.

He said for the purpose of the instant case, the denial of access of his relatives would constitute a breach of the law, including the Nelson Mandela Rules.

When the judge asked him if Mandela Rules are enforceable in Nigeria, Akpan responded that it is a standard in which all law enforcement agencies in the world operate.

Mosunmola, however, disagreed with Akpan’s submissions.

She said on behalf of the ICPC and its chairman, they filed three processes in opposing the suit.

She said a 27-paragraph counter affidavit with four exhibits and a written address were filed on Aug. 31.

The lawyer said a further counter affidavit was also filed on Sept. 28, among others.

Mosunmola said they relied on all the paragraphs of the counter affidavits, including the exhibits, in urging the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.

The lawyer, who stated that El-Rufai was in a lawful custody, submitted that access to him must be guided by security protocol within the facility.

She argued that it was glaring from the CCTV footage demonstrated in court that Asabe (El-Rufai’s wife) breached the security protocol on two occasions.

She maintained that Irrespective of how close a relative is to a person in custody, such person cannot be given an unrestricted access to the facility where there are rules that guide custodial access.

“Access is regulated by rules for security reasons my lord,” she added.

She said following Asabe’s alleged security breach, the anti-corruption commission reviewed its security setup.

Mosunmola, who asked if the measures adopted in restricting Asabe was really necessary, answered that the records showed that it was only Asabe that was not allowed access due to her conduct which had been demonstrated in the footage before the court.

She stated that Asabe was smuggled into the premises with the connivance of their officers on duty on July 4.

She said the officers were subjected to disciplinary action and one of them had been dismissed.

“My lord will see that the other wife and other members of his family were allowed in from the footage displayed,” she said.

Mosunmola, therefore, urged the court to hold that El-Rufai’s rights had not been unlawfully interfered with.

In her submission, Lami-Shiru, Director of Civil Litigation and Public Law, said the AGF, in his opposition to the suit, filed a seven-paragraph affidavit on Sept. 11.

She said they equally filed a written address and a reply on points of law, urging the court to dismiss the suit.

The director submitted that their argument was predicated on the facts that the ICPC and its chairman acted within the confines of the law and that El-Rufai’s wife actually breached the commission’s protocol.

After listening to the parties, Justice Onah adjourned the matter until Dec. 8 for judgment.

NAN reports that the detained governor had instituted the suit against the ICPC, its Chairman, Aliyu, and the AGF as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.

El-Rufai, in the originating motion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026 and filed by Akpan on Aug. 13, sought a N10 billion in damages for allegedly preventing him from having access to his wife, Asabe; and son, Abba, while in custody.

The former governor, who alleged that his wife and son were denied to see him, sought nine reliefs.

He prayed the court to declare that his fundamental human rights guaranteed under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution (as amended} remain inviolable and in force notwithstanding his detention by the commission and should be honoured.

Responding in a joint counter affidavit filed by the ICPC and its chairman but deposed to by John Uche, a Chief Anti-Corruption Assistant in the Internal Security Support Unit, they said that many paragraphs in El-Rufai’s affidavit in support of his suit, were false.

Uche averred that the applicant (El-Rufai) was in the lawful custody of the commission by order of the Federal High Court (FHC), Kaduna Judicial Division in charge number: FHC/KD/73C/2025.

He said on July 7, in compliance with the order of the Kaduna FHC, permitting access to El-Rufai’s personal physician, the commission facilitated a medical visit to his personal physician accompanied by their officers and his wife, Asabe.

He said shortly after the hospital visit, the ICPC received a report that the said medical visit was turned into a political meeting in breach of its security protocol demonstrating that the existing access control environment was vulnerable.

He said against this development, the commission adopted a temporary-access control measure temporarily restricting non-essential access to the ex-govenor because unrestricted access presented a continuing risk until the vulnerability was understood and adequately mitigated.

The officer said as this was happening on July 7, El-Rufai’s son, Abba, went to their office requesting to see his father and approached him (Uche) at his desk.

He said after he was prevented from gaining entry into the building, Abba lay in the gutter and repeatedly rubbed his leg against the edge of the gutter.

Uche said the commission has CCTV cameras installed at various strategic locations within and around its office premises for security and monitoring purposes, which also record activities and events occurring with their respective fields of view.

He said that the contents of the storage system, including the CCTV recordings, remained accurate and were not altered or tampered with during the material period.

Uche said that following a second security breach on July 7, the ICPC determined that its existing access arrangements were no longer adequate warranting an urgent review.

The officer said during the course of the review, the commission uncovered another security breach involving Asabe.

He said that Asabe was allegedly smuggled into the ICPC’s premises on July 4 at about 7:35pm after official visiting hours with the connivance of some officers of the commission, who are currently facing disciplinary action.

He said that based on Asabe’s repeated disregard for access control protocols, the commission determined that her continued access posed a specific security risk.

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A scrap dealer, Mohammed Shuaib, was on Wednesday docked in a Magistrates’ Court in Abeokuta for allegedly swindling a businessman of N400,000.

The police charged Shuaib, whose address was not provided with obtaining by false pretence and conduct likely to breach public peace.

The Prosecution Counsel, Insp Evelyn Motim, told the court that the defendant committed the offence between July and October at the Brewery Area, Lafenwa, Abeokuta.

Motim alleged that the defendant collected N400,000 from the complainant, Mr Mohammed Zubairu, with a promise to supply a cartful of scrap metals, but failed to do so.

She said the defendant converted the money to his personal use.

“All efforts made by the complainant to get the scrap metals or a refund, failed,” the prosecutor said.

According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 390(9) and 419 of the Criminal Code Vol. 1 Laws of Ogun 2006.

The ​‌‌‍​‍⁠⁠‍‌⁠‌‌​‍‌⁠‌​defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mrs O.O. Sam-Obaleye, adjourned the case until Nov. 17 for hearing of the facts following the defendant’s guilty plea.

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