A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has found eleven Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya guilty of importing 31.5 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria through the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested the crew members and impounded the vessel after the discovery of the illicit drug on board barely six months before the conviction, it was reported.

The sailors and the vessel were also fined and ordered to pay $6m restitution to the Federal Government.

NDLEA operatives discovered 31.5kg of cocaine in hatch 3 of the merchant vessel at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on January 2, 2026.

The consignment was said to have been brought into Nigeria by a vessel known as MV Aruna Hulya from the Marshall Islands.

After the seizure, the agency took the vessel and its Indian crew members into custody.

Those arrested included Master of the vessel Sharma Shashi Bhushan and 10 crew members, Bharati Manoj Kumar, Nevage Sandesh Suresh, Pandey Prashant, Nuttu Anand, Akash Babu, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, Melethil Insaf Rahman, Barla Chantanya Krishna, Prabhasukhan Singu and Jai Parkash.

They were subsequently arraigned on a two-count charge before Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos in suit number FHC/L/56C/2026.

On Thursday, June 11, 2026, after months of proceedings, the trial judge gave his decision on the plea bargain terms filed by the prosecution and the defence.

The court found all the 12 defendants guilty under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act and sentenced each of them to pay the sum of ₦100,000 which is the prescribed penalty for the offence under the law.

In addition to the fines, the court also ordered the first defendant, the vessel, to pay restitution to the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the sum of $5.3 million or its equivalent in Naira.

The second, third and fourth defendants, who were the vessel’s three key officers, were also ordered to pay $100,000 each in restitution to the Federal Government.

They are Shashi Bhushan Sharma, Mukuno Bhalerad Nilesh and Rahman Melethil Insaf.

The remaining crew members, in the fifth to 12th defendants’ list, were each ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution.

Reacting to the judgement, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the conviction sent a strong warning to international drug trafficking syndicates.

Marwa in a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said the judgement was a reflection of Nigeria’s intolerance for the use of its ports or waters for narcotics trafficking.

The vessel and its crew members were convicted and “sent a resounding message to every drug trafficking network in the world that Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance,” he said.

The case, he said, was another sign of the agency’s growing success in tracking and prosecuting drug traffickers at the nation’s entry points.

“This is the third such judgment recently, the convictions of foreign nationals and vessels on similar charges. “These are not coincidences, these are the direct result of deliberate, intelligence-led operations by our officers who remain vigilant at every port of entry,” said Marwa.

He warned the agency would continue to go after drug traffickers no matter their nationality or the route by which illicit substances were moved into the country.

The NDLEA will not relent, he said. “Whatever means you use to come by air, land or sea; whether you are a Nigerian or a foreigner, if you attempt to use our waters as a narcotics highway, you will be met with the full weight of Nigerian law. Our courts have spoken and we shall give them cause to speak again.” “We are winning the war against drug trafficking and that’s how we want to keep it.”

Marwa praised the officers of the Apapa Strategic Command of the agency for their alertness in discovering the cocaine consignment, which he said was hidden deep in the cargo of a large commodity vessel.

He also commended the Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services of the agency for their diligence in handling the case and securing the conviction.

The NDLEA chairman said the agency would continue to intensify intelligence-led operations at seaports, airports and land borders to prevent Nigeria from becoming a route for illicit drug trafficking.

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Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke has lamented that Nigeria has become so desolate that bandits and kidnappers now collect taxes.

“The fault is of the political class for the country’s predicament. It is time the common man took reins of power,” he said.

Duke spoke in Abuja during the presentation of Certificates of Return and party flags to the PRP candidates for the 2027 elections.

“Our land has become so desolate that bandits, gangsters and kidnappers collect taxes while the government collects excuses,” he said. A report by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics indicated that a total of about ₦2tn was paid as ransom to kidnappers in 2025 alone, an amount that is equivalent to about 10 per cent of the entire federal budget.

All this because our leaders have failed to do the right thing, when it was the right thing and for whom it was the right thing. At the end of the day, the best politics is and always will be doing the right thing, not the expedient thing. And he who does not know what is right has no right to lead others.”

He promised to build a nation where “farmers can come home safely from the fields and where every child has a desk and chair in a decent learning environment.”

Duke, who said the mission of the PRP is to empower ordinary Nigerians and not political elites, explained that the elite has had their turn in leadership.

“The scavengers have had their day. The common man, the true Nigerian, market woman, farmer and unemployed graduate are next. And I, Donald Duke, want to champion them.

“This will be a hard and bitter fight, because they will fight back. But we are tougher, we are more resilient, and our cause is just and righteous. “We stood together to win our independence from an empire, together we can redeem Nigeria from these scavengers,” he said

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Three people have been arrested by UK police over the death of British-Nigerian singer Mark Orabiyi who was stabbed in a garden at Rayleigh Road.

The incident took place on Friday, according to the Metropolitan Police Service Metropolitan Police Service, it was reported.

Officers and paramedics rushed to the scene after reports of a stabbing and found the 35-year-old singer with serious stab wounds.

Medical attention confirmed death at scene.

Police said a second man, 20, was taken to hospital with multiple stab wounds.

His injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening.

Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke, who is leading the Met’s investigation said they have arrested three suspects over the incident which consists of two men and one woman.

One of the suspects, a 27-year-old man has been released on bail awaiting further investigations.

They were questioned and released without further action. A 24-year-old man and 25-year-old woman were later questioned.

Authorities said the investigation is still continuing and officers are trying to find out what caused the attack.

Police have appealed for anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward with information.

They also want CCTV or mobile phone footage that might help the case.

The late singer was remembered by family members as a loving relative and friend who brought joy to those around him.

His loss was deeply felt in the family and we will remember his character and talent, they said.

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The Zamfara State Police Command has stepped up its fight against public disturbance and reckless riding of motorcycles with the arrest of 21 suspects and recovery of 20 motorcycles in a joint operation in Gusau Local Government Area.

The operation was launched following persistent complaints by residents of Birnin Ruwa, Tullukawa and Yar Gada communities on the activities of youths popularly known as “Arlet Boys” who were accused of carrying out dangerous motorcycle stunts and other disruptive acts that threatened public peace and safety.

The Command said the raids were carried out on June 7, 2026 about 7.30p.m on identified criminal hideouts and black spots in the affected communities. Police operatives arrested 21 suspects and also recovered 20 motorcycles believed to have been used in the alleged disturbances.

Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the development and told journalists during a press briefing that the suspects were undergoing screening and investigation.

“The operation will continue to rid the affected communities of criminal elements and ensure safety of lives and property,” he said.

Abubakar further said that anyone found culpable after the investigation would be prosecuted according to the law.

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The Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Delta State, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has cautioned Nigerians against mounting pressure on the police and other security agencies to pardon or release suspected criminals.

Such interventions were shameful and could undermine the fight against crime in the country, said Adejobi, a former Nigeria Police Force spokesperson.

He said this in a post on his official 𝕏 handle on Monday adding that whoever asks for a criminal to escape justice should also be considered criminal.

Adejobi said he would not entertain appeals from persons seeking the release or pardon of persons accused of crime.

He said his stand on crime and criminality was firm and that any attempt to influence security agencies in favour of suspected criminals would not work.

“I always maintain my principles and position on fighting crime and criminality. Don’t waste your time writing to me begging for a criminal. “It’s a disgrace and it’s not going to end well,” he wrote.

The senior police officer also warned that those who pressure law enforcement agencies to turn a blind eye to criminal acts were part of the problem.

Also, anyone begging and putting pressure on the police and security agencies to release or pardon a criminal or to overlook a crime is also a criminal,” he added.

He also urged the country’s security architecture and the citizenry to remain resolute in the fight against crimes and social vices.

He says criminality can be combatted with firmness from law enforcement agencies and members of the public.

“No ifs, ands, or buts. We need to stand firm, be resolute to curbing crimes and vices in our society, collectively,” he said.

Adejobi insisted that no one should be above the law, and alleged criminals should be left to face the law without interference.

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The Oyo State Police Command has accused a personal assistant to a member of the family of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, of conspiracy with the abductors of the sister of the ex-minister and her twin sons.

This was contained in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, during an interview with Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday.

The victims, Mrs Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul, were seized on June 3 along Elewura, Ring Road, Ibadan, while she was taking them to school.

In a coordinated police operation, they were later rescued and two suspected kidnappers were killed while some accomplices were arrested.

Ayanlade said the rescue operation was carried out on the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and was coordinated by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police in collaboration with operatives of the Force Intelligence Department’s Intelligence Response Team.

He said one of the suspects popularly known as Ololu, had been on the command’s watch list before his arrest.

One of the perpetrators popularly known as Ololu by name has been on the command watch list. Operatives continued to follow him until he was arrested Thursday.

He said another suspect, identified as Dare, popularly called Solution, was arrested in Ibadan following Ololu’s arrest and interrogation.

‘Personal Assistant’s Insider Knowledge’
In May, one of the suspects allegedly approached a personal assistant associated with the family for information about the plot to kidnap them, the police spokesman said.

He mentioned the aide, Shehu.

“One of those picked was the one that was with the family who happened to be a personal assistant by name Shehu,” Ayanlade said.

“Daddy approached him first to give them inside information of how the family lives, their lifestyle, their routine and all of that.

The suspects had profiled the victims’ movements and had originally planned to abduct the mother of the family, he said.

The kidnappers later changed their plan after they found out that a driver usually took the children to school, Ayanlade said.

Eventually the gang hit on the day Mrs John-Paul drove the children herself, he said.

“Our first plan was to abduct the mother,” Ayanlade told the BBC. But they realized it was the driver who normally takes them to school and changed their mind to go for the kids.

Too bad for them. That day it was the mother who took them to school, and they got to work.

The police spokesman said the victims were traced to a hideout at Ayegbule, Ibadan on June 6 around 7.30pm.

“One of the gang members, who was identified as Kelechi, allegedly travelled from Lagos to participate in the operation and opened fire on police operatives.”

“The operatives returned fire and neutralised him and another suspect who was providing cover fire,’’ Ayanlade said.

“They opened fire on the operatives. Then the operatives professionally and with tactical precision neutralised him and the second who was also there to give a covering fire for him,” he said.

“They recovered weapons and rescued the victims unscathed,” he said.

Asked whether the kidnapping was politically motivated or for ransom, Ayanlade said: “The investigation is still on-going.

Police would not prejudge the outcome of the investigation, he said.

“I don’t want to get ahead of the investigation,” he said. The investigation is ongoing. The suspects have been taken into custody by police. They are under investigation.

“We still tracking the rest of them that got away. “We knew that four of them were in the vehicle on the day this incident happened. “But these were six in number who did this.”

The police spokesman said the command would get to the root of the matter and arrest all those involved in the abduction

“Whoever is sponsoring them, whoever is responsible, whatever connections they have, whoever is involved in this, they all will be arrested and they will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.

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Gunmen have reportedly kidnapped the sister of the immediate past Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu and her two sons.

The former minister’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, disclosed this in a statement.

Adelabu was said to be an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for the 2027 governorship race.

The statement noted that Adelabu’s sister, Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, along with her twin sons, Peter and Paul, were abducted in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

The tragic incident happened as John-Paul was on her way to drop her children at school.

“The family of Chief Adebayo Adelabu, former Minister of Power and leading gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress APC) in Oyo State wishes to formally confirm the unfortunate kidnapping of his younger sister, Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her twin sons, Peter and Paul, in the early hours of Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

Mrs. John-Paul, 43, was allegedly abducted by some gunmen at about 7:30 a.m. while on her way to take her children to school in Ibadan. The abductors also took her 12-year-old twin sons who were with her during the incident.

Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul is the youngest of the five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu. She had served meritoriously at Central Bank of Nigeria and First Bank Pension Custodian until her voluntary retirement last year. On retirement, she relocated to Ibadan with her children, making arrangements to join her husband, Mr. John Paul, who relocated to the United States of America before her.

“As soon as the incident was reported, all relevant security and law enforcement agencies were duly contacted. We are pleased to confirm that security operatives have swung into action and preliminary investigations have begun in earnest. Efforts are underway to safely rescue the victims and arrest those responsible for this heinous crime.

“Chief Adebayo Adelabu and the entire family are very distressed by this tragic development but remain hopeful and confident in the capacity of the security agencies to secure the safe release of Mrs. John-Paul and her children.

“The family respectfully asks everyone to stay calm, not to speculate and not to circulate unconfirmed information that could compromise ongoing security operations. We also appeal to well-meaning Nigerians for prayers and support during this difficult period.

“We also call on members of the public who may have relevant information that could assist security agencies in their investigation to report such information through the appropriate channels without delay.

The family will continue to work closely with the security authorities and will issue further updates as events unfold.

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National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives have intercepted 4,173.5 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a high potency strain of cannabis, at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

The agency was quoted to have said that the illegal consignment had an estimated street value of N10.43 billion.

This was disclosed in a statement Wednesday by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

The agency said the seizure came after intelligence gathering, surveillance and tracking of the container from Toronto, Canada.

The container, which left Toronto on March 28, was transferred by rail to Montreal and placed on a vessel, Jakarta Express Voyage.

It arrived at the port of Tanger Med in Morocco on April 15, where it was discharged and reloaded on another vessel, Osaka Voyage before arriving at the port of Lagos on May 9, 2026.

The consignment was seized on Tuesday, May 12 during a joint examination by operatives of NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, the agency said.

Drugs Hidden In Cars
The agency said the consignments were concealed inside two vehicles, a used Ford bus and a Mercedes-Benz C300, hidden inside the shipping container.

The Director of Seaports Operations, NDLEA, ACG Ibinabo Archie-Abia, said the operation demonstrated the importance of inter-agency and international collaboration.

She said the “achievement once again demonstrates the effectiveness of inter-agency cooperation, international collaboration and intelligence driven operations in combating transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.”

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the Tin Can Command and the Marine Intelligence Unit for their alertness and professionalism.

He said the volume of recent seizures indicated a coordinated effort by international drug syndicates to flood the Nigerian market with synthetic strains of cannabis.

“This second massive seizure in less than a week is a clear message to the international syndicates who think they can use our ports as entry points for their soul-destroying trade, that the synergy between NDLEA and Customs Service, as well as other security agencies and our international partners like the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, the UK-HOIO and the US DEA is yielding fantastic results,” Marwa said.

“We will not stop until all the links in this supply chain are severed and those responsible for these shipments are brought to justice.”

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The violent attack by suspected cultists left two people dead including the father of a bride and a hypeman identified simply as Victor, which has thrown residents of Ikotun in Lagos State into a state of panic.

The attackers, according to reports, had entered a post-wedding party and opened fire at will, forcing the guests to scatter for safety, throwing the community into confusion as the incident unfolded.

The attack, it was gathered, happened on Saturday on Oviawe Street, off Governor’s Road, shortly after a wedding ceremony and as guests gathered for an after-party.

Witnesses said the hypeman, Victor, was performing for the crowd when the gunmen entered the venue and opened fire indiscriminately.

“They were having an after-party after the wedding ceremony at an event centre on Governor’s Road,” said a resident who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The gunmen stormed in on them during the celebrations and began to shoot.

This started a panic and everybody ran for their lives. They went directly to Victor, seized him and dragged him into the street, where they began to attack him with lethal weapons.

Another local said the father of the bride had been shot while trying to stop the attack.

“When the gunmen were beating Victor, the bride’s father rushed in to plead for him. “Both of them were shot during the process and they both died on the spot,” the source said.

The incident left residents and business owners in the neighbourhood scrambling to shut their doors and get to safety.

“Sources from the community are suggesting that it may not be directly related to the wedding ceremony but connected to the ongoing cult-related clashes in the area,” the source said.

“This area has been the scene of cult-related violence for some time now. Another resident said the attackers may have been targeting a target or rival group, but innocent people were victims.

A neighbour, who gave his name as Steve, said Victor was a familiar face around the community.

“I was inside when my wife told me about what happened. When I came out they told me that Victor was in it. I later realised he was someone I usually see around the street. ‘He’s small for his age,’ he said.

The bride’s father and the attackers were not identified at the time of this report.

The Lagos State Police Command, in a statement, said the matter was under investigation and would be handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti.

“It is under investigation, it will be sent to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, today without fail,” she said.

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Senator Ireti Kingibe from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has spoken out against the high level of insecurity in Nigeria.
The lawmaker said during an interview on Arise Television’s “Prime Time” on Monday that food insecurity is at its worst ever.

She also said that she was happy to see opposition groups working together for the good of the country rather than for their own gain.

“Everyone wants a better life at the end of the day. Insecurity has never been this bad, food insecurity is at its worst ever, taxes are going up, and more are coming.”

“Everything, including electricity and safety, has never been this bad. Food insecurity is at its highest level ever. Taxes that are impossible to pay and keep coming.

“So, let’s talk about phone calls. You have to call someone at least five times before you can actually talk to them. The whole country is falling apart.

“So it’s not just a matter of whether we want to take power or not.” She said, “The truth is that everyone is tired and worn out from just living.”

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