General
NDLEA Arrests General Overseer With Cannabis for Crusade
By Adedapo Adesanya
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a preacher and General Overseer of Christ Living Hope Church, Rev. Ugochukwu Emmanuel, for carrying 54 sticks of drugs suspected to be cannabis.
In a statement released by NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, the suspect was nabbed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos while on his way to a crusade in Nairobi, Kenya.
Rev. Ugochukwu, who was arrested on Monday in an outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi via Addis Ababa, was said to have wrapped the drugs around his body.
“When tested, the 54 sticks proved positive to cannabis. The clergyman confessed during [a] preliminary interview that he packed that quantity of illicit substance on his body to use during his three weeks crusade in Kenya,” a part of the statement issued on Sunday said.
The preacher’s church headquarters is in Isuaniocha, Mgbakwu Road, Awka, Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State, with branches in Lagos and Abuja.
Similarly, another passenger, Mr Nnakeanyi Chukwuka King, was intercepted with 40 parcels of cocaine concealed in bottles of body cream weighing 9.70kg. They were recovered from him during a stop and search operation.
He was intercepted at the E-Arrival Hall of the MMIA and had boarded an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa.
This is as the agency intercepted one Miss Edo Blessing three days later at the Departure Hall of the airport with 2,090 tablets of Tramadol 225mg and Flunitrazepam. The suspect, who is from Edo State and had boarded an Ethiopian Airlines flight, claimed ownership of the recovered psychotropic substances.
“Also on the same day, operatives arrested a freight agent, Rafiu Abbas at the NAHCO Export Shed of the airport when he presented a cargo containing 19.15kg cannabis going to London. The illicit substance was concealed inside plastic containers labelled as African Dishes and packed in a bag,” the NDLEA added.
Also in Lagos, a 63-year-old man named Mr Vincent Obimma was arrested on Friday in the Apapa seaport corridor in Lagos with 350 grams of cocaine and 150grams of heroin. The drugs were hidden in industrial torch packets heading to Kano, Kano State.
In a related development, a Mr James Okenwa was arrested in a follow-up operation at Central Market, Kaduna. The suspect admitted ownership of 1,807 bottles of cough syrup with codeine that were earlier recovered from two suspects at the tollgate.
“At the point of his arrest, another 152 bottles of the drug were recovered from his vehicle. He has accepted ownership of all the 1,959 bottles of the codeine syrup,” the agency’s statement explained.
There were also seizures and arrests in Yobe and Anambra states. In the former, two fake security agents: Akalonu Justin and Azimbi Festus were arrested with 25 blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 12.5kg and 1, 598 bottles of Codeine Syrup weighing 159.8 Litres. They were coming from Onitsha and heading to Maiduguri in Borno State.
Another 85kg of cannabis was recovered from the warehouse of a notorious drug dealer in the Pawari area of Damaturu, the state capital on Thursday.
“In Anambra state, a total of 38,605 tablets of assorted opioids were recovered from a 29-year-old drug dealer, Awoke Friday at Nkwelle junction, Onitsha on Friday 11th March with the support of men of the Nigeria Police,” the statement read.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has pledged its commitment to provide the regulatory leadership, technical coordination, and stakeholder engagement required to successfully develop and implement a robust National Action Plan on maritime decarbonization in Nigeria.
The Director General of the agency, Mr Dayo Mobereola, made this known during the National Stakeholders’ workshop on the development of a National Maritime Decarbonization Action Plan, further describing the workshop as a critical step in actualising the Federal Government’s blue economy and climate objectives.
Represented by the Executive Director, Operations, Mr Fatai Taiye Adeyemi, the NIMASA DG underscored the significance of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, a technical cooperation initiative /designed to support developing countries in implementing the IMO GHG Strategy.
According to him, the National Action Plan being developed will reflect national realities, leverage existing capacities, address identified gaps, and align with broader economic and environmental priorities of the federal government.
Mr Mobereola stressed that “this transition is not merely about compliance with international obligations, it is about safeguarding our marine environment, protecting public health, strengthening the blue economy, and ensuring that our maritime industry remains competitive and future-ready”, the DG said.
Also speaking at the event was the Technical Manager of the IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project, Ms Astrid Dispert, who highlighted that the overarching objective of the initiative is to advance a coherent and globally aligned regulatory framework to accelerate maritime decarbonization.
She also emphasised that NIMASA plays a pivotal role in driving the project at the national level.
The IMO GreenVoyage2050 Project provides technical expertise and institutional support to assist countries in developing and implementing National Action Plans that promote sustainable shipping practices, encourage investment in clean technologies, and strengthen capacity for long-term emissions reduction.
Through this collaboration, the federal government is advancing deliberate steps towards maritime decarbonization, reinforcing its commitment to global climate goals and ensuring a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for the sector.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to comply with its digital submission process effective March 1.
The directive was contained in a circular signed by the Director-General of the Bureau, Mr Adebowale Adedokun, noting that the move was part of the bureau’s commitment to digital transformation and paperless governance.
It explained that the transition followed an earlier circular of Aug. 4, 2025, which introduced electronic submission procedures.
According to the bureau, it has successfully moved from physical filings to a dedicated e-mail service for document submissions and is now advancing to a more robust and integrated system.
The circular announced the inauguration of the BPP Digital Submission Portal, a web-based platform designed to enable MDAs submit procurement-related documents directly to the Bureau.
It stated that the automated platform would streamline the submission process, enhance transparency and ensure accelerated tracking of procurement-related documents and petitions.
“With effect from March 1, all MDAs will be required to use the portal to submit requests for ‘No Objection’ Certificates, approvals for ‘No Objection’ for special procurements, clarifications and status updates on submissions,” the bureau said.
It added that the portal would be hosted on the Bureau’s official website and would become fully operational from the effective date.
The bureau warned that physical submissions or manual hand-deliveries would no longer be prioritised and would eventually be rejected following the full transition to the digital platform.
It urged accounting officers to brief their procurement departments and ICT units on the development to ensure seamless processing of procurement activities from March 1.
It further advised MDAs to contact the Bureau via its official email for information on the onboarding process and integration into the portal.
The bureau emphasised that full compliance by all MDAs was required to ensure a smooth transition and avoid delays in the implementation of the 2026 fiscal year procurement processes.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, from office.
The Senate Committee on Finance, while passing a resolution in Abuja on Thursday, accused Mr Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), of failing to honour the Senate’s invitations to account for the finances of his agency.
“He refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee.
“We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.
“Each time we invite him, he gives us excuses,” the Chairman of the committee, Mr Sani Musa, said as the committee passed the resolution.
CAC was part of a group of agencies that the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended zero allocation for the year 2026, for allegedly failing to account for public funds appropriated to them.
The committee, at an investigative hearing held two weeks ago, accused CAC and some other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of shunning invitations to respond to audit queries contained in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s annual reports for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The PAC chairman, Mr Bamidele Salam, stated that the National Assembly should not continue to appropriate public funds to institutions that disregard accountability mechanisms, saying this will create fiscal discipline and strengthen transparency across federal institutions and conform with extant financial regulations and the oversight powers of the parliament.
“Public funds are held in trust for the Nigerian people. Any agency that fails to account for previous allocations, refuses to submit audited accounts, or ignores legislative summons cannot, in good conscience, expect fresh budgetary provisions. Accountability is not optional; it is a constitutional obligation,” he said.
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