Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.80kg of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The suspect was arrested on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, the operatives recovered 16 parcels of white powder concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.

A further 195 wraps of the substance were found hidden in the railings of four travelling bags. The substances tested positive for cocaine and weighed a combined 4.80kg.

During interrogation, Tunde reportedly told investigators that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the bags was intended for delivery to his partner in Italy.

He reportedly said he raised the money from compensation he received following an injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives also intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne ports, with the seized substances having a combined street value of more than N5 billion.

At the Apapa port, operatives acting on intelligence subjected two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 per cent examination alongside Customs officials and other stakeholders.

A search of one of the containers on Saturday led to the recovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 124kg and valued at N372 million. The drugs were concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.

At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers placed on the NDLEA watchlist were jointly examined with Customs and other security agencies.

Operatives recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg from a travelling bag and three of five vehicles — a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra — shipped in one of the containers.

The second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. According to the NDLEA, the container originated from India and was routed through Saudi Arabia, where its history of origin was allegedly deleted to avoid detection.

The agency said the Loud and codeine consignments recovered at the Onne Port had a combined street value of N833.2 million.

At the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, September 29, conducted a joint examination of a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada.

The operation led to the recovery of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg. The drugs were concealed in a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags in the container. The consignment was valued at more than N3.8 billion.

In Osun State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 20,234kg of skunk from 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area, on Wednesday, September 30.

In Plateau State, a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, was arrested on Tuesday, September 29, at the West of Mines area of Jos North following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.

In Lagos, operatives on Monday, September 28, raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, where they recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.

A follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market on Wednesday, September 30, also led to the arrest of 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo after the seizure of 61g of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24g of methamphetamine.

The drugs were concealed in a bottle of energy drink and sent as a waybill package from a commercial bus driver along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway the previous day.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja Highway on Wednesday, September 30, intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commercial bus and recovered two sachets containing methamphetamine weighing 1kg.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuemeka Uzoma, at Utako, Abuja.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives raided the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, on Friday, October 2, recovering 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.

The same day, operatives arrested 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59g of Loud, 12g of Colorado, 19g of tramadol, 16g of methamphetamine, 4g of Swinol and 4g of Molly.

The agency also announced the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, a fugitive who allegedly jumped bail six years ago.

Kurra was arrested on Tuesday, September 29. He was facing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, over alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.

The NDLEA said he had been on the run since December 2020 after allegedly jumping bail granted by the court.

The agency also continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across the country, with officials visiting schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.

The campaigns were held at institutions including St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oji, Enugu; Olu-Odo Primary School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Tsamiya, Kano; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti; and Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi State.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and men of the affected commands for what he described as intelligence-driven operations.

He urged them and other personnel across the country to sustain efforts against drug trafficking networks while maintaining the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.

Ogun State has taken its investment pitch to the global stage, wooing international investors and development partners with its expanding industrial base, strategic infrastructure, agricultural potential and business-friendly reforms at a high-level side event on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States.

Representing the State at the engagement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Partners Coordination, Dr. Bayo Adenekan, said Ogun was strategically positioned to attract increased domestic and international investment, citing its growing industrial clusters, infrastructure development, agricultural opportunities and economic reforms under the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Adenekan said the State was seeking stronger partnerships to unlock opportunities in agriculture, infrastructure, innovation, climate and green financing, youth empowerment and artificial intelligence, among other priority sectors.

He said Ogun’s participation at UNGA provided an opportunity to showcase the State’s economic potential to a global audience while strengthening relationships with international investors, development institutions and strategic partners.

According to him, sustained collaboration between government, investors and development institutions remained essential to unlocking Ogun’s economic potential, addressing emerging development challenges and creating opportunities for businesses, young people and communities.

Adenekan also highlighted the importance of innovative financing mechanisms, particularly climate and green financing, in supporting infrastructure development and building a more resilient and sustainable economy.

The engagement, which focused on innovative financing mechanisms for climate action and the acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Global South, also highlighted Nigeria’s growing commitment to climate governance, climate financing and sustainable development.

Adenekan said Ogun’s investment proposition was strengthened by the development vision of the Dapo Abiodun administration, anchored on the ISEYA pillars, as well as the State’s expanding infrastructure and industrial ecosystem.

He noted that the State’s engagement at the UNGA was part of its broader effort to attract strategic investments, deepen development partnerships and position Ogun as a destination for sustainable investment, innovation and industrial development.

As part of the engagement, Adenekan presented a copy of the Prince Dapo Abiodun administration’s achievements brochure to Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim.

Ibrahim, according to Adenekan, promised to make the publication available as a reference document at the United Nations, Nigeria Office and the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN, as well as a guide to investment opportunities in Ogun State.

Also speaking at the event, the Secretary of the UNGA High-Level Global Executive Roundtable and Director-General, Civil Society Organisations on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative (CSCHEI), Chief Kunle Yusuff, highlighted Nigeria’s evolving climate-governance framework and efforts to mobilise climate financing.

Yusuff cited the strategic revitalisation of the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW), noting its relevance to tackling desertification, improving carbon sequestration, strengthening climate adaptation and enhancing livelihood resilience in vulnerable communities.

He said the initiatives aligned with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Paris Agreement and the country’s obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

According to him, strengthening Nigeria’s climate-financing architecture could help attract green bonds, carbon-credit investments and climate-adaptation financing.

The engagement brought together prominent Nigerian business, diplomatic and public-sector leaders, including Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim; former Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru; Group Managing Director, Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Mr. Abdulrahman Yinusa; Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy, Hon. Titilayo Oshodi; and Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, among other stakeholders.

The Ogun delegation used the engagement to further position the State’s investment opportunities within the broader global conversation on sustainable development, climate finance, innovation and inclusive economic growth.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Zamfara State, Hadiza Liman has defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, with her supporters from 14 local government areas of the state.

Liman announced her defection on Friday while addressing journalists at her residence in Gusau.

She attributed her decision to what she described as neglect by Governor Dauda Lawal, saying she and her supporters had supported him during his emergence as governor in 2023.

“Since we followed Governor Dauda Lawal from the PDP to the APC, Governor Dauda Lawal has failed to take care of us,” she said.

Liman expressed support for the NDC governorship candidate, Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for Ibadan North-East State Constituency 2 in the 2027 general elections, Hammed Ademola, and an Accord aspirant for the same constituency, Adedapo Ojo, have defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, alongside more than 3,000 supporters.

Ademola, popularly known as Lucky, said his decision to leave the PDP was influenced by his assessment of the political situation in the state ahead of the 2027 elections.

“I did my due diligence and realised that any ticket outside the APC is a mere tissue paper that cannot take a candidate anywhere in 2027.

“We are here in our hundreds to formally join the APC, and we promise to do our best in the interest of the progressive party and our dear country, Nigeria,” Ademola said.

Ojo, who was seeking the Accord ticket in the same constituency, also announced his decision to join the APC, describing his previous political efforts with Accord as unproductive.

“We thought about making Accord a credible alternative in the state, but we later realised that the APC was far ahead of other parties.

“We wasted our time, energy and resources on an unproductive exercise. We later realised it wasn’t worth it, so we decided to pitch our tent with the progressive party,” Ojo said.

The defectors were received by the Oyo State Chairman of the APC, Chief Moses Alake-Adeyemo, who assured them that they would have equal opportunities within the party.

He also urged the new members to work towards strengthening the party and securing victory in the 2027 general elections.

The APC governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, also welcomed the new members and promised that his administration would be inclusive if elected in 2027.

“It is a thing of joy that reasonable individuals are abandoning their parties to join the APC at a time like this.

“The hope is getting brighter every day, and it is now important for us to prepare because Oyo State deserves the best from May 2027,” Alli said.

The event was attended by the APC deputy governorship candidate, Adesoji Adedeji, the party’s Oyo South Senatorial candidate, Aderemi Oseni and other party leaders.

Amid ongoing row over the legitimate version of the Nigerian Law Society, NLS, the Office of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, has written to recognize Ambassador Dahiru Aliyu and Dr Tonye Clinton Jaja, as the President and Executive Director, respectively, of the organisation.

Currently, there are two versions of the Nigerian Law Society in the country – one led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief JK Gadzama, and the other led by Aliyu and Jaja.

However, the Office of the IGP, in a letter dated 10th March 2026, with reference number: CB:5180/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.43/41, signed by Commissioner of Police Lateef Adio Ahmed, Principal Staff Officer to the IGP, acknowledged Aliyu and Jaja as the executives of the NLS.

The letter from the Office of the IGP was a response to an earlier letter signed by Aliyu and Jaja, and addressed to the IGP.

The said letter from the Office of the IGP is addressed to the President of the NLS, with office address at No. 4 Sefadu Close off Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nigeria.

Reacting to the development while commenting on the legitimacy row surrounding the NLS, on Friday, Jaja noted that the “address is the office address and National Headquarters of the legitimate and registered Nigerian Law Society (NLS) which received its certificate of registration dated 30th December 2025 from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN)”.

Jaja, while making clarifications on the dispute over the origins of the NLS, refuted reports that Gadzama is the founder of the organisation and is being impersonated by a parallel leadership.

He noted that the NLS led by Aliyu and himself is not part of an ongoing lawsuit between the Gadzama-led NLS and the CAC and NBA.

“The truth is that JK Gadzama and his associates are currently engaged in a lawsuit at the Court of Appeal Abuja Division against the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

“JK Gadzama and his associates have not yet received any certificate of incorporation, therefore how can they claim that anyone is impersonating an organisation for which they had at no time in recent times received certificate of incorporation?

“The reason for the ongoing lawsuit at the Court of Appeal is that JK Gadzama and his associates are seeking an Order of the Court of Appeal to compel the CAC to register them as an Association of lawyers and alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

“Both the NBA and the CAC are opposed to registration of any parallel Bar Association for lawyers in Nigeria. Their reasoning is that the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962 recognises only the NBA.

“We, the registered organisation registered by the CAC and SMEDAN as the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) are 100% in agreement with the logic and reasoning of both the NBA and the CAC,” Jaja clarified.

Explaining further, he said, “We, as the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) are an association of non-litigation Nigerian lawyers unlike the lawyers under the NBA who are legal practitioners as recognised under the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962.

“The distinction is that the lawyers who are members of the NBA having passed the Bar examinations are qualified as litigation lawyers permitted to be called to the Bar with the right to make appearances in all courts of law within Nigeria in accordance with the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962.

“In contrast, the members of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) are lawyers who have completed the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and some of them have not received additional qualification by attendance at the Nigerian Law School and called to Bar in accordance with the Legal Practitioners Act, 1962.”

According to him, the lawyers who are members of the NLS are LLB degree graduates, and even those who have been called to the Bar, who have made the conscious decision to specialise in fields of law that do not require courtroom litigation.

He listed non-litigation areas of law which members of the NLS are engaged in to include legislative drafting, law lecturing and legal research, arbitration, mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR, practice, company secretarial services and law revision and reforms, among others.

The Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, has expressed worry over the glaringly deplorable state of public schools in the state

Drawing the attention of the Cross River State Government to the situation, the NUJ Cross River State Council, led by Comrade Archibong Bassey, said that many roads in the Calabar metropolis were deplorable and a death trap.

These observations were raised during their congress held yesterday at the Ernest Etim NUJ Secretariat in Calabar.

In their nine-point communique signed by Comrades Essien Ita and Aniekan Aniekan, chairman and secretary respectively, they called on the relevant agencies responsible for the education sector to urgently address the situation.

They called for a state of emergency to be declared in the education sector in the state so that it can be brought up to modern educational standards.

“The Congress expressed concern over the deplorable condition of some public schools and roads across the state.”

The National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has announced Wednesday, November 4, 2026, as the official start date for the 2026 Batch ‘C’ Stream II Orientation Course.

A statement issued by Caroline Embu, Director of Information and Public Relations, indicated that the exercise would be held across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

According to the statement, the enrolment of Corps Members will take place from Wednesday, November 4, through midnight on Friday, November 6, with the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026.

The NYSC further announced that the closing ceremony will be held on Tuesday, November 24, 2026.

The Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, has stopped Jonathan Akuns from presenting himself as the governorship candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election.

Justice S.T. Ishaya issued the order on September 28 after considering an ex parte application filed by Alfred Dapal, a governorship aspirant challenging the party’s nomination process.

The case, marked FHC/J/CS/87/2026, has Mr Akuns as the first defendant, the NDC as the second defendant and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the third defendant.

The judge ordered Mr Akuns not to announce, publish or otherwise present himself as the NDC governorship candidate until the court hears and determines the case.

Mr Dapal told the court that he was the candidate produced by the NDC during its governorship nomination exercise held on September 15 at the party’s secretariat in Dogon Karfe, Jos North Local Government Area.

He is asking the court to stop the NDC, its officials and agents from replacing, withdrawing or removing him as the party’s candidate until the case is decided.

He also wants the court to stop the NDC from submitting Mr Akuns’ name to INEC as its governorship candidate in his place.

Mr Dapal further asked the court to prevent INEC from accepting, recognising, publishing or acting on Mr Akuns’ name as the NDC candidate for Plateau State.

Another request seeks an order directing all parties to maintain the position that existed after the September 15 nomination exercise until the case is finally determined.

The plaintiff also asked for an accelerated hearing because of the statutory deadlines for pre-election cases.

Justice Ishaya ruled that the application had succeeded in part and adjourned the case until October 5 for hearing.

The order was signed by the judge and issued under the seal of the Federal High Court by the Registrar, Chioma A. Eze.

The order does not amount to a final decision on who should hold the NDC governorship ticket in Plateau State. The court will still consider the competing claims arising from the party’s nomination process.