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NDLEA arrests 67-year-old woman with cocaine in fake plantain at Lagos airport
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA arrested Mrs. Mary Barek, a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine was concealed in fake plantain peels within her luggage as she tried to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London on June 28. Mrs. Barek, a caregiver in the UK, admitted ownership of the drugs. In a separate incident, the NDLEA arrested Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a 45-year-old PhD student, in Anambra State on June 29, as the alleged leader of a drug trafficking syndicate. This followed the interception of 5.80 kilograms of cocaine hidden in cartons of Orijin Bitters destined for Malaysia. Four other suspects were initially arrested in Lagos in connection with this case. Additionally, NDLEA operatives made several other arrests across different states: Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke was arrested in Taraba State on July 4 with 43,980 capsules of Tramadol; Boniface Agu and Monday Nwaeze were arrested in Kaduna State on July 2 with 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine; Francis Ifara Eja was arrested in Ebonyi State on July 4 with 231.7 kilograms of skunk; Alhaji Babani was apprehended in Plateau State on July 3 with 15 kilograms of skunk; and Dahiru Mohammed and Isiya Lawan were arrested in Gombe State on July 1 with 556 kilograms of cannabis sativa. The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse campaign through sensitisation programs nationwide. The Cha
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Nigeria is reviewing its basic education program, with the Federal Government announcing plans to replace the 6-3-3-4 system with a 12-year basic education model. This new proposal, which will be presented to the National Council on Education, aims to create a more structured and continuous learning experience by removing the external examination requirement between junior and senior secondary school. According to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, the current 6-3-3-4 policy has worsened access to education, leading to a significant number of dropouts. He noted that out of approximately 24 million children enrolled in primary schools, only about four million complete senior secondary school, with 20 million dropouts between primary and junior secondary levels. Alausa also highlighted the issue of learning poverty, stating that about three out of four children at the basic education level cannot read and understand an age-appropriate text by age 10, a figure supported by a 2024 World Bank assessment. The minister suggests that transforming teaching and learning through digital technology is part of the solution. For the new policy to succeed, significant investment in infrastructure, digital technology, teacher retraining, and improved budgetary allocation to the education sector are deemed crucial.
Must ReadThe Nigerian Senate is set to address the N1.3 billion allocation to the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council in the 2026 Appropriation Act when it resumes plenary. This follows revelations that a forged appointment letter, bearing a falsified signature of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, was accepted at the Civil Service Headquarters, granting Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew an office and legitimacy for the controversial agency for over a year. Sources indicate that bureaucratic safeguards failed at multiple points, allowing the N1.3 billion allocation to be approved without the council's officials defending the budget before the Senate Committee. The fraud was reportedly detected by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, leading to the Chief of Staff alerting the DSS. Adeyemi was arrested and arraigned, but the prosecution reportedly lost momentum. Civil society organizations and opposition parties, including SERAP, HEDA, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a PDP faction, CDHR, and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, have demanded investigations, transparency, and accountability, with some calling for Gbajabiamila to step down. Senior lawyers, however, have dismissed calls to charge Gbajabiamila, citing a lack of concrete evidence, while questioning why only Adeyemi has been formally charged when many others appear to be involved. Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 27, 2026.
As the July 11, 2026 deadline for submitting presidential nomination forms to the Independent National Electoral Commission approaches, political parties are working to meet the 6 PM cutoff. The online submission process, which began on June 27, requires Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E. The commission has also set deadlines for governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates, with submissions opening on July 18 and closing on August 8, 2026. Personal particulars for presidential and National Assembly candidates will be published on August 1, while those for governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates will be published on August 29. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has named former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate. Similarly, Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, announced former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate. President Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress candidate, has not yet formally named his running mate, though there is speculation he will retain Vice President Kashim Shettima. The APC secured Tinubu's presidential ticket on May 23, 2026. The party may use a placeholder running mate before the August 22 deadline for withdrawal and replacement of candidates, a strategy previously employed in the 2023 election. The APC has also submitted the Senate nomination forms for Governors AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Mai Mala Bu