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NDLEA nabs Pretty Mike, ex-BBNaija Start Tuoyo in Lagos nightclub raid
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has detained prominent Lagos entertainment figure Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, known by his alias Pretty Mike, along with ex-Big Brother Naija participant Tuoyo Ideh and over 100 other individuals following an early morning operation at Proxy Nightclub in Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to a statement by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media & Advocacy, published on the NDLEA website Sunday, authorities confiscated multiple cartons of prohibited items, including cannabis strain Loud and nitrous oxide, during the Sunday, October 26, 2025 operation.
The agency’s personnel had positioned themselves at the establishment based on intelligence reports around 11 pm Saturday before executing the arrest operation approximately four hours later, following established protocols.
READ ALSO: NDLEA uncovers 27,510 rohypnol pills hidden in alcohol sachets at Lagos airport
The statement reads, “In Lagos, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, raided Proxy Night club at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, where a drug party was going on. Over 100 suspects, including the owner of the club, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, alias Pretty Mike, were arrested and taken into custody for screening. Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3 am on Sunday, 26th October based on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).”
Addressing his detention, Tuoye shared his experience on Instagram Sunday, voicing frustration about the circumstances of his arrest.
He wrote, “I have been arrested by the NDLEA from a night club in Lagos for basically doing nothing at all since around 4 am, they made us sit down like criminals, we over 150 people here up till now, that were carried to NDLEA head quarters Ikoyi, we didn’t commit any crime, they came with guns inside and the club and told everyone to lie down”
Multiple attempts to obtain Pretty Mike’s response were unsuccessful, with phone calls and text messages remaining unanswered at publication time.
Separately, NDLEA officials discovered 70 packages of cocaine hidden within cocoa butter cosmetic containers destined for London at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The 3.6-kilogram cocaine shipment was found on October 14, 2025, while inspecting cargo labeled as personal belongings scheduled for an Air Peace London flight.
Authorities immediately detained cargo handler Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who had submitted the shipment. Subsequent investigation over two weeks resulted in additional arrests: healthcare professional Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah and travel agency proprietor Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi.
“The cocaine consignments weighing 3.60 kilograms were discovered on 14th October 2025 during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects going to London, UK on an Air Peace flight. A cargo agent, Lawal Mustapha Olakunle, who presented the consignment for airfreight, was promptly arrested while investigations stretching into two weeks led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt to export the concealed Class A drug to the UK.
“In a follow-up operation on 18th October, a female healthcare worker, Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah, was arrested, following which Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, the Chief Executive Officer of a travel agency, Mutiu Adebiyi & Co, was arrested at his 23 Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos office on Monday 20th October.”
At Enugu’s Akanu Ibiam International Airport, authorities prevented a 35-year-old Lesotho citizen, Lemena Mark, from transporting 103.59 grams of methamphetamine hidden in Diabeta herbal coffee packaging to the Philippines via Ethiopian Airlines on October 22.
Babafemi confirmed the individual’s detention and drug seizure at the airport.
In Kwara State, officers confiscated 21,950 tramadol 250mg capsules concealed within a 100-litre water heating unit. The individual, Umar Abubakar, 40, was apprehended October 21 in Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area, following intelligence information.
In Taraba State, authorities detained Auwal Musa, 26, and Salihu Bala, 22, on October 21 with 450,000 tramadol and Exol-5 tablets at Dan-anacha checkpoint. The substances were being transported in a construction materials truck from Onitsha, Anambra State, toward Mubi, Adamawa State.
On the Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi State, personnel confiscated 162.2kg of cannabis skunk from a vehicle on October 24. Another 128kg was seized from Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in Keffi, Nasarawa State, on October 22.
Authorities arrested Oyonumoh Glory Effiong, a mother of two identified as a significant cannabis distributor across Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Ajah, and VGC neighborhoods, during an October 17 operation at her Lekki residence, recovering 500 grams of Loud cannabis.
Another Lagos intervention targeted Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe’s Solomade Estate residence in Ikorodu, yielding 275 litres of skuchies—a mixture combining blackcurrant beverage, cannabis, and opioid substances.
Authorities also detained Echendu Onuoka, 75, with 4.7kg of cannabis in Ovum village, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, while Aukana John, 60, was arrested possessing 225 grams of the same substance in Apanta village within the same locality.
Ondo State operatives seized 150kg of cannabis during an operation at Lot Camp, Ikun Akoko, while Kaduna State arrests included Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Ahmed Tijjani, 35, found with 234.5kg of the drug. Additionally, Isah Usman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were detained with 8,600 tramadol 225mg pills and rohypnol along the Abuja/Kaduna highway.
Near the Seme border in Lagos, Jacob Ojugbele was detained with 55kg of cannabis at Ashipa, Badagry, while Amusa Oluwabukola was caught possessing 121.3 litres of skuchies at Itoga, Badagry.
Zamfara State officers on October 20 patrol along the Gummi–Anka road detained Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, carrying an AK-47 rifle plus 1,746 rounds of ammunition for AK-47 and GPMG weapons, allegedly being moved from Sokoto to Bagega forest, Anka Local Government Area. The individual and confiscated items were transferred to relevant security agencies for continued investigation.
Recent agency operations have revealed various drug concealment methods, including cocaine hidden in cosmetic containers bound for the United Kingdom and methamphetamine concealed in herbal tea packets at Lagos and Enugu airports.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) praised personnel across all commands for their dedication, encouraging continued aggressive action against drug trafficking and the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative nationwide.
“While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme, and Zamfara Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.”
Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo has suggested implementing legislation requiring government personnel to utilize Nigerian carriers for overseas travel where available.
The proposal was presented on Sunday at a ceremonial departure event for Air Peace’s first direct service between Abuja and London Heathrow Airport.
READ ALSO: Mind your business! Jonathan tells Keyamo, Odinkalu
Benjamin Kalu, who serves as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Air Peace’s Chairman Allen Onyema attended the ceremony at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The minister revealed plans for legislation called the Fly Nigerian Act, expressing confidence that it would receive parliamentary approval through Kalu’s support.
Under the proposed framework, government employees traveling internationally would be obligated to book with Nigerian carriers operating their intended routes.
The requirement would only be waived when no domestic airline services the destination, Keyamo clarified.
The minister referenced similar policies implemented globally, citing American and Indian aviation preference laws as examples, and stressed Nigeria’s need to support its national carriers similarly.
He outlined the practical application: before any government representative—whether legislators, ministers, or agency directors—books international travel, they must first verify whether a Nigerian airline operates that route and prioritize it accordingly.
Keyamo confirmed the ministry’s dedication to advancing this legislation through the approval process.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the South-East in the National Assembly have issued a warning that they may withdraw from the party’s upcoming national convention if the National Woman Leader position is reassigned from their region.
The PDP convention is scheduled to hold on November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
However, growing discord has emerged within the party as the South-East caucus in the House of Representatives maintains that the woman leader role must continue to belong to their zone.
READ ALSO: Northern PDP leaders endorse Kabiru Turaki for party chairmanship
Rep. Ikenga-Imo Ugochinyere, spokesperson of the South-East PDP caucus in the House, announced this position in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
He indicated that the legislators will release an official disclaimer regarding the Ibadan convention should they verify that the role has been reassigned to another region.
According to Ugochinyere, the lawmakers are ready to defend the political rights of the region, stressing that any move to strip the South-East of the woman leader position would amount to a deliberate insult.
He said, “We don’t want to see PDP suffer more setbacks; still, we will stick to our position at the Ibadan convention if, in the next few weeks, what we are hearing is confirmed.”
The representative cautioned that no elected official from the South-East would continue their PDP membership should this arrangement proceed. He noted there remains adequate time for party leadership to address this grievance before candidate screening commences.
Ugochinyere clarified that the previous zoning formula, which designated Enugu State to provide the woman leader, became void after Governor Peter Mbah’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He noted that this defection also impacted Mbah’s selection for the woman leader role, who has similarly moved to the APC.
The PDP Spokesman accused certain elements within the party of plotting to shift the position to the South-South, warning that such a move would provoke anger across the South-East.
“However, confirmed information is filtering in that some people are trying to move that woman leader position out of the South-East to the South-South,” he said.
The South-East caucus reached out to PDP leaders across the South, including Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, requesting their support in ensuring the role stays within their zone.
Ugochinyere described any attempt to take the position away as “an insult” to the South-East and a move that could further divide the party.
Furthermore, he warned that a boycott by South-East lawmakers could intensify the existing turmoil within the PDP and discourage members from attending the Ibadan convention.
Fear swept through the Orile-Iganmu neighborhood of Lagos on Sunday following a gas explosion that tore through part of the Orisunmibare Market, off Baale Street, consuming numerous shops in intense flames.
While the incident claimed no lives, the blaze that ignited approximately 2:13 p.m. destroyed merchandise valued at millions of naira and caused traders and local residents to flee for their lives.
Authorities traced the source of the explosion to a gas retail establishment that reportedly stored numerous cylinders of different capacities.
READ ALSO: Deadly petrol tanker explosion rocks Abeokuta–Sagamu expressway
An eyewitness, identified simply as Ejem, who narrowly escaped, recounted: “I was inside when it happened. Around us here, there are three filling stations — one is the MRS filling station opposite my street; another is a gas company behind my street; and then there’s a man who has a very big shop where he sells gas.
They said one of the boys at the shop was pressing his phone when the explosion occurred.
The fire spread quickly because part of the nearby market also had shops where people used camp gas for cooking.”
Mrs. Margaret Adeseye, Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, verified the event, noting that personnel arrived swiftly and successfully managed the emergency.
“No lives were lost, except for one person who sustained a minor hand injury,” she said.
In a related development, firefighting teams addressed a separate emergency involving a 33,000-litre petrol tanker along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, close to the Berger Car Depot.
The tanker, bearing registration number AAB-942YC, discharged its cargo following a collision with a Mercedes-Benz Jeep (plate number LSR 606HX) and seven additional stationary vehicles on display for purchase.
According to Adeseye, “Prompt intervention by the Ajegunle and Ijegun-Egba Fire Crews prevented the spill from escalating into another disaster. The remaining fuel has been safely transferred to another tanker, while recovery of damaged vehicles is ongoing.”
Additionally, the Fire Service conducted a rescue operation for an individual trapped within an underground drainage system along Ikorodu Road, near Idiroko Bus Stop, inward Maryland, Anthony Village, on Saturday afternoon.
Adeseye reported that the emergency call came in at 12:24 p.m., prompting immediate dispatch of the Ilupeju Fire Station to the location.
“Upon arrival, responders discovered that a male adult, about 55 years old, had accidentally fallen into a manhole. Our rescue personnel immediately initiated a confined-space rescue operation using specialized equipment, and after sustained effort, the victim was recovered alive and handed over to the Police from Anthony Division for further action,” she stated.
The operation, which continued until 3:41 p.m., concluded successfully with the area properly secured.
Adeseye emphasized the agency’s dedication to safeguarding lives and property throughout Lagos, highlighting that despite handling multiple emergencies over 48 hours, “all incidents were efficiently contained without any loss of life.”
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