The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has recorded significant successes in dismantling drug trafficking syndicates that recruit and exploit women for illicit drug operations across Nigeria.

The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), where he outlined the NDLEA’s strategy of targeting not only drug couriers but also the masterminds behind such operations.

Babafemi said the agency remains committed to dismantling networks that prey on women and other vulnerable groups by tracing the chain of command beyond those caught transporting illicit drugs.

“We don’t just stop at the level of the traffickers or the mules. We follow the chain to the top of the ladder to ensure that the big masterminds hiding behind various fronts to recruit women and vulnerable groups into these activities are brought to book. We have been very successful in doing that,” he said.

According to him, several investigations involving women recruited into drug trafficking have led to the arrest and prosecution of the syndicate leaders responsible for orchestrating the illegal operations.

Babafemi noted that the agency’s enforcement efforts are complemented by preventive measures aimed at discouraging women from becoming involved in drug-related crimes.

However, he acknowledged that cultural and religious factors sometimes pose challenges to the agency’s sensitisation campaigns.

He explained that such barriers can restrict direct engagement with certain groups of women during advocacy programmes, making it more difficult to educate them on the dangers and consequences of involvement in illicit drug trafficking.

Despite these challenges, the NDLEA official reaffirmed the agency’s determination to intensify its crackdown on drug trafficking networks while expanding public awareness initiatives to protect vulnerable groups from exploitation by criminal organisations.

Police in Ogun State have arrested a 32-year-old security guard, Abraham Anelka, following the alleged rape, criminal intimidation and attempted robbery of a 16-year-old girl in the Abule-Ijoko area of the state.

The arrest was confirmed in a statement released by the Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi.

According to Babaseyi, detectives attached to the Agbado Division tracked down and apprehended the suspect following a formal complaint.

The incident was reported to the authorities on June 10 by a family member of the victim. The complainant alleged that on the night of June 9, the teenage girl was walking home when she was suddenly accosted by the suspect.

“The suspect, armed with a locally made single-barrel gun, allegedly threatened the girl before forcibly taking her to his residence at Abule-Ijoko, where he had unlawful carnal knowledge of her,” DSP Babaseyi stated.

Upon receiving the report, detectives launched a coordinated response that led to the prompt arrest of Anelka and the recovery of the firearm allegedly used during the commission of the crime.

Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the suspect assaulted the minor without her consent and further attempted to dispossess her of her personal belongings.

As part of the initial investigative procedures, law enforcement officials visited the scene of the incident. The victim was subsequently issued a medical form and taken to hospital for medical examination and treatment.

The case has since been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Eleweran, Abeokuta, for a comprehensive investigation. The suspect remains in custody pending the conclusion of the investigation and subsequent prosecution.

A road accident involving a Benue Links passenger bus has claimed the life of a woman after the vehicle reportedly plunged into a stream along the Ogiladzi–Abakwa Road in Adi-Etulo, Benue State.

The incident occurred on Friday evening between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Ofyanghan, a community located along the Adi-Etulo axis, according to residents and travellers familiar with the area.

Sources disclosed that the bus was heading towards Jato-Aka when it veered off the road and crashed into a nearby stream. The circumstances surrounding the accident remain unclear.

Residents and passersby quickly mobilised to the scene and assisted in pulling passengers from the submerged vehicle. Despite the rescue efforts, a female passenger reportedly lost her life in the crash.

At the time of this report, officials had yet to release details regarding the total number of passengers aboard the bus, the identity of the deceased woman, or the factors that may have led to the accident.

Neither emergency services nor relevant government authorities had issued an official statement concerning the incident as of press time.

Efforts to obtain independent confirmation and additional details about the crash were still ongoing.

Meanwhile, relatives of passengers who may have travelled on the route have been advised to reach out to appropriate authorities and contact their loved ones as rescue and recovery operations continue.