Nigeria Arrests Man for Smuggling 88 Drug Wraps in Stomach

Nigerian authorities arrested a man attempting to smuggle 88 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.7 kilograms, in his stomach from Abuja, the Nigerian capital, to Vietnam.

Paul Mbadugha, a Vietnam-bound businessman, was stopped at Abuja airport’s boarding gate after a body scan revealed he had ingested drugs, Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) stated Sunday.

While under observation, Mbadugha reportedly excreted the cocaine pellets, claiming they were handed to him by a friend in Lagos’ Isolo district.

Mbadugha claimed that his friend persuaded him to swallow the drug wraps, promising a payout of $2,000 in return.

Dr. Enyinna Omoke, MD, an Abuja-based doctor who witnessed the incident, told OCCRP that cocaine is among the most frequently trafficked drugs using this method—swallowing or inserting packages into body cavities.

“Internally smuggling drugs can hyperstimulate the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, leading to severe consequences such as brain damage, respiratory failure, and even death,” he explained.

The gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus, as well as the vagina and ears, are the most common areas used for internal drug concealment. Individuals who transport drugs this way are often caught due to suspicious behavior, intoxication, or leakage from the drug packets inside their bodies.

Last year, the NDLEA apprehended a notorious drug kingpin known for recruiting young Nigerians to smuggle cocaine into Europe. He was caught in the act of arranging for a courier to swallow 93 cocaine pellets destined for distribution in Italy.

By Nneoma Omeje, OCCRP

Nigeria police deploy drones to search for kidnapped medical students

Police in Nigeria are searching for 20 medical students who were kidnapped by gunmen last Thursday.

The students were on their way to a medical convention when their motorcade was intercepted in central Benue State. The Benue State police command on Monday said it has launched an investigation into the abduction of the medical students and deployed tactical teams on a rescue mission.

But they said the teams have not reported any success. Twenty medical students from the universities of Jos and Maiduguri and a medical doctor travelling with them were taken on their way to the conference in eastern Enugu State. Anene Sewuese Catherine, the Benue state police public relations officer, spoke to VOA via phone.

“The team has moved but we've not heard from them," Catherine said. "Investigation of kidnap is classified, we don't [share] details or until there's success. There's no update for now."

The abduction sparked widespread condemnation over insecurity in Africa's most populous nation, where authorities have struggled for several years to control violence from armed gangs locally referred to as "bandits."

Over the weekend, the national police ordered the deployment of helicopters, drones and specialized tactical teams to aid in the search for the medical students. The Nigerian Medical Students Association said the abductors, using the students’ phones, issued a demand of about $31,400 to release the entire group.

The association has been urging authorities to secure the release of the students unharmed. The association’s national president, Moses Onwubuya, said students are threatening to protest if their colleagues are not released soon.

"The only response we've been getting is that we should just calm down, that security agencies are in the matter," Onwubuya said. "Calls have been going out through the phone numbers of our abducted colleagues. Students are agitating, we're only trying to see if we can abide by the security guidelines, but I can't guarantee what will happen any moment from now."

According to Center for Democracy and Development — West Africa, Nigeria recorded more than 4,000 abductions in 2023, accounting for 58 percent of the total cases in West Africa and the highest in five years.

Security analysts say a severe economic crisis in Nigeria is pushing more people toward crime and kidnapping for ransom. Nigerian authorities have pledged to address economic problems along with security challenges. Meanwhile, families of victims are hoping their loved ones return to them safely.

VOA

Related story: Video - Nigerian authorities working to secure release kidnapped students

Fate of pastor, 13-year-old daughter kidnapped in Nigeria unknown after ransom payment

 The whereabouts of a pastor and his daughter kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria were unknown after their captors threatened to kill them even after receiving a ransom payment.

Isa Andrew, chaplain with All Saints Protestant Church of the Zamfara State Police Command, and his 13-year-old daughter, Grace Isa Andrew, were kidnapped from their home in Gusau on July 14. Relatives and friends had managed to pay a ransom of 6 million naira ($3,770 USD), only to have the captors threaten to kill him if they did not receive another 6 million naira along with three motorcycles by Aug. 15.

Relatives received a video of the blindfolded pastor making an appeal for payment of the ransom, his daughter standing beside him with an AK-47 rifle strapped to her shoulder as a sign that she would be married off and made to join the assailants.

Pastor Andrew in the video identified himself as a pastor and chaplain who worked with the Interfaith Directorate of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), saying his daughter, Grace, was with him. He said that after they were kidnapped from their home, his family paid a ransom of 6 million naira, but that the captors upon collection demanded another payment of the same amount along with two Boxer motorcycles and a Honda motorcycle.

“We did all we could, we sold everything that we have; sold our properties, sold our car, sold our items; we took loans, my brother took loans, my wife took loans persons of goodwill also assisted us to raise the 6 million naira that was demanded,” Pastor Andrew said. “As it is, fellow Nigerians, I want to beg of you, I want to beg of our nation’s first lady, the mother of the nation, to please come to our aid. She’s the Esther of our time, please come to our aid.

He said his daughter was “being exposed to a lot of maltreatment, exposed to starvation,” and that he was a diabetic whose health was deteriorating each day.

“Please come to our aid, assist us. We have been given from now up to next week Thursday, 15 August, 2024, otherwise I will be executed, and my daughter will be forcefully married out. She’s just 13 years of age,” he said. “Please help us. I need your help. The Lord bless you.”

The Zamfara State Police command confirmed the kidnapping of the pastor and his daughter in the wee hours of July 14. State Police Commissioner Mohammed Dalijan said 53 patrol vehicles had been deployed to various streets in Gusau.

Gusau resident Timothy Soladoye obtained a copy of the video and confirmed that it was his pastor who was kidnapped with his daughter.

“We are still contributing for his release,” Soladoye told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News before the Aug. 15 deadline. “Please let us share and do something for their possible release before the said Thursday, 15 August.”

The video was widely circulated across social media platforms on Aug. 10.

Gusau resident Emmanuel Bulus also sent out a plea.

“Isa Andrew is not only a dedicated civilian working with the Nigerian police but also serves as a chaplain in their church,” Bulus said. “My fellow Nigerians, I implore you, let’s not allow this tragedy to unfold. We must rally together to save Isa and Grace and reunite them with their wife and mother and two other children.”

Pastor Andrew was reportedly abducted eight days after gunmen released parish priest Mikah Suleiman of St. Raymond Catholic Church Damba, who had been kidnapped for 16 days.

In Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year. Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, according to the WWL report.

More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300. Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.

The Christian Post

Related story: Nigeria police working to secure release of 20 kidnapped medical students

Nigeria’s SEC Approves First Operating License for Local Crypto Exchange Quidax

 In a landmark development, the Nigeria SEC has approved the first provisional operating license for local crypto exchange Quidax.

The regulator’s move marks a milestone in Nigeria’s crypto regulations. Moreover, it could open doors for more crypto exchanges, both locally and internationally, to venture into the country.
 

 

Local Crypto Exchange Bags Nigerian SEC’s First Provisional Operating License

According to a Cointelegraph report, the African-founded crypto exchange Quidax bagged Nigeria’s SEC crypto operating license. This landmark achievement has positioned Quidax as the first crypto exchange to receive a provisional operating license in Nigeria.

Moreover, the regulator’s approval is a milestone in the country’s crypto regulatory advancements. It indicates Nigeria’s readiness to embrace digital assets and legitimize its crypto market.

According to the report, the license offers Quidax the right to operate as a registered crypto exchange in Nigeria. It will also allow the crypto exchange to partner with other financial institutions, including banks, pending approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Quidax CEO and co-founder Buchi Okoro expressed his excitement over the license, which he described as a remarkable feat for the exchange. He also reiterated Quidax’s commitment to its core values, which include customer satisfaction and funds’ safety.

Further, the executive appreciated the SEC’s approval of the crypto operational license. He noted the agency’s positive efforts to establish progressive regulatory measures for the crypto industry.

Also, Okoro mentioned that the SEC, under its new Chair, Dr. Emomotimi Agama focuses on ensuring orderliness, investors’ safety, and confidence in the industry.

Moreover, the executive said the license represents a big win for Nigeria’s crypto industry and shows the country’s readiness to adopt positive changes within the financial digital space.
 

Digital Asset Regulations and Trends in Nigeria

On June 21, the Nigeria SEC released a comprehensive amendment to its regulations on digital asset issuance. The rules also indicated some requirements for offering exchanges, platforms, and custody as part of the Accelerated Regulatory Incubation Program (ARIP).

Notable, ARIP aims to assist virtual asset service providers (VASPs) in complying with new regulatory standards.

However, concerns remain that strict approaches and requirements could limit the growth of local crypto exchanges or the entrance of new ones.

The SEC demands a compulsory minimum upfront capital deposit of 500 million naira ($556,620) from Digital Asset Exchanges and Digital Assets Offering Platforms (DAOs). Also, the

Nigeria’s stringent crypto regulations have forced some crypto companies to exit. The OKX crypto exchange disclosed its operational closure in Nigeria due to changes in local regulatory rules.

The OKX exit tolls the pattern of other prominent crypto exchanges that previously left the country, including Binance and KuCoin.

Despite these, as Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria remains among the countries with the highest crypto adoption globally. In a survey comprising over 15 countries, Nigeria emerged with the most crypto-aware population in the world.

Similarly, Nigeria ranked second in crypto adoption among 154 countries, according to Chainalysis’ “The 2023 Geography of Cryptocurrency.” 

By Rida Fatima, Tech Report

Related story: Nigeria targets crypto accounts worth $38 million in intensified crackdown

Nigeria records decline in Mpox cases

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported a decline in the number of suspected and confirmed Mpox cases in the country over the past four weeks.

The NCDC said this via its official website on Monday.

Mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters, fever and swollen lymph nodes.

The illness is usually mild, and most infected individuals recover within a few weeks without treatment.

The public health agency in its latest data, said 51 new suspected cases were reported between Epidemiological (Epi) weeks 29 to 32 of 2024.

According to the NCDC, that was a significant drop from the 102 cases reported during the previous four weeks (Epi Week 25 to 28).

It said that these cases were recorded across 26 local government areas (LGAs) in 18 states.

The agency said that out of the new suspected cases, two were confirmed positive, with one case each reported in Ebonyi and Enugu.

It said that this also marked a decrease from the seven confirmed cases recorded in the earlier period.

“The following outlined case definitions for suspected Mpox case are an acute illness with fever 38.3°C, intense headache, lymphadenopathy, back pain, and myalgia.

“Intense asthenia follows one to three days later by a progressively developing rash often beginning on the face and spreading to other parts of the body,” it said.

It described a probable case as one that meets the clinical case definition, is not laboratory-confirmed, but has an epidemiological link to a confirmed case.

“A confirmed case is a clinically compatible case that is laboratory-confirmed.

“Contact is any person who has been in direct or indirect contact with a confirmed case since the onset of symptoms,” it said.

The NCDC highlighted that in 2024 alone, Mpox had been confirmed in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), affecting 30 Local Government Areas.

“Since the resurgence of Mpox in Nigeria in September 2017, the country has seen a cumulative total of 4,603 suspected cases, with 1,125 confirmed cases (24.4 per cent ) across 35 states and the FCT.

“The disease has disproportionately affected males, who account for approximately 70 per cent of confirmed cases.

“Seventeen deaths have been recorded since 2017,” it said.

It said that the Case Fatality Rate for mpox was calculated based on confirmed cases only.

To prevent the spread of Mpox, the NCDC advised the public to avoid close contact with individuals showing symptoms, particularly those with rashes or skin lesions.

“Practice good hand hygiene by regularly washing hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

“Wear protective gear (gloves, masks) when caring for someone with suspected or confirmed Mpox.

“Avoid contact with animals that may harbour the virus, such as rodents and primates, especially in areas where Mpox is known to occur.

“Ensure meat is thoroughly cooked before consumption,” It said.

It urged healthcare providers to be vigilant for patients presenting fever, rash, and other Mpox symptoms, especially if they have a history of travel to affected areas or contact with suspected cases.

“Promptly isolate suspected cases to prevent transmission within healthcare settings. Notify the relevant public health authorities immediately upon identifying a suspected case.

“Educate patients on the importance of reporting symptoms early and adhering to isolation guidelines if diagnosed with Mpox,” it said.

The NCDC said that the National Mpox Technical Working Group (TWG), comprising multi-sectoral and multi-partner teams, continued its efforts to monitor and respond to the outbreak across the nation.

The public health agency urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and adhere to public health guidelines to curb the spread of Mpox, particularly in affected states.

By Ezekiel Oyero, Premium Times 

Related story: Video - Nigeria confirms 39 mpox cases since start of 2024