NDLEA Busts Drug Syndicate Packaging Illicit Substances as Christmas Cookies in Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered and dismantled a social media–driven drug network disguising illicit substances as imported Christmas cookies and snacks in the Lekki area of Lagos State.

According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, two key suspects — Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi — believed to be behind the operation were arrested during a raid on their hideout.

The syndicate had allegedly imported Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, along with various designer sachets branded with colourful cookie and snack labels used to package the illegal substances in retail quantities.

#NDLEA #LagosCrime #DrugBust #SecurityUpdate

Mixed reactions trail Nigerian government’s move to end sachet alcohol production.

Since the idea of banning alcoholic drinks in sachets and small bottles in Nigeria was first mooted, certain Nigerians have not been comfortable with the idea.

The idea was first mentioned in 2018 but due to the public outcry then, the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and bodies like the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), came together and agreed to sign a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) to gradually phase out sachet and small-bottle alcoholic drinks.

Ever since then, the government has shifted the implementation a couple of times.

However, following the latest moves, reactions have continued to trail the idea.

First, it was alleged that the manufacturers of these categories of drinks went into an intense lobby to ensure that the idea was buried but that didn’t happen as it kept coming on and on.

What the manufacturers have been able to do was to have delayed the full implementation of the policy.

However, last week, specifically on Tuesday, November 5, the Senate ordered NAFDAC not to extend the December 31 implementation deadline for the production of alcohol in sachets and small bottles.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong representing Cross River South at plenary session on Tuesday last week.

NAFDAC to Enforce Ban on Small-Packaged Alcohol from January 2026.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced a firm December 2025 deadline for the prohibition of alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and bottles under 200 millilitres, with full enforcement set to begin in January 2026.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the agency’s Director-General, emphasized that there will be no further extensions of the ban, urging manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to comply fully.

Supported by the Senate and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the ban aims to protect children, adolescents, and young adults from the harmful effects of alcohol abuse.

Adeyeye highlighted that small, cheap, and easily concealable alcoholic drinks contribute to addiction and have fueled social vices, including road accidents, domestic violence, school dropouts, and other forms of insecurity. “This ban is protective, not punitive. The health of our nation, especially our children, is more important than short-term economic gain,” she stated.

Prof. Adeyeye underscored that the ban aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol. She also urged Nigerians to view the measure as a collective responsibility, emphasizing that alcohol misuse among children poses a long-term threat to the nation’s security and workforce.

“The decision is grounded in science, public health, and national interest. Protecting our children and ensuring the stability of our future workforce is not just NAFDAC’s duty it is a responsibility for all Nigerians,” she concluded.

Senate Directs NAFDAC to Enforce Sachet Alcohol Ban Starting December 2025, Rejects Further Extensions.

The Nigerian Senate has mandated the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory agencies to begin strict enforcement of the ban on high-strength alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets from December 2025, with lawmakers explicitly ruling out any additional extensions beyond the existing moratorium.

The directive came after the upper chamber adopted a motion sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, who highlighted the urgent need to end the phase-out of sachet-packaged alcohol without further delays.

During plenary, Ekpeyong recounted how NAFDAC, aligning with global standards and following broad consultations with stakeholders, first announced a gradual ban on the importation, production, and sale of these products.

In 2018, key players—including the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), NAFDAC, the Association of Food, Beverage & Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), and the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN)—signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to voluntarily eliminate the packaging format.

The agreement was driven by growing concerns over the sachets’ low cost, easy portability, and appeal to vulnerable populations such as children, teenagers, commercial drivers, and low-income groups.

Despite the original timeline, the Federal Government in 2024 granted manufacturers a one-year grace period to clear inventories and shift to alternative packaging, pushing the final deadline to December 2025.

Ekpeyong, however, warned that some producers are now pressing for yet another postponement—a tactic he argued erodes regulatory credibility, endangers public health, and skews market competition.

He pointed to mounting evidence linking sachet alcohol to youth addiction, traffic accidents, school attrition, domestic abuse, and broader societal problems.

A Customs officer, identified as Assistant Superintendent of Customs Lawal Tukur was discovered dead in a hotel room in Katsina metropolis.

According to Zagazola Reports, the incident took place on October 15 at Murjani Hotel, where Tukur had checked in. Hotel workers reportedly found him lifeless around 8:30 a.m & immediately alerted the authorities.

Sources said empty sachets of unidentified substances were found in a wastebasket in the room. 3 women Khadija Ali, 34, from Dutsin Amare Quarters, Katsina; Aisha Lawal, 30, from Ingawa LGA; & Hafsat Yusuf, 22, from Brigade Quarters, Kano were said to have been at the hotel during the incident.

It was gathered that Khadija & Aisha spent the night with the officer, while Hafsat joined them later & also stayed at the hotel.
The deceased’s body was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina where doctors confirmed his death before it was moved to the mortuary for autopsy.

The Nigeria Customs Service has reportedly been notified, & investigations are ongoing.

Ekpoma boys force bike man to brush over alleged bad breath.

A group of Ekpoma boys have sparked mixed reactions after offering a bike man a toothbrush and water over allegations of having bad breath in Edo State.

In the video circulating on social media, the bike man, who is identified as a Hausa man from the Northern region of Nigeria, was stopped, only to be offered a toothbrush and a sachet of water.

Initially confused by the gesture, the young man eventually obliged and was guided on how to brush his teeth for a better breath.

In fulfilment of their aim, they asked the bike man to shine his teeth, boasting of how his dentition looked nicer and cleaner after the wash.


“Omo Ekpoma bike men no go kill person for with mouth odour. Abi we for bath am true true?” one of the men captioned the video.

Two Dead, Three Injured in Ebonyi Road Crash

Two people have been confirmed dead and three others injured in a road accident near Ebonyi State University along the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway.

The crash, which occurred on Saturday, involved a commercial bus from Benue and a Mercedes Benz 911 truck conveying sachet water from Enugu.

FRSC Sector Commander Anthony Ogbodo blamed the crash on dangerous driving and the blockage of one lane of the highway by security personnel at Ishieke Police Station.

The victims have been taken to Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, while the deceased were deposited in the morgue.

#EbonyiAccident #FRSC #RoadSafety #Nigeria

Security operatives uncover bread sellers, sachet water factories supplying kidnappers in Kogi.

The Kogi state government says it has uncovered a network of criminal collaborators aiding kidnapping gangs across parts of the state.


In a statement on Sunday, Kingsley Fanwo, the state commissioner for information and communications, said joint security forces initiated a series of targeted operations in Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba East, and Yagba West LGAs in response to recent spikes in insecurity.

He said the operations followed the kidnapping and subsequent death of a retired army officer from Odo-Ape, the abduction of a prominent farmer from Ponyan in Yagba East, and other similar incidents in Yagba West.

He said the abducted farmer and several others were freed within days through sustained security efforts.

“One of the key revelations from these operations emerged from the case of the late Samson Enietan, a notorious criminal informant who was alleged to have committed suicide after his activities were exposed,” the statement reads.

“While preliminary claims suggest he committed suicide, the Kogi State Government disputes this version of events, pointing instead to a likely internal execution by fellow conspirators, afraid he might expose more names.”

Fanwo said in a related operation, victims kidnapped from Kiri in Kabba/Bunu were also rescued.

He said their testimonies provided critical leads, including the arrest of Babatunde Aledare, a native of Ayetoro Kiri, who confessed to being a key informant within the criminal network.

Nigerian Mum accused of feeding baby alcohol breaks silence, clarifies what was in the sachet.

A Nigerian mother at the center of a viral controversy has come forward to clarify the circumstances surrounding a video that showed her appearing to feed her infant from a sachet of the alcoholic beverage “Action Bitters.”

The video, which quickly made rounds across social media platforms, showed the woman—dressed in a pink outfit—holding her baby and feeding the child from the clearly labeled sachet.

The footage triggered widespread condemnation, with many viewers assuming the child was being given an alcoholic substance.

Following the online uproar, the Lagos State Police Command confirmed that a manhunt has been launched to locate and apprehend the woman for questioning. Authorities say her actions, regardless of content, raise serious child endangerment concerns and require further investigation.

However, in a newly released video, the woman denied the allegations and explained that the sachet did not contain alcohol at all. According to her, she had earlier poured Coca-Cola into an empty Action Bitters sachet and used it to feed the baby, adding that there was no harmful content involved.

“It was Coke I poured into the sachet,” she stated in the video. “I did not give my baby anything harmful or alcoholic. People misunderstood what they saw.”

She further explained that she had finished the bottle of Coke but lacked a baby-friendly container to transfer the leftover soft drink, which led her to repurpose the empty sachet she had on hand.

While she acknowledged that using an alcoholic-branded sachet may have led to confusion, she firmly rejected any claims of negligence or child endangerment. She urged the public to consider the full story before drawing conclusions based on a short clip.