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Stop calling cannabis Indian Hemp – India authorities tell Nigerians, NDLEA
Many authorities in India have told the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Nigeria that they are no longer comfortable with the term “Indian Hemp,” a name that Nigerians nickname Cannabis Certi, a banned drug.
Cross River State Commander of NDLEA, Rachel Umebuali, disclosed this in an interview in Calabar when she reeled out names of local government areas in the state which have become notorious for illegal drug consumption and cultivation.
Although she did not disclose the name of the particular Indian authorities that cautioned them, she added that the Indian authorities felt the term connotes negativity, and they do not want to be seen as associated with it.
“This is the reason we prefer and encourage all Nigerians to call it Cannabis Certi—what, in street language, is called Kanja, we-we, Igbo, marijuana, etc.”
Umebuali listed Akamkpa, Ikom, Odukpani, Yakurr, and Calabar South LGAs as notorious for high consumption of assorted lethal and illegal drugs.
“There are several new substances that have been discovered. And Calabar South LGA is actually the hub where hard drugs and other substances are distributed and consumed in large quantities.
“In Akamkpa, Ikom, and Odukpani LGA, we discovered massive Cannabis farms. There are more than 100 hectares of these farms that we have so far destroyed.
“We noted that many of those cultivating these farms are not even from Cross River but connived with unscrupulous landowners to give out these vast lands at agreed fees, and employed locals to work there.”
She disclosed that the cultivation of Cannabis Certi has been shifted from states like Edo and Ondo to Cross River and other hinterlands.
The drug enforcement boss disclosed that in six months, they have arrested 208 drug peddlers and consumers.
“We arrested 208 drug users. Out of this number, 181 are male while 27 are female. We seized 3,475.65 kg, translating to 3.5 tons of hard drugs. Top of these is Cannabis Certi.”
She vowed that nobody, including traditional, religious, or political chieftains or drug farms, would be spared in their ongoing clampdown despite the humongous challenges confronting them.
“As you know, when you fight such criminal elements and destroy their source of livelihoods, they will fight back. But my mandate is to curb all drugs-related activities in the state.”
She explained that everyone has the right to arrest offenders but must hand such over immediately to appropriate enforcement agencies.
She commended traditional dignitaries and the state government who have been very supportive in the fight against drug activities.
She mentioned that there are two-pronged sensitization programmes, including drug demand reduction and drug demand consumption.
She said they seriously need rehabilitation centres to keep those affected so that they can be detached and reunited with families, adding that the high number of users is frightening.
“We appeal for public support to be able to penetrate hard-to-reach communities where drug abuse is prevalent to save innocent locals,” Umebuali pleaded.
The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced that members can now decide whether to accept or donate the four main components of blood based on their personal conscience.
The organisation made this known in a statement issued by its World Headquarters in Warwick, New York and made available on its website on Friday.
According to the statement, “the decision to accept red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets from another person’s blood is a matter of personal conscience.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses announce adjustment to blood transfusion policy
It added that “each Witness must decide whether or not to donate blood for the clearly expressed purpose of providing components or fractions for use by another person.”
However, the organisation said its position on whole-blood transfusion had not changed.
“The long-standing refusal of whole-blood transfusions on religious grounds, a core teaching based on the command to ‘abstain from blood’ (Acts 15:20), is unchanged,” the statement said.
International spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses at the organisation’s World Headquarters, Paul Gillies, said, “Blood remains sacred to Jehovah’s Witnesses, who continue to regard life and blood as precious gifts from God.
“We recognise that medical decisions involving blood components are a matter of conscience between each Witness and their God, Jehovah.”
The organisation said the adjustment “follows earlier updates regarding blood fractions and the use of one’s own blood during medical procedures.”
It added, “Since the Bible does not comment on such decisions, they are a matter of individual conscience. That same reasoning has now been extended to the four main components of blood.”
On medical care, the statement said, “Jehovah’s Witnesses love life and want the best available medical care. They do not practise faith healing, and they seek out doctors who can provide effective treatment in accord with their wishes, values and beliefs.”
Gillies said local congregations would not interfere in members’ personal decisions.
“Congregations do not involve themselves in personal decisions that rest with the individual conscience. We will continue to respect and support the personal decisions of our fellow believers.
“We are grateful, too, for the many skilled and compassionate physicians who provide quality medical care that respects our personal wishes regarding blood,” he said.
The organisation said Jehovah’s Witnesses number “over nine million worldwide, in congregations across more than 200 lands.”
Recall that the religious group had clarified its position on the use of a member’s own blood during surgery and other medical procedures.
The clarification allowed individual Witnesses to decide whether their blood could be removed, stored and returned to them during medical treatment, while the organisation maintained its position against receiving blood from another person.
Punch
The Nigerian Army has dismissed as fake and unverified a purported intelligence alert warning of planned Boko Haram and ISWAP attacks on schools, churches, mosques, NYSC orientation camps and other public institutions across the country.
Anele said the Army was aware of the circulation and had heightened vigilance across its formations and commands to prevent attacks on vulnerable facilities.
She described the purported intelligence as speculation and urged the public not to treat the document as an official Army security alert.
The response followed the circulation of a document purportedly signed by one A.M. Sodiq, which claimed that Boko Haram and ISWAP were planning coordinated attacks across several parts of the country.
The document listed churches, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable locations as possible targets and alleged that suspected ISWAP operatives had begun surveillance of selected locations.
It further claimed that the alleged attacks could coincide with the resumption of the 2026/2027 academic session.
However, the Army disowned the document, maintaining that it did not originate from the institution.
The Army assured Nigerians that security formations remained on heightened alert and were taking necessary measures to protect schools, places of worship and other vulnerable public facilities.
MINNA, Niger State — An engine oil seller in Minna, the Niger State capital, has reportedly sustained serious injuries after allegedly being shot during a police operation to disperse protesters.
The victim, identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Dada, was reportedly standing outside his shop at Tunga Market when he was struck by a bullet.
Ibrahim’s brother, Yakubu Dada Mohammed, said the victim was not part of the protest and was attending to customers at his engine oil stall when the incident occurred.
According to him, Ibrahim was simply trying to earn a living and support his family when a police officer allegedly fired a shot that hit him in the head and severely injured his face.
«“He was not among those protesting. He was standing in front of his shop selling engine oil when one of the police officers fired a bullet that struck his head and badly injured his face,” Yakubu said.»
Ibrahim is currently receiving treatment at Minna General Hospital, where his condition was reportedly described as critical.
The incident occurred amid protests in Minna over the reported deaths of 37 miners who were allegedly in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Reports indicate that 65 miners were arrested on September 15 and 16, with 37 subsequently reported dead while in security custody.
The protests, which began on Thursday, continued into Friday as security personnel moved to disperse demonstrators. Security forces were reportedly accused of using tear gas and live ammunition during the operation.
However, the circumstances surrounding Ibrahim’s shooting have not been independently established.
The Niger State Police Command spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, appealed for calm and said the incident would be investigated.
The case has since heightened concerns over the conduct of security personnel during the ongoing protests.
Jehovah’s Witnesses announce fresh adjustment to blood transfusion policy
Army speaks on Boko Haram, ISWAP attack alert as fake
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