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NDLEA intercepts N14.9bn opioids, arrests octogenarian, community leader’s wives, son +Photos
. . As Iran-bound drug mule excretes 76 wraps of cocaine at Kano airport
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted a total of Twenty-Five Million (25,000,000.00) pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times stronger than tramadol and Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand (350,000) bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Tincan port complex in Lagos.
The seizures were made on Tuesday 17th and Friday 20th September 2024 from three containers which had been on the watchlist of the Agency following processed intelligence. As a result, the NDLEA had requested for 100% joint examination of the shipments with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies. The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value of Thirteen Billion Seven Hundred and Twenty-Five Million Naira (N13,725,000,000.00) while the codeine consignment has an estimated street value of Two Billion Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N2,450,000,000.00), bringing the total value of the seizures to Fourteen Billion Nine Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N14,950,000,000.00).
The tapentadol consignment packed in 500 cartons was discovered in one of the containers on Tuesday 17th September while another container examined same day contained 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine packed in 875 cartons. The third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was examined on Friday 20th September.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Lagos State Strategic Command of the Agency on Friday 20th September arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Pa Aremu Shojobi with 14 kilograms of cannabis at his home in Iyana Ipaja area of the state. In his statement, the Octogenarian claimed he has been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years. He further claimed he gets his supplies from Benin republic, and sells to his customers from his residence between 7am and 10pm every day.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Wednesday 18th September raided the two homes of a community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry West LCDA, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, where a total of 226kg of cannabis was recovered from his two wives and son. Though Alhaji Talba is currently at large, a search of his house in Ashipa area of Seme Badagry led to the recovery of 93 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 57.6kg from his first wife, Asma’u Bashiru, 35, and son, Sadat Bashiru, 22, while another search of his house at Aketegbo area of Seme Badagry led to the seizure of 302 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 168.6kg from his second wife Hauwa Bashir, 42.
No less than 720 blocks of Arizona, a strain of cannabis weighing 390kg were also recovered from a Mitsubishi delivery van marked MUS 720 XH at Ojo area of Lagos on Monday 16th September.
At the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 15th September arrested a 38-year-old drug mule, Okafor Ifeanyi Anthony while attempting to board a Qatar Airlines flight to Iran via Doha with 76 wraps of cocaine in his stomach. After three days in excretion observation, Okafor excreted the 76 pellets of the ingested cocaine weighing 1.267kg.
In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on Tuesday 17th September recovered 700,000 pills of exol-5 coming from Lagos for distribution in Kano and Kaduna, while a suspect Udemefuna Chibuike, 23, was arrested by operatives on Friday 20th September along Mokwa-Jebba road, Niger state, in possession of 49,000 tablets of tramadol, 20,000 tablets of diazepam, 100 ampoules of tramadol injection and 50 bottles of cough syrup with codeine.
A total of 451 blocks of cannabis weighing 213kg were intercepted along Azikiwe road, Port Harcourt, Rivers state on Wednesday 18th September, by NDLEA officers who apprehended a suspect Ogochukwu Paul, 33, conveying the consignment to a notorious drug haven in Borikiri.
While operatives in Plateau state on Friday 20th September arrested a wanted suspect Jonathan Ali Abuttur, 46, at Agingi- Rukuba road Bassa LGA in possession of 808kg of cannabis sativa concealed in 68 bags of sugar and fertilizer, their counterparts in Kwara also nabbed Shaibu Musa with 28kg of the same psychoactive substance.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Rayhaan Model Academy, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state; Government Day Secondary School, Danrimi, Malumfashi LGA,Katsina state; Technical College, Ihe-Achi, Oji River LGA, Enugu state; Corpus Christi College, Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti state; fresh students of Oyo State College of Health Science and Technology, Eleyele Ibadan, Oyo state; traders at Agboju market, Festac town, Lagos and the palace of Oloola of Ilara, Oba Mutiu Adedimeji Lawal Oyede and his chiefs, at Ilara, Ogun state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of Tincan, MAKIA, Lagos, Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Kogi, Edo and Kwara Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
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Sinners, corrupt leaders, false prophets others Won’t Escape God’s Judgement, GKS declares
The God’s Kingdom Society (GKS) worldwide has rounded-off the 2024 Christian activities of the Church with the Christian Feast of Tabernacles.
Addressing the large turn-out of the Feast celebrants and invited guests during the ‘Last and Great Day Holy Convocation’ at St. Urhobo Square, Headquarters of GKS Warri, Delta State, the GKS president, Brother Felix Ekundayo Adedokun said that sinners, corrupt leaders, false prophets, cultists, kidnappers, perpetrators of evil and wars won’t escape God’s judgement unless they repent.
Brother Adedokun further said that God appointed judges in those days with a purpose to ensure peaceful co-existence, unity and stability of the nation of Israel, but people continue to pervert justice thereby creating more problems for mankind.
He noted that nearly all parts of the world have been engulfed with crisis, wars, chaotic situations, poor leadership, greed and wickedness.
Brother Adedokun stated that when our Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, He made it clear that God has committed all judgement to him, adding that he who rejected the Word of God and continues in evil way shall be condemned on the last day.
He disclosed that God has set up ‘His Kingdom Organizations’ in different parts of the world for the purpose of pronouncing the judgement of God on the nations as well to execute judgement upon the heathen and punishment upon the people.
In his message, “Why Judgement And Purgation Are Much More Necessary in the Service of God” the GKS president warns all those who have been called to serve in His Holy Organization in this age should be serious with the work lest they suffer dire consequences for judgement must begin in the House of God.
According to him “The judgement is purely spiritual and is unlike what obtains in the courts of the world. Those who hear the truth and are obedient to the Word of God until the end will receive favourable judgement from God. But those who do not believe the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness will be damned, as they will receive adverse judgement. He shall judge the world with righteousness and the people with his truth.”
He affirmed that the Last Day refers to the last period of Satan’s existence on earth following the enthronement of our Lord Jesus Christ as King of God’s Kingdom and the Devil and all his agents of unrighteousness will be destroyed.
“Any Church Organization where there is no judgement based on the truth, is not a true Church. The true Church therefore must warn, condemn and expose those given to sin: fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, and abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexual), thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, and extortions among others.”
“The true Church will oppose the works of the flesh which St. Paul said include adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying and such likes must be made clear that those who indulge in such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God” he added.
The GKS president urged those entrusted with administration of the Kingdom in this age must work hard to maintain their stand against the devil and his hosts, adding that God shall judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and every work.
The GKS president who quoted several bible passages said that man must be ready to promote peaceful co-existence, love, good work, help fellow men that are in need and Christians should give themselves to righteousness and things that uplift their fellow men in any organization they belong.
He stated that Christians should ensure they seek things that will promote the name of God and His Church, instead of getting entangled in talebearing, rumour mongering, false witnessing, corruption, cultism, treachery and all such likes vices should repent and do the will of God at all times.
The eight days Christian festival featured various spiritually-filled bible lectures by the GKS ministers, while the GKS faithful were entertained with various Christian music including choral dances from GKS different branches during the festival period attended by over 100 branches of the Church.
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Borno offers farmers subsidised petrol, sells at N600/litre
Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno State says his administration will now subsidise petrol so that it sells at N600/litre to farmers in the state.
The governor made the announcement on Friday during a ceremony for farmers aimed at distributing farming equipment to them.
Reiterating his announcement, in a statement on Saturday, Abdurrahman Bundi, media aide to Zulum said, “The initiative is aimed to alleviate the financial burdens faced by farmers in communities that have suffered economic and infrastructural destruction due to years of conflict.”
Bundi said the state will procure petrol and sell at the subsidised rate to farmers. “One of the major challenges that are facing the farming communities here as regards irrigation farming is the increasing cost of fuel.”
He revealed the intention of Borno State to procure petroleum products and sell to farmers at a subsidised rate, in order to ease the input costs of farmers.
“As a result, I want to announce to the general public that the government will procure petroleum products and sell to the farmers at a subsidised rate,” he said.
According to him, a litre of petrol which is being sold in Maiduguri at the rate of about N1,200, will henceforth be sold for N600/litre for irrigation farmers in Borno this season.
Bundi noted that the governor distributed farm materials, including 2,000 bags of blended NPK fertiliser, 1,000 units of water pumps, and 620 units of gasoline pumps to farmers.
Also, other materials like 380 units of solar water pumps, 1,000 units of sprayers, 800 rolls of 2-inch flexible hose, and 1,000 litres of pesticides and seeds were distributed to farmers in the state.
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Fuel price may crash to N500 per litre-Marketers
Strong indications emerged at the weekend that prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol, may crash further in 2025.
Industry experts, who spoke to Saturday Sun, noted that petrol, which currently sells for between N900 and N950 in many fuel stations, may have its price further crashing to as low as N500 a litre in the course of the year.
According to oil stakeholders, the likely drop in prices of petrol in 2025 is premised on a strong downstream sector propelled by the deregulation policy of the federal government.
According to industry players, other reasons for the price drop include stable foreign exchange policy, price competition, Naira-for-crude policy and the coming on stream of the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Dangote refineries. They also affirmed that for the refineries to sell their products in the domestic market and accept payment in naira will contribute to price fall.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had last July approved the sale of crude to local refineries for payment in naira.
In addition to this is the rebound of activities by modular refineries, which are now upbeat about the downstream sector and have concluded plans to add petrol refining to their stable of products in addition to diesel which hitherto was their sole product line.
This comes as Nigeria’s current daily petrol consumption has hit approximately 40 million litres with local production. According to truck out data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Dangote Refinery contributes an average of seven million litres while NNPCL controls 1.2 million litres, bringing the total to 8.2 million litres.
Modular refineries are out of the picture as they only produce diesel for now. The country currently has about 25 licensed modular refineries but only five are in operation.
This means that only 20.5 per cent of the country’s petrol need is met through local refining, while the remaining 79.5 per cent or 31.8 million litres are imported.
At the moment, the Dangote Refinery is producing about 30 million litres of petrol but only injects about seven million litres into the domestic market, a figure which increased by five million litres in October, up from its initial 25 million litres.
On the contrary, the 125,000 barrels per day Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC), which commenced operations a few days ago, is operating at 60 per cent capacity with the production of Kerosene, Diesel and Naphtha.
Prior to the commencement of operations of Warri refinery, the 60,000 barrels per day old Port Harcourt Refinery, which commenced operations over a month ago, is injecting about 1.4 million litres of petrol via blending with straight-run gasoline, 1.5 million litres of diesel and 2.1 million litres of LPFO.
According to the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), NNPC Ltd, Mr Mele Kyari, the 150,000 Port Harcourt Refinery 2 is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is at 90 per cent completion stage, ditto for the Kaduna Refinery which is also undergoing rehabilitation. But a presidency source told Saturday Sun that the Kaduna Refinery may not come on stream anytime soon due to the huge cost implication and other technical reasons.
Though Kyari had recently said NNPC was no longer importing petrol, major marketers and some private depot owners were still importing about 30 million litres daily to bridge supply shortfall.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mr. Ukadike Chinedu, in a telephone interview with Saturday Sun, said the coming on stream of Port Harcourt and Warri refineries is a game changer for the downstream sector as it will promote a healthy price competition as already being witnessed.
He said both the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd and Dangote have reduced prices in the last three weeks, a signal to the gains of multiple sources of production.
Besides, he said the coming on stream of the NNPC Ltd refineries in addition to Dangote’s gives petroleum marketers and consumers the option of multiple sources of products as against a monopoly market.
Ukadike was upbeat that this development will see prices of petrol drop further below N500 per litre in 2025 as more players add capacity to refining petroleum products.
Again, he said the foreign exchange policy of the Federal Government is already yielding some positive results with a dollar exchanging for less than N1,800, adding that if this trend is sustained, petroleum prices would crash further because more foreign exchange would be conserved when products are no longer imported.
He further disclosed that more modular refineries are now beginning to take steps to add petrol refining to their line of product because they are now certain of the market through improved product demand.
According to him, all these improvements being witnessed in the sector is as a result of the deregulation of the downstream sector, which promotes efficiency, healthy rivalry and price competition among players to the benefit of the consumers.
The IPMAN Publicity Secretary further pointed out that the naira-for crude policy of the Federal Government is a major factor that will shape petrol prices in 2025 as it would tame inflation and reduce foreign exchange pressure
Also speaking, the President of the Petroleum Products Retail Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Mr Billy Harry, aligned with Ukadike.
Harry assured that the coming on stream of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries would lead to cheaper fuel options for Nigerians.
The PETROAN President maintained that the possibility of affordable petrol for Nigerians is very feasible in 2025.
‘’As you can see, NNPC has reduced its ex- depot price from N1, 045 per litre to N899 per litre for marketers, translating to N925 per litre at the pumps for the end users. This, I must say, is very commendable. These are not small drops, but massive drops from N1, 045 to N899 ex- depot is a lot of drop.”
On the other hand, he said the Dangote refinery equally implemented a similar ex- depot price slash from N970 to N899.50 per litre. He pointed out that with the consistent availability of petroleum products, competition will set in and prices of petroleum products will drop further in the New Year.
In his submission, the Publicity Secretary of Crude Oil Refiners Association of Nigeria (CORAN), Mr Iche Idoko, said Nigerians would gradually begin to witness the gains, which is typical of a deregulated market.
“Price drop is one of the characteristics of deregulation we had highlighted. As the industry settles in to the regime of full deregulation, we are bound to see competitions amongst players, which ultimately will benefit the consumers.”
According to him, these competitions will be around prices, product quality, and credit lines available to bulk buyers.
This, he said, are the advantages that local refining brings. As more local refineries come on stream in the coming months, the industry shall see these positive trends of refiners and suppliers wooing consumers with price reduction and all manner of incentives.
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