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NDLEA intercepts US, Europe-bound drugs in shoe soles, N16.6b opioids at seaports+Photos
… Recovers 2,760kg illicit consignments in Lagos shrine, underground storage in Lekki
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos and three courier companies in the state.
A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on 12th October 2024 and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday 24th October. A cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.
Not less than 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in Lagos on Thursday 24th October.
In the same vein, a total of Twenty Six Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand (26,250,000) pills of tramadol as well as Five Hundred and Eight Thousand Four Hundred (508,400) bottles of codeine based syrup worth Sixteen Billion Six Hundred and Eighty Three Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N16, 683, 800,000) in street value were intercepted by NDLEA operatives during 100 percent joint examination of watch-listed containers with men of Customs Service and other security agencies at the Tincan port in Lagos and Port Harcourt port, Onne, Rivers state between Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd October.
Other illicit consignments intercepted during the joint inspection of the containers include 10 million tablets of Toradol Benzhexol and 28 plastic drums of methamphetamine weighing 700kg at Tincan and Onne respectively, while 56 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 28kg were also recovered from a container that arrived the Lagos port from Canada. A suspect, Tsolaye Eburajolo, 40, was arrested at Ago Palace area of Okota Lagos in connection with the cannabis seizure while a bribe of N10million paid NDLEA officers to free the suspect has been kept as part of the exhibits for the prosecution of the case.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Friday 25th October raided the Igbo – Igunuko shrine, located at the Alfa Beach, Ajah, where jumbo bags of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,760kg were recovered and two suspects: Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun arrested.
Another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin was also arrested same day with 770kg of the same psychoactive substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
A total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol and diazepam as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from the underground storage a suspect, Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal road, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos when NDLEA officers raided his home on Friday 25th October. The suspect dug the illicit drug storage deep in his room, covered it with padlocked iron slate, a rug and then put his mattress on top to avoid detection.
In Plateau, a suspect Fadan Bindom, 39, was arrested at Pilgani village in possession of 65.85kg cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol, while another suspect Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei – Rayfield Jos South LGA with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam and pentazocine injection on Wednesday 23rd October.
A major distributor of illicit drugs in FCT Abuja, Umar Muhammed, 40, was on Monday 21st October nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5kg cannabis linked to him at Wuse market park.
In Edo state, NDLEA operatives recovered 640kg cannabis concealed in 80 jumbo bags of fresh vegetables at Ewu junction, Irrua, Esan Central LGA and arrested a suspect, Austin Oruamen, 27, while another suspect Adereti Kazeem, 35, was nabbed with 200 blocks of cannabis weighing 133kg at Obalayan, Ile-Ife, Osun state on Thursday 24th October.
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 sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Tambuwal, Sokoto; St. Mary College, Awka, Anambra state; Prime Rose Model Private College, Saki, Oyo state; Community Model Arabic College, Malumfashi, Katsina state; Community Junior Secondary School, Rumuomasi, Rivers state; and WADA advocacy lecture to Rugar Alhaji Manu Unguwan Sullubawa, Gombi, Adamawa state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Osun, Plateau and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI 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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PHOTO: Courtesy visit to Priesthood Orphanage by Just Friends Club of Nigeria Founder
Dr. (Mrs) Blessing Echenwo, left, founder of Priesthood Orphanage, Karamajiji, Abuja and Mrs. Maria Cardillo, a member of Just Friends Club of Nigeria, during the visit of the club to the orphanage in Abuja…recently
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Just in: NYSC Releases Batch ‘C’ Corps Members Call Up Letters
The National Youth Service Corps has announced the release of the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream I call-up letters for prospective corps members.
The corps made the announcement in a series of post on its official X (former Twitter) handle on Monday.
It said orientation camp for the stream is expected to start on November 27, 2024 and closes on December 17, 2024.
According to the post, “some prospective corp members posted to Lagos will have orientation in Ogun and Osun.
“While some of those posted to Zamfara will have in Kebbi and Sokoto etc”
The corps, however, advised prospective corps members to print and sign an addendum, which will be submitted during registration at the orientation camp.
Tips to guide Deployed Prospective Corps Members
Do not travel to the Orientation Camps at night. Break your journey when necessary.
Report on your scheduled reporting date.
Apply for spelling error and name rearrangement on your dashboard.
After documentation in the Camp, you cannot change your Date of Birth, Date of Graduation, Course of Study and Passport Photograph.
Do not report to the Camp if there is any discrepancies in your course of study or with the Date of Graduation on your Statement of Result and your Call-up Letter. Contact your Institution to sort it out.
ATTENTION TO ALL 2024 BATCH ”C” STREAM I MARRIED FEMALE PROSPECTIVE CORPS MEMBERS
All married female Prospective Corps members (PCMs) who are deployed to States where their husbands are not domiciled should report to the nearest NYSC Orientation Camp for their State of Deployment to be changed.
They are to report during the period of Registration at the Orientation Camps with the copies of their marital and other relevant documents as evidence. Once the change is made it will reflect on theirM dashboard for reprinting.
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Oba of Benin to withdraw suit as Okpebholo restores rights
The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, and the Benin Traditional Council may withdraw the suits they filed against the state government as Governor Monday Okpebholo, on Sunday, restored the full statutory rights of the Oba and reversed the policies of the previous administration that impacted the Benin Traditional Council.
A statement on Sunday by Okepebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, said the governor abolished the new traditional councils in Edo South created by the immediate-past governor, Godwin Obaseki.
Okpebholo also backed the Federal Government’s recognition of the Oba’s palace as the custodian of repatriated Benin artefacts looted during the 1897 British colonial expedition.
Providing an insight into the governor’s gesture, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Samson Osagie, said it signaled the resolution of the crisis between the Oba of Benin and the Edo State government leading to lawsuits duringt the Obaseki’s administration.
Osagies said, “The cases in court are cases which the Oba of Benin himself and the Benin Traditional Council instituted against the state government, and they are all civil matters. And you know that in civil suit or in any suit, parties are encouraged to settle amicably.
“So, if the parties are already settling and one side is already meeting the condition of settlement, the next step you are going to hear is that the party who went to court, which is the Oba of Benin, and the Benin Traditional Council, will instruct their counsel to withdraw the cases from court and that will be the end of the matter.
“The two parties are now settling for harmony and peace to reign, so the government is doing its own side of it.
“This statement is a prelude to discontinuing all legal proceedings with respect to the twin issues of the concession of the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre by government to the Benin Traditional Council for 30 years and the creation of additional councils.”
The statement by Okepebholo’s Chief Press Secretary outlined the administration’s commitment to restoring the dignity and authority of the Benin monarch.
“This administration also hereby abolishes the new traditional councils in Edo South, created by the last administration,” the statement noted.
Additionally, Governor Okpebhol revoked the decision of the Obaseki’s administration to convert the Oba Akenzua II Cultural Centre into a motor park.
The government announced plans to restore the cultural centre to its original purpose.
“This administration is restoring the Oba Akenzua Centre to a suitable condition for its original purpose,” the statement added.
The governor also reinstated the financial entitlements of the Benin Traditional Council, ordering that the status quo before the creation of the abolished councils be maintained.
According to the statement, Okpebholo affirmed support for the Federal Government’s official gazette, which recognizes the Oba of Benin as the rightful owner and custodian of the repatriated Benin artefacts.
He also distanced his administration from the Museum of West Africa Art, instead backing the Benin Royal Museum project to house the artefacts.
“The Federal Government has also issued a gazette for the recognition of ownership and custody of the repatriated Benin artefacts to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II,” the statement explained. “Governor Okpebholo respects the rights and privileges of the traditional ruler of Benin kingdom… and pledges the support of his administration to ensure the monarch plays his role as the custodian of the rich cultural heritage of the Benin people.”
Okpebholo reiterated his administration’s respect for traditional institutions and vowed to avoid interference in the internal affairs of the Benin Traditional Council. “The Oba of Benin, as the father of all Benin people, is the sole custodian of the customs and traditions of the Benin people, and my administration respects customs and traditions in the land,” he stated, emphasising the government’s efforts to uphold the cultural and historical integrity of the Benin Kingdom.
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