Connect with us

Metro News

Busted: NDLEA arrests five members of airport drug syndicate, recovers N19.8m cash from leader

Published

on

 

  • Mkpuru Mmiri cook nabbed in Imo, lawyer in Ekiti

With its determination to rid the country of illicit drug cartels, operatives of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested of a fleeing drug kingpin heading a syndicate operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos and six other members of his gang.

Similarly, a professional methamphetamine (Mkpuru Mmiri) cook and a lawyer were also arrested in Owerri, Imo state and Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state respectively.

The NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, said the Lagos airport drug syndicate was behind the smuggling of 1, 584,000 tablets of Tramadol seized on Tuesday 15th March by NDLEA operatives in collaboration with Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Customs service personnel at the airport.

YUHANA FIDELIS

The seizure, Babafemi said includes 17 cartons of 250mg Tramadol branded as “Tamra” weighing 669.70kg and five cartons of 225mg Tramadol under the brand name “Royal” with a gross weight of 217.15kg.

READ  NDLEA intercepts fake $4.7 million cash in Abuja

According to the statement, “The psychotropic substance, which was imported into the country from Pakistan was smuggled through the airport tarmac using one of the vehicles of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) and was intercepted at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Personnel Yard. Two suspects: Ofijeh John Mowa, a SAHCO driver and Nyam Gazu Alex who is a security guard with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) were initially arrested in connection with the seizure.

“Further investigations by NDLEA operatives however led to the arrest of five other persons involved in the crime including the ringleader, Yunana Fidelis who fled Lagos to Kaduna the moment their lid was blown open. Others include: Adesanwo Temitope; Owoseni Taiwo Temidayo; Fasoranti Shola and Bamigbade Jonathan.

“Yunana Fidelis, who is also a staff of NACHO had escaped and fled to Kaduna after
depositing Nineteen Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N19, 800,000.00) cash with a BDC operator to be paid later into his bank account.

READ  NDLEA arrests man with heroine in anus, six others for possession of drugs

“After tracking him for days in Kaduna, on Friday 25th Fidelis relocated to Abuja where he was eventually arrested by NDLEA operatives at 7pm on Sunday 27th March while he was trying to collect One Million Naira (N1, 000, 000.00) cash from an undercover agent who posed as a BDC operator. In addition to recovering the cash Fidelis deposited with the BDC operator in Lagos, the Agency had also placed a post no debit order on his identified bank accounts.”

Meanwhile, a professional methamphetamine (Mkpuru Mmiri) cook, Reuben Bekweri, 34, was arrested in Owerri while trying to distribute a kilogram of the illicit drug he cooked and packaged in seven nylon sachets in the Irete Area of Imo state capital on Saturday 26th March.

In Ado Ekiti, narcotic officers on Monday 28th March also arrested a 42-year-old lawyer, Mr. Mayowa Oluwanisomo, in Zone 4, Embassy Island, Moferere area of the Ekiti state capital following credible intelligence that he deals in psychotropic substances. A total of 11, 570 tablets of Tramadol weighing 7.3kilograms were recovered from him when his residence was searched. He admitted ownership of the drug exhibits, adding that he graduated from Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School in 2016.

READ  NDLEA arrests woman with 35 wraps of cocaine hidden in underwear at Lagos airport

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of MMIA, Imo and Ekiti state Commands for sustaining the offensive action against drug cartels in their respective areas of responsibility.

Metro News

Lagos gives squatters inside abandoned Ikoyi Towers 48-hour quit notice

Published

on

By

 

The Lagos State Government has given a 48-hour quit notice to illegal occupants of abandoned Ikoyi Towers in Lagos Island.

 

The state’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources Tokunbo Wahab gave the notice on Saturday during an inspection of some sites, including the Federal Government-owned Ikoyi Towers.

“We were also on a site inspection to assess enforcement of Osborne underbridge after the illegal structures harbouring several persons were removed,” the commissioner wrote on his X account.

“Abandoned Ikoyi Towers which we observed were housing illegal occupants posing a security threat to the environment and nuisance to the State. An undocumented number of persons running into hundreds were seen in the premises with no sanitary provisions, and whose daily activities could not be ascertained. They have been given a 48-hour vacation notice to leave the area.”

READ  Controversy over death of 12-year-old after alleged torture by schoolmates

 

He also said, “Stagnant water bodies were also observed in the canal in Ebutte Elefun – Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island. Illegal structures and other business activities such as block/cement moulding were found along the fence of Ebutte Elefun High School. We have given a directive for the removal of these infractions.”

 

In recent months, the Lagos State Government has ramped up its clampdown on illegal structures to contain flooding and save lives.

Just last week, it cleared some illegal structures in under-bridge apartments where occupants pay as much as N250,000 yearly.

Continue Reading

Metro News

Nigerian couple convicted of forced labour, faces 20 years in US prison

Published

on

By

 

A Nigerian couple based in the United States has been convicted of forced labour by a federal jury in New Jersey and faces 20 years imprisonment.

Isiaka Bolarinwa, 67, and Bolaji Bolarinwa, 50 — who are both US citizens were also found guilty of operating a coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labour and childcare in their home.

Speaking at the end of the trial on April 24, Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general, said the husband and wife lured the victims to the US with promises of a better life and an education but instead subjected them to hours of physical and psychological abuse.

“The defendants confiscated the victims’ passports, threatened them, degraded them, physically abused them and kept them under constant surveillance, all to coerce the victims’ labor and ruthlessly exploit them for the defendants’ own profit,” Clarke said.

 

“Human trafficking is a heinous crime, and this verdict should send the very clear message that the justice department will investigate and vigorously prosecute these cases to hold human traffickers accountable and bring justice to their victims.”

READ  Pupil dies after fight with classmate over school bag

According to the evidence presented at trial, including the testimony of two victims, the incident happened between December 2015 and October 2016.

“Once Victim 1 arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolaji Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around the clock for nearly a year,” the court heard.

 

“Isiaka was aware of his wife’s threats and abusive behavior toward Victim 1 and directly benefited from Victim 1’s cooking, cleaning and childcare.

“The defendants then recruited Victim 2 to come to the United States on a student visa.

“When Victim 2 arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolaji Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse.

 

“On at least one occasion, Isiaka Bolarinwa also physically abused Vitim 2, and he was aware of his wife’s coercive, abusive behavior toward Victim 2 and directly benefited from her cleaning and childcare.”

READ  Gunmen abduct popular Islamic cleric in Ondo

 

The US department of justice (DOJ) said both victims endured the abuse until October 2016, when one of them (victim 1) summoned the courage to outcry to a professor at her college, who in turn, reported the targets to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each forced labour count and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for the alien harbouring count.

The DOJ added that they will also be required to pay mandatory restitution to the victims and each faces a fine on each count of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss from the offence, whichever is greatest.

 

A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

Continue Reading

Trending News

Police interrogates Mohbad’s PA, Darosha over singer’s death

Published

on

By

 

Boluwatife Adeyemo, also known as Darosha, who was the Personal Assistant to the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad, has been interrogated by the Nigeria Police Force.

According to reports, Darosha visited the Zone 2 Command headquarters on Thursday following a police invitation.

Also present at the meeting were Mohbad’s mother, Abosede and his father, Joseph.

 

The lawyer of Aloba’s family, Monisola Odumosu, who disclosed this on Saturday, said Darosha was invited to name those who instructed him to embalm the late singer in his home when he died on September 12, 2023.

Odumosu said, “The police invited Darosha and interrogated him based on a petition written and signed by Emmanuel Oroko of the Hillceetee Partners on the instruction of Mohbad’s father.

 

“He had visited alone earlier in the week, but was asked to return on Thursday when Mohbad’s father and mother would be present, which he did.”

Odumosu disclosed further that a statement was taken from Darosha in which he mentioned those who were present when the deceased was embalmed.

READ   N4.2bn traced to Abba Kyari, co-accused’s accounts

The lawyer added that the police had invited those mentioned in the statement.

“Those present at the residence of the late Ilerioluwa Aloba when the embalmment was done will appear before the investigation panel of the police.

“The local embalmment violates the Coroner’s System Law 2007: Section 48 of this law addresses the offences and penalties of tampering with a dead body contrary to Section 16.

“The police, upon interrogating Darosha, have asked all those mentioned in his statement to be brought in for further interrogation. When Mohbad died, there were allegations that he was given local embalming without authorisation from his father or a death certificate from any medical practitioner who could certify the cause of the death of the late singer,” he added.

 

Mohbad’s father had alleged that his son’s body was already embalmed and placed by the staircase when he arrived at the deceased’s home the day he died.

READ  Go after drug cartels, Marwa orders NDLEA officers

He made this known while calling on the police to intensify the investigation to unravel the cause of his son’s death.

Mohbad died on September 12 at the age of 27, with the circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

Mohbad, a former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, left the label in February 2022.

The Lagos State Police Command inaugurated on September 18, 2023, a 13-man special investigation team to probe the death.

His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite Balogun Eletu, aka Sam Larry, amongst others.

The body of Mohbad was exhumed on September 21, 2023, for an autopsy to unravel the cause of his death.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, tweeted in September 2023 that an autopsy had been concluded and the police were “awaiting results.”

The toxicology test carried out to determine the cause of death of the late music star had been concluded.

READ  EFCC questions Cubana Chief Priest over alleged tax fraud, money laundering

The result had been sent to the pathologist who carried out the autopsy to analyse and interpret it.

Continue Reading

Trending News