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NDLEA intercepts Europe-bound drug consignments at Lagos airport

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Attempts by desperate drug cartels to export large consignments of illicit drugs especially cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and ephedrine to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Europe through various disingenuous modes of concealment via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos have again been frustrated by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, who intercepted them and arrested the suspects.

According to the spokesperson for the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, who revealed this in a statement on Sunday, top on the list of those so far arrested in connection with the seizures is a Nigerian based in Athens, Greece, Iwuozor Chinedu.

He was debarked from an Ethiopian airline flight on Friday, February 3, after officers in the tarmac team of the NDLEA intercepted two bags during a secondary check exercise at the foot of the aircraft.

Babafemi noted that when the bags were searched in the presence of Chinedu and other airport stakeholders, two big pellets wrapped with foil papers and some sprinkles of pepper were recovered from each of the two sides of one of the bags. The pellets were used to construct false walls at the sides of the bag.

The two parcels contained substances that tested positive for cocaine and heroin with a gross weight of 1.30kgs and 900grams respectively.

During the preliminary interview, Chinedu claimed he came to Nigeria three months ago to do surgery, which he was not comfortable doing in Athens. He further claimed he was given the bag to deliver in Greece for a fee of N2 million.

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Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the airport on Monday, January 30, arrested a pregnant woman, Mrs Sylvester Onome after 800 grams of skunk were discovered concealed in two small radio sets she was sent to Dubai, UAE.

He noted that on the same day, operatives also intercepted a consignment going to Congo Kinshasa, containing 111 bottles of body cream that were used to conceal 24.50kgs of ephedrine, a chemical precursor and active ingredient to produce methamphetamine.

The cargo was later traced to a trader at the Alaba trade fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos, Onyekachukwu Uduekwelu after the initial arrest of two freight agents.

Another housewife, Mrs Okpara Chizoba was arrested at her residence at 37 Obashola street, Ijesha area of Lagos on Friday, January 27, following the seizure of 300grams of skunk hidden in a bag of crayfish she was sent to Dubai, UAE through a freight agent.

In the same vein, operatives at the SAHCO export shed off the airport on Thursday, January 26, intercepted a sack of new clothes going to Sierra Leone.

During a thorough search of the consignment, a parcel of white crystalline substance that tested positive for methamphetamine with a gross weight of 1kg, as well as 300 grams of skunk and 100 grams of ecstasy (MDMA) were recovered. A freight agent, Mfonabasi Joseph was already arrested in connection with the seizure.

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Babafemi further stated that no fewer than 255,500 pills of tramadol and diazepam were recovered from an Italy-based suspect, Duru Josephat who concealed the drugs in two of the bags he was travelling with to Milan, Italy on an Ethiopian airline flight.


He confessed he bought the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra state and was taking them to Italy to sell.

Barely a month after operatives at the Tincan seaport intercepted a consignment of 24.5kgs of cannabis indica concealed in used vehicles imported from Canada, they have again seized 75.75kgs of the same substance, which came from Montreal, Canada, hidden in a container of four used vehicles with number MSCU 5336680.

Coincidentally, the consignment has also been traced to a suspect already in custody in connection with the earlier seizure, Steve Adigwe and his accomplice, Cedrick Maduweke who is still on the run.

In Bauchi State, a suspect Clement Ekweozor was nabbed at Rafin Zurfi area, Bauchi town with 28,088 pills of tramadol and other opioids, while 12,000 capsules of the same drug were among others recovered from four suspects when their commercial bus marked UGH 978 KS was intercepted at Koka junction, Asaba, Delta state by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, January 1.

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A 40-year-old secondary school teacher, Sani Isah was arrested by operatives at a house in the Jekadefari area of Gombe on Thursday, January 2, for dealing in a new psychoactive substance, Akuskura.

Exactly 2,198 bottles of the substance concealed in six bags were recovered from him while he claimed to have started the illicit business in 2018.

Meanwhile, in Ogun State, 190kgs of cannabis were recovered from a dealer, Emmanuel Ibrahim in the Lafenwa area of Abeokuta following credible intelligence, while three suspects Mohd Alasan, Yusif Musa and Musa Musa were arrested at Maidile area of Kano with 2,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup.


Another dealer, Bako Ibrahim, 55, was also arrested on Saturday, February 4, in the Sharada area of Kano with 420 blocks of cannabis weighing 282kgs.

Another dealer of the same substance, Akeem Azeez, 39, was nabbed with 612kgs recovered from him in Akure, Ondo State.

Following a follow-up operation in Minna, Niger state, operatives of the Kogi state command of the agency now have in their custody a suspect, Michael Ikechukwu, 30, over the interception of his consignment containing 106,800 pills of tramadol sent to him from Onitsha, Anambra state, along Okene-Lokoja highway.

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Journalist hit by ‘stray bullet’ at Kano government house

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A journalist with Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV), Naziru Idris Yau, has been hit by a stray bullet inside the government house in Kano state.

It was gathered that the incident occurred around 6:30pm on Friday.

The journalist was said to have been immediately rushed to the government house clinic for treatment.

 

The medical personnel at the clinic said the journalist was lucky because the bullet was not shot at close range.

 

The journalist was subsequently discharged after the site of injury was treated.

The origin of the stray bullet is yet to be ascertained but police officers attached to the government house have commenced an investigation into the matter.

The Kano state government is yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.

 

The incident, which happened on the 2024 World Press Freedom Day, brings to the fore the threats journalists face in Nigeria.

 

Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), is currently being detained by the police over an allegation bordering on “cybercrime”.

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Ojukwu has been in police custody since May 1.

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Ex-FCMB manager bags 121-year jail term for stealing customer’s N112m

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A former manager with a branch of First City Monument Bank, FCMB in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nwachukwu Placidus, has been sentenced to a cumulative 121 years imprisonment for stealing N112 million belonging to a customer.

 

Placidus was arrested following a petition by Idemili Microfinance Bank LTD to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

 

The management of the Microfinance back said the sum of N112 million was handed over to him as the branch manager of FCMB in Onitsha, for fixed deposit.

However, the petitioner said when the FCMB was approached to terminate and withdraw the deposit, the bank denied receiving the said funds.

 

“Upon receipt of the petition, the EFCC swung into action and investigations revealed that the convict diverted the money for his own use and issued a fake fixed Deposit Certificate to the petitioner,” Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the EFCC said in a statement.

Consequently, Placidus was arraigned on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 on 16-count charges bordering on forgery, stealing, obtaining by false pretence and uttering, by the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

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One of the counts reads: “Nwachukwu Placidus between February 2009 and November 2014 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of the Anambra State High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of (N112,100,000) One Hundred and Twelve Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira only, from Idemili Microfinance Bank under the false pretence that you have placed the said money in a fixed deposit account with First City Monument Bank PLC for it, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence”.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him, thus setting the stage for his trial.

 

In the course of trial, the EFCC, through its counsel, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu presented four witnesses and tendered several relevant documents which were admitted in evidence.

 

While delivering his judgment, Justice S. N. Odili of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State, held that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” and sentenced the convict to nine years imprisonment on count 3, 4 years on count 4 and 9 years on counts 5 to 16 respectively. He was discharged on counts 1 and 2. The sentences shall run concurrently.

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The court further ordered the convict to restitute the said sum to his victim, Idemili Microfinance Bank.

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Cruel fate: Young lady dies after friends pushed her into pot of boiling pepper in Delta

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A Nigerian man, identified as Israel Joe, has narrated how his friend, Roseline, died after she was pushed into a boiling pot of fresh pepper and tomatoes by her two female friends in Sapele, Delta State.

Joe stated that Roseline, a caterer, went on a trip with her friends to Sapele for a catering job where she tragically passed away on Saturday, April 13.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Joe said that before her untimely death, Roseline confided in him about two of her friends who were treating her coldly.

 

He urged the Nigeria Police to investigate and arrest the killers of Roseline, pointing out that no progress has been made in the case since her murder.

 

Joe’s post read, “She was pushed into a big boiling pot of fresh pepper and tomatoes by her friend on Saturday, 13th April. She battled for about two weeks with her roasted/boiled body and finally ḍíęɗ last week Friday 26th April.

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“Nobody in the neighborhood in Otokutu knew Roseline had been allegedly kíIIed by these same friends. She was buried with no one to bid her goodbye and with no single bųríaI poster to honour her. Just two days in the morgue, the mørtųarƴ attendants demanded she be carried away to be buried.

 

“She traveled with them for a catering job in Sapele where they were speaking their local language with this Yoruba girl, Rozzy, not understanding their conversation.

“All of a sudden, she landed in a very big pot of boiling fresh pepper and tomatoes where they even still delayed in rescuing her. She was later rushed to Sage Hospital by Estate in Warri, where they managed the situation, but my friend couldn’t make it.”

 

Joe said he was pained that those responsible for her death were still walking free.

He added, “What pains me is that these two girls are still walking and gallivanting everywhere like nothing happened. I hate intimidation and oppression, especially against non-indigenous persons. The police must smoke them out so they can face the law. Na God dey help who nor get helper.

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“We shall fight for Rozzy. You can not just be kíIIęɗ like a chicken and bųřried like an aŋímąl. Nobody deserves such a hørribIe dęąth. We never got to meet Rose, only chatting on Facebook due to endless busy schedules only to see you, at the most disgusting sight at Sage Hospital, hoping for your recovery, but dęąțĥ stole you Justice shall prevail, including if you would be exhumed.”

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