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NDLEA intercepts skunk, laughing gas consignments at Lagos airport

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted various quantities of ephedrine, skunk and nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas concealed in semovita packs and dry pepper.

 

NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja that the drugs were to be shipped to South Africa and Kenya through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.

 

Babafemi said that the drugs were trafficked by members of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organisations (DTO) adding that some of who were promptly arrested, their mansions raided and their luxury vehicles seized.

 

He said that through credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Friday Aug. 25 intercepted one of the notorious drug traffickers, Babatunde Oba.

 

He said that the suspect was a member of the cartel distributing Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine and Ephedrine between Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.

 

Babafemi added that the suspect was arrested while attempting to board a RwandAir flight to South Africa with two boxes loaded with ephedrine sealed in semovita packs.

 

He also added that the recovered substance was a precursor chemical and active ingredient in the production of methamphetamine.

 

“In his statement, Oba who holds a South African passport, married to a South African lady and has lived there for over 20 years, identified one Hakeem Salami who equally lives in Lagos and South Africa as the head of the drug ring,” he said.

 

According to him, a follow up raid in the house of Salami located at 75 Wosilatu Dawodu Street, Ijesha, Aguda area of Surulere, Lagos on Monday Aug. 28 revealed that he had fled the country on the same day Oba was arrested.

 

“However, a white Toyota Venza car with registration number LSR 410 HT, a Mercedes Benz SUV marked LSD 998HP, phones and vital documents needed for further investigation were recovered from the house.

 

“In August 2021, the agency had seized 25.60kg ephedrine from a trafficker, Emmanuel Onwuka at the Lagos airport, a seizure that has also been traced to the same cartel whose identified members are currently on the run.

 

“An official of the airport, Godwin Shedrack also known as fingered as a member of the syndicate is also under investigation,” he said.

 

In the same vein, attempt by another syndicate to export 10.40kg skunk concealed with scent leaf and pepper, going to Nairobi, Kenya, was equally thwarted.

 

This, he said was done by NDLEA operatives attached to the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) export shed of the Lagos airport on Saturday Aug. 26.

 

Babafemi said that a suspect, Ekechukwu Ndubuisi, had already been arrested in connection with the seizure.

 

According to him, NDLEA operatives also arrested a freight agent, Akeem Oyekola for attempting to export a consignment of 180 canisters of laughing gas to South Africa.

 

Babafemi said that the drugs were to be trafficked with a fee of N2, 000, 000 to be paid to the suspect.

 

He added that the NDLEA operatives frustrated the attempt and seized the cargo after arresting the suspect.

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Nigerian Navy arrests Motor Tanker VINNALARIS 1 Lagos for crude oil theft

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The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, IGBOKODA in Ondo State, has arrested 77-meter-long Motor Tanker (MT) VINNALARIS 1 LAGOS in the early hours of Thursday 7 December 2023 at about 3.00am.

 

A Statement by the Nigerian Navy spokeperson Commodore Ayo Vaughn said the vessel had 17 crew members onboard at the time of arrest and was caught engaging in illegal siphoning of crude oil from one of the well heads at EBESAN oil field about 7 nautical miles off the coast of Awoye riverine community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

 

He said the apprehension of the vessel was based on credible intelligence received by the Base on the illegal activities of crude oil thieves at the location which informed the swift deployment of FOB IGBOKODA personnel to enforce the arrest of the vessel and her crew.

 

The vessel, MT VINNALARIS 1 LAGOS, has a storage capacity of about 15,000 metric tonnes and as at the time of arrest had loaded about 500 Metric tonnes of crude oil.

 

The statement further added, “it is believed that Tantita Security Service TSS is involved in the illegalities because Awoye riverine area which is close to the place of arrest is covered by TSS.” Vaughan noted that it was upon the arrest of the vessel by the Nigerian Navy that TSS began to raise false alarm, which the Navy described as totally unfounded and mischievous.

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NJC RECOMENDS ELEVEN SUPREME COURT JUSTICES, ONE COURT OF APPEAL JUSTICE, HEADS OF COURT 

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The National Judicial Commision has recommended the appointment of 11 Supreme Court Justices, one Justice of Court of Appeal, 6 Heads of Courts and 26 other Judicial Officers.

 

This was the consencus at the Councils 104 Meeting after considering the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee

 

 

According to a statement signed by the Director Of Information, Soji Oye, the council after much deliberations, recommended Justice Hannatu Sankey, Justice Chidiebere Uwa, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, Justice Haruna Tsammani and

Justice Aseimo Adumein as Supreme court Justices.

 

Others are Justice Obande Ogbuinya, Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Habeeb Abiru, Justice Jamilu Tukur, Justice Abubakar Umar, and Justice Mohammed Idris.

 

The NJC also recommended Justice Mohammed Ramat as a Justice of the Court of Appeal.

 

Some heads of court nominated are Justice Joel Agya, as the Chief Judge Taraba State,

Justice Umar Abubakar, Chief Judge of Taraba State amongst others.

 

The Council has said that all recommended candidates to the Supreme Court Bench would be sworn-in after the approval of their recommendation by President Bola Tinubu and the subsequent confirmation of their appointment by the Senate.

 

NJC has also noted that the various Heads of Court recommended would also be sworn-in upon the approval of their appointment by their various State Governors and subsequent confirmation of same by their respective State Houses of Assembly.

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EFCC denies comments on 70 percent Nigerian Youths involvement in internet fraud

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EFCC denies comments on 70 percent Nigerian Youths involvement in internet fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has denied comments by it’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede which labelled seventy percent of Nigerian Students as internet fraudsters.

 

 

 

While stating this in a Statement by the Head, Media and Publicity Dele Oyewale, the Commission says it is a misrepresentation of the concerns of the Chairman of the EFCC to the rising incidences of internet- related crimes involving Youths across the Country.

 

 

 

It explains that its Chairman had called for wider media enlightenment of youths as a counter- measure against the menace of internet fraud at a meeting with Representatives of the Civil Society Organizations, CSOs that paid him a visit in Abuja.

 

 

 

Olukoyede says that reports and intelligence available to him indicated that, unless the trajectory of youth involvement in internet fraud is addressed and reversed, the future of their leadership of Nigeria may be threatened and if it continues in the next ten years, seven out ten of the youths may be getting involved in cybercrimes.

 

 

The EFCC says that at no time did its Chairman mentioned that “seven out of ten” Nigerian students are criminals” as widely reported.

 

 

 

The Commission assures the public that its Chairman is doubly committed to the progress of Nigerian Youths and underscores his calls for collaborative interventions in offering them more productive and sustainable alternatives.

 

 

The Statement added that the concerns of the EFCC Chairman bothers on breaking the jinx of mass indulgence of youths in cybercrimes.

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