NDLEA arrests pregnant woman, female undergraduate, 26 others with tons of illicit drugs – Newstrends
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NDLEA arrests pregnant woman, female undergraduate, 26 others with tons of illicit drugs

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A pregnant woman, a nursing mother and a 200-level University student were among 28 persons arrested with 9,437.6 kilograms of cannabis and 138,053 tablets of pharmaceutical opioids among others by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA during interdiction operations across 12 States.

The States involved according to a statement issued by the Agency’s Head, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi included: Yobe, Ondo, Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Babafemi said “In the FCT, operatives on Saturday 15th October stormed a village known as Chukuku, which is about 10 kilometers from Gwagwalada where they raided a large cannabis warehouse. A 30p0 48kgs of cannabis in Buni Yadi, they also raided a location in Potiskum where they recovered 56 blocks (31kgs) from two suspects: Mohammed Mamuda and a married pregnant woman, Hauwa Haruna.

“At least, 99 bags of cannabis and three bags of its seeds weighing 1,286kgs were seized on Thursday 13th Oct when operatives raided a location in Ogbese area of Ondo state, while another raid at Umukpe forest in Uhunmonde council area of Edo state led to the seizure of 410kgs of the same substance in addition to a motorcycle, two dane guns and the arrest of two suspects: Numga Anim, 30, and Friday Ebije, 50. Not less than zz50 bags of C/S weighing 623kgs were also recovered at Ekpom village in Igueben LGA with the arrest of the owner, Lucky Henry, 30, whssßile another suspect for child trafficking in, Ndidi Esegine, 52, was nabbed at Ugbodo forest, Ovia North East LGA with 266.8kgs C/S on Tuesday 11th Oct. Two days later, operatives stormed Uzebba forest in Owan West LGA to destroy four cannabis farms where two suspects: Ezekiel Raphael and Gideon Bassey were arrested with a total of 223.5kgs processed C/S recovered.

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“A stop and search operation along the East/West road, in Ahoada area of Rivers state has led to the recovery of 251.4kgs of C/S in a gold colour Toyota Sienna bus with Reg No – Abuja YAB 70 BR, and a suspect, Segun Ajayi arrested, while 161.4kgs were equally recovered, from an ash colour Toyota Camry saloon car with Reg No- Abuja RBC 590 BQ.

“In Akwa Ibom state, attempt by a trans-border trafficker, Edet Osu James, 44, to export 2.4kgs cocaine concealed in two large tins of powdered milk to Cameroon was foiled by officers of the Marine unit of the Agency on Thursday 13th Oct during an outward clearance of vessels going to Cameroon from Oron. In Imo state, no fewer than 10,690 pills of tramadol were intercepted during stop and search operations along Owerri-Onitsha road with three suspects: Saadu Usman; Godwin Emeka and Emeka Obijihe arrested in follow-up efforts on Thursday 13th Oct. Interestingly, Emeka Obijihe was already standing trial for a similar offence for which he was arrested on 9th May 2022 and was on court bail when he was arrested again last Thursday for trafficking 6.5kgs of tramadol.

“In Jigawa state, operatives recovered 67,300 pills of exol-5 and tramadol at Dansure/Roni junction while in Kogi state, a total of 46,100 pills of the same opioids were seized along Okene-Abuja highway both on Thursday 13th Oct. At least, six suspects were arrested at a notorious drug location in Ngurore town, Adamawa state with a total of 495kgs cannabis seized in addition to different quantities of opioids. Suspects arrested include: Chidi Titus; Vincent Donatus; Badishi Bitrus; Abubakar Inuwa; Abdul A. Abdul and Inuwa Ado Isa.

“At least, 5,480 pills of tramadol were seized from two suspects: Dalhatu Salisu and Hamisu Ishaq, who were arrested on Wednesday 12th October by operatives along Abuja-Kaduna express road, while a total of 3,800 bottles of new psychoactive substance, Akuskura and 7,760 tablets of tramadol were recovered from five suspects along Ilorin-Jebba highway. Four of the suspects: Idris Nadir, 38; Suleiman Mubammed, 68; Babangida Zaki, 30 and Yahaya Lawal claimed they were coming from Ibadan, Oyo state and taking the Akuskura to Katsina, Kano and Birnin Kebbi. The fifth suspect, Nafiu Idris, who was arrested with the tramadol pills said he was taking them to Kankara in Katsina state.”

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Meanwhile, a 200-level student of Mass Communication at National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Ms. Mercy Nyong, 30, was on Wednesday 12th Oct arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos for attempting to export 300grams of tramadol 225mg concealed in incense products going to Dubai, UAE.

Nine Ghanaians were arrested for attempting to smuggle 10,843.95kgs cannabis into Nigeria through the sea were on Friday 14th Oct convicted and sentenced to 72 years imprisonment. They were initially arrested by men of the Civil Defence Corps and transferred to NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution. At the conclusion of investigations, they were arraigned in charge number FHC/L/292C/2021. Delivering his ruling in the matter on Friday, Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Lagos convicted the Ghanaians of conspiracy and dealing in cannabis and thereafter sentenced each of them to eight years in prison. The convicts include: Victor Wuddah; Freeman Gazul; Adotete Joseph; Sottie Moses; Sottie Stephen; Christian Tette; Kanu Okonipa; Daniel Koyepti; and Kanu Natte.

While commending the officers and men of Yobe, MMIA, Ondo, Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Lagos and FCT Commands of the anti-narcotics Agency for their efforts at drug supply Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), charged them and their counterparts across other commands not to rest on their oars.

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What do you need 130 SAs for? Critics query Rivers council chairman’s extravagance 

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What do you need 130 SAs for? Critics query Rivers council chairman’s extravagance 

Chairman of the Obio-Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State, Chijioke Ihunwo, has appointed 130 individuals to serve as his special assistants.

This show of wasteful spending has not gone down well with the people as shown in their comments on social media, newstrends reports.

This is coming after the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to all 774 local governments in Nigeria.

The Supreme Court judgement was generally applauded because many felt state governors were annexing local government funds, thus making it difficult to implement developmental projects in such rural areas.

Ihunwo announced the appointments on some of his social media platforms, indicating that they would take immediate effect.

Most people wondered what the chairman intended to do with such a large number of special advisers.

Nsikan Udo said, “Just employ the whole local government indigenes! Pay all of us salary. After all, na our money… make we just share the full allocation!”

A Facebook user, Jude Ojei, as saying, “What do you need 130 personal assistants for? I know it is for political patronage, but I think it’s too much because you have other political appointees. This is my personal opinion, though.”

In his reaction, Chidiebere Dike, wrote, “I love you, Chijioke, and I want you to succeed, but at this point, you are losing it.

“What does a local government chairman need 130 special assistants for, plus the others you appointed initially, plus your vice and councillors? What is all this nonsense?”

ChimaOgba stated, “What the people ordered. This one is mini-Wike waiting in the wings to pounce on Rivers people.”

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How I plotted Fayose’s impeachment with Obasanjo – Ex-presidential aide

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Babafemi Ojudu and Ayodele Fayose

How I plotted Fayose’s impeachment with Obasanjo – Ex-presidential aide

Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Babafemi Ojudu, has disclosed his role in the impeachment of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.

Speaking on Edmund Obilo’s podcast State Affairs, published on Thursday, Ojudu revealed that he actively plotted and scripted Fayose’s impeachment with the backing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

While recounting the events, Ojudu shed light on the political strategies and maneuvers employed to unseat Fayose, offering a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes activities that shaped Ekiti State’s political history.

According to Ojudu: “I plotted and scripted the impeachment of Fayose in Ekiti. I used Obasanjo and when he realized it, he fought back against me.

“I had an agreement and signed that Fayose should be impeached but make sure his deputy is not. I took all the lawmakers to Lagos where I kept them in hotels and was feeding and taking them around.

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“I was not a senator, I was a journalist who had money and my friends gave me money. They were not happy with him, I saw that weak link and I exploited it.

“Obasanjo was angry and gave the deputy governor soldiers to return to Ekiti and proclaim herself as governor. When she got there, I called people to resist her and they had no alternative but to declare an emergency.

“Fayose sued me for libel and Falana was my lawyer, I went to court and presented my facts, by the time we finished, Justice Daramola told Fayose ‘you have no honour and integrity.’”

Fayose became the second governor of Ekiti on May 29, 2003, after defeating the incumbent governor, Niyi Adebayo, in the governorship election.

He was impeached on October 16, 2006.

 

How I plotted Fayose’s impeachment with Obasanjo – Ex-presidential aide

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Tax reform: Tinubu has agreed to amend controversial clauses, says Gov Sule

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Governor Abdullahi Sule

Tax reform: Tinubu has agreed to amend controversial clauses, says Gov Sule

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa on Wednesday said President Bola Tinubu has agreed to amend contentious clauses in the proposed tax reform bills before their passage by the National Assembly.

Newstrends reports that the four bills which were transmitted to both chambers of the legislature by the President in September had generated controversy following stiff opposition in some quarters.

The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

The critics of the bills included the Northern Governors Forum, Traditional Rulers Council, National Economic Council, Northern Elders Forum, among others.

Despite the opposition, the four bills scaled second reading in the Senate.

But speaking during an interview on Channels TV current affairs Politics Today on Wednesday, Mr Sule said the issues have been resolved between the governors and Mr Tinubu.

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According to him, the President said all recommendations should be forwarded to the National Assembly.

Mr Sule said: “We have achieved our goal, that is the reason I talked differently today, because all we wanted to achieve has been achieved.

“We actually wanted the bill to be discussed further. We didn’t want this bill to be passed with all the content of what it is.

“Look at the way the house of representatives is handling it, I want to commend the house, particularly the speaker.

“I give credit to Mr. President; when the governors met with him, he told us that we don’t have to withdraw this bill [Tax Reform Bill].

“We can actually address all the concerns you have and all the amendments, and then we can pass the bill.

“For me, from that day, my issues with the bills have been resolved.

“What I didn’t want is a situation where we have bills with concern, especially for people like us, and then that bill is passed.

“But look at how the house of reps is handling, it has not even passed the second reading, they are taking inputs and making considerations from everybody.

“And this is a concurrent bill; it doesn’t matter if the Senate has passed the bill; if the House of Reps doesn’t pass it, it has no effect.”

Tax reform: Tinubu has agreed to amend controversial clauses, says Gov Sule

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