Italy bound 23-year-old excretes 59 wraps heroin at Abuja airport – Newstrends
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Italy bound 23-year-old excretes 59 wraps heroin at Abuja airport

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 23-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Okoguale Douglas, who excreted 59 wraps of heroin weighing 781.2 grammes at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said this followed his arrest at the airport while trying to board a Milan, Italy bound flight.

Babafemi said Douglas, who hails from Uromi in Esan North-East Local Government area of Edo state, was arrested by operatives of the NDLEA during an outward clearance of Ethiopian airline flight number 910 at the boarding gate of the airport enroute Abuja-Addis Ababa-Milan.

He said after being scanned, the results proved positive for ingestion of the substance.

Babafemi said: “Under interrogation, he claimed he has been residing in Italy since 2011 after entering the country via Libya with one of his uncles.

‘’He said he works as a restaurant attendant in Italy where he earns 900 Euro per month and also works as a painter on his free days and gets about 400 Euro upon completion of any work. He also confessed he was promised 2000 Euro if he successfully delivers the drug to Milan, Italy.

“He said he came to Nigeria on April 4, 2021 for the burial of his late father in Esan, Edo state and after spending so much during the burial, he ran out of money, a situation that made him to ask for financial support from one of his Nigerian friends resident in Italy.

“He further claimed that his friend then told him he would send him money on the ground that he will collect a consignment for him from one other friend of his in Nigeria. To facilitate that, he promised to send him a number to call.

“He said contrary to the initial arrangement, he claimed he was called by a man on Thursday April 29, 2021 and asked him to come down to Abuja where he was picked up by two other unknown men from Utako area and lodged in a hotel which he claimed he doesn’t know the address.

“The suspect also claimed that the two men brought the wrapped drug to him in a hotel on Friday night after which he swallowed the 59 pellets early on Saturday May 1st, 2021 and was promised 2000 Euro on successful delivery to Milan, Italy.

“Commander, NAIA Command of the Agency, Kabir Sani Tsakuwa said efforts are still ongoing to unravel other suspects connected to the crime.’’

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Fuel Scarcity: Lagos warns stations against causing traffic gridlock

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Fuel Scarcity: Lagos warns stations against causing traffic gridlock

The Lagos state ministry of transportation, on Monday, warned petrol stations against causing traffic gridlock while dispensing fuel to customers.

Bolanle Ogunlola, deputy director, public affairs, Lagos state ministry of transportation, gave the warning in a statement in Lagos.

“In the face of the current fuel scarcity, we appeal to fuel stations that have fuel to dispense in the metropolis to ensure that queues of vehicles waiting to obtain supplies do not obstruct the free flow of traffic.

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“The Ministry of Transportation views with great concern the disruption of traffic flow by patrons at fuel stations, as the resulting gridlock adversely affects the economic activities of individuals and corporate bodies.

“The ministry, while advising operators of fuel stations to be orderly by ensuring that their patrons do not constitute any clog to the free flow of traffic, further warns against being sanctioned for non-compliance,” she said.

Ms Ogunlola said that the state’s law enforcement agencies were on surveillance to enforce compliance.

She added that the ministry would continue to monitor the traffic situation, while calling on the general public to report fuel stations disrupting movement through its hotlines.

Fuel Scarcity: Lagos warns stations against causing traffic gridlock

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Air Peace gets court order to answer queries on aircraft operations

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Air Peace gets court order to answer queries on aircraft operations

A Lagos State High Court has ordered Air Peace to respond to questions brought by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism in a libel suit No. LD/ADR/4833/23 filed by the airline on October 12, 2022, regarding its aircraft operations from Lagos to Anambra State.

Air Peace insisted that it followed safety standards and practices in accordance with relevant regulations and policies.

It questioned the FIJ’s interrogations of its aircraft and flight operations, calling them “scandalous and irrelevant” to the libel case.

FIJ was dissatisfied with Air Peace’s responses to the queries and filed an application to compel them to adequately explain the objections.

Justice Kudiarat Jose upheld the argument of FIJ, represented by its counsel, Abimbola Ojenike and Jesulayomi Oyelami of Slingstone LP, stating that the questions requesting the details of the first two aircraft designated to convey passengers were relevant to the facts in issue, related to the defendant’s case, and capable of proving that the defendants were correct.

As a result, the court ordered Air Peace to respond to questions 1, 4, and 7 of the defendant’s interrogation within seven days of receiving the order.

The questions are: ‘Provide a comprehensive description and specification of the aircraft 5N-BUL initially scheduled for the operation of Flight P47336 on October 12, 2022. The description should include the make, year, engine type, and service information, including the most recent aircraft maintenance checks conducted prior to Flight P47336 on October 12, 2022, particularly but not limited to any faults or repairs on the systems.’

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The airline is also to: ‘Provide comprehensive specifications of the technical issues discovered in the course of operation of Flight P47336 and the circumstances that led to the change of the aircraft from 5N-BUL to 5N-BQQ.’

The court also ordered the airline to: ‘Provide the comprehensive descriptions and specifications of the aircraft 5N-BQQ initially onboard the passengers for the operation of Flight P47336 on October 12, 2022.

‘The description should include make, year, engine type, and service information, including the most recent aircraft maintenance checks conducted prior to Flight P47336 on October 12, 2022, particularly but not limited to any faults or repairs on the systems.

The claim was deferred until May 23, 2024, for additional proceedings.

In October 2022, FIJ stated that passengers on an Air Peace flight from Lagos to Anambra escaped death after the engine failed three times at the takeoff point.

According to FIJ, the aircraft was supposed to take off at 11 a.m. but was delayed for two hours when the airline’s management announced that the jet originally booked for the Anambra flight had suddenly acquired an issue.

“The engine stopped three times, and there was no explanation until passengers asked to be allowed to leave the plane. The captain only gave a vague explanation when the passengers expressed their concerns. He said the DAC or something similar to that went off on us,” FIJ had quoted one of three sources as saying.

“This was supposed to be a substitute plane as the first couldn’t be used for technical reasons. If this lackadaisical attitude continues, I fear they may record a crash soon. If we had flown today, we likely would have crashed.”

Air Peace then filed legal action against FIJ, seeking N50 million in damages, N250 million in aggravated damages, and N5 million in legal fees.

Air Peace gets court order to answer queries on aircraft operations

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Lagos okays annual celebration of Yoruba Week

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Lagos okays annual celebration of Yoruba Week

The Lagos State government has announced its decision to dedicate the last week of September every year to celebrating Yoruba culture.

This decision follows a resolution passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly on September 19, 2023.

According to a statement released on Monday by the Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, Eromosele Ebhomele, the Yoruba Week celebration aims to showcase and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people through various expressions, including traditional attire, music, dance, cuisine, and more.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, in a letter dated April 8, 2024, informed lawmakers that the state will begin preparations for the inaugural celebration.

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“Sequel to the resolution of the House at its plenary of Tuesday, September 19, 2023, on the activation of Yoruba cultural heritage and a special day to be assigned as Yoruba day, I have the directive to officially convey Mr. Governor’s approval for the last week of September as Yoruba Week,” a part of the letter, which was read by the Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, stated.

Commending Sanwo-Olu and his cabinet for the decision, Obasa described it as a good development.

He described the Yoruba culture and heritage as very important just as he stressed the need for its preservation.

The Speaker said the House was ready to support the executive to ensure the success of the planned Yoruba Week.

Lagos okays annual celebration of Yoruba Week

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