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Customs confiscate N4bn cocaine, arms from South Africa, Canada

Published

4 months ago

January 27, 2024

Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi

Customs confiscate N4bn cocaine, arms from South Africa, Canada

Cocaine, arms and ammunition worth N4.3bn has been intercepted and seized by the Nigeria Customs Service, Tincan Island Command.

According to the service, the seized contraband came from South Africa and Canada

The Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made disclosure while briefing journalists during the handing over of the seized contraband at the command on Thursday.

He added that the command also intercepted Colorado Indica weighing 32.5kilogram.

“Other seized contraband included 65 packets of Colarado Indica weighing 32.5kg, seized from a 40-foot container with number UACU 534833/6, imported from Canada; 17 packets of a substance weighing 16.690kg confirmed to be cocaine; 151 packets Colarado Indica weighing 107 kg; one piece Gen2 Air Soft Pistol with serial number, 471908, and an empty magazine.

“Forty nine rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition, 197 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, precursor chemicals for the manufacture of crystal methamphetamine, eight bags of tartaric acid weighing 25kg, 100kegs of unspecified substances seized from one 40 foot container with number, MSCU 458177/0 imported from Durban, South Africa.”

“Forty packets of substances weighing 39.7kg confirmed to be Cocaine, 1026 packets weighing 688.2kg confirmed to be Colarado Indica, 2 pistols without serial numbers, one pistol with serial number, AZYSRA6YSO12101181, 3 empty magazines, 275 rounds of 5.5mm M16 Tavor live ammunition, six rounds of 9mm blank ammunition seized from one 40 foot container with serial number, Thru 796807/1 imported from Durban, South Africa were also seized,” Adeniyi said.

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The CGC said that the total seized substances were 56.39kg of cocaine valued at N2.3bn, 955kg of Colorado Indica valued at N1.9bn,” all with street value of N4.3bn.”

“The summary of the weapons seized were five pistols, 445 rounds of live ammunition and several empty pistol magazines.”

Adeniyi emphasised that the collaborative efforts with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency had proved effective in pooling resources and intelligence to safeguard the nation’s borders.

The customs boss reiterated that the seizures had underscoreed a trend wherein criminal networks engaged in collaborative attempts to subvert the competency of the agencies tasked with mitigating the entry of such illicit substances.

“Our actions underscore the persistent challenges posed by sophisticated smuggling networks, emphasising the critical need for enhanced cooperation and advanced strategies to fortify the nation’s borders and preserve the safety and security of its citizens,” Adeniyi said.

He added that due to the threats and collaborative nature of criminal activities, the agency had prioritised strategic partnerships with stakeholders over the past seven months.

Earlier, the Director General of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, while receiving the seized hard drugs, said that the handing over of the illicit drugs by the NCS was a development that lend credence to about the hard work and diligence of security agencies tasked with securing the country’s territory.

Marwa who was represented at the event by the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, added that the seizure was a testament that just like the airports, the seaports were also secured.

metro

BREAKING: Workers stranded as Labour pickets Jos DisCo, NERC

Published

1 hour ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: Workers stranded as Labour pickets Jos DisCo, NERC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have picket the headquarters of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) along Ahmadu way in the metropolis.

The sealing of office was carried out by Plateau chapter of NLC and TUC officials in compliance with the directive of the Organised Labour over the hike in Electricity Tariff.

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It was gathered that workers of the electricity company were locked out by an enforcement team as early as 6:30 a m.

According to The Nation, Jos Disco spokesman Dr. Friday Elijah said: ” The office of JED has been picketed. We were locked out, when we came to the office. It has been sealed, nobody is allowed to entered, even my self ( the spokesman) and the chief security officer also outside.

All of us came this morning for work, we were locked out. The office has been picketed and sealed.

The chairman of Plateau chapter of NLC, Comrade Eugene Manji, the place has been picket and sealed in compliance with the directive of our National headquarters.

BREAKING: Workers stranded as Labour pickets Jos DisCo, NERC

metro

Socialite declared wanted over murder, cyber stalking

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Dorcas Adeyinka

Socialite declared wanted over murder, cyber stalking

Nigerian Police has declared Dorcas Adeyinka, a Lagos socialite and blogger, wanted for alleged cyberstalking, kidnapping, and murder, among other things.

Police declare UK-based Nigerian blogger wanted - SolaceBase Police advised the public to “arrest and give over the suspect to the nearest police station or the office of the IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja.”

The police also characterized Adeyinka as a married female Yoruba blogger from Ekiti State and Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

She is estimated to be 1.64m tall, with an oval face, tribal markings, a pointed nose, a wide mouth, full and white dentition, and a light complexion with black eyes.

The police further stated that she lives in the United Kingdom and frequently visits Ikeja, Ogudu, and Fagba in Lagos State, as well as Otta and Sango in Ogun State.

According to reports, a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, summoned two social media users for allegedly defaming Adeyinka by publishing her nude photo online.

According to the court summons dated Thursday, May 9, 2024, obtained by our correspondent, Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna ordered the two defendants, Tolulope Adeoye, aka Abike Jagaban, and Tolulope Odegbami, aka Olowosibi, to appear in person before the court on June 4, 2024, to answer the charges leveled against them by the complainant.

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The summons stemmed from a criminal complaint filed by the complainant’s lawyers, led by Pelumi Olajengbesi of Law Corridor, an Abuja-based law company. The socialite accused the defendants of posting her naked photo on social media and mocking her.

The application partly read, “On March 5, 2022, Abike Jagaban shared the complainant’s nude pictures on YouTube, directing her followers to different online platforms where the complainant’s pictures were/are shared and ridiculed the complainant in the process.

“The video was captioned, ‘Abike Jagaban on Dorcas Adeyinka, aka TMS Blog.’ These actions have exposed the complainant to contempt, hatred, and detestation, as some people can be seen making disparaging remarks against the complainant in the comment section of the above-referenced post.

“Abike Jagaban has also bullied the complainant in another video titled, ‘How Abike Jagaban bullied Dorcas Adeyinka,” among others.”

The complainant informed the court that the defendants’ claimed activities constituted criminal defamation and violated Section 391 of the Penal Code.

Meanwhile, in suit number CR/93/2024 with motion number MN/140/2024, Magistrate Iyanna directed the complainant to serve the defendants with the criminal summons and all subsequent court processes through their social media handles or pages, @Tolulope Omolara Ghaba (Facebook) and @Princess Tolulope Ajike Olowosibi (Facebook).

The magistrate adjourned the case to June 4, 2024, and ordered that the two defendants appear in court on that date.

Socialite declared wanted over murder, cyber stalking

metro

Woman jailed for forging late Abba Kyari’s signature

Published

3 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Ramat Mba and Abba Kyari

Woman jailed for forging late Abba Kyari’s signature

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja, has found Ramat Mba guilty of forging the signature of the late Abba Kyari, former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The conviction was confirmed in a statement released by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which was shared X on Sunday.

Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Mba deceitfully replicated the letterhead paper of the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, along with Kyari’s signature.

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Mba was brought before the court by the ICPC in June 2022, facing charges including cheating, fraud, and forgery, as outlined in Sections 13 and 320 (b), 366 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 200 and the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.

Among the charges, Mba was accused of defrauding a job seeker, Ismail Oladipupo, of N700,000 under the pretense of securing employment for him at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASDRA).

During the trial, the ICPC’s prosecutor, Mr. Hamza Sani, presented evidence detailing how Mba misled individuals by promising them employment opportunities at various government agencies, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service, NASDRA, and the ICPC itself.

In his verdict, Justice Ibrahim Muhammad convicted Mba on multiple counts related to cheating and forgery, while dismissing one count related to felony.

Sentencing for Mba has been postponed until Thursday, May 16, 2024, with the directive to remand her in Suleja Correctional Centre until then.