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Customs intercept pangolin scales worth N3.9bn in Kebbi
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Customs intercept pangolin scales worth N3.9bn in Kebbi
The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone “B” Command, Kaduna, announced on Wednesday that its operatives had intercepted pangolin scales worth N3.9 billion (Duty Paid Value).
The FOU Zone B Command covers Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kogi, Kwara states, and the Federal Capital Territory. On May 24, acting on intelligence, operatives raided a suburb of Zuru Town in Kebbi State, seizing 445.45kg of pangolin scales.
Comptroller Ahmadu Bello-Shuaibu revealed that one person was arrested in connection with the smuggled scales, valued at N3,955,596,000 on the international market.
He attributed the success of the operation to robust intelligence sharing between the Customs Service and the Wild Life Office, as well as the determination of operatives.
Bello-Shuaibu alleged that those involved in illegal wildlife trafficking use it as a cover for money laundering to procure drugs, arms, and other illegal goods.”
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He said, “Our operatives have upped the ante in the combat against smuggling of protected species and successfully intercepted a consignment of Pangolin scale and its derivatives within the Kebbi State area of the Zone.
“Acting on actionable intelligence, the operatives stormed a hideout known as (Slaughter house) in the suburb of Zuru Town in Kebbi State on Friday, May 24, 2024 at about 1600hrs.
“The team discovered and evacuated sacks of pangolin scales which were transported to the HQ of FOU Zone ‘B’ in Kaduna. After careful examination and counting, the pangolin scales weighed 445.45kg.
He said the value of the seizure at the international market was worth Three Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Five Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand Naira (N3,955,596,000.00) only.
“Let me once again explain that the pangolin species is one of the endangered species that is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flaura.
“It is instructive that Nigeria is a signatory to the CITES Convention and all forms of trading in this species are clearly illegal,” he added.
The comptroller added that the service was more ever than before determined to partner CITES to forestall the pangolin and other endangered species from going into extinction.
Customs intercept pangolin scales worth N3.9bn in Kebbi
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BREAKING: Pilot survives as NAF helicopter crashes in Kaduna
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BREAKING: Pilot survives as NAF helicopter crashes in Kaduna
A Nigeria Air Force (NAF) helicopter has crashed at Tami village in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The incident occurred in the early morning on Monday, causing significant alarm among the villagers.
The helicopter, said to be on a routine operational flight, experienced a technical hitch that led to the crash.
The pilot managed to execute emergency protocols effectively that ensured his own survival.
Eyewitnesses said the pilot emerged from the wreckage unscathed.
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Residents of Tami village quickly gathered at the crash site, offering assistance and expressing relief that no life was lost.
It was gathered that a team of military officers from the Nigerian Air Force swiftly arrived at the scene to secure the area and conduct an initial investigation.
They cordoned off the crash site to prevent unauthorised access and to ensure the safety of the villagers.
The officers also began preliminary assessments to determine the cause of the crash, which remained unknown at this time.
BREAKING: Pilot survives as NAF helicopter crashes in Kaduna
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UK cab driver confesses still getting paid in Nigeria as civil servant
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UK cab driver confesses still getting paid in Nigeria as civil servant
Despite leaving Nigeria for the UK two years ago, Sabitu Adams gets paid each month as a junior official at a government agency back home.
Adams, who now works as a taxi driver in the UK, had his name changed by a BBC report to protect his identity.
The taxi driver has yet to resign from his job in Nigeria.
Adams is one of the thousands of ghost workers, a rampant issue in the Nigerian civil service.
Each year, the government carries out biometric verifications and reels out numbers representing discovered ghost workers, and money saved.
But no one is ever announced to have been arrested or prosecuted.
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Last week, President Bola Tinubu directed that all civil servants drawing salaries from the government after relocating abroad should be made to refund the money.
Tinubu also ordered that the culprits’ supervisors and department heads be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud while they were in charge.
Adams told the BBC that he was not worried about the president’s directives because he earned better as a taxi driver in the UK.
“When I heard about the president’s directive, I smiled because I know I am doing better here – and not worried,” the 36-year-old said.
The cab driver said he did not resign “in case I choose to go back to my job after a few years”.
Adams was quoted as saying he had an arrangement with his boss in Nigeria who is a “relative”.
UK cab driver confesses still getting paid in Nigeria as civil servant
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Police rescue 2 kidnapped victims in Abuja
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Police rescue 2 kidnapped victims in Abuja
Two kidnapped victims were rescued by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command in the Guto community of Bwari, Abuja, on Sunday.
According to a statement by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the rescue operation was triggered by an early morning attack by gunmen on the community. The prompt response from the police and other security agencies was crucial in handling the situation.
The statement noted: “In response to the sudden attack by unknown gunmen in Guto village, Bwari, earlier today, June 30, 2024, at about 01:30 p.m., where two female victims, Mart Ojadi, 15 years old, and Evelyn Chinaza, 12 years old, were kidnapped and forcefully taken to an unknown location, the operatives of the FCT police command from the anti-kidnapping unit swiftly mobilised to the scene.
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The police, along with the DSS and local hunters, pursued the kidnappers into Gauraka Forest in Niger State, which borders the FCT. The confrontation led to a fierce gunfight, eventually causing the kidnappers to flee into the surrounding bushes with various injuries, leaving the two victims behind, unharmed.
The rescued girls have been safely reunited with their families. FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Benneth C. Igweh, praised the operation and reiterated the commitment of the police force to ensure the safety and security of the capital. He also encouraged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the police through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, and 07057337653 PCB: 09022222352, CRU: 08107314192.”
Police rescue 2 kidnapped victims in Abuja
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