Lagos policemen, sheriffs invade house, destroy N500m property – Newstrends
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Lagos policemen, sheriffs invade house, destroy N500m property

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Scenes of the incident

A Lagos-based lawyer, Amanda Asagba, has decried the invasion of her home on Nduka Osadebey Street, Ajao Estate, Lagos State, by armed security agents, including sheriffs and policemen.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the men claimed to be acting on an order of the High Court of Lagos, Ikeja.

Asagba, who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday, said the officials forcefully ejected her family and destroyed assets worth over N500m.

The lawyer, who is the Principal Partner of Amanda and D. Asagba Chambers, claimed to have been living in the house for the past 25 years, adding that all her property titles were uncontested.

She said, “On Thursday, July 28, around 8.45am, I heard someone shouting from my room upstairs. I came downstairs and saw some men and I asked them how they came into my house; they told me that they had been knocking but no one answered.

“One of the men told me that they were from the state high court and they had a judgment against me. It left me confused because I didn’t have any matter against anyone; I told them this, but they shunned me.

“I even told them that maybe they were in the wrong place but they refused.  I later asked for their court warrant. When they showed it to me, I saw that my name was not there and I called their attention to it, but they said that my name did not have to be there and that I was a trespasser.

“In the midst of all the argument, my daughters came out. They pushed all of us out and started taking out all our things. They threw out everything in the house except some things they couldn’t take out.

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“They didn’t even allow me to make a phone call. We did not even know if they were armed robbers or something. Some of the men wore sheriff uniform; some were in mufti and others were heavily armed police officers who also had tear gas canisters. They were over 100 and the ones who entered the house were about 40.

“They only let me take a picture of the court warrant of possession after they had ransacked my residence and thrown everything out. Even the name on the warrant happened to be my neighbour, who was next door and whose property was seized two years ago.

“We were never served any papers prior to the incident; we never received any court papers from anyone, so it was a shocker. Our entire property was scattered and even when the rain was drizzling, they still threw everything out.”

Our correspondent sighted the purported court document brought by the sheriffs.

The undated document threatened that the defendants in the matter, Mr C.C. Emina and two others, would be liable to pay the sheriff a fee of “two shilling or twenty kobo duty for keeping possession of property and also the reasonable expenses of any of the feeding animal until expenses is paid or property is sold.”

Asagba, in a letter to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba, dated July 29, 2022,  described her experience as “most harrowing and traumatic.”

The letter stated, “We were not a party to the said suit and the purported execution was a wrongful invasion of our privacy and residential homes. The incident caused us the worst form of physical, psychological, emotional trauma and likely consequential future health effects – as we have lost sleep since the incident.

“We have our purchase receipts, survey plans, approved building plans and other statutory payments in respect of the said property herein attached. We have made enquiries from the court and we were able to discover that there was no judgement in suit no ID/2469/93 — Mr Kenneth Gbagi vs Mr C.C. Emina and two others, therefore, the issuance and execution of notice of attachment on our property for goods and chattels in respect of that suit is illegal and unjustifiable.”

Asagba told our correspondent that she was suspecting a suspected land grabber of sponsoring the execution, adding that two years earlier, the man seized her neighbour’s property to build a gas station on the estate.

“We reported it to the government and he was stopped from building the gas station. He, however, resisted with area boys. I was told that the man came to our estate to look at the houses on the street and now, the same judgment that was used to claim my neighbours’ house is the same judgment he used for all of us that had our houses taken,” she added.

The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Grace Aloh, said she was not aware of the incident.

She said, “I am not aware of it.”

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Four Nigerian students arrested after drug ring bust in India

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Four Nigerian students arrested after drug ring bust in India

The India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), along with Delhi Police, busted a drug cartel, arrested five suspects including four foreign students from an “influential Nigerian family” and seized MDMA, high-quality crystal meth and Afghan heroin worth Rs 27 crore.

The raid was conducted in the Chattarpur area of Delhi on Monday, March 31, 2025.

Announcing the seizure in a statement on the social media platform X,  Union Home Minister, Amit Shah praised the agencies, saying, “Our relentless hunt against the illicit trade continues.”

According to officials, the NCB and the Delhi Police’s Special Cell traced the source of the drugs to a rented accommodation of an African national, where the MDMA was being synthesised.

Five, including four African nationals belonging to an influential family of Nigeria, have been arrested, a senior MHA official said.

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Acting on inputs about a high-quality methamphetamine transaction in Chhatarpur area, a joint team of NCB and the Special Cell intercepted a vehicle carrying 5.103 kg of crystal methamphetamine, valued at Rs 10.2 crore.

Questioning of the accused and technical tracking led them to an ‘African Kitchen’ in West Delhi’s Tilak Nagar, identified as the source of the contraband.

From this location, 1.156 kgs of crystal methamphetamine, 4.142 kgs of Afghan heroin, and 5.776 kgs of MDMA (Ecstasy pills) have been recovered, officials said.

Further probe led to a follow-up search at a rented apartment in Greater Noida from where 389 grams of Afghan heroin and 26 grams of cocaine have been recovered.

According to the officials, the accused are students of private universities in NCR and Punjab. Besides drugs, they are also suspected to be involved in cryptocurrency trade.

Four Nigerian students arrested after drug ring bust in India

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Ponzi schemes promoters in Nigeria now face 10 years jail

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Ponzi schemes promoters in Nigeria now face 10 years jail

The Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, has warned that promoters and operators of any Ponzi Scheme in the country risk a penalty of not less than N20 million or imprisonment to a term of 10 years or both, upon conviction as prescribed by the provisions of the newly signed Investments and Securities Act 2025.

The SEC’s Director-General, Dr. Emomotimi Agama who stated this in Abuja, said the goal of the new legislation is to strengthen the legal framework governing Nigeria’s capital market, better protect investors, and introduce reforms that will promote market integrity, transparency, and sustainable growth.

He explained that previously, the SEC lacked the legal power to prosecute Ponzi scheme operators, which made it difficult to bring offenders to justice.

However, under the new law, those convicted of operating Ponzi schemes face a jail term of 10 years or more. “With the new law, they now face a 10-year jail term and beyond,” he said.

He further explained that the Act stipulates a minimum fine of N10 million for anyone operating a Ponzi scheme in Nigeria.

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“So, N10 million is not the entire penalty or the entire money that will be charged or sanctioned to any suspecting or any accused capital market or non-capital market operator. It is just part of the penalties and or the sanctions that will be meted against such persons,” Agama explained.

The SEC Director-General also said that sanctions will include “disgorgement,” meaning that any profits or gains obtained from defrauding Nigerians will be recovered adding “It is not about the quantum of the fraud, it is about sanctions that would deter people from even getting into it”.

Also, Agama said the new ISA has also provided the SEC with the power to be able to obtain and request telephone conversations and all other conversations that are required to Prosecute Ponzi operators.

“We recognize that a lot of Nigerians have fallen prey to these sponsor schemes and the reason why that is the case is because there were no sanctions. You know enough to deter them from doing this so what this Act has done is to introduce measures for Ponzi scheme operators and intending Ponzi scheme operators not to be able to do this again against the wish and will of Nigerians.

“Protecting the investors in Nigeria is a cardinal responsibility of the SEC and this law has provided the SEC with stronger powers to be able to do that. This law has also been able to provide the SEC with the power to be able to search phones and get phone records for people who are interested in dealing with Nigerians or interested in duping Nigerians. We are able to get these records and quickly provide enforcement actions for the people that are involved so for us it is limitless,” he added.

Ponzi schemes promoters in Nigeria now face 10 years jail

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Kogi LG imposes curfew ahead of Natasha’s homecoming event

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Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan

Kogi LG imposes curfew ahead of Natasha’s homecoming event

The Chairman of Okehi Local Government Area, Kogi State, Amoka Monday, has imposed a curfew across the council.

Monday cited security concerns following the ban on political rallies and unauthorised public gatherings.

In a statement he signed on Monday, he explained that the curfew was necessary to ensure peace and order in line with directives from the Kogi State Government and Commissioner of Police.

He noted that anyone found loitering or assembling in restricted zones without clearance from the relevant authorities will be arrested and prosecuted.

According to him: “The curfew, which takes immediate effect, restricts movement and gatherings in designated areas.

“Anyone found loitering or assembling in restricted zones without clearance from the relevant authorities will be arrested and prosecuted.

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“The safety of our people is paramount. We will not allow any situation that could jeopardise the peace and stability of our communities.”

The chairman emphasized that the curfew was a proactive step to prevent any potential security threats.

He reassured residents that the local government administration was working closely with security agencies to monitor the situation and take necessary measures to maintain law and order.

The curfew and the ban on political rallies are part of the Kogi State Government’s broader efforts to preserve peace, curb misinformation, and ensure that public gatherings adhere to legal guidelines.

Residents have been urged to comply with the directive and cooperate with security agencies to safeguard lives and property.

The administration also appealed for calm, encouraging the public to go about their daily activities within the confines of the law.

Kogi LG imposes curfew ahead of Natasha’s homecoming event

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