NDLEA Gets Court Order To Detain Billionaire Arrested With N8.8bn Tramadol – Newstrends
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NDLEA Gets Court Order To Detain Billionaire Arrested With N8.8bn Tramadol

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Nsofor Kennedy Ugochuk­wu, a.k.a, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia

LAGOS  – The National Drug Law En­forcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday secured an order of a Lagos Federal High Court, to detain a Lagos-based billion­aire, Nsofor Kennedy Ugochuk­wu, a.k.a, Ugochukwu Nsofor Chukwukadibia, in its custody for a period of 14 days, pending the conclusion of ongoing in­vestigation.

The court presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko made the order, sequel to an ex parte application filed and moved by NDLEA’s prosecutor, Umar Hussain, seeking to empower the agency to remand the defen­dant in its custody for an initial period of 14 days.

NDLEA has approached the court with the motion ex parte attached with an affida­vit deposed to by one Kareem Olayinka Musibau, a litigation officer, attached to the agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services.

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In the affidavit, NDLEA claimed that there spondent was arrested at Plot-2-130, Road 67 VGC Housing Estate, along Epe Expressway in Lagos on Septem­ber 30, 2022, in connection to the seizure of 10,598kilogrammesof tramadol, while dealing and con­spiring to distribute same to his associates in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

The deponent stated that the respondent is an illicit drug baron operating a drug trafficking organisation in col­laboration with his associates in Nigeria and other part of the world. And that the court has the powers under the law to make the orders sought on the motion paper.

The deponent averred that it will serve the interest of justice if this application is granted.

Justice Aluko after listening to the submission made by the NDLEA lawyer, and cited pleth­ora of authorities, held that: “The application is meritorious and same is hereby granted”.

NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, had in a statement said fol­lowing credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on Friday, September 30, stormed the Plot A45, Road 2 home of the 52-year-old billionaire drug kingpin.

He stated that a search of the expansive mansion led to the discovery of 443 cartons of tramadol hydrochloride 225mg, which contains 13,451,466 pills of the drug while some cartons were already burnt in a fire in­cident in the house same day.

“Before his arrest, Ugochuk­wu who hails from Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State has been on the agency’s watch list as one of those be­hind the tramadol drug cartel in Nigeria.”

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Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

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Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the temporary freezing of 21 bank accounts domiciled in some commercial banks and directed the arrest of the account holders by the police.

Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after counsel for the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Ibrahim Mohammed, moved a motion ex-parte to the effect.

Justice Nwite also granted the “order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATMs while allowing inflow into the said accounts” pending the conclusion of the investigation.

“I have listened to the submission of the learner counsel for the applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence.

“I am of the view that the motion ex-parte is meritorious.

“The application is hereby granted except that the period of the investigation can only last for a period of 90 days,” Justice Nwite said.

The judge adjourned the matter until April 3 for mention.

The banks are Access Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Ltd, Wema Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank Ltd, United Bank of Africa Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, First Monument Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc, TAJ Bank Plc and Keystone Bank Plc.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the I-G is the applicant in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1965/V/2024, the 13 banks are sued as 1st to 13 defendants respectively.

The I-G, in the motion filed by Mohammed, sought an interim order directing the listed “banks to freeze the accounts mentioned in the schedule attached to this summon pending investigation and prosecution of this case.

“An order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATM while allowing inflow into the said account as from the date of this court order.

Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest

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Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

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Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

The crisis erupted in the Hallelujah community in Egbedore local government area of Osun State on Friday, as enraged residents beat the newly installed Ajeniju of Hallelujah, Oba Jelili Olaiya while attempting to conduct jumat service in the area.

The Ajeniju, who was installed by the Timi of Ede a few months ago, against the will of the Ido-Osun community, was beaten to a pulp by angry youths, saying he had no right to install a chief Imam in the community.

It was gathered that the monarch had last week turbaned one Ahmad Tijjani as Chief Imam of the Hallelujah community, but while gathering some people at his palace to observe jumat prayer, some youth allegedly from Ido-Osun invaded the palace and disrupted the exercise.

Some of the aggrieved youths while shouting at the monarch queried his authority to install and conduct jumat prayer in a domain belonging to a separate monarch.

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The mob beat the monarch seriously and vandalised the palace before security operatives could intervene in the situation.

A security source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that it took the intervention of security operatives to rescue the monarch from the scene.

“The situation escalated, resulting in the vandalization of the palace and a physical attack on Ajenifuja of Hallelujah, who sustained serious injuries. He has since been taken to the State CID for further investigation and safety”, said the source.

However, another source in the community disclosed that the monarch has been taken to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for treatment.

Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Security, Hon. Samuel Ojo said he will not comment on the incident pending the outcome of an investigation on the matter.

Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community

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Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers

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Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued eight injured passengers involved in an accident at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba.

The LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

The statement was signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.

Bakare-Oki said the road traffic incident which involved a commercial long bus, popularly referred to as ‘Molue,’ at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba, caused severe injuries and significant disruption to traffic.

“The accident was triggered when the vehicle, registered as KTU 801 XM, lost control at excessive speed, reportedly due to driver impatience.

“In an attempt to avoid colliding with another LT commercial bus and pedestrians awaiting transport at the roadside, the driver veered sharply, resulting in the bus crashing into the expressway median and overturning.

“Several passengers sustained injuries, while others escaped through the bus’s windows,” he said.

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He said that officers from LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene, executed a well-coordinated and efficient rescue operation.

“Eight individuals, including five males and three females, suffered varying degrees of injuries. Among the injured was the bus driver, who sustained a fractured left arm.

“All victims were immediately handed over to LASAMBUS medical personnel and transported to the General Hospital at Ile-Epo for urgent medical attention,” he said.

Bakare-Oki said to ensure the free flow of traffic and public safety, LASTMA’s Response Unit was swiftly mobilised to oversee the removal of the overturned vehicle.

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