NDLEA storms Edo forests, razes 317-ton cannabis warehouses, arrests 4 – Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

NDLEA storms Edo forests, razes 317-ton cannabis warehouses, arrests 4

Published

on

Barely hours after the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), vowed to make life tough for drug barons and cartels in the new year if they fail to back out of the illicit trade, operatives of the agency have dealt a lethal blow to a cluster of cannabis syndicates operating in the Opuje forests in Edo State where massive warehouses and tents storing over 317,417 kilograms (317.4 metric tons) of the psychoactive substance were destroyed and set ablaze in a two-day operation.

At least, a police impersonator, Omoruan Theophilus, 37, who paraded as a Police Inspector to convey the drugs from the forests to the cities and three others, Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were arrested in connection with the drugs.

READ ALSO:

The Opuje community in Owan West Local Government Area, Edo State is notorious for cannabis cultivation, where cartels invest huge resources, cutting down economic trees of the forest reserves and cultivating cannabis on a large scale, running into hundreds of hectares. After harvest, they build warehouses inside the forest reserves and employ the services of armed youths to protect the warehouses 24/7.

Accessing the forest on Wednesday, January 18, took hours of trekking by hundreds of NDLEA operatives who were ambushed with bonfire by armed youths on their way out of the community the following day but were able to successfully leave the area without any casualty except the heavy investment losses inflicted on the cartels.

In the same vein, the agency, on Thursday, January 19, through intelligence received from the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States, busted a criminal syndicate involved in the trafficking of fake USD currency in Lagos. During a combined operation carried out by NDLEA operatives with their EFCC colleagues, a total of $269,000 counterfeit US dollars were recovered from the syndicate at Oniru Shoprite area of Lekki, Lagos, where three suspects were arrested.

While commending the officers involved in the two special operations in Edo and Lagos for their professionalism and commitment,  Marwa has since directed that the fake dollars recovered and suspects arrested in the Lekki operation be immediately transferred to the EFCC for possible prosecution.

metro

Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death

Published

on

Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death

Authorities in Ebonyi State have recovered the remains of a man and his son who were found dead under unclear circumstances in the Ebebe Junction area of Abakaliki.

State Police Command spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the evacuation to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

Ukandu said the deceased, identified as Mr. Light Nwodor and his son Miracle, were found lifeless, prompting swift action by officers in the area.

READ ALSO:

“When I was called by an individual about the incident, I quickly called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area,” he said.”They swung into action and the dead bodies have been evacuated.“The police have launched investigation into the matter.”The command will definitely inform the general public on completion of investigation.“Right now, nobody knows what caused their deaths,” he added.

He also noted that no updates had been received from the DPO regarding any arrests linked to the case.

Initial unconfirmed reports circulating online suggested that the deaths may have resulted from eating food prepared by a woman who is allegedly now at large.

Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death

Continue Reading

metro

Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash

Published

on

Ebonyi State Police Spokesperson, DSP Joshua Ukandu

Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash

One person has been shot dead, two injured and many people missing in Ndiagu Amagu, Ikwo in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State following a leadership tussle. The deceased, Nwoyika Ugbaloke and Thomas Ngaragu were reportedly attacked by some gunmen, but Ugbaloke couldn’t survive the attack.

Many people are said to be missing in the attack.

It was gathered that trouble started when a faction in the community imposed N40, 000 level on all the adults in Nduche Umuomara in the community, which did not go down well with another faction in the area.

READ ALSO:

It was also gathered that the faction that imposed the N40,000 levy on the adults was also selling lands belonging to the faction that opposed the levy.

A son of the deceased, Nwoyika Kingsley Emeka, lamented the killing of his father and called for arrest of his killers. He said the killers were moving freely in the community, sealing people’s farmlands with palm fronds and warning them never to set their feet on the farms until the fines were paid.

He alleged that the perpetrators were being protected by some highly placed persons in the community.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu said he had not received any report on the incident.

Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash

Continue Reading

metro

EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam

Published

on

EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared eight suspects wanted in connection with the alleged loss of approximately N1.3trillion to Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).

Apart from two of the suspects based in Ibadan, the rest six were said to be from Idimu-Egbeda Road in Lagos.

But the EFCC has held on to two suspects it earlier arrested.

According to a notice by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale, all the suspects are wanted for “fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).”

The first set of suspects, who are Nigerians, include, Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowora Oluwanishola and Adefowora Abiodun Olaonipekun.

The foreigners are Johnson Okiroh Otieno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro Kabera and Serah Michiro.

The Adefoworas and Michiros are suspected to be couples.

The statement described the second set of suspects as “foreign accomplices wanted by the EFCC. “

The statement added: “The public is hereby notified that the persons whose photographs appear above are suspected foreign accomplices wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).

READ ALSO:

“Anybody with useful information as to their whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, llorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies.”

Asked about those two earlier arrested, a source in EFCC said: “They are still in custody. “

The Director-General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr Emomotimi Agama has said CBEX is unregistered with it.

He said the commission cannot be of help to the victims.

He said: “There is nothing the commission can do”.

“We are worried that this went on for long without anyone drawing our attention to it. That is why we are doing more enlightenment and asking people to come forward to report this for early detection.”

SEC said preliminary investigations revealed that  CBEX, which also operates under the corporate identity of ST Technologies International Ltd, Smart Treasure/Super Technology, had held itself out as a digital asset-trading platform, offering high returns to investors in Nigeria.

It said: “The Commission hereby clarifies that neither CBEX nor its affiliates were granted registration by the Commission at any time to operate as a Digital Assets Exchange, solicit investments from the public or perform any other function within the Nigerian capital market.”

 

EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam

Continue Reading

Trending