NDLEA to go after supermarkets selling drug cookies – Newstrends
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NDLEA to go after supermarkets selling drug cookies

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The Chairman/Chief Executive, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has warned owners/operators of supermarkets and confectionaries to rid their stores of drug cookies, biscuits and other products laced with illicit substances.

He gave the warning Friday in Abuja, while receiving further briefing on follow up operations from the Commander, FCT Command of the Agency, Mohammed Malami Sokoto, over the arrest of a 300-level university student, Rhoda Agboje and her boyfriend, Ifeanyi Nwankwo, both of who specialise in producing and selling drug cookies to schoolchildren, clubs and supermarkets in Abuja.

Marwa said, “As part of our preventive measures, we would henceforth go after supermarkets, clubs, confectioneries and other outlets and their owners, selling drug cookies, biscuits, cakes and other products laced with illicit substances under whatever guise.

“We would not shy away from hitting their production spots, supply and sales outlets before getting into the hands of innocent schoolchildren, unsuspecting members of the public and even our vulnerable young men and women. We won’t rest on this until we chase them out of this criminal business.

“This is why I want to warn owners and operators of supermarkets, clubs and other sales outlets to clean their stores of these illicit substances before we get to them.” The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said that the Abuja drug cookies are packaged in designed paper wraps under the name “Function” with its motto as “function right with every bite.”

According to him, at the back of the package is a quote the suspects attribute to God to justify their illicit trade; “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seeds, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food.”

He recalled that Narcotic agents with the FCT Command of the NDLEA had last weekend uncovered a syndicate involved in producing the cookies with Arizona, a highly psychoactive variant of cannabis; alcohol and rohypnol among other ingredients.

Their lid was blown open following the arrest of Rhoda Agboje with four pieces of the drug cookies on Sunday, 18th April, 2021.

She was arrested at the NNPC Cooperative estate, opposite Gaduwa estate in Abuja based on a complaint that she gave an unsuspecting young girl the cookies to eat.

After eating the drug cookies, the girl lost her mind and could not sleep, making incoherent utterances due to the effects of the cookies.

Under interrogation, the prime suspect, Rhoda confessed she prepares the cookies with a friend and sells each pack of three pieces at N1,500.

A follow up operation in her boyfriend’s house led to the recovery of over 200 pieces of the drug cookies.

The suspect also said she supplies some supermarkets and clubs in the FCT

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It’s illegal to declare suspects wanted, Falana tackles DHQ

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It’s illegal to declare suspects wanted, Falana tackles DHQ

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has faulted the declaration of eight persons wanted by the Defence Headquarters over the killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama community of Delta State.

He said it was illegal to do so without obtaining a court order.

He stated this in a statement released on Thursday and warned the military against bungling the case of the slain soldiers.

Falana said, “The authorities of the armed forces should be made to realise that the military cannot arrest, detain, investigate and charge civilian suspects with any offence whatsoever.”

“We have also read the eight people alleged to be involved in the cruel murder of the soldiers have been declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters. It is trite law that the police and security agencies lack the power to declare any suspect wanted without a court order,” he stated.

He cited the rulings of judges in a number of cases including Benedit Peters v Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to buttress his point.

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Third Mainland Bridge will be reopened in seven days – Minister

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Third Mainland Bridge will be reopened in seven days – Minister

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi,
says the Third Mainland Bridge will be reopened in seven days time.
He announced this on Thursday during an inspection of the bridge along with members of the Senate Committee on Works.
“In seven days Nigerians will be able to ply this road,” he said.
Umahi also said the Federal Government planned to install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) on the bridge and under it to reduce illegal sand mining around the area.
Currently, he said the lane marking was being done, adding, “When the lane marking is over, we will open the bridge but formally it will be commissioned by Mr. President when he is going to flag off the coastal road.”

The Federal Government on January 9, this year closed the 11.8km bridge in Lagos for a three-month comprehensive rehabilitation.

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Fresh grid collapse plunges Nigeria into nationwide blackout

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Fresh grid collapse plunges Nigeria into nationwide blackout

The electricity grid collapsed on Thursday, plunging the country into blackout, the second time in three months in 2024.

Data from the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) showed the grid collapsed at about 4pm on Thursday, dropping from 2,984 megawatts (MW) to zero within an hour.

All the 21 plants connected to the grid stopped operations by 5pm.

Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), in a statement on Thursday, said the current power outage was due to a system failure from the national grid.

“The system collapsed at about 16:28 hours today 28 March 2024, causing the outage currently being experienced across our franchise area,” AEDC said.

“We appeal for your understanding as all stakeholders are working hard to restore normal supply.”

In a notice to its customers, the management of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) said the system collapse resulted in a loss of power supply across its network.

“We are currently working with our partners as we hope for speedy restoration of the grid. We will keep you updated as soon as the power supply is restored. Kindly bear with us,” EKEDC said.

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