Crime
NDLEA smashes drug cartels, recovers multi-billion-naira cocaine
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has smashed a cocaine trafficking cartel led by a couple, Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda, and also, multi-billion-naira worth of illicit drugs were recovered.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that the seizures were made in two major operations following the arrest of the suspects in one of the intelligence-led raids.
Babafemi said that the duo were arrested on Saturday, May 25, by operatives of a special operations unit in NDLEA.
According to him, the interdiction was with the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States.
Babafemi said that the suspects were arrested at Ibiye, a community near Badagry in Lagos state, while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana.
He said that at the point of their arrest, 42 blocks of the Class a drug weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on them.
“A swift follow up operation in their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC Extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun, led to the recovery of additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg.
“This brought the total weight of the cocaine seized from the couple to 57.5 kilograms, “he said.
In a separate raid by the special operations unit, no fewer than 1,100 ampoules of lethal synthetic opioid, fentanyl, weighing 6.48kg were recovered.
The NDLEA spokesman said that the drugs were recovered from a member of a drug trafficking syndicate, 34-year-old Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi at the popular Idumota market in Lagos Island.
Also, no less than 790 ampoules of the dangerous opioid, weighing 5.273kg were equally seized from another member of the fentanyl syndicate, 48-year-old Chieze Ogechukwu Benjamin, at Idumota market.
“Fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid, which is 100 times more potent than heroin is currently responsible for over 70 percent overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S., “he said.
Babafemi said that two other persons: Olayiwola Aremu, 37, and Ogunfowora Ajibola, 35, were arrested on Lagos Island in a different raid by NDLEA officers with 432 grams of methamphetamine recovered from them.
Similarly at the Tincan port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, May 25, intercepted 15 parcels of Loud.
Babafemi, who described it as a synthetic strain of marijuana, said that it weighed 7.5kg and was concealed in the doors and body crevices of a Toyota Highlander SUV in a container marked MSMU 7294325.
“The container declared as containing three units of used vehicles, including the Toyota Highlander originated from Toronto and shipped to Nigeria via Montreal, Canada.
“A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of two suspects: Sunday Sodade and Oriyomi Adesina, who were to receive the vehicle and the drug consignment.
“A bribe of N6 million offered to NDLEA officers by the sender of the container based in Canada through his agent has also been registered as exhibit for the prosecution of the case, “he said.
Reacting to the arrests and seizure of the dangerous illicit drugs, NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig.- Gen. Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of the unit for their resilience in taking down drug cartels and barons.
Marwa equally praised the result-oriented collaboration between NDLEA and its local and international partners.
He urged all commands and formations of the agency to remain unrelenting in their offensive against the drug underworld. (NAN)
Police arrest two for allegedly selling newborn twins in Lagos
The Police Command in Lagos State says it has arrested two women, Ujunwa Una and Chinelo Igbechionwu over alleged sales of newborn twins.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this in a post he shared on his X handle @benHundeyin on Friday.
He said that the police apprehended the suspects based on a tip-off by a concerned citizen.
“The suspects were arrested by patrol officers from Ojodu Division stationed at Berger bus stop, an entry point into Lagos State, who had earlier been alerted about the suspects by a good Samaritan.
“The suspects were found with two newborn baby girls, approximately six days old, while travelling from Abia State on Sept. 9.
“Investigations revealed that the suspects were en route to deliver the babies to one nurse in Lagos State whom the mother of the babies promised to link them up with only after they had arrived in Lagos.
“Upon questioning, the suspects confessed to the crime, stating that they were paid the sum of ₦150,000 for transportation of the babies to Lagos.
“The suspects added that the mother of the babies sold the babies because she could not give them proper care, ” Hundeyin said.
The image maker said that the case was transferred to the Gender Unit of the Command, from where the newborns were placed in the custody of a motherless babies’ home for proper care and medical evaluation.
According to him, an investigation is ongoing to arrest other conspirators.
The spokesperson said that the arrested suspects were arraigned on Thursday.
Police rescue kidnap victim held inside ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag
The Police Command in Rivers has rescued a teenager, who was kidnapped in Enugu and transported to Port Harcourt in a ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Olatunji Disu, announced this during a news conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Disu said that the teenager, aged 16, was repeatedly raped by her kidnappers after being taken to Port Harcourt.
He said that the crime was uncovered when officers at Abuloma Police Station received credible intelligence regarding the suspicious movement of one of the suspects.
“Upon receiving the information, operatives were swiftly dispatched to the area, and they arrested one male suspect.
“Officers rescued the teenage girl (name withheld) who had been held against her will by the suspect.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect lured the teenager from her residence in Garki, Enugu, placed her in a ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag and transported her from Enugu to Port Harcourt,” Disu said.
The police chief added that, upon arriving in Port Harcourt, the victim was taken to the residence of an alleged internet fraudster.
He said that the alleged fraudster and another suspect repeatedly had carnal knowledge of the teenager.
“The victim has undergone medical examination and treatment, while the suspects are in our custody,” he said.
Disu said that a manhunt for other suspects had been initiated.
70-year-old man bags six months in prison for stealing mats
A Shari’a Court sitting at Rigasa, Kaduna on Thursday sentenced a 70-year-old man, Jibril Musa to six months in a correctional facility for stealing mats belonging to mosques.
The Judge, Malam Mukhtar Aliyu gave the judgement after Musa pleaded guilty to the offence bordering on criminal trespass and theft.
The Judge stated that the convict had appeared before him in the past for the same offence where he was released with the condition that he would not repeat the crime.
The convict had pleaded for leniency, promising not to steal again but his prayers were not considered due to his history of theft.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Sambo Maigari stated that Aminu Al-hassan, a village head in Rigasa reported the matter at the Rigasa police division on Sept. 9.
He said that the convict entered a mosque located on Dan Galadima Road and stole the mats.
Maigari added that the man also went to another Mosque located at Bakin Dogo and stole more mats and sold them to one Aisha Abdullahi.
On her part, Abdullahi stated that she bought the mats for N1,500 without knowing they were stolen goods.
She pleaded for leniency because she had been an honest businesswoman and did not know that an old man like Musa would steal.
The Judge adjourned the matter until Sept 18 for judgment on Abdullahi
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