Crime
NDLEA Smashes Lagos Airport Drug Syndicate, Recovers N19.8m cash from Kingpin
By Derrick Bangura – A drug kingpin, who heads a syndicate operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and six other members of his gang have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to a statement on Wednesday by the spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, the arrested suspects were on the run.
He disclosed that the Lagos airport drug syndicate was behind the smuggling of 1,584,000 tablets of Tramadol seized on Tuesday 15th March by NDLEA operatives in collaboration with Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Customs service personnel at the airport, noting that the seizure includes 17 cartons of 250mg Tramadol branded as “Tamra” weighing 669.70 kilogrammes and five cartons of 225mg Tramadol under the brand name “Royal” with a gross weight of 217.15 kilogrammes.
Babafemi recalled that the psychotropic substance, which was imported into the country from Pakistan was smuggled through the airport tarmac using one of the vehicles of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) and was intercepted at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Personnel Yard with two two suspects: Ofijeh Mowa, a SAHCO driver and Nyam Alex who is a security guard with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) were initially arrested in connection with the seizure.
He revealed that further investigations by NDLEA operatives however led to the arrest of five other persons involved in the crime including the ringleader, Yunana Fidelis who fled Lagos to Kaduna the moment their lid was blown open. Other members of the syndicate are Adesanwo Temitope; Owoseni Temidayo; Fasoranti Shola and Bamigbade Jonathan.
Babafemi said Yunana Fidelis, who is also a staff of NACHO, had escaped and fled to Kaduna after depositing N19.8 million cash with a BDC operator to be paid later into his bank account.
He said after tracking him for days in Kaduna, on Friday 25th Fidelis relocated to Abuja where he was eventually arrested by NDLEA operatives at 7pm last Sunday while he was trying to collect a million Naira cash from an undercover agent who posed as a BDC operator.
Babafemi said in addition to recovering the cash Fidelis deposited with the BDC operator in Lagos, the agency had also placed a post no debit order on his identified bank accounts.
The NDLEA Spokesman also disclosed that a professional methamphetamine (Mkpuru Mmiri) cook and a lawyer were arrested in Owerri, Imo state and Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state respectively.
According to him the professional methamphetamine (Mkpuru Mmiri) cook, Reuben Bekweri, 34, was arrested in Owerri while trying to distribute a kilogramme of the illicit drug he cooked and packaged in seven nylon sachets in the Irete Area of Imo state capital last Saturday.
He said in Ado Ekiti, narcotic officers on Monday also arrested a 42-year-old lawyer, Mr. Mayowa Oluwanisomo, in Zone 4, Embassy Island, Moferere area of the Ekiti state capital following credible intelligence that he deals in psychotropic substances.
Babafemi said a total of 11,570 tablets of Tramadol weighing 7.3 kilogrammes were recovered from him when his residence was searched. He admitted ownership of the drug exhibits, adding that he graduated from Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School in 2016.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the officers and men of MMIA, Imo and Ekiti state Commands for sustaining the offensive action against drug cartels in their respective areas of responsibility.
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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