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NDLEA Arrests Two Grandmas For Drug Trafficking At Lagos Airport

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drugsOperatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by two grandmothers to unlawfully export narcotic drugs to New York, United States and Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The suspects allegedly ingested 108 wraps of substances that tested positive for heroin and cocaine during outward screening of passengers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

60-year-old Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy ingested 83 wraps of heroin weighing 1.105kg on her way to the United States.

AmoduAyisat Grace, 59, also ingested 25 wraps of cocaine weighing 275 grammes on her way to Saudi Arabia.

They blamed their involvement in drug trafficking on financial hardship.

NDLEA preliminary investigation revealed it is the first time a grandmother of 60 years will ingest a whopping 83 wraps of narcotics.

The second suspect was going to Saudi Arabia where drug trafficking attracts capital punishment.

Her timely arrest saved her from the ordeals of painful and ignoble death in a foreign country.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, said: “Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy was arrested while boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight to New York while Amodu Grace was caught trying to board an Ethiopian airline flight on her way to Medina, Saudi Arabia. The cases are under investigation”.

Adebayo, who sells provision at Ikorodu, Lagos said drug trafficking was an afterthought.

“I am a divorcee selling provision for survival. Things became rough and tough for me when I lost my capital due to family problems.

“It has been my dream to travel to the United States in search of greener pastures.

“My involvement in drug trafficking was an afterthought. My intention when I got my visa last year was to go and work to take care of my needs without being a burden to anyone. Everything changed suddenly when I met an old friend at a party.

“They took care of my travel expenses and gave me $3,000 with a promise to assist me secure a job in the United States.

“It was few hours to my journey that they brought the drugs for me to swallow.

“They said that it was my contribution for the kindness and money spent on my trip but it turned out to be my biggest mistake,” the indigene of Kogi State said.

Amodu told investigators as a Muslim she was glad to travel to Saudi Arabia but her journey terminated at the NDLEA office.

“I was happy when they offered to sponsor my trip to Saudi Arabia but I never knew it will end in my detention.

“I sell fufu (staple food from cassava) to take care of my four children as a widow and this has been very challenging.

“They enticed me with a visit to Saudi Arabia and a handsome reward and I fell for trick.

“I only swallowed 25 wraps of the drug. Unfortunately I could not get to Saudi Arabia because of my arrest.”

NDLEA chairman Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) said it is shocking and shameful for grandmothers to be involved in drug trafficking.

“This move by drug cartels to recruit grandmothers as mules is very disturbing, shocking and shameful.

“A situation where grandmothers have become a bad influence on their children and grandchildren is highly regrettable,” he stated.

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Lagos state government begins demolition of illegal shanties in Ikoyi Towers

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The Lagos State Government has begun the demolition of illegal shanties within the abandoned Ikoyi Towers, days after discovering hundreds of undocumented individuals residing in makeshift structures in the compound.

This development was disclosed by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, through a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday.

According to Wahab, the enforcement operation commenced after the expiration of the 48-hour eviction notice served by the state government to the inhabitants of these unauthorized structures.

“After the expiration of a 48-hour vacation notice served, the joint team of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial (KAI) and the Special Taskforce on Environmental Offences commenced enforcement and removal of illegal shanties built inside the Ikoyi Towers compound housing illegal occupants posing a security threat to the environment and nuisance to the State, and whose daily activities could not be ascertained,” Wahab’s post read in part.

Wahab further noted that the government’s issuance of relocation notices and enforcement actions aims to reclaim land and public facilities that have been converted to personal use, ensure public safety, enforce urban planning regulations, and tackle the proliferation of illegal settlements and structures throughout the state.

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Stormy Daniels testifies against Trump at hush money trial

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The porn star at the heart of Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial, Stormy Daniels, testified on Tuesday about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the former president in a hotel penthouse suite.

Trump, 77, is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels on the eve of his 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, when the lurid story of marital infidelity could have sunk his campaign.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger announced “The people call Stormy Daniels,” as Trump, who is seeking to recapture the White House in November, sat at the defense table in the Manhattan courtroom flanked by his lawyers, AFP reports.

What followed was detailed testimony about the sexual encounter Daniels said she had with Trump – his pajamas, his boxer shorts, the sexual position, that he did not wear a condom – all while the former president, sitting just feet away, stared on in silence, stony-faced.

Trump has denied having sex with Daniels, and his defense team sought, unsuccessfully, to have a mistrial declared.

The extraordinary courtroom face-off comes six months before election day when Trump will try to defeat Democratic President Joe Biden.

Daniels walked prosecutors through her difficult childhood in Louisiana, a stint as a stripper and her eventually joining the adult film industry.

The 45-year-old, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she met Trump at a celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe where she was employed as a greeter by X-rated movie company Wicked Entertainment.

Daniels said she was 27 at the time and Trump was “probably older than my father.”

She said a member of Trump’s security detail told her the real estate tycoon wanted to have dinner with her. She was reluctant but agreed after discussing it with her publicist.

When she arrived at the penthouse where Trump was staying he emerged wearing “silk or satin pajamas which I immediately made fun of,” Daniels told the jury.

“I said ‘Does Mr Hefner know you stole his pajamas?’” she said in a reference to the outfit favored by the late Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner.

Trump changed clothes and they began talking about adult movies.

“He was very interested in a lot of the business stuff,” Daniels said.

Trump, who was married at the time to his current wife, Melania, suggested Daniels be on his hit reality television show, “The Apprentice,” she said.

Daniels said she went to the bathroom at one point and when she emerged Trump was on the bed in boxer shorts and a T-shirt.

“It startled me,” she said. “The intention was pretty clear.”

“I was not threatened verbally or physically,” Daniels said, although there was an “imbalance of power.”

She said they had brief sex on the bed “in missionary position” and Trump did not wear a condom.

“I felt ashamed I didn’t stop it, didn’t say no,” Daniels said.

Daniels said she met with Trump again on several occasions but cut off contact when it became clear she would not appear on “The Apprentice.”

After Trump announced his candidacy for president, Daniels said her publicist suggested she could sell her story and put her in touch with Keith Davidson, a Hollywood lawyer who testified previously at the trial.

“My motivation wasn’t money, it was to get the story out,” Daniels said.

She said she entered into a non-disclosure agreement in October 2016 on the eve of the presidential election negotiated by Davidson and Cohen for which she was paid $130,000.

“I couldn’t tell my story, he couldn’t tell the story,” she said.

After a lunch break, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche asked Judge Juan Merchan to declare a mistrial, objecting to some of Daniels’ testimony, particularly her claim that she was threatened in 2011 by a man in a Las Vegas parking garage who allegedly warned her not to talk about Trump.

“It’s extremely prejudicial to insert safety concerns into a trial about business records,” Blanche said.

Merchan denied the motion, saying “I don’t think we have reached a point where a mistrial is in order.”

Trump is under a partial gag order prohibiting him from publicly attacking witnesses, the jury or court staff.

Merchan has already fined him $10,000 for breaching the gag order and warned Trump he may face jail time for future violations.

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Since prisons were renamed correctional centres, we’ve had more jailbreaks, says Akpabio

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Senate President Godswill Akpabio says since the name of the Nigerian Prison Service was changed to Nigerian Correctional Service there have been more jailbreaks in the country.

Akpabio spoke on the floor of the senate on Tuesday while commenting on two pieces of legislation billed for concurrence.

The bills for concurrence were one to repeal and enact the law establishing Revenue Mobilsation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and another to repeal the Fire Service Act and enact Federal Fire and Rescue Service.

Abba Moro, senate minority leader, argued that there was no need to change the name because the “rescue component” is already part of the responsibility of the fire service.

“I do not think there is a need for that,” Moro said.

In his response, the senate president said there is a need to examine such laws.

“This is something to be looked at. When you are convicted, you are supposed to learn a skill,” Akpabio said.

“But since we changed the name to the correctional centre, there have been more jailbreaks.”

In 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the bill that changed the name of the Nigerian Prison Service to Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

The law provides that the correctional service is split into the custodial service and non-custodial service.

In the non-custodial service, convicts are eligible for community service, probation, and parole.

Since Buhari signed the bill into law, more than 1,000 inmates have escaped from correctional centres across the country.

On April 25, 119 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state, following a downpour.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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