Crime
NDLEA arrests two businessmen, Canada-based nurse at Lagos airport for ‘drug trafficking’
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested two businessmen – Ihejirika Emmanuel and Iwuagwu Victory – at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos for drug trafficking.
In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the agency also arrested Usman Olami, a Canada-based nurse, for attempting to import parcels of loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, through the airport.
“Ihejirika who frequents Thailand from where he claims to be importing fish into Nigeria was arrested on Tuesday 15th October 2024 while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Thailand via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” the statement reads.
“In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport on Thursday 17th October intercepted a 26-year-old businessman Iwuagwu Ikedi Victory coming from Brazil via Addis Ababa during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight. His body scan revealed the ingestion of illicit drugs. When he was put under observation, he excreted a pellet of cocaine weighing 22 grams.
“Meanwhile, a Nigerian Canadian nurse Usman Grace Khadijat Olami was on 4th October arrested by NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport during the inward clearance of Air France passengers from Toronto, Canada via Paris. During a search of her luggage, a total of 70 parcels of Canadian Loud, weighing 35.70kg were recovered from her.”
Babafemi added that a total of 162,351 bottles of codeine-based syrup were intercepted from two containers at the Apapa seaport in Lagos by NDLEA operatives during a joint examination of two containers with men of the Customs service and other security agencies on October 15, 2024.
“On the same day, along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the operatives arrested one Andrew Joseph Anoriode with 3kg methamphetamine and 1.90kg cannabis along, while 241kg of the same substance was recovered at Gbaji, Badagry area of the state,” he said.
“A suspected meth cook, Agbeiboh Oscar, was nabbed the same day at Abule Osun with 265grams of methamphetamine and different quantities of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine and others.
“Similarly, at One Port Complex in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, not less 7,200,000 pills of Royal 225mg Tapentadol and Carisoprodol worth N3.6 billion in street value were seized from a watch-listed container from India.
“In the same container, 780 cartons of chlorphenamine containing 15,600,000 pills of the opioid, were also recovered.
“From two other watch-listed containers equally searched at the port in Onne, a total of 337,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N2,359,000,000 were recovered from them on Tuesday 15th and Thursday 17th October.
“This brings the total value of the seized Tapentadol, Carisoprodol and Codeine consignments at the two seaports to N7,095,457,000.”
The agency added that in Edo state, a raid at Illushi forest in Esan south-east LGA led to the destruction of 10,590.36kg cannabis spread on 4.236144 hectares of farmland.
“65 years old Benson Upuoni, and 35 years old Sunday Nwaeboyi were arrested in connection with the operation,” Babafemi said.
“In Bauchi state, Sunday Jonathan Ogenyi, a suspect, was arrested along Bauchi-Jos road with 76,600 pills of tramadol concealed in false compartments of his Toyota Sienna vehicle.
“In Ondo state, the operatives arrested three suspects – Goddey Obizuo; Samuel Aniete; and Kuffrey Aniete – at Afo village where 672kg cannabis sativa was seized from them.”
Babafemi said the operatives are relentlessly continuing their war against drug abuse (WADA) and are taking sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities, among other places.
Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the operatives, saying their efforts are a balanced approach to drug supply and demand reduction.
Crime
Thieves cart away cows meant for church harvest celebration
Suspected thieves have carted away two cows from the premises of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) Testimony Parish in the Egbeda area of Oyo state.
In a post published on its Facebook page, the church said the stolen cows, bought at N1.9 million, were meant for its annual adult harvest thanksgiving celebration.
The incident happened on November 11 as the church prepared for the celebration slated for November 17.
After days of searching for the missing cows, the church solicited for financial contributions to buy new cows for the harvest celebration.
“Dear Celestians and The General public, This 2 Huge Cows was stolen where it was Tied in The Church Premises at CCC Testimony parish Elerumoke Area, Egbeda, Iyana Ajia and its meant for slaughter for the 9th adult harvest thanksgiving of the church coming up this Sunday 17th November 2024,” the church wrote on Facebook.
“We hereby solicit for your prayer for quick recovery of this harvest thanksgiving sacrificial materials.
“Anybody with useful information on how to recover these cows or any means of assistance to make the harvest thanksgiving a beautiful one should contact the parish shepherd.”
Crime
NDLEA arrests businessman for smuggling cocaine through ingestion
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has announced the arrest of a businessman caught with a large quantity of cocaine.
Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed the arrest on Sunday via his X account, accompanied by a video displaying the seized contraband.
The businessman, whose identity has not been disclosed, reportedly ingested a substantial quantity of cocaine in an attempt to avoid detection.
Babafemi wrote, “Detty December: Before you swallow those drugs, please remember that the new @ndlea_nigeria has the capacity and capability to catch you.
“The businessman who excreted this amount of cocaine will not only spend Christmas behind bars but also risks a life sentence at the end of his trial. Beware!”
Crime
UK teenager risks 20 years in Dubai prison for sex with 17-year-old girl
An 18-year-old British boy has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old girl in Dubai.
Detained in Dubai, a group of UAE legal experts, said the teenager was on holiday with his parents when he met the girl — who is now 18 — at the same hotel.
The teenagers who are both from London were said to have made plans to continue their romance when they returned to the UK.
The group, which campaigns to help people it says have suffered injustice in the UAE, said the young man was charged because the girl’s mother found their chats and pictures back in the UK.
It was gathered that the woman subsequently contacted police in Dubai and he was arrested.
The boy however claimed he was unaware that the girl was younger than him when they met. The teenager also disclosed that he was in police custody for three days and was unable to contact his parents.
“We had a wonderful time together. We really liked each other but she was secretive with her family because they were strict,” he told Detained in Dubai.
“My parents knew about our relationship but she couldn’t tell hers. She had to meet me without telling them it was to see a boy.
“When she left, I couldn’t wait to see her again when I got home. Then suddenly, police knocked on our hotel door. They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn’t tell me why. I was frightened and my parents were terrified.”
The teenager, it is understood, could face up to two decades in prison owing to Dubai’s strict laws regarding sex outside marriage.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of the campaign group, said Dubai recently legalised out-of-wedlock sex for tourists but “still hosts a strict Islamic legal system”.
“Sex outside marriage is legal for tourists but only if both parties are over 18. The girl was just a few months younger than Marcus and he didn’t know that at the time,” Stirling said.
“Since his arrest, she has turned 18. This is not something Dubai should be prosecuting.
“Parents will be scared to take their older teenagers on vacation with them where they could end up losing their lives over behaviour that’s completely legal in their own countries.”
The teenager and his family have called on foreign secretary David Lammy, their local MP, to intervene in the case.
The teenager is no longer being held in a police cell but is unable to leave the country, with his family facing bills of £2,000 for Airbnb accommodation until his case is resolved.
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