Metro
NDLEA Outfires Drug Dealers, Seizes Trucks of Illicit Drugs in Lagos, Intercepts NPS in Ogun, Others
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have seized a total of 8,852 kilograms (8.8 tons) of Canadian Loud, an imported synthetic strain of cannabis, at the Eleko beach road in Lekki area of Lagos after a 30-minute gun fight with armed men who were escorting the consignment loaded in two long trucks.
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives had laid ambush for the traffickers along the Eleko beach road in Lekki and at about 4:51am on Thursday 4th May, two long trucks conveying the illicit consignments were flagged down but rather than stopping, the trucks escorted by armed men sped off, as a result of which there was an exchange of gunfire that lasted 30 minutes. After they were overpowered by the NDLEA operatives, the truck drivers and their armed escorts escaped into the bush abandoning the trucks and the drug consignments.
While one of the trucks painted red has 149 jumbo bags weighing 6,548kg, the second one with blue colour has 53 big bags with a weight of 2,304kg, bringing the total number of bags to 202 and gross weight of both to 8,852 kilograms. Meanwhile, operatives are already on the trail of the drug lord who shipped the illicit consignment into the country.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives also intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle driven by one Mukaila Idowu, conveying 88.3kg skunk at Otedola bridge, Ikeja area of Lagos, while another suspect, Joseph Friday was arrested on Saturday 6th May at Iyana Ira, Lagos with 58.7kg cannabis sativa concealed inside his Toyota Camry car marked FST 587FH.
In Ogun state, operatives in the early hours of Wednesday 3rd May busted a mini factory where a suspect, Bakare Taofeek was producing skucchies around Safari Onikolobo, Abeokuta. Exhibits recovered from him include: 4kg black currant drink (Sobo) mixed with cannabis; 255 litres of skucchies; 1,880 tablets of tramadol; 735 grams of cannabis; three deep freezers; 2 gas cylinders and two cooking pots among others.
In the same vein, operatives in Adamawa arrested a suspect, Sahabi Mohammed, 39, with 8,800 tablets of tramadol and counterfeit N60,000-naira notes, while another suspect, Bala Ali Umar, was arrested on Wednesday 3rd May with 2.850kg cannabis sativa and 825 litres of formalin popularly known as ‘Suck and Die’ at Anguwar Laka, Numan LGA.
In Edo state, a Toyota Previa bus marked NER 460 XA (Bayelsa) conveying 13,000 pills of tramadol and diazepam was intercepted along Ewohimi road, heading to Ekiti state, while the driver of the vehicle, Femi Oluwadare, was taken into custody on Friday 5th May.
Similarly, another suspect, Ahmed Rafi’u, 34, was arrested with 84 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 43.200kg, by operatives in Kogi state, while 381.1kg of the same substance was recovered from three suspects travelling in a Sienna bus in Anambra state.
They include: Innocent Saturday; Sunday Asuquo and Akpan Asukuma who were arrested by a combined patrol team of security agents comprising NDLEA operatives and other security agencies at Nneobi, Anambra state.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms have intercepted blocks of compressed brown methamphetamine packaged as soap bars weighing 1.54 kilograms going to Australia.
The seizure at a courier house in Lagos on Tuesday 2nd May was a follow up operation to an earlier interception of 3.389kg of the same substance on 23rd February 2023. A suspected drug courier, Paul Adetigbe who delivered the previous parcel was eventually arrested with the latest consignment.
While commending the officers and men of Lagos, Ogun, Adamawa, Edo, Kogi and Anambra Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for their vigilance and professionalism, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their peers across the country to step up in their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has inaugurated an 11-man Committee to conduct a thorough investigation and review of the decisions on dismissal and suspension of Cadets by the Disciplinary Committee of the Police Academy, Wudil, Kano.
A statement by the Deputy Director (Information & Public Relations), Mr. Bolaji Kazeem, and made available to National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), reveal that the committee which had the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Police Affairs as Chairman comprises representatives of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF); DIG of the Zone; Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement; Director, Police Service Department; Legal Department; Federal Civil Service Commission.
Others are the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Registrar POLAC and Director, Human Resources Management – Member/Secretary were inaugurated at the Headquarters of the Ministry in Abuja.
The Minister pointed out that a thorough investigation and review of the decisions must be conducted following passionate appeals received from some students and parents/guardians of the affected students.
Gaidam revealed that the Disciplinary Committee of Police Academy, Wudil, Kano after various investigations and consideration, unanimously recommended the suspension and discharge of some cadets who were found guilty of committing various infractions in the school including smoking Indian hemp, drinking alcohol, damaging property among others.
In his words, “The recent incidents that have brought us to this moment are a cause for concern, but they also present an opportunity for reflection and improvement. We must approach this investigation with diligence, fairness, and an unwavering commitment to the truth”.
He noted that the objective is not only to address the specific cases at hand but also to reinforce the standards of conduct that define our academy and the values we hold dear and commitment to uphold the integrity and excellence of our esteemed institution—the Nigeria Police Academy.
According to him, “The Nigeria Police Academy stands as a beacon of hope and a pillar of our nation’s security framework. It is here that we mold the future leaders of our police force. However, we are acutely aware that the challenges we face are significant. We cannot afford to allow this credible institution to be turned into a breeding ground for criminals, drug addicts, troublemakers, and law-breakers. Our mission is clear: to produce well-disciplined, thoroughly trained, and professional police officers who not only understand the law but embody it in their actions”.
The Minister charged the committee to be mindful of the broader implications of their work as the integrity of our academy reflects on the entire policing system in Nigeria. It is our duty to ensure that every cadet who walks through these halls emerges not only as a law enforcement officer but as a paragon of virtue and professionalism. Gaidam stressed.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary/Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Yusuf Abubakar Argungu stated that the Ministry received an avalanche of appeals and requests for the review of the decisions of the Nigeria Police Academy, and the Minister directed for the constitution of a committee to look into the matter for fairness and justice before the approval of the Ministry
Leading payment services bank, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank (MMPSB) continues to delight its existing customers with various freebies for every transaction.
The bank recently announced the launch of a new 100MB data offer for new customers. The initiative aims to encourage people with little or no access to banking services to set up their own mobile wallets using the bank’s USSD banking platform. The promotion is available to Glo customers using the bank’s USSD bank code, *995#.
A few weeks ago, MoneyMaster introduced a 10 percent data bonus on top-ups of 1,000 naira and above for existing and new customers on the Glo network. The offer was rated as one of the best offers in the country in terms of the amount of data offered. Data purchases are valid for 30 days, and any unused data can be rolled over to your next plan.
Commenting on the data offer, Julius Arhebun, head of agency banking at MoneyMaster, said: “as a payment service bank, one of our core mandates is to promote financial inclusion. This offer builds on the various financial education we have been providing online and across our various customer touchpoints.
“With this new 100MB offer, we want to encourage Nigerians in the unbanked and underbanked pools to be financially included by having at least a mobile wallet. The account number of this mobile wallet is derived from their mobile number, and can be easily recalled,” he noted.
MoneyMaster PSB is a leading provider of innovative digital financial products and services that transform lives and contribute to sustainable living. With a mission to deepen financial inclusion, MoneyMaster has been instrumental in providing financial technology services to bridge the gap between the banked, unbanked and underbanked.
Leading real estate and property firm, Adron Homes and Properties, has announced the postponement of the earlier advertised seventh edition of the Adron Homes Games, with the theme Fit to be the Biggest.
The postponement, according to a statement signed by the Group’s Managing Director, Adenike Ajobo, and made available to Pointblank.ng, is as a result security concerns as the company prioritizes the security of its staff, attendees and participants.
Recall that the sports fiesta, originally billed to take place on November 29 and 30, 2024, was scheduled to hold at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
Read the statement in full:
POSTPONEMENT OF ADRON GAMES 2024
Adron Homes wishes to announce the cancellation of the much-anticipated Adron Games 2024.
This decision, was made in the best interest of all participants, stakeholders, and the broader community. The postponement is necessitated by heightened security concerns in certain regions that could potentially jeopardize the safety of staff, attendees and participants.
As an organization that is committed to the well-being of its staffs, partners and everyone involved, priority is designated to safety and security above all else. Also, the organization is taking this opportunity to rethink and restructure its sporting initiatives to ensure public inclusivity
and as part of efforts to enhance and expand the impact of its wellness programs, the Adron Games will evolve into a broader, more inclusive sporting initiative.
This transformation will foster collaboration, unity, and healthy competition among a wider array of participants, and will embody the same spirit of excellence, teamwork, and wellness that the Adron Games has championed over the years.
We deeply regret any inconvenience this decision may cause and hereby extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued staff, participants, partners, ambassadors and supporters for their understanding and continued trust in Adron Homes.
Adron Homes remains committed to inspiring excellence and fostering community engagement through corporate wellness initiatives such as Adron Games at all times.
