Crime
Europe-bound teenage student arrested with Meth consignment in Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a teenage student, Benjamin Nnamani Daberechi, 19, with Methamphetamine drugs concealed inside crayfish.
NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi revealed this in a statement shared on the agency’s Facebook page on Sunday.
Daberechi attempted to export 7.2 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in a crayfish sack to Europe where he was going for undergraduate studies, the statement said.
The statement partly read, “The teenage suspect was intercepted on Wednesday 12th July, during an outward clearance of passengers on Turkish Airlines flight TK 0624.
“While being interviewed by operatives, Daberechi claimed he was a student on his way to Cyprus for studies, but upon a thorough search of his luggage, he was found possessing 7.2kg of whitish substance neatly concealed inside a sack of crayfish. A field test of the substance however proved it is Methamphetamine.
“In the same vein, operatives of the Tincan Port Command of the Agency on Tuesday 11th July intercepted 116.5kg consignment of Colorado, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in bags hidden in a heap of used vehicles parts on the floor of a container marked FCIU 8459700, bearing three units of used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada.
“Based on intelligence, the Agency had requested a 100 per cent examination of the container which arrived at the TICT terminal of the port on 14th June. A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs, DSS, and other stakeholders on Tuesday 11th July however led to the discovery of 233 parcels of the illicit substance stashed inside travelling bags on the floor of the container, covered with used vehicle spare parts.
“Another suspect, Ibrahim Analu, 28, carrying 336 grams of skunk stuffed inside computer hard drives going to Dubai, UAE, was seized at a courier firm and was arrested at Iddo motor park, Lagos while attempting to send 151,700 pills of opioids to Kaduna. A total of 4.830kg skunk was also discovered at another courier firm in a shipment from Douala, Cameroon passing through Nigeria to Oman. The drug was concealed in 10 of 12 cans of palm fruit paste, locally called Banga, packed in a carton.
“Meanwhile, a Lekki Lagos-based female lawyer, Ebikpolade Helen, who specialises in the production and distribution of ‘skuchies,’ a mixture of cannabis, opioids, and black currant has been arrested in a follow-up operation in Awka, Anambra state following an earlier seizure of 5kg cannabis and 12 bottles of prepared skuchies in her apartment at Lekki.
“Abubakar Shuaibu was arrested on Thursday 13th July at Cappa, Mushin/Oshodi road with 86 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 8.6 litres in his Toyota bus marked FFA 241YB, two other suspects: Razak Ogunbo and Adeola Idowu were nabbed Tuesday 11th July at Ikorodu with 51 litres of scrunchies. This is even as 372kg cannabis sativa and 48 bottles of scrunchies measuring 48 litres were recovered from the home of a fleeing drug dealer at Akala, Mushin Lagos on Wednesday 12th July.”
Eighteen people were killed on Saturday when four suicide bombers set off improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Gwoza, Borno State, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has said.
The attack, one of the deadliest reported in the state in recent months, injured more than 30 persons. The degree of injuries ranges from abdominal ruptures to skull and limb fractures.
The Director-General of SEMA, Barkindo Saidu, said he witnessed the first blast.
“In my presence, at about 3 pm, the first bomb blast in Gwoza occurred, detonated by a female suicide bomber in the midst of the marriage ceremony celebration,” he wrote in a situation report later in the day.
“It affected more than 30 persons with various levels of injuries and instant death. Some minutes later, another blast occurred around General Hospital.”
The wedding was held at Tashan Mararaba near the Fire Service in Gwoza town.
A survivor said the first bomber was carrying a baby on her back when she stormed the venue and detonated the IED.
As people gathered to bury those killed at the wedding, Saidu said a third bomber, a lady, detonated another IED with a lot of casualties.
While emergency officials were in the hospital coordinating the rescue mission, a fourth blast was set off by a female teenager.
“So far, 18 deaths comprise children, adult males, females, and pregnant women. 19 seriously injured were conveyed to Maiduguri in four ambulances,” Saidu said.
At the time he released the situation report, he said 23 were waiting for military escort “in the Medical Regimental Services (MRS) Clinic.”
The evacuation of the injured continued into the night with the SEMA DG, who was in Gwoza when the attacks occurred, coordinating the process from there.
He also said he had received a report of a suspected suicide bomber in Pulka but did not provide further details about that.
The military has imposed a curfew in Gwoza LGA in the wake of the attacks.
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has expressed shock over the boldness displayed by certain drug dealers, who have obtained court orders for the release of confiscated illicit drug shipments.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesperson, Sunusi Tofa, the governor disclosed that he was shocked by their actions during his visit to the Kano Road Traffic Agency where he was briefed on the situation.
The governor’s amazement was evident as he discovered that some individuals who engaged in the illicit drug trade had successfully procured court orders for the release of their seized contraband.
He expressed surprise over the judge’s reasoning for issuing such questionable orders, emphasising the severity of the issue at hand.
Worried by the unfortunate development, the governor instructed the State Attorney General to formulate a comprehensive strategy to prevent drug traffickers from exploiting legal loopholes in the future.
He stressed the need for collaboration between the judiciary and the government, so as to shield the state from the dangers posed by drug trafficking.
Recognising the diligence of KAROTA in apprehending illicit drugs, the governor urged the agency to take the requisite actions to eliminate the confiscated substances.
Reiterating his administration’s unwavering dedication to combating drug smuggling within the state, Yusuf affirmed the state government’s assistance to agencies committed to tackling drug trafficking and abuse.
The Governor, who underscored the seriousness of the drug trafficking dilemma, called for the urgent need for a unified endeavour to protect the state from the menace of illicit substances.
The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended two robbery suspects, Musa Ibrahim (30) and Ibrahim Danjuma (22), who carried out a robbery attack on a woman in her shop in the Imude area of Ojo Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
He wrote, “30-year old Musa Ibrahim and 22-year old Ibrahim Danjuma robbed a woman in her shop at about 11pm in the Imude area of Ojo LGA. The police were alerted and a patrol team from Ilemba Hausa Division swiftly responded.
“The suspects were apprehended with the help of community members. A locally made firearm was recovered. Indeed, security is everyone’s business.”
SP Hundeyin’s post highlighted the collaborative efforts between the police and the community, emphasising the importance of collective security measures in tackling crime.
The prompt response by the Ilemba Hausa Division and the assistance from community members played a crucial role in the swift apprehension of the suspects and the recovery of the weapon used in the robbery.
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