The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • NDLEA arrests two Pakistani businessmen, blind Nigerien, son

    NDLEA arrests two Pakistani businessmen, blind Nigerien, son

    Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two Pakistani businessmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos allegedly with eight kilograms of cocaine.

    The illicit drug was concealed in a public address system while they were attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Lahole, Pakistan via Doha.

    Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, who announced this in a statement on Sunday, the two suspects: Asif Muhammed, 45 and Hussain Naveed, 57, hold Nigerian residence permits suspected to be fake and are frequent travellers to Nigeria under the guise of doing textile business.

    He also said two drug kingpins, Nnebo Ikechukwu Christopher and Omeje Oliver, who have been wanted were nabbed by operatives of the Agency.

    The statement reads: “They were arrested on Saturday 5th November at the Lagos airport barely a week after they came to Nigeria, that is, Sunday 30th October.

    “Operatives at the SAHCO import shed of the airport on Friday 4th November seized 13 cartons of Tramadol 225mg and 200mg imported from Karachi, Pakistan. The consignment has a total weight of 465.10kg and 642,800 pills of the pharmaceutical opioid.

    “The previous day, Thursday 3rd Nov, operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the airport also intercepted a consignment of different illicit drugs: Cannabis, Cocaine and Methamphetamine as well as Tramadol 225mg and Rohyphnol concealed in footwears and soap packs going to UAE, Dubai. A 32-year-old Oladitan Serah Olufunmilayo who presented the consignment for export was arrested.

    Nnebo Ikechukwu Christopher and Omeje Oliver

    “Meanwhile, two businessmen who have been on the run for months over their involvement in drug trafficking have been arrested by anti-narcotic officers assigned to track them. Nnebo Ikechukwu Christopher who has been wanted for his role in the importation of 40 cartons containing 346,800 pills of Co-codamol, a brand of paracetamol with Codeine seized at the cargo wing of the MMIA local airport since March 2022, was arrested on Thursday 3rd Nov.

    “In the same vein, operatives on the trail of an automobile parts dealer, Omeje Oliver (a.k.a David Mark) since April eventually arrested him on Monday 31st October in Enugu where he fled to after abandoning his business at Aspanda, Trade Fair Complex Lagos. He was wanted

    Read Also: NDLEA: We made no request to buy sniffer dogs in 2023 budget

    in connection with the seizure of 600 grams of heroin concealed inside soles of lady’s footwears going to Liberia on April 16.

    “On the same day Omeje was arrested, operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted 550 grams of cannabis loud concealed in machine parts going to Dubai, UAE, while the sender, Ogbure Victor Ifeanyi was later arrested.

    In Katsina state, operatives on patrol at Malumfashi-Zaria road, arrested a blind man, Bukar Haruna, 52, and his son Saka Haruna, 30 while heading to Niger republic with 20.5kg cannabis and 10 grams of exol-5. They hail from Damagram area of Niger Republic.

    “No less than 2, 685.5kgs of cannabis were recovered in four different operations conducted in parts of Edo state in the last week. While 53 bags of C/S weighing 742.5kgs were seized on Wednesday 2nd Nov at a camp in Esioriri, Owan East LGA with four suspects: Chukueke Igba, 32; Solomon Peter, 34; Emmanuel Jeremiah, 36 and Happiness Chidi, 37 arrested, another raid in the house of Joy Zubaru, 45, led to her arrest with 30.5kgs of cannabis recovered.

    “In the same vein, operatives on Thursday 3rd Nov stormed the Egbeta forest in Ovia North East where they recovered 112 bags of cannabis and 8 bags of seeds with a combined weight of 1,598.5kgs, while another team evacuated 27 bags of same substance weighing 314kgs at Amahor village in Igueben LGA.

    “In Mubi area of Adamawa, operatives on Tuesday 1st Nov. intercepted a Toyota Corolla car transporting 9,600 pills of tramadol. A follow-up operation later led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Mamuda Ramadan, (a.k.a Muller), while another suspect, Alhassan Muhammed, was arrested on Sunday 30th Oct. along Abuja-Kaduna express road, with 136,000 pills of tramadol concealed inside his car’s spare tyre.

    “While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Edo, Katsina, Adamawa, and Kaduna Commands of the Agency for the successful operations in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), CON, OFR urged them and their counterparts across the country not to rest on their oars until all drug syndicates operating in Nigeria are completely dismantled and the last gram of illicit substance taken out of the streets.”

  • Yoruba elders restate support for Tinubu

    Yoruba elders restate support for Tinubu

    Yoruba elders have re-affirmed their support for presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    They urged Nigerians, particularly Yorubas, to vote for Tinubu.

    They warned Yorubas not to allow a repeat of the 1963 First Republic election saga where about 40 percent of Yorubas were misled by political co-travellers to the defunct NCNC to support late Nnamdi Azikwe and later ran back to late Obafemi Awolowo to for forgiveness after his emergence.

    Read Also: Ibadan Baales, Mogajis endorse Tinubu

    A statement by Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), National Treasurer, Hon. Aremu Akindele, said Tinubu would repeat Awolowo’s giant strides through unprecedented, monumental developments for the nationm

    “Pa Fasoranti and Prof. Akintoye have spoken well and YCE aligns with the two elders statements, belief and support.

    “In the second republic, history want to repeat itself before Alhaji Wasiri Ibrahim pullout of NPP that Alhaji Wasiri formed when he realised that it has been hijacked by Igbos, Wasiri Ibrahim formed another party immediately GNPP to rescue those Nigerians that are progressive and see reasons with him from the bondage and domination of Igbo of the party he formed.”

    Akindele maintained the leadership qualities which Tinubu has exhibited since 1999 cannot be overemphasised, saying Tinubu’s legacy speaks volumes in terms of human development by bringing people from bottom to the peak and picking talents from different ethnic groups.

    He said the APC candidate is capable, competent, efficient and effective to deliver infrastructural development, economy revitalisation.

    He said the Yoruba nation cannot be misled in 2023 because Nigerians need a leader like Tinubu who can lead the nation to promised land.

  • APC inaugurates National Youth Mobilisation Committee for North-West

    APC inaugurates National Youth Mobilisation Committee for North-West

    The National Youth Mobilisation Committee for the North West of All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has been inaugurated with 57 members under the directorship of Barr. Bello Muhammad Goronyo who is also the APC North West Zonal Secretary.

    Inaugurating the committee members at the zonal headquarters in Kaduna at the weekend with all the members drawn across the seven States that make up the North West zone, Goronyo told the members that their appointments is a call to service.

    He informed them that among other duties is to coordinate an aggressive mobilisation of youths in the zone under the general guidance of the national youth coordinator as well as organise and identify leaders in each state and build their capacities to educate on the exercise of their democratic rights.

    The Committee is also expected to develop and implement Get Out The Vote (GOTV) strategies for targeting students youth clubs, the national youth council/national youth movement and first time voters withing the ages of 18-25 years.

    Read Also: 2023: Prominent PDP chieftians defect to APC in Sokoto, Zamfara

    According to him; “The committee is to also liaise with the grassroots mobilization directorate to implement door to door campaign and incentivisation of the youth”.

    According to Goronyo, the North West zone is the largest and most populous zone in Nigeria both in terms of votes and population and the committee is expected to take advantage of it and deliver votes that will give the desired victory to the party’s presidential candidate and his running mate.

    “32 percent of the votes is from the North West and with the presidential candidacy of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima, the votes will definitely surpass it.

    “As a committee, we will not let anything to chance, we will work to deliver on our terms of reference untill victory is achieved for our party in 2023,” he assured.

    ENDS

  • Four-year-old boy needs N15m for kidney treatment

    Four-year-old boy needs N15m for kidney treatment

    A four-year-old boy, Fortune Mfon, diagnosed with “right nephroblastoma” is in dire need of N15 million for treatment.

    Nephroblastoma is a kidney cancer that primarily affects children. Also known as Wilms’ tumor, it’s the most common cancer of the kidneys in children.

    The ailment, which was diagnosed in April 2021, has seen little Fortune and his parents move from one hospital to the other.

    The parents are faced with the challenge of raising the treatment money.

    Fortune was admitted for treatment at the National Hospital, Abuja, and underwent 21 cycle of chemotherapy and right nephrectomy but was referred to any center with a functional radiation machine for radiotherapy.

    The letter signed by Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. G.O Ezeh, disclosed that treatment will include neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery (right nephrectomy), adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy.

    According to the parents: “LUTH was the only center in the whole country to offer radiotherapy at the time he was referred.

    “Further investigation (MRI) offered some hope of a possible remission as the machine did not detect more cells and was recommended to further scan with a PET machine which was beyond the reach of his parents.

    “In March 2022, the lymph nodes around the pelvis started swelling and extended to the armpit and has persistently been growing till date.”

    They appealed to Nigerians, corporate bodies and the government to contribute towards their son’s treatment by donating into this account: Duke Mfon, Zenith Bank — 2177672385.

  • Passenger plane crashes into Lake Victoria in Tanzania

    Passenger plane crashes into Lake Victoria in Tanzania

    A passenger plane on Sunday crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania due to bad weather shortly before landing in the northwestern city of Bukoba.“

    There was an accident involving a Precision Air plane which… crashed into water about 100 metres from the airport,” regional police commander William Mwampaghale told reporters at Bukoba airport. He added that rescue efforts were underway.

    Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation said 15 people had been rescued so far but there was no immediate record on number of person on board or whether there were fatalities.

    Read Also; PHOTOS : Plane crashes into Lake Victoria

    Video footage and photos on social media showed the plane almost fully submerged with only its green and brown-colored tail above water.

    Tanzania’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan has called for calm as rescue operations continue.

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    Dele Alake: Knowledge, vision, courage stand Tinubu out

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  • PDP lifts suspension of Katsina Gov candidate

    The Katsina chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has lifted the suspension of its governorship candidate Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke over alleged anti-party activities

    Katsina PDP Acting chairman Alhaji Salisu Lawal Uli said the lifting of the suspension is a fallout of an official decision taken shortly after his appointment as the acting Chairman of the PDP in Katsina State.

    The Nation recalls Senator Danmarke was slammed a one- month suspension by former chairman of the party in Katsina, Alhaji Salisu Majigiri, for allegedly not following the rules and regulations” of the party.

    Uli, who was formerly the Deputy chairman of the party, was recently appointed on acting capacity by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP.

    The National Organisng Secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Umar Bature, in a statement confirmed the lifting of the suspension in a letter to Senator Danmarke.

    Read Also: Amaechi’s ex-commissioner Ibim Semenitari joins rivers PDP

    The organising secretary, further disclosed that the lifting of the suspension was an official decision taken shortly after the appointment of Alhaji Salisu Lawal Uli as acting Chairman of the PDP in Katsina State.

    A letter by Uli to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, spelt out the conditions for lifting the suspension in a letter.

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    The letter reads: “I humbly wish to write on behalf of the state working committee based on consultation with elders of the party at both state and national levels to lift the one month suspension of Katsina State PDP on the party’s gubernatorial candidate’’

    “That you will identify totally with PDP’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, recognise and work with the Katsina leadership of the party under the acting chairmanship of Salisu Lawal Uli, the PDP working committee and other duly elected party structure at all levels.”

  • PHOTOS : Plane crashes into Lake Victoria

    PHOTOS : Plane crashes into Lake Victoria

    A plane belonging to Precision Air has crashed into Lake Victoria in Bukoba in Tanzania’s Kagera region on Sunday.
    CREDIT: Twitter | rakidi

  • Nigeria deserves permanent UN Security Council seat – Presidency

    Nigeria deserves permanent UN Security Council seat – Presidency

    With Nigeria’s potential status as the third most populated country in the world by 2050, Nigeria definitely deserves a permanent seat of the United Nations’ Security Council, the Presidency argued at the weekend.

    Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, stated this when addressing members of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative (LMI) on a learning visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to a statement on Sunday by Assistant Director of Information at the Villa, Patience Tilley-Gyado, Gambari said Nigeria cannot be ignored in international affairs, considering its contributions to international peacekeeping and economic potential.

    The Chief of Staff also declared that President Buhari will be remembered for leaving a legacy of free and fair elections as well as massive investments in infrastructure across the country.

    He said the President has laid a solid foundation for youth empowerment.

    On Nigeria’s quest for the expansion of the 15-member Security Council, Gambari, who has served as Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Permanent Representative to the UN in New York and first Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General on Africa (1999-2005), told the young people on excursion to the State House:

    ”I think you are fortunate to be born a Nigerian. By the year 2050, according to UN statistics, Nigeria will be the third most populous country in the world after India and China.

    ”A country that is the third most populated in the world must remain united, strong and prosperous and cannot be ignored in international affairs.

    ”If you are the third most populous country in the world then the campaign for a permanent seat in the United Nations’ Security Council is one that we will find enormous support because you cannot ignore its people and potentials.”

    On the legacies of President Buhari, particularly his respect for the constitutional term limit, Gambari said:

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    ”Mr. President will be remembered for his commitment to free and fair elections in this country. He has said it many times that Nigerians must be respected, their votes must count and he is committed to leaving by the time the administration comes to an end on May 29, 2023.”

    The Chief of Staff added that President Buhari has led by example on probity and accountability in governance, stressing that the nation will also remember him for that.

    ”When people talk about the legacies President Buhari is leaving behind, it is important to mention the infrastructure legacy- the 2nd Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Abuja-Kano expressway, the network of roads and railways across the country, the ports and the power sector.

    ”It is important to emphasize power, because without it and infrastructure the full stature of a nation cannot be realized.”

    On the President’s commitment to youth development, Gambari noted that the recently signed Startup Act 2022 has the youth as major beneficiary, as it recognizes the creativity of youths and seeks to empower them as productive entrepreneurs.

    He described the projected contribution of the Act to the national economy as tremendous, citing successes recorded in Morocco, Tunisia and India.

    Gambari commended the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Founder of LMI, Femi Gbajabiamilla, for making an impact in the lives of young people through training and mentoring the next generation of legislators and ethical public sector leaders.

    He urged the LMI fellows to maintain close contacts with each other, remain focused and united in order to overcome the challenges facing the nation.

    ”People refer to you as leaders of tomorrow. I think it is a misnomer. You are already leaders of today because Nigeria depends on what you do and the part you have taken.

    ”You are Fellows-in-Training that are already leaders of today because you have been selected from over millions of other possibilities shows that you are already making a mark.

    ”Do not be intimidated by titles like ‘Chief of Staff’, because we all started from somewhere,” Gambari told the LMI programme fellows, recounting his humble beginnings from a ‘village primary school’ in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    Welcoming the Fellows-in-Training to State House, the Permanent Secretary, Tijjani Umar, engaged them on the history, role and priorities of State House in providing top notch services to the President and Vice President towards the effective discharge of their responsibilities to Nigeria.

    The Permanent Secretary also explained the functions of the Principal Officers to the President and the Vice President.

    Umar expressed the willingness of the top management of State House to support the process of building a new generation of public sector leaders.

    Mr Dapo Oyewole, Director LMI, who represented the Speaker, commended the Chief of Staff and the Permanent Secretary for hosting the LMI Fellows-in-Training.

    ”By opening the doors of State House and allowing the Fellows-in-Training to come in on the last day of their intensive training, opens a massive door of possibilities and opportunities to them,” he said.

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  • Skit maker Cute Abiola resigns from Navy

    Skit maker Cute Abiola resigns from Navy

    Popular skit maker Abdulgafar Ahmad aka Cute Abiola has resigned from the Navy.

    He made the announcement via his verified social media handles after being appointed Special Assistant on Creative Industries by Kwara Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq.

    The resignation, according to the 26-year-old comic actor, was necessary for him to pursue his dream.
    He appreciated the Navy for instilling moral values, work ethics among others in him.

    Navy authorities arrested and detained Cute Abiola November 15, 2021 for wearing police uniform in one of his skits and ridiculing the Police Force which violates the Armed Forces Social media policy

    He wrote: “With profound gratitude, I deeply appreciate the Nigerian Navy for giving me the uncommon opportunity to imbibe discipline through a regimented procedure in the areas of career development, moral values, work ethics, to mention but a few. I can dauntlessly say (sic) that, I have the required intelligence and human development finesse to continue to live a prosperous life.

    “I urge all my fans to join me in appreciating the Chief of Naval Staff and all my senior colleagues for contributing immensely to my career development, while I used their pedestal to realize my duty of protecting and defending our dear Country. Sincerely, Nigerian Navy has become my roadmap to a sustainable career path.

    Read Also: Cute Abiola advises fans not to give up

    “I was overwhelmed with regards to the approval of my exit from the Navy by the Chief of Naval Staff so as for me to have enough time to passionately pursue my dreams. This singular act of the Chief of Naval Staff is highly terrific and it shows how the Navy is very passionate about the dreams of their officers.

    “I am still a part of the Nigerian Navy family, and I promise to continue to positively represent the Nigerian Navy either in Nigeria or abroad. I am proud to have served in Such an institution like the Nigerian Navy.

    “I want to sincerely appreciate all my Senior Colleagues, colleagues and junior colleagues who were very instrumental to my success story, for my wish to you is fair winds and following seas, because I know you will remain always faithful. Thank you the Nigerian Navy.”

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  • Ibadan Baales, Mogajis endorse Tinubu

    Ibadan Baales, Mogajis endorse Tinubu

    Baales and family heads (Mogajis) in Ibadanland have thrown their weight behind presidential candidate of All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    They said apart from being a Yoruba man, Tinubu’s pedigree and antecedents stand him out among other contestants for the post.

    The Baales were led by their chairman, Elder Taye Ayorinde while the Mogajis were led by President of the Association of Ibadan Mogajis, Asimiyu Ariori.

    They said they endorsed Tinubu because they believe he would bring effective development to Ibadan and Yorubaland as a whole.

    They maintained that Tinubu if elected would resolve challenges facing the nation and make Nigeria great again.

    The converner of Southwest Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA), Hon Oyetunji Ojo said Southwest would deliver 15m votes for Tinubu, saying this is achieveable by mobilising the grassroots with the right approach.

    Read Also:Tinubu visits Bayelsa IDP camps, donates N50m

    He noted that over 10,000 Baales, Mogajis and Kings in Ibadanland have signed and showed interest to support of the APC candidate, claiming that this was instructed by Olubadan who sent a representative to deliver his message at the event.

    He however said though Atiku Abubakar of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is not a small contestant, that is why they are working tiredelessly for the emergence of Tinubu.

    The Chief host, Engr Dotun Sanusi, urged Nigerians not to allow anybody to deceive them with religion, saying Tinubu is not a religious fanatic.

    He said: “Tinubu is the best man for the job, we don’t care if they call us militan6t because of Tinubu. The only person I can boast of to address all the needs of Ibadan people and Yoruba as a whole if elected is Tinubu. I didn’t speak alone, all of us here have spoken, we stand on the mandate of Asiwaju.”