The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Kenyan dancer, two others held for drug trafficking

    Kenyan dancer, two others held for drug trafficking

    A Kenyan woman dancer and two Nigerians have been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, for alleged drug trafficking.

    Odhiambo Susan Samira Johnson (42) from Kenya was caught with narcotics concealed in a school bags.

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the four blue parcel of white powdery substance found in her possession tested positive for cocaine. The substance was said to have weighed 5.345kg.

    The Nigerians, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, (41) and Ndubuisi Offormadu Innocent (49) who are parts dealers in Uganda, were caught allegedly importing 6.250kg of cocaine and 1.490kg of heroin into the country. The seized drugs weighed 13.085kg comprising 11.595kg of cocaine and 1.490kg of heroin.

    NDLEA Airport commander Hamza Umar said the suspects were apprehended trying to smuggle drugs into the country.

    Umar said: “We are investigating three suspected drug traffickers for importing narcotics into the country.

    “They include a Kenyan, Odhiambo Susan Samira Johnson who imported 5.345kg of cocaine from Bujumbura, Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu, for importing 6.250kg of cocaine from Uganda and Ndubuisi Offormadu Innocent who imported 1.490kg of heroin also from Uganda. In all, a total of 13.085kg of narcotics was recovered from them.”

    Susan, who was born in Mombasa travelled with Kenyan International passport with number A1536020. She departed Bujumbura in Burundi en-route Nairobi to Lagos on a Kenyan Airways flight.

    During routine screening, she was found with four parcels of cocaine concealed in school bags.

    Susan said she is a professional dancer in Kenya.

    “I was given the school bags in Bujumbura by a friend to deliver in Nigeria. When I got to the airport in Lagos, they searched my luggage and found the drugs,” she said.

    Chinedu, who hails from Anambra State, boarded an Ethiopian Airline flight from Kampala en-route Addis Ababa to Lagos.

    “I have lived in Uganda for two years. I am married with two children. I came to Nigeria to attend my brother’s marriage ceremony. While I was preparing to leave Uganda, my friend gave me a bag to take to his brother who lives in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the drug was detected,” he said.

    Innocent, who hails from Abia State, said he is a victim of circumstance.

    “I went to a friend in Uganda to lend me some money but he gave me the option of drug trafficking. I decided to give it a trial for the very first time and it turned out this way. I was promised $3,000 but I am very sad now because I am missing my wife and four children. I have lived in Uganda for 18 years,” he said.

  • Businessman in court for N35m ‘fraud’

    A Lagos-based businessman, Elvis Ezeani, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja High Court in Lagos for allegedly defrauding a Bureau de Change operator (BDC) of N35 million.

    He is accused of conspiring with a convict Joseph Morah to defraud Mr Anwalu Abdulrahman.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Morah had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the same offences by Justice Sadiq Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    EFCC counsel Aliu Yusuf told Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye that the accused conspired with Morah to defraud their victim on May 25, 2006.

    Yusuf said Ezeani allegedly obtained N13.5 million and $143,620 from Abdulrahman on separate occasions to transfer on his behalf to his brother in Ghana.

    “Ezeani did not carry out the transactions as agreed between him and the complainant after collecting the money,’’ the prosecutor said.

    Ezeani, he said, violated the administrative bail granted him by the EFCC and was re-arrested in February 2014.

    Yusuf said the accused contravened Sections 1(2) (3) and 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2004.

    The offence of obtaining by false pretences attracts seven years imprisonment.

    Ipaye granted the accused N5 million bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    The judge ordered that the sureties must produce evidence of three years tax payment, adding that their addresses must be verified by the court’s registrar.

    She directed the accused to deposit his international passport with the Chief Registrar of the Lagos State High Court.

    “His passport must only be released to him on this court’s permission,’’ she said.

    The judge adjourned the matter till June 2.

     

  • 100 shanties, paint chemicals go up in flames

    About 100 shanties and drums of vehicle paint chemicals were yesterday destroyed by fire in Lagos.

    The fire swept through Ijora, Ojo and Ikotun areas of the state.

    The Ijora fire, it was learnt, started at about 1am and was caused by candle light.

    A resident was said to have lit a candle and gone to bed.

    The Nation gathered that the fire razed over 100 shanties; it also destroyed a trailer parked on the Iganmu side of the community.

    At Ojo, 12 ATM batteries were destroyed when a Skye Bank branch caught fire.

    House 33, Onile Wura, Street in Ikotun accommodating about nine warehouses, also went up in flames.

    Firemen were able to restrict the inferno to Iron Product Industries, where it started.

    It was learnt that the fire followed an explosion of vehicle paint chemicals.

    Several brand new vehicles, including trailers, it was learnt were parked in the premises but saved from the fire.

    Director, Lagos State Fire Service Rasaq Fadipe said there were no casualties.

    He said: “We received the fire alert for Ikotun around 1:30am, Ijora at 1:40am and Ojo at 5:56am.

    “It took us five hours with three water trucks to combat the Ikotun outbreak while that of the Skye Bank was limited to the ATM and affected 12 of the 24 batteries.

    “The place was smoke logged and so, my men had to put on their breathing apparatus to avoid suffocation. It took about an hour and 30 minutes to contain it.”

    Fadipe noted that residents of Ijora and similar areas do not adhere to fire safety regulations.

  • He’s an alcoholic, says wife of husband

    A 33-year-old woman, Taiwo Fadugba, has sought the dissolution of her eight-year-old marriage to her husband, Tope, at a Lagos Island Customary Court.

    She is accusing him of avoiding his responsibilities as a father.

    The petitioner, who lives at Vincent Street, Lagos Island, said since they got married, he never contributed to the upkeep of the home.

    “Few months after we got married, my husband travelled out of the country spending four years without getting in touch with me. I was shocked to see him again after four years saying he was deported. I was confused because after he travelled, I had a child for another man who stood by me when I was lonely,” Mrs Fadugba said.

    She said she had to accept him because there was no disagreement before he left.

    Mrs Fadugba said: “I rented a shop for him with N50, 000 to start a business because he didn’t come back with a dime. I pleaded with some of my customers to give him goods on credit which they did but my husband is yet to refund.”

    The petitioner said out of their N750, 000 house rent, her husband gave her only N45, 000.

    “I thought he was going to be a God-fearing man because I met him in a church. But, since his return, he has been worse. At times, I regret having children for him because he is irresponsible. He spends his money on alcoholic drinks,” she said.

    She said since she came to court, he has been coming home to beat her and steal her jewellery, adding that his siblings have not tried to solve the problems.

    Mrs Fadugba said the only thing she wants from him is to take responsibility of their two children, who are between the ages of two and three.

    The respondent, Mr Fadugba, was remanded for misconduct in court.

    The court’s President, Chief Awos Awosola, ordered the petitioner to be peaceful and adjourned the case till May 5 for further hearing.

  • Customs siezes N294.4m goods in first quarter

    The Federal Operations Unit (F.O.U) of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Zone ‘A’ Ikeja, lAGOS, has recorded 482 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N294.4 million in the first quarter of the year.

    This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Lagos by the Public Relations Officer of the unit, Mr Uche Ejesieme.

    According to the statement, 36 suspects were apprehended in connection with the seizures.

    It explained that the seizures made in the period under review, represented 45 per cent increase when compared to seizures made in the corresponding period of 2014.

    A breakdown showed that 8,584 bags of rice with a DPV of N55.7 million were impounded, while 11,647 cartons of frozen poultry products with a DPV of N62.8 million were also intercepted.

    Also, 86 units of assorted fairly-used vehicles valued at N108.5 million were seized.

    The statement noted that other seized goods were: textiles, foot wears, vegetable oil, insecticides, wine, soaps and spaghetti, all with a DPV of N67.2 million.

    “The war against smuggling, no doubt, is a herculean task, because of the natural tendency for smugglers to fight back each time their goods are seized.

    ‘‘However, we have remained undeterred, as we believe that we have a responsibility to secure the nation against influx of prohibited goods.

    “We will not abdicate this responsibility for whatever reason,’’ the statement said.

    The service urged Nigerians to support it through genuine information which could assist in tracking smugglers and their routes.

    “We have institutionalised the concept of Customs Community Relations (CCR), which is meant to provide an enabling environment for operations in our places of assignment … we have incorporated ICT in our anti-smuggling drive and the resultant effect has been phenomenal,’’ it said.

     

  • Artisan pleads with court to save marriage

    An artisan, Scot Emmanuel (27) yesterday begged an Ojo Customary Court in Lagos to prevail on his wife to stop her divorce bid.

    “I do not want my marriage of 10 years that has produced two children to scatter. I want to settle with my wife and I am ready to provide accommodation for her and my children,” he said.

    Emmanuel urged the court to reject the suit filed by his wife for alleged abandonment because he still loves her.

    “I will put in more effort to provide her and my children with accommodation so that they can leave her brother’s house where they are presently staying.

    “My wife should take it easy with me too because I do not get contracts to do borehole very often.

    “My kind of work is not steady and constant,” he told the court.

    The petitioner, Caroline, alleged that her husband had not taken “proper steps” on reconciliation.

    “My husband promised this court in our last hearing that he will see my people for reconciliation.

    “But as I speak, he has not done anything about that and has not come to see us.

    “My seven-year-old daughter has not been going to school since my ordeal with him started,” she said.

    The court’s President, Chief Joseph Ogunmola, advised Emmanuel to work harder to make Caroline to change her mind because of their children.

    “Caroline is too young to have two homes now in her life. But the petitioner too needs to endure with her husband,’’ he advised.

    He asked the couple to involve their family members to settle their differences and adjourned the case to June 2 for possible reconciliation.

     

  • Youths protest power outage in Badagry

    Youths protest power outage in Badagry

    youths yesterday blocked the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) office in Badagry, Lagos, over poor power supply.

    They burnt tyres on the firm’s premises, while chanting war songs.

    The protesters brandished placards with the inscriptions: “Don’t throw Badagry into darkness,” “Don’t you want light in your life?”, “Stop giving us bills” and “Leave here if you can’t give us light”.

    There was heavy traffic as the protesters blocked a portion of the road where the firm is located.

    Mr Olayinka Okoya, the leader of the group, told NAN that there has been no light in Badagry in the past three weeks.

    “We have had more than enough of this. They do not give us light yet they bring bills at the end of the month and the bills are as high as N120, 000.

    “Despite the fact that we do not have light, officials of EKEDC would come to our houses and cut us off even after we pay bills for power that we do not get.

    “We have been living in darkness for the past one month; we have complained several times, yet nothing has been done about it, so we decided to come out and express our grievances.

    “This must stop, we must be given power and outrageous bills must stop because we cannot take this anymore,” he said.

    EKEDC officials declined to comment.

    Hoodlums cashed in on the situation to harass motorists and loot some shops.

    Sachets of “pure” water were thrown at passersby and motorists; broken bottles littered the road.

    Some roadside shops and a mini-mart at a nearby Mobil Petrol station were looted.

    A passerby, Miss Morenike Ajayi, told NAN of her ordeal with the protesters.

    “I was just walking on my own when “pure” water sachets were thrown at me, what is my business with their protest or did I say the power supply should be bad?

    “I did not deserve such attack and it was uncalled for,” she said.

    Mr Audu Ali, a tricycle operator, said his phone was stolen.

    “Some boys who were among the protesters just came to me and snatched my phone and quickly joined the crowd.

    “I don’t know how I will get another phone and this is not fair at all,” he said.

    The Divisional Crime Officer, Badagry Police Division, Aletor Peter, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) told NAN that attendants at the Mobil Petrol station reported to the police that their shop was looted.

    He said investigation had begun into the incident.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Prospective tenants lose N5m to developer

    A 42-YEAR-OLD Muslim cleric,Abdulateef Ibrahim, is being detained by the Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for allegedly duping 34 accommodation seekers of over N5 million.

    The suspect hails from Agbekun in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, but lives in Orile-Iganmu in Lagos.

    He is said to have absconded after collecting money from the victims for one-room, a-room-and-a-parlour, self-contained apartments and mini-flats without meeting their demands.

    After waiting for long, 10 of the applicants forced themselves into some of the apartments, fixed doors and windows, and moved in.

    Lagos Police Command’s spokesperson Ken Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said the suspect claimed to be an estate agent/developer.

    Nwosu quoted the suspect as saying that he collected N950, 000 from his mother-in-law to develop and let out her plot at 2, Odumola Street in Ajegunle, Lagos.

    After collecting between N100, 000 and N400, 000 from each of the victims, the suspect claimed he used the money to build the house.

    His arrest followed the landlady’s petition to the Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti.

    Defending himself, Ibrahim said: “My in-law gave me an old house at 2, Odumola Street, Ajegunle. I was a bricklayer and cement supplier for six years. On March 27, my in-law gave me N450, 000 to renovate the house. When it finished, she gave me another N500, 000 but she could not give me more money to continue. To save the building from collapsing due to the coming rainy season, I put the apartments up for let.

    “I collected N5, 000,170 from 33 applicants and spent the whole money on the building. As I am talking to you now, I don’t have one kobo in the bank or house.’

  • Lagos gives 100 vehicles to monarchs

    Lagos gives 100 vehicles to monarchs

    The Lagos State Government has bought no fewer than 100 vehicles for traditional rulers and chiefs, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Commissioner Ademorin Kuye said yesterday.

    Speaking at the 2015 Ministerial Press Briefing in Ikeja, he said the vehicles would help the beneficiaries in the discharge of their duties.

    Kuye said the government was committed to the welfare of obas, adding: “With these vehicles and more that we have provided for our obas and chiefs, we can boldly say our traditional rulers are the most taken care of in the whole of the country.

    “We see traditional rulers as partners in progress and we will continue to do our best to make them comfortable,” he said.

    Kuye said government was building new palaces and renovating old ones to enhance the comfort of traditional rulers.

    He said the palaces of the Alara of Ilara, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu and Suenu had just been furnished.

    The commissioner said government processed about 44 applications for the recognition and upgrade of chieftaincy stools in the last one year.

    The Chieftaincy Standing Tribunal of Enquiry, he said, had begun inquiry into applications for upgrade to Obaship from some divisions.

    He said the government approved seven new chiefs and Baales in Epe/Ibeju division of the state within the period under review.

    Kuye named the new chiefs as Prince Adewale (Iwajoba of Akodo), Rafiu Bello (Baale of Okun-Ise), Raufu Mustapha (Baale of Okun-Tiye), Raufu Alaka (Olisa of Orimedu), Lamoriu Adekoya (Apebi of Orimedu), Babatunde Lamidi (Aro of Orimedu) and Kabiru Ganni (Losi of Orimedu).

     

    The commissioner said Governor Babatunde Fashola has presented staff of office to Prince Mufutau Ogunnukan of the Muja Ruling House as the Adegbajo of Odo-Igbajowo in Eredo Local Council Development Area.

    “Chief Adisa Awoyemi, Oroja of the Fafunmi Ruling House, has been presented staff of office as Oba of Meiran in Agbado -Oke-Odo area of the state, ” he said.

    According to Kuye, no fewer than 27 chieftaincy matters have been referred to the tribunal.

     

  • ‘Be fire safety conscious’

    ‘Be fire safety conscious’

    Nigerians have been urged to be fire safety conscious to prevent loss of lives and property.

    A fire safety expert, Mr Franklin Akinmokun, gave the charge at the International Bio-medicals Laboratory Science Day organised by the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN), Lagos State branch. The theme was: “Safety starts with you: patient safety first.”

    He said despite precautionary measures, fire still occurs, adding: “Time is of the essence in fire prevention.”

    Besides, people must have necessary equipment, such as fire extinguishers in their cars, homes and workplaces, among others to quell fire.

    They should have fire stations’ telephone numbers in case of an emergency, he added.

    Akinmokun, a fire fighter with the Federal Fire Service (FFS), said fire does not kill but its smoke does.

    Moreover, it takes four minutes for people to stop breathing before they die.

    “Before people’s hearts stop beating, they can be saved by performing chest compression (CPR) to restart the heart or call emergency response team, such as ambulance services. People should learn safety tips, especially CPR. Fire fighters should be contacted as soon as possible when there is a fire to put it out,” he said.

    He identified fuel, heat and oxygen as the three elements of fire.

    Akinmokun said since fire safety concerns safety of lives, property and environment, people should install in their homes and offices smoke detectors to track fire as soon as it starts.

    Fire, he said, is the greatest threat to life and property.

    “Investment acquired in years can be razed within minutes if nothing is done fast to stop a fire,” he said.