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Tag: impounds

  • FRSC impounds vehicle with human head

    FRSC impounds vehicle with human head

    THe Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Akwa Ibom State has arrested a traffic offender in possession of a human head in Mbak Itam, Itu Local Government Area, it was learnt.

    Sector Commander Mr Sunday Oghenekaro yesterday said that the driver of  a Toyota 4runner SUV(black), marked DX 147 LSD, was held for failing to use his seat belt.

    He added that the driver tried to escape, but when he eventually stopped, a human head was found in the vehicle.

    “A passenger rushed out, picked up a bag from the vehicle and attempted to flee but  Marshalls went after him.

    “He stumbled and fell. But with the assistance of a policeman at the Mobile Court, the passenger was caught.

    “On a careful examination into the bag, a decomposing human head was discovered and at this point the man became aggressive and wild.

    “It was gathered that the driver’s name is Ini Ime Effiong, while the passenger with the decomposing head is Prophet Israel Effiong Okon,” Oghenekaro said.

    The sector commander said the two suspects are in police custody, while the vehicle is in FRSC custody.

  • Task force impounds 163 motorcycles

    Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Task Force) at the weekend impounded 163 motorcycles and arrested 29 motorcyclists at 2nd Rainbow, on Mile 2 Road including Festac.

    The task force invaded the area on Friday following an allegation that a sister security agency on Thursday aided some hoodlums to attack and remove four of the 20 impounded motorcycles from the Task force’s truck while taking them from Apapa to the Task force crush yard.

    Its Chairman Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP) reiterated his commitment to enforce the State Road Traffic Laws.

    He said: “There must be a synergy between all security agencies so as to collectively fight the menace of Okada riders on all restricted routes.”

    Egbeyemi said there were complaints from the public on criminal activities of some Okada riders, which include snatching of bags, phones, wallets and jewelleries.

  • Customs impounds vehicles, clothing in Imo

    The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone ‘C’, has impounded a 20-feet container, containing machetes and other contraband with a duty paid value of N172, 093, 281 last month.

    Also seized were 9705 pieces of footwear worth N18, 038, 160,  10 vehicles worth N46, 295, 521 and 1205 bags of 50kg imported rice worth N40, 970, 000.00.

    A 40-feet container, containing  254 bales of second hand clothing worth N36, 576,000; 150 pieces of second hand tyres worth N960,000; one container load of timber worth N2, 940, 000 were also impounded.

    A statement by  the Customs spokesman,  Onuigbo Ifeoma, said the underpayments recovered stood at N58, 003, 596.

    Eighteen suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures;  25 cases are pending in court.

    The Area Comptroller, Mohammed Garba, who displayed the seized items at the command headquarters in Owerri, said smugglers and their partners had remained adamant, “despite stiff penalties against culprits”.

    “The service is now better equipped, mobilised and motivated more than ever before.

    “The NSC would continue to beam its searchlight on smugglers, their collaborators and their agents until the battle against smuggling is won.

    “The illicit trade results in huge loss revenue to the Federal Government,” he said.

    Mohammed said  the Zone would continue to educate  traders on the negative effects of smuggling on the economy.

    He urged them to engage in legitimate businesses that will grow the nation’s economy.

    The Area Comptroller lauded the “continued co-operation and support of the public.

  • Task force impounds 98 motorcycles, tricycles

    The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit Task Force at the weekend impounded 98 motorcycles including tricycles at Rainbow Bus Stop in Mile 2, Lagos.

    A statement by the agency’s spokesman, Taofiq Adebayo, said the arrest was made by a squad led by the Task Force Chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP).

    According to the statement, Egbeyemi disclosed that the operation was carried out “based on persistence petitions from members of the public around FESTAC and Mile 2 about criminal activities perpetrated by operators of both motorcycles and tricycles.

    It said: “The Chairman disclosed further that residents living around these areas complain that criminals use both motorcycles and tricycles to dislodge them of their valuable properties during the day-time and at night.

    “The residents have complained in the petition to the Task Force that they could no longer sleep with their two eyes closed.

    “A resident who refused to disclose his residential address within the estate, Alhaji Wasiu Olaniran, said it has become worrisome seeing these people using motorcycles and tricycles to perpetrate criminal activities around the area. He said they usually dispossess people of their valuables such as wallets, neck-chains and telephones.

    “Olaniran requested for regular raiding of the criminals around the area while commending the Chairman of the Lagos Task Force for his prompt intervention.

    “Another victim, who also retained her residential identity, Mrs. Ngosi Akpan, said these criminals riding on motorcycles cut her neck-chains and snatched her Samsung Galaxy phone while she was going home from work. She said she is a teacher in one of the schools around the area.”

    Egbeyemi said the agency would continue to impound and arrest violators of government policy on restricted routes across the state until owners and operators of both motorcycles and tricycles comply with the order as enshrined in the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws of 2012

    He noted that the government policy on restricted routes across the state was meant to protect lives residents including those of the owners and operators of motorcycles and tricycles as well as  their passengers’.

    The chairman, the statement noted, restated the agency’s readiness to confront head-on the ‘notorious’ motorcyclists and tricycle operators plying restricted routes at Apapa, Ikorodu, Mile 2, Agege, Lagos Island, Ido, Ebute-Metta, Ojuelegba, Fagba area at Iju, Airport Road and Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

    “Egbeyemi hinted that the government is currently working on providing the Agency with more protective equipment that would safe guard them from series of attacks while on duty”, the statement said.

    He, however, urged private power-bike operators, particularly companies’ dispatch-riders, to desist from engaging in commercial activities by carrying passengers on restricted routes across the state.

    Egbeyemi warned that erring riders will be arrested and charged to court and their power-bike impounded.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, is said to have directed that all those arrested should be charged to court and warned that the state will not spare anyone using motorcycles to perpetrate crime.

    In the same vein, the Chairman of the Motorcycle Riders and Owners Association of Lagos State (NAKOWA), Alhaji Sulaimon Raji Adesina said the association will partner with the Task Force by delegating some of its members to regularly be with the agency.

  • NAFDAC impounds fake skin bleaching cream, soap in Lagos

    NAFDAC impounds fake skin bleaching cream, soap in Lagos

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) this Saturday impounded fast-moving substandard skin lightening cream, bathing soap and serum worth millions of naira in Lagos. It also sealed three shops in connection with the offensive products.

    The suspected fake products identified as Q7 Range of cosmetics products impounded during the agency’s raid and enforcement exercise at the Lagos Trade Fair complex includes Q7 Whiteniser body milk strong treatment, Q7 Carotte Multi- active Whitening Serum, Ndak Q7 Whitening body lotion with manufacturing dates: 07/2015 and expiry dates: 06/2020 and Q7 Gold soap, among others.

    The impounded products originally registered with NAFDAC by ‘Visible Image Cosmetics Company Nigeria Limited’, were said to have been brought into the country through illegal sources yet-to-be identified.

    The bubble, however, burst when intelligence and surveillance by NAFDAC confirmed the presence of the offending products in some shops and warehouse at the Trade Fair market complex.

    Addressing journalists shortly after the raid in company of other regulatory officers and security operatives, the team leader and Chief Regulatory Officer, Enforcement Operations, Mr Joseph Idowu, confirmed that the raid became necessary following intelligence reports about the presence of the offending products in the markets and shops.

    Idowu noted that the agency had already evacuated the suspected injurious products, sealed the shops and invited the shop owners for further interrogation and investigation.

    He explained that the products were impounded because they were unregistered and from illegal sources. “We are removing from the market Q7 range of products suspected to be fake.The agency had registered Q7 range of products with NAFDAC numbers on them. But from what we are seeing from the products evacuated, you can observe that NAFDAC number is not on them and they are coming from unauthorised sources”.

    Idowu said: “We have given them invitation to report on Monday and have sealed the shops. We expect them to tell us how and where they get the products from. As soon as the owners open up, we will send the products to the laboratory for further analysis to ascertain the genuineness of the products after which the agency will take a decision.”

    He disclosed that in conjunction with the original brand owners of the products, NAFDAC would continue to mop up the offending products anywhere it was found.

    On the health implications of the products, the enforcement officer who regretted that the products could be injurious to health said: “Any product not registered and tested by NAFDAC has not been certified to be fit for consumers. These products contain injurious substances that are harmful to the skin, and if allowed into the market people will be buying products that can cause health hazards to them.”

    He regretted that despite the enlightenment campaigns, consultative meetings, sensitisation workshops and other methods adopted over the years to discourage importation, distribution, sales and consumption of these products, people continued to engage in violation of regulatory requirements.

    He consequently asked for the cooperation of members of the public to assist to expose the major importers and distributors of these outlawed products and their warehouses.

    In the fight against the menace of counterfeit regulated products in the country, NAFDAC also received two Toyota Hilux Trucks donated by the Nigeria Liquefied and Natural Gas (NLNG). The vehicles are intended to ease operational hardship experienced by the Agency particularly in the hinterlands.

    Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Babs Omotowa, who presented the vehicles to the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii, in Abuja said the gesture was part of the collaboration between the two organisations and the company’s modest support of the tremendous work being done by NAFDAC in safeguarding the health and economy of the nation.

  • NDLEA impounds 810.1kg of cannabis

    NDLEA impounds 810.1kg of cannabis

    National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives have impounded compressed dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis sativa weighing 810.1kilogrammes.

    They were seized during a raid of some hideouts in Lagos. The first consignment weighing 658.8 kilogrammes believed to have been imported from Ghana was detected at Alaba Rago area of Lagos.

    The team also discovered another 151.3 kilogrammes at Agege where two suspected drug dealers were apprehended.

    Lagos State NDLEA commander Aliyu Sule, who confirmed the raid, said it was based on intelligence report.

    “Acting on intelligence report, we raided the water front at Alaba Rago area where we found compressed dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis.

    “The team also raided Kasamu Street in Agege where 151.3 kilogrammes of cannabis was found hidden in the ceiling. Both seizures weighed 810.1 kilogrammes. Two suspected cannabis dealers, Raji Kabir, 22 and Yusuf Bako, 19, arrested during the operation are cooperating with our team of investigators,” Aliyu said.

    Kabir, who hails from Oyo State, said he has been dealing in cannabis for over five years.

    “I was introduced into cannabis smoking by friends. Later, I began to sell cannabis at Agege and I used to make a profit of N2,000 daily. I have stopped selling hemp about three times but I keep coming back to the business because I have no money to sustain myself. We were sleeping when officers came to search our house and found the drug inside the ceiling,” he said.

    Bako from Kebbi State told investigators that he sells hemp to sustain himself.

    “After my primary school in Lagos I enrolled as an apprentice in an electrical workshop since I cannot further my education. My friends introduced me to cannabis smoking. I began to sell about a year ago in order to sustain myself. The day I did not go to work, I will go and sell hemp. I used to earn N1,200 daily. We were sleeping at night when NDLEA officers came to arrest us and discovered the hemp in the ceiling,” he said.

    Following intelligence report that the cannabis originated from Ghana, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade has directed his commanders to intensify surveillance along the water ways.

    “I have directed commanders to intensify maritime surveillance to prevent drugs from being smuggled into the country through the water. We are also working very hard to identify other members of the drug cartels. I can assure you that we will not relent in our offensive against drug cartels,” Giade said.

    He called on parents to monitor their children, adding that good parental care will go a long way in preventing drug trafficking and abuse.

  • JTF impounds Sierra Leonean ship

    A Sierra Leonean vessel, Milandros, has been impounded and a Ghanaian has been arrested by the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, in the Niger Delta over alleged illegal activities bordering on oil theft.

    The ship, which was alleged to have hoisted a Nigerian flag apparently to deceive security operatives, was reportedly intercepted by the operatives of the 146 Battalion of the JTF on Bonny Island led by the Commanding Officer of the unit, Lt.-Col. Lander Saraso.

    The outfit was said to have launched a manhunt for Mr. Tumini Brown identified as the leader of the syndicate.

    The Media Coordinator, JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said a Ghanaian and 11 Nigerians were on board.

    He said the ship and its crew members were apprehended for allegedly engaging in bunkering around Bonny Anchorage in Rivers State.

    Nwachukwu said the ship had already connected a hose measuring over 1000 metres to a pipeline in the area to siphon products before it was impounded.

    He said: “At the time of arrest, the vessel, which was registered to sail under the flagship of Sierra Leone, was hoisting a Nigerian flag to deceive security operatives and was anchored along the West bank of Bonny Anchorage where a six-inch diametre hose over a distance of 1000 metres from the vessel had been connected to the pipeline.

    “Efforts are on to track down the lead agent, Mr. Tumini Brown, who absconded on hearing of the arrest of the oil bunkering vessel.”

    Lt.-Col. Nwachukwu said the operatives also apprehended a tanker vessel, Ebba, belonging to PWS Integrated Service Ltd at the Bonny anchorage with eight crew members on board.

    He said the vessel was laden with 282 tons of suspected illegally-refined Automated Gas Oil (AGO) when it was apprehended.

    He said the tanker was operating in the waterways without registration documents.

    According to him, the suspects on board the vessel are undergoing preliminary investigations at the headquarters, Sector 2, in Port Harcourt.

    Nwachukwu said operatives of the 130 Battalion of the JTF infiltrated a stronghold of sea pirates in Orlukiri, near Abissa community in Degema Local Government Area, Rivers State.

    He said the troops launched a “dawn raid operation” to dislodge the pirates.

    “The troops overran the pirates’ camp after a stiff resistance and impounded one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), one AK 47 rifle, 615 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, two AK 47 magazines and a bunch of disintegrated GPMG links, which were abandoned by the criminals”, he said.

    Explaining the outfit’s feat in Edo and Delta states, he said the patrol troops of the 19 Battalion covering the Sector 1 area of responsibility of the JTF destroyed three illegal refineries and 13 Cotonou boats.

    He said the boats were used to convey illegally-acquired crude oil in Abutu, Ugbokoko and Ologbo in Orhionwon, Warri South and Warri North local government areas of Edo and Delta states.

    Said he: “The Cotonou boats were intercepted when illegally-siphoning crude oil from three oil well heads into 70 drums in Ugbokoko community of Delta State.

    “Six suspects taken into custody during the operation led the troops to an illegal oil distillation site where four distillation tanks, an oil-laden Cotonou boat and seven live rounds of 70mm cartridges were recovered.

    “In another development, troops of the 343 Artillery Regiment deployed in the Bayelsa State creeks have uncovered a hose illegally connected from an Agip pipeline to an illegal oil dump, serving an illegal oil distillation camp, containing 15 large storage tanks at Oyeregbene community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    “Authorities of the multinational oil company in Brass have been urged to carry out repair of the breached point.”

     

  • Navy impounds Lagos firm’s vessel for illegal bunkering

    Navy impounds Lagos firm’s vessel for illegal bunkering

    The Forward Operating Base (FOB) FORMOSO of the Nigerian Navy in Bayelsa State has impounded a vessel, MV Dalal, carrying 120,000 litres of AGO (Automated Gas Oil), suspected to be stolen, in Akassa creeks of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    Oil industry operators put the street value of the stolen AGO (popularly called diesel) at about N18million, going by the prevailing market price of about N150 per litre.

    It was gathered that the vessel is registered by an oil and gas firm located in Apapa, Lagos State.

    Confirming the report, the Command Operations Officer, Central Naval Command, Cmd. Emmanuel Enemor, said: “The vessel was a fishing trawler converted to a tanker for the purpose of illegal bunkering.”

    He said the captain of the vessel confessed to loading the vessel from an illegal refinery in the creeks.

    “At the time of the arrest, the vessel did not have Nigerian Ports Authority bunkering permit, ship’s log, Naval Headquarters approval and the certificate of the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield.”

    “Laboratory analysis of the sample of the product from the vessel also indicated that the AGO on board is of poor diesel quality,” he said.

    Enemor said there was a need to institute a legal action against MV DALAL, adding that the Navy had handed over 10 crew members arrested on board the vessel and other exhibits to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    He said the suspects were transferred to EFCC after a brief ceremony at the command’s headquarters in Yenagoa.

    He said EFCC was expected to carry out further investigations and prosecution of the suspects.

    Enemor said the Navy would retain custody of the vessel until the conclusion of the case.

    The naval officer expressed concerns over increased cases of illegal activities on the waterways.

    “We are concerned with crude oil theft, illegal refining of stolen crude, pipeline vandalism, sea robbery, piracy, kidnapping, hijacking of vessels and attacks on vessels.”

    Enemor named other water boundaries that were of concern to the Navy in the war against crime as Brass River, Nun River and St. Nicholas River.

  • JTF impounds vessel with N310m stolen crude oil

    The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta yesterday said it has impounded a vessel allegedly carrying some 2,500 tonnes of crude at Okuboto Creek in Bayelsa State.

    The Sea Express was conveying suspected stolen crude oil worth $2 million.

    It was gathered that the 2,500 metric tonnes of suspected crude oil contained in the vessel translates to about 18,000 barrels of crude oil.

    The products are believed to be stolen from oil multinationals’ facilities in the areas.

    The activities of illegal bunkerers forced Anglo Dutch firm, Shell Petroleum Development Company, to declare force majeur twice within weeks.

    JTF’s Media Coordinator Lt. Col Onyeama Nwachukwu said the Task Force’s anti-oil theft raid led to the seizure.

    Nwachukwu said the vessel was on the verge of filling the fourth of its compartments before it was intercepted by operatives from Sector 2 of the JTF.

    The vessel is in the custody of Sector 2 Headquarters for preliminary investigations.

    The crew, it was learnt, are undergoing preliminary investigations before they would be handed over to a prosecuting agency.

    Col Nwachukwu said a barge, MONOVO-2, suspected to be engaged in oil theft was impounded on Golubo Creek while conveying stolen petroleum product.

    No arrest was made in the second operation as, according to the JTF spokesman, the crew abandoned the barge and fled into the forest on sighting JTF operatives.

    He said: “In another anti-oil theft raid in Delta State, 30 open boats conveying illegally cooked petroleum products were intercepted in Aruton and Ugborodo communities in Delta State.

    “The boats were impounded while loaded with plastics tanks filled with stolen petroleum product.

    “Eight illegal crude oil distillery camps were also destroyed in Oboro, Kpukpugbene in Burutu and Sagara, near Escravos in Warri South Local Government of Delta State.

    “Nine steel tanks and 187 large plastic reservoirs used by the oil thieves to perpetrate the crime at the camp sites were destroyed at the camp sites in line with the mandate of the Task Force.

    “During the entire operation that lasted from April 7 to 14, 21 suspects were arrested in these crime locations. “

  • Commission impounds pirated films

    In its efforts to put a stop to the rate of piracy in the country, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has intercepted and impounded a 40-foot container of films at the Apapa Ports in Lagos.

    The Director-General of the NCC, Mr Afam Ezekude, made the disclosure at a consultative meeting with the stakeholders of the Nigerian movie industry in Lagos.

    The seized container, according to Ezekude, carried Nollywood movies imported from China.

    “In our effort to ensure a piracy-free nation, we intercepted and impounded the 40-foot container containing DVDs, VCDs of Nollywood works. The container was from China. We are still working to apprehend the pirates; so, whoever is into piracy should stop,” he said.

    He stated further that the commission seized about 30 containers last year with pirated books and movies from different parts of the world.

    Speaking on the essence of the reform of the commission, Ezekude stated that the commission, when reformed, would transform the nation’s literary work and pave the way for the economic, social and cultural development of the country.

    He further stated: “The film industry in Nigeria is particularly strategic to the formation of any copyright policy. Although the industry has in the last 20 years witnessed exponential growth in terms of volume of production, ranking it the third largest in the world; it is yet to maximize the economic benefit that truly reflects these potentials. This is due to primarily to the wanton exploitation of Nigerian films without recompense to the right owners.

    “This reform process therefore offers an opportunity to reinvigorate the industry to make it globally competitive and economically rewarding for investors and practitioners, by among others, building an effective system of registration and online licensing of Nigerian films.”