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Tag: NDLEA

  • Court restrains police, SSS, NDLEA from arresting Ogun PDP chieftain

    Court restrains police, SSS, NDLEA from arresting Ogun PDP chieftain

    Justice Okong Abang of the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, yesterday restrained the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, and the State Security Services (SSS) from arresting a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Prince Buruji Kashamu, on the basis of a petition written against him.

    Justice Abang restrained the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS); Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel from prosecuting the applicants.

    He awarded N50,000 cost against Daniel.

    In an originating motion, Kashamu sought a declaration that the allegations contained in a petition dated December 18, 2009, by a group, the Concerned Citizens of Ogun State, to the police, SSS, Customs and NDLEA are false.

    In the petition, the group alleged that Kashamu was investigated by the United States (U.S.) FBI for narcotic smuggling and related offences; was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. and was declared a fugitive by a U.S. Federal High Court.

    The applicant said the allegations were subjects of previous investigation by the International Police (Interpol) and litigation in competent courts, where he was exonerated.

    Kashamu said the allegations were “rehashed” by his political opponents, allegedly led by Daniel, “in a maliciously contrived attempt to breach his fundamental right to liberty and freedom of association”.

    He said the petition was written to instigate the first to fifth respondents to arrest, detain and humiliate him “through malicious criminal prosecution” and to neutralise him “as a perceived threat to the sixth respondent’s (Daniel’s) political designs in Ogun State.”

    Justice Abang held that going by the facts before him, there was no evidence that the applicant committed any of the offences mentioned in “the ill-motivated” petition.

    He said: “I think the court can restrain the first to fifth defendants from acting on the petition, which may lead to the violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement.”

    Justice Abang said his restraining of the police was an exception to the principle that the force cannot be restrained from carrying out its constitutional responsibility.

    He said: “The findings made in this case are based on peculiar facts and circumstances. The court expected Daniel to come forward and prove the allegations made by him against the applicant, but that is not the case.

    “Upon being served the court processes, Daniel briefed a counsel that appeared in court once and abandoned the proceeding. I think the suit of the applicant deserves to succeed.”

  • Bauchi NDLEA arrests 221 suspects

    Bauchi NDLEA arrests 221 suspects

    THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Bauchi State yesterday said it seized 1.253 kilogrammes of illicit drugs and arrested 221 suspects last year.

    The Commander, Julius Parah, said 1.23 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa and 19, 052 kilogrammes of psychotropic substances were seized.

    Parah said 125 were arraigned at the Federal High Court. He said 46 were convicted while 79 were counselled and 18 suspects were yet to be arraigned.

    The commander said six vehicles and 15 motorcycles were recovered. He thanked Governor Isa Yuguda, residents, security agencies, religious bodies, traditional rulers for the cooperation and support .

  • Woman excretes wraps of hard drugs

    Woman excretes wraps of hard drugs

    A 32-year-old woman, Chizoba Anya Vivian, is being quizzed by anti-narcotic officers for allegedly excreting wraps of a substance which tested positive for methamphetamine on-board a Qatar Airline flight from Malaysia.

    The suspect was said to have aroused suspicion following her frequent visit to the toilet. On arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, three wraps of methamphetamine were found in her possession.

    The NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said the suspect excreted two additional wraps, while under observation.

    His words: “The suspect was found with three wraps which she excreted in the aircraft. While she was under observation at the Lagos airport, she excreted two additional wraps of drugs. The five wraps which tested positive for methamphetamine weighed 80 grammes.”

    Preliminary investigation also revealed that the suspect left Ghana where she ingested the drugs to Malaysia.

    In Malaysia, she was denied entry and made to board another flight back to Nigeria. She started excreting the drugs at the airport in Malaysia.

    The suspect said she was offered M500,000 to smuggle the drugs to Malaysia.

    “I was promised the sum of half a million naira but my problem started when I had immigration problem in Malaysia. I was denied entry and made to return to Nigeria after two days. While in the aircraft, I excreted three wraps and two other wraps in the NDLEA office,” Vivian said.

    Vivian, who hails from Onitsha, Anambra State said she just completed her Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State. “I just completed my HND programme and I am from a very poor family. I wanted to use the money they promised me to assist my siblings by smuggling the drug to Malaysia,” she added.

    Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, warned against what he called the get-rich-quick syndrome.

    “Drug traffickers must avoid get-rich-quick syndrome and understand that a good name is better than ill-gotten wealth that comes without peace of mind,” Giade said.

    The NDLEA boss also urged passengers to be vigilant and report suspicious passengers to the authorities.

    The suspect will soon be charged to court.

  • Man arrested with Indian hemp

    Man arrested with Indian hemp

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kogi State has arrested a ‘jail breaker’, Ilori Olusola, who escaped from Koton-Karfe prison last year.

    Olusola was on trial at the Federal High Court, Lokoja, for unlawful possession of 106.8kg Indian hemp.

    NDLEA state Commander Idris Bello said the suspect was re-arrested at Anyigba on December 19 with 2.9 kilogrammes Indian hemp.

    Bello said the suspect was taken back to Koton-Karfe prisons for continuation of his trial, adding that additional charges would be filed against him.

    Presenting his scorechart for the year, the commander said the command seized 6,499.809 kg illicit drugs, including 6,499.549kg Indian hemp; 609 grammes of psychotropic substances and volatile solvents weighing 200 grammes.

    The commander said 23 vehicles were impounded and 225 suspects arrested, adding that 36 were convicted and sentenced while 17 others were still awaiting trial.

  • I invested N.9m in drug business – Suspect

    An electronic dealer at Alaba International market, Lagos, is currently under investigation in connection with unlawful exportation of 450 grammes of methamphetamine to Malaysia.

    The suspect, Olewunne Chibuzor Darlington, said that he invested N900, 000 in drug trafficking in expectation of five million naira profit.

    His criminal plan was foiled by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

    NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Hamza Umar, who confirmed the arrest said that Darlington was found to have ingested narcotics.

    In his words, “the scanning machine revealed that the suspect ingested drugs during screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight.

    He was on his way to Malaysia but during observation, he excreted 450 grammes of substance that tested positive to methamphetamine.”

    In his confessional statement, the suspect said he wanted to purchase electronics with the illicit drug proceeds.

    “They told me that I can make five million naira profit if I invest nine hundred thousand naira. It was a trial business for me because it is my first time. I also did it because of my financial predicament. I am from a poor family and the eldest child,” he stated.

    The suspect also appealed for mercy.

    The Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, while commenting on the arrest called for stiffer punishment for drug traffickers.

    “No doubt, stiffer punishment will help in reducing cases of drug production and trafficking. We shall prevent drug traffickers from using the country as a transit point for drug trafficking.

    “It is sad that a businessman will prefer to invest in criminality when there are countless legitimate businesses,” Giade said.

    The NDLEA boss however expressed delight that the suspect was caught in Nigeria.

     

  • NASS mulls new law for counterfeit products, fake drug

    The National Assembly said on Tuesday it will consider a new legislation to help fight against products and drug counterfeiting.

    The Vice Chairman (Senate Committee on Health) Sen. Margery Okadigbo, stated this in Abuja when she led a Senate delegation to the office of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

    According to Sen. Okadigbo, the quest to put fake drugs and counterfeit products in check is in other, adding that, it is indeed a commendable effort put together by NAFDAC in the fight against counterfeit products and drugs in the country.

    She described most of the country’s laws as “archaic,” adding that there is need to consider new legislation in the fight against counterfeit products and drugs in the country.

    Sen. Okadigbo said: “The transformation process is something that we all have willingly partaken in. It gladdens us to confirm what the DG has said; that what we hear is actually happening. We are here to know how the organization is doing. We need to follow you and make sure that we are indeed partners in progress.

    “We are not here to witch hunt. We are here to add our support to your fight against fake drugs. We expect that you will guide us, direct us where your assistance will be required. The issue of counterfeit products and drugs are a concern to Nigeria. Even though the issues of counterfeits still exist, Nigeria is making its marks globally in its fight.

    “We are here to partner with you in other to help fight your challenges in relations to budget. We know you get little from which you have been able to sustain your fight against counterfeit products in the country.

    “We will also help you in the area of legislation to help fight counterfeit products and drugs. Your proposal on counterfeit is a good thing. Most of our laws are archaic. We are growing more and more into a modern world. It is something we should basically look at in other to change our laws.”

     

     

  • Farmers abandon food crops for cannabis – NDLEA

    Most Nigerian farmers now abandon growing food and economic crops for cannabis in a bid to become instant millionaires , the country’s anti-narcotics agency said Saturday.

    In a statement, Ahmadu Giade, the chairman of the Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said: “It is sad and disturbing that most farmers are now abandoning food and economic crops for cannabis.”

    Last year, the NDLEA arrested 8,052 suspected drug traffickers, including 542 women, it said.

    The NDLEA boss said that more than 1,400 hectares of land was used last year for cannabis plantation.

    “This 1,404.27 hectares of land could have changed the fortunes of our agricultural sector if properly utilised,” he stated.

    The agency seized drugs worth 33 billion naira ($208 million/ 152 million euros) last year and prosecuted 1,720 suspects, it stated. It did not say how many suspects the agency convicted.

    Among the drugs seized were cannabis, heroin, cocaine, ephedrine, methamphetamine and amphetamine, the NDLEA said.

    “We shall continue to dislodge more drug trafficking syndicates because anytime we intercept drug from criminals, we are indirectly saving lives,” Giade said.

     

    Some of the seized drugs – hidden in ear rings, buttons, necklaces, bangles and female belts – came into Lagos from Brazil and Pakistan, he alleged. (AFP)

     

     

  • NDLEA seizes 2m kg of drugs in Rivers

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said over two million kilograms of illicit drugs have been seized in Rivers State within the past two years.

    The Rivers State Commander of NDLEA, Rachael Shelleng who made this disclosure, also said that a breakdown of the figure shows that about 1,888,900kg of cannabis sativa was seized, making it the predominant drug of choice consumed by drug addicts.

    Cocaine came second with about 4.624kg while heroine and psychotropic shared 0.577kg and 0.502kg respectively; thus bringing the total to about 1,894,603kg of illicit drugs confiscated in the state.

    Shelleng, who spoke in Port Harcourt during a Special Anti-Drug Abuse Sensitisation Campaign organised by NDLEA with support from the Rivers State chapter of National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also said that this huge volume of illicit drugs was found in the hands of 740 males and 79 females.

    The Rivers NDLEA boss also said that the category of youths within the age bracket of 16 to 35 years was mostly involved in drug abuse while those of ages 25 to 50 years were predominantly in the trafficking.

    While expressing concern that the situation portends grave danger and inimical to sustainable development, she, however, said that a total of 79 drug-dependent persons had been treated and re-integrated with their families during the period under review.

    Shelleng, who further lamented that the problem of illicit drug abuse and trafficking of controlled substances has assumed “a very frightening dimension and serious threat to the society” also attributed “the rising profile of wanton destruction with its attendant bloodshed, hostage-taking and all manner of criminalities dotting our landscape today” to high narcotic intake among youths.

    She, therefore, called for concerted effort from corporate organisations and other tiers of government to emulate the Federal Government in fighting the drug war, even as she commended the NAS for the support shown to her command.

    In a paper delivered by Ide Owodiong-Idemeko, leader of NAS entitled “Human Resource Development and the Sustainable Growth of Nigeria,” he observed that there is now an astronomical rise in the use of illicit drug.

    In Owodiong-Idemeke’s paper, which was delivered by a member of the NAS, Prince Onuoha, he lamented that “in every community you go to these days, you encounter a cluster of destitute who are wont to be often referred to as ‘Area boys.’”

    The NAS leader also said that investigations show that youths are prone to this illicit drug because of peer pressure, curiosity, ignorance, alienation, changing social structures, poverty and unemployment.

    He also said it was regrettable that these youths are “recruited as political thugs trained and armed with dangerous weapons to perpetrate mayhem during elections and rallies “only to be dumped as “decayed assets” afterwards.

    For want of better things to do with their lives, they “become ready-made agents for kidnapping, assassinations, human parts sellers, illegal bunkering, rape and armed robbery and, in extreme cases, agents of terror and suicide attacks on other innocent members of the society.”

    He then called on all well-meaning members of the society to join hands with relevant stakeholders to keep hard drugs off children and youths.

    The President of Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Okey Wali, who was the chairman on the occasion, said that, apart from hard drug, internet and films are other things that are misleading children and youths.

    Wali, who was represented by the zonal manager of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Port Harcourt Mr. Emmanuel Dufegha advised parents and guardians to monitor the behaviours of their children, even as he urged individuals to always be ready to pin-point undesirable elements around them.

     

     

  • ndlea arrests 420 drug suspects, convicts 69 in Lagos

    ABOUT 420 persons were arrested with 8,300.277kg of drugs in the past 10 months, Lagos State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Aliyu Sule said yesterday.

    Sixty nine persons were convicted for drug related charges during the period.

    Describing drug abuse as alarming, Sule, said: “The problem of drug abuse in the state is alarming. Between January and October the command arrested 420 drug traffickers comprising 387 males and 33 females. A total of 8,300.277kg of drugs was also seized. The drugs include 8,186.320kg of cannabis, psychotropic substances, 73.450kg, methamphetamine 34.016kg, heroin 4.688kg and cocaine 1.803kg.

    “Within the period under review, we have had two successful joint operations with the military. The first raid carried out in June 2013, led to the seizure of 3,166.15kg and the arrest of 47 suspects. Another raid in November led to the arrest of 15 suspects with 680.266kg of narcotic drugs mainly cannabis”.

    NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Ahmadu Giade said the Agency would continue to partner with the Army and other security organisations in the fight against drug trafficking.

    “The support of Army Commander in charge of 9 Brigade, Brig Gen Adeniyi Oyebade has aided the successful raid of sensitive locations like Akala, Akerele and Agege, Lagos”.

     

    Giade called for the government’s and private sector’s assistance in finding a lasting solution to the drug problem. He said: “We need the support of government and private sector in the construction of an ultra-modern rehabilitation centre in Lagos. This is needed to effectively address the problem of drug abuse in the state. The Agency is also working very hard to prevent drug supply to the state”.

  • Burundian arrested with heroin

    Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Thursday apprehended a Burundian at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, over illegal substance found out to be heroin.

    The arrest of the 38- year old woman found with 2.0390 kilogramme of heroin coincided with the arrival of two detectives from Switzerland Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) on a drug control cooperation mission in Nigeria.

    The suspect boarded Air Rwanda from Burundi.

    According to NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamzar Umar, the suspect concealed the drug in her hand luggage.

    He said, “A Burundian by name Uwimana Aisha had in her hand luggage two parcels of powdery substance that tested positive for heroin weighing 2.390kg. The case is under investigation,” Hamza stated.

    The suspect in her statement claimed the bag was given to her by her boyfriend.

    “My Nigerian boyfriend gave me the bag in Tanzania.

    |”He promised to marry me and take care of my only daughter. We were to come to Nigeria together but he later said that he will join me the following day. I trusted him because he was nice to me,” Aisha told investigators.

    The Chairman of the NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, reaffirmed the agency’s resolve in counter-narcotic operations through effective collaboration.

    Giade, who spoke while receiving two Swiss investigators, Carlo Crespi and Daniel Mona said the global counter-narcotics campaign demands both local and international partnership.

    “Nigeria’s drug control scorecard today is enviable on account of our determination to partner with other stakeholders. The sophistication of drug trafficking cartels demands that nations should join forces against transnational crimes like drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking. It enhances exchange of intelligence, capacity building and use of improved technology in crime control,” he stated.