Tag: uncovers

The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade, has raised the alarm over the health and security implications of the illegal Methamphetamine production in the country.

Three Methamphetamine production factories have been discovered in Lagos and Anambra states. Besides, a suspected Colombian drug kingpin, who specialises in Methamphetamine production, has been arrested.

Giade, who described the development as sad and worrisome, said: “Our investigation has shown that the Colombian Methamphetamine production expert, Gonzelo Osorio aka Fabian Arcila and Baez Benitez Milan were invited to establish three clandestine laboratories on a $38,000 weekly contract. This is sad and worrisome. It’s a call on stakeholders to pay attention to this dangerous twist in our nation’s drug trade.”

Narcotic investigators have arrested seven members of the criminal gang who are helping in further investigation. They are Gonzelo Osorio, Gabriel Onyebuchi Obi, Anthony Ebi, Olisa Cyprian Onyebuchukwu, Mickey Ezeokoli, Solomon Ogbonna and Chidi Alexandra Efeagwazi. Twelve vehicles belonging to suspected members of the cartel have been confiscated. NDLEA has traced four houses to the criminal group.

The undercover operation that led to the crackdown on the criminal gang began in November last year when Osorio was contracted by a Nigerian drug syndicate to establish three Methamphetamine production laboratories in different parts of the country. According to Giade, the operation is one of the best coordinated in terms of duration, expertise and professionalism.

He said the first clandestine laboratory Osorio established was situated at Majek in Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State. Another one was located at Nanka in Nnewi area of Anambra State. Members of the criminal gang were about establishing the third laboratory when they were apprehended by NDLEA officers.

Giade said: “Osorio left the country in December last year and returned on May 30 with a false identity as a citizen of Paraguay with the name, Baez Benitez Milan, on his travel documents. He is regarded as a Methamphetamine production expert in the country and was hired on $38,000 weekly by the drug cartel.”

The NDLEA boss said when the operation was ongoing, a suspect was apprehended in Lagos for using his home for the production of Methamphetamine.

“Concerted efforts of stakeholders are required. The suspects involved in the criminal act are either ignorant of the lethal health consequences of their actions or have been blinded by their selfish interests. Methamphetamine production endangers public health. More worrisome is the security implication due to the huge profit involved,” he added.

The Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) said yesterday that it has uncovered another N20 billion stolen pension funds.

The Chairman of PRTT, Dr. Abdulrasheed Maina, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, said the stolen funds were hidden in some dormant accounts in some banks.

Maina also said he wrote a protest letter to Senate President David Mark to explain why he was uncomfortable to appear before the Joint Senate Committee on Establishment, Public Service and State and Local Government probing the management of pension funds.

He said he had not reported the discovered funds to the appropriate authorities because investigation was ongoing.

Said he: “Recently, we discovered some money hidden in other accounts, apart from the N221 billion we have recovered and sent to the government.

“I did not disclose this earlier because we are still under investigation. The money is over N20 billion.

“The amount has been hidden in some accounts that are dormant for over three years.

“As soon as we get through with our investigation, we will report to the Minister of Finance to instruct the Accountant-General to move the money.”

On the alleged missing N195 billion pension funds, Maina said the Senate committee, which made the allegation, got it wrong.

He said: “The recent noise over N195 billion was wrong.

“In the budget, there is what they call proposed budget, which means what a ministry proposes to spend in a year.

“There is also what they call an envelope; government looks at a ministry and says, we can only give you this amount and whatever is approved goes back to the Accountant- General for them to release what is approved in the envelope.

“Then, somebody is alleging that N195 billion is missing.

“We, as a task team, are interested in working with the Senate to recover the money because we have the expertise and technical knowledge to go after it and recover it.

“If it is in people’s account, we will recover it and if people stole it, we will find them out.

“We have a track history of doing this. But first, people must understand the difference among proposals, envelopes and releases.”

Lamenting that “all you see and hear is corruption fighting back,” the PRTT boss said: “We’ve not entered the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Ministry of Education and other places. But see how much we have recovered.”