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NDLEA Seizes 56.25kg of Heroin

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16 years ago

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A clearing and forwarding agent, Yekini Shittu is now helping the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), to unravel how and who concealed 56.25 kilogrammes of herion inside car shock absorbers which originated from Pakistan but was intercepted at the Mutala Muhammed International Aiport (MMA).

According to NDLEA spokesman, Mitchell Ofeyeju who described the howl as the single largest seizure made in 2009, an airport taxi driver, Kamoru Ayinde Gbadamoii has been declared wanted in connection with the deal.

A drug cartel had wanted to smuggle the drug into the country on two separate occasions in November and December last year when NDLEA officials uncovered the plots.

Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade expressed satisfaction with operation West Bridge under the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

He commended the UK authorities for applying the intelligence that led to the first seizure and promised to sustain and strengthen the agreement.

According to him, “I am pleased with the tremendous success in our foreign collaboration. Our relation with the UK, under the Operation West Bridge, has been quite exceptional and will be sustained. The more united law enforcement agencies are the more disunited drug cartels will become.”

The first consignment was sent through Emirate cargo flight No EK783 with airway bill number 176-13605561 on November 20, 2009.

A total of 120 pieces of heroin weighing 28 kilogrammes were found hidden inside car shock absorbers packed in three wooden crates.

The 45-year old clearing and forwarding agent, Shittu in the cargo section of the airport is assisting narcotics investigators in the matter.

The NDLEA Airport Commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar disclosed that internal surveillance activities by offices of MMIA yielded positive result following the successful interception of the second consignment with airway bill number 706-21588792.

It was declared as auto parts from Lahore, Pakistan aboard Kenya airline flight KQ534 that arrived Nigeria on December 23, 2009.

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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4 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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4 hours ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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