Nation
NDLEA Arrests Nigerians With N30bn Cocaine At Lagos Airport
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) made huge seizures of drugs last week.
Cocaine and heroin packages with street value of N30 billion were discovered at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
One of the seizures, 26.840 kilograms of cocaine, is the biggest from an individual in the past 15 years.
A top NDLEA official who gave the details to the press at the weekend disclosed that on January 27 at about 1:20pm during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers, a female passenger, Onyejegbu Ifesinachi Jennifer, 33, from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa, was intercepted.
She was taken to the NDLEA office at the airport where her bags were searched. Whitish powdery substances were found concealed inside 16 pieces of duvet contained in two travel bags. Test conducted proved positive to cocaine and weighed 26.850kilograms.
“The suspect, a hair stylist based in Brazil, confessed to have agreed to smuggle the hard drug for N2,000,000. Although she refused to disclose the names of her associates, she mentioned that she was asked to hand over the drugs to another person. The street value of this singular seizure is put at over N21billion.”
Two days earlier, a red left-over luggage was declared to the NDLEA operatives at the E- arrival hall after the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines.
The agency said based on information on the tag, the luggage arrived Nigeria from Sao Paulo, Brazil, a destination classified as high-risk country going by records and trends of arrest and seizures.
The bag was transferred to the NDLEA ‘Legal Seat’, the administrative office at the passenger terminal of the MMIA.
The Commander at the MMIA, Ahmadu Garba, afterwards received an intelligence report of a purported plan to clear a consignment containing hard drugs.
“The details sent matched the bag earlier detained by the operatives at the Lagos airport. In a coordinated operation, on January 27, 2021, an NDLEA undercover agent was contacted by one Abubakar Aliyu. The agent lured Aliyu into the cargo terminal of the airport where he was arrested”, the brief read.
Aliyu revealed that another person was on his way to receive the bag based on the instruction of his sender, one Ikechukwu Eze. Soon after one Emmanuel Iyke Aniebonam, who was to receive the bag, was arrested at NAHCO.
Emmanuel confessed that he was instructed by Ikechukwu to receive the consignment. Emmanuel was set up to lure in Eze. He didn’t show up but sent another person.
The individual confirmed Emmanuel mandated him to receive the consignment and that they agreed to meet at Ibis Royal Hotel in Ikeja.
NDLEA said a follow-up operation was organised and at the hotel, one Onwurah Kelvin was arrested. The suspect confessed he was sent by Eze to receive the consignment.
“The detained bag was opened in the presence of all the three suspects. Whitish powdery substances were discovered neatly concealed and sewn inside five children duvets. Field test was carried out on the exhibits proved they are cocaine weighed to be 8.400 Kilograms, with a street value of over N7billion.”
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
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