Nation
NDLEA Arrests Officer, Six Others For Dealing In Cocaine
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a serving officer of a law enforcement agency for selling assorted illicit drugs to students of a federal university and cultists in Ogun state.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement made available to The Tide source yesterday on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the drug dealer who served in the Lagos State Command of the security agency was arrested on Wednesday, June 15.
This, he said, was after days of surveillance on his wife’s shop used as his sales point in Camp area of Abeokuta.
According to Babafemi, One of his salesmen, a motorcycle rider was trailed to the location at about 8pm and arrested with six pinches of Colorado weighing 1.17grams.
“This was before the principal suspect, who has been on the Agency’s watch list, was nabbed with different illicit drugs.”
He gave the breakdown of the substances as: codeine -17 bottles; Cannabis -22.26 grams; tramadol 230 tablets -98grams; 61 tablets of flunitrazepam -23.72grams; 113 tablets of molly -48.16grams and sex drops -43.92grams.
“After the arrest of the two suspects, some student union officials of the institution blocked the NDLEA team with their official vehicle.
“The narcotic agents, however, restrained themselves and after hours of standoff succeeded in moving the suspects to custody,” he said.
In the same vein, Babafemi said that another drug dealer was arrested by operatives of the Oyo state Command of the agency at General area, Ilorin, Kwara.
This, he said, followed the interception of a parcel containing cocaine and heroin that weighed 10.5grams and 4.8grams, respectively, on June 13.
“The following day, two ladies, aged 40 and 39, respectively, were arrested at total Garden, Ibadan when NDLEA operatives acting on a tip-off, intercepted their commercial micra car.
“The two women were arrested with seven bags of cannabis weighing 77.23kg brought in from Ogbese, Ondo State, to supply a man they simply identified as Alhaji.
“According to them, they had earlier supplied the same Alhaji two bags before coming with the seven bags they were caught with,” he said.
Babafemi said that operatives of the Oyo state Command acting on intelligence also raided the residence of another Alhaji at Elebu area, Akala expressway, Oluyole LGA, Ibadan, on Friday, June 18.
He said that the operatives of the command, however, recovered 43 ampoules of methylphenidate.
In another development, Babafemi said that a drug trafficker was arrested at Panteka area of Kaduna State on June 17, with 211.5kg of skunk, heading to Kano state.
Babafemi also said that a Nigerian returning from Pakistan was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airpirt, (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
He said that the suspect was with five pellets of heroin weighing 250grams discovered in his anus.
He added that the suspect had arrived the ‘D’ arrival hall of the airport on June 14, on Turkish airline flight from Pakistan with the illicit drug inserted in his anus.
The Rivers state Government has identified six local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and Neonatal mortality in the state.
State Commissioner for Health Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh said this in an interview with newsmen at the Maternal and Neonatal Reduction innovation initiative ( Mamii)Rivers state activation workshop and state engagement meeting in Port Harcourt.
The event was organized by The Federal Ministry of Health in conjunction with its Rivers state counterpart in Port Harcourt.
Dr Oreh also restated the preparedness of the state government to support current efforts by the federal government towards the reduction of maternal and infant mortalities in the country.
She mentioned the affected Local Government Areas to include, Andoni,Akuku Toru and Ahoada West
The rest according to the Commissioner are, Bonny, Etche and Emohua Local Government Areas.
She said the workshop will enable the team from the federal ministry of health and social welfare to brainstorm with the view to finding solution to the problem.
The Commissioner also gave reasons why the Mamii initiative was the best as far as finding solution to maternal mortality was concerned.
“The uniqueness of the Mamii initiative driven by the federal ministry of health and social welfare was that we used evidence to elicit the reasons for this deaths, so that the solutions will be context specific and tailored to the particular environment where those deaths are occuring
“For us in Rivers state we have six Mamii LGAs , nationally we we have 172 local government areas “the Commissioner said.
Earlier in her opening remarks,Dr Oreh said the state government is prepared to work with the federal ministry of health and social welfare to check the rate of maternal mortality in the state.
She commended The Minister of Health and Social welfare Professor Ali Muhammad Pategi for driving the Mamii initiative across the country and expressed optimism that the programm will see to the end of maternal mortality in the country.
Also speaking the National Coordinator Nigeria health sector Renewal Initiative Dr Adam Ahmed said Rivers state is the last state among Mamii states in the country to host the team.
He said the team will visit the affected Local Government Areas with the view to interacting with the people on how to check the trend.
He expressed the hope that with continuous efforts, maternal mortality will be checked.
Also speaking the permanent secretary Rivers state Ministry of Health Professor Justinah Jumbo said the government is not leaving any stone unturned towards reduction in maternal deaths.
The permanent secretary said Governor Siminalaye Fubara is a health friendly Governor who is desirous in improving the quality of health of Rivers people.
John Bibor
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rivers state has declared a one day fasting and prayer to seek divine intervention on the political crisis rocking the state.
The Association said this at a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
State chairman of the Association,Most Rev. Dokiboeriya B. Kaladokubo said the fasting and prayer which holds February 5th at the Ecumenical center Abonnema wharf was in furtherance of the Association peace, advocacy, good governance and political stability in Rivers state.
He said the Association has observed with disappointment the dangerous trend and and gradual descent of governance in Rivers state into uncertainty and near oblivion, adding that the trend has exposed Rivers citizens to insecurity, economic hardship, loss of livelihood and the destruction of lives and property.
Kaladokubo said the association has also watched with dismay the unfolding political crisis in the state, stressing “what we see today is not merely a disagreement among political actors,it is a dangerous drift that threatens the very foundation of governance, peace, security and the collective well-being of our people”
According to him,”as the custodians of the spiritual and moral conscience of Rivers state,we can not remain silent while the state is pushed steadily towards chaos, institutional breakdown and avoidable suffering
“We are not oblivious of the fact that Rivers state like some other states in the federation often experience tension between the Executive and the Legislature “adding”when disagreement escalate they can hinder governance, delay budgets ,erode public trust and impede peaceful, constructive development”
The Christian body stressed the need for parties involved in the conflict to seek for peaceful resolution, stressing that as Christians and children of God “we should seek the path of peace and reconciliation as Christ Himself taught us”it said
The Association further encourage the both arms of government to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness and prioritize good governance in Rivers state
“We also advised all the parties in these conflict to call their supporters to exercise restraint in all their utterances and de-escalate tension in the interest of peace in Rivers state ”
CAN also described as disturbing the role some elder statesmen and individuals in the state have played and continue to play in the crisis when they should have serve as voices of wisdom, restraint and unity
“Rather than guiding the process towards peace, some have taken sides,fueled division and encouraged instability becoming more dangerous than those currently holding power”,it said.
John Bibor
-
Niger Delta3 days agoPDP Declares Edo Airline’s Plan As Misplaced Priority
-
Sports3 days agoSimba open Nwabali talks
-
Nation3 days agoHoS Hails Fubara Over Provision of Accommodation for Permanent Secretaries
-
Niger Delta3 days ago
Stakeholders Task INC Aspirants On Dev … As ELECO Promises Transparent, Credible Polls
-
Niger Delta3 days ago
Students Protest Non-indigene Appointment As Rector in C’River
-
News5 days agoDon Lauds RSG, NECA On Job Fair
-
Oil & Energy3 days agoNUPRC Unveils Three-pillar Transformative Vision, Pledges Efficiency, Partnership
-
Rivers3 days ago
Fubara Restates Continued Support For NYSC In Rivers