News
Indian Police Nab Nigerian With N1.8m Cocaine …As NDLEA Intercepts 12,385kg Drugs In Lagos
Another Nigerian, Kehinde Sadiq Idris, 26, has been arrested by the Prune City Police in India for alleged possession of cocaine worth Rs3.46 lakh (N1.9million).
It was gathered that a patrolling team of the Anti-Narcotics Cell and Uttamnagar police station intercepted a two-wheeler at Kutje around 2am, last Saturday.
The two-wheeler rider tried to escape from the spot, cops nabbed him.
It said during searches, they recovered 23.9grammes of cocaine worth Rs3,46,350 from his possession.
Police also seized his vehicle, two cell phones and cash of Rs6,000 from him.
The online portal said an offence was lodged against him at the Uttamnagar police station under sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Police Inspector VinayakGaikwad said the accused has been arrested earlier in a case of illegal drugs trade.
Similarly, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the seizure of 12,385kilogrammes of Loud Cannabis, a strong variant of the illicit weed imported from a neighbouring country and smuggled into Lagos through the waterways.
The seizure, which took place at the weekend, according to the agency, was based on credible intelligence that 12, 385 pellets of Loud Cannabis were brought in from the West African country through the ocean and ferried with boats to the Eko Atlantic Beach, Victoria Island from where they would be distributed to drug hot spots such as Island, Peti Alagba and others across Lagos and other states.
A statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, yesterday, said over 50 narcotic officers stormed the beach on Saturday, November 27, 2021, recovered the consignments along with two long trucks, a Toyota Sienna bus and arrested three suspects.
“Those arrested include: AbdulkadriZakari, 24; Ka’abuSausu, 45 and Lawrence Adie, 27.
“In the same vein, a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Beatrice Aigbedion was among suspects arrested in parts of Edo in connection with the seizure of over 5,000kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs across the state.
“After days of surveillance, NDLEA operatives, last Wednesday, stormed a warehouse at Uhiere, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state, where they recovered a total of 4,261.5kg of cannabis sativa and a suspect, Ikong Stanley, arrested.
“The previous day, 1,240kg was equally seized at a warehouse in Uzebba, Owan West LGA of the state.
“At the point of her arrest in Irrua, last Wednesday, Mrs.Aigbedion was caught with different quantities of Codeine cough syrup, Swinol and Rohypnol while another dealer, Joseph Onyemaechi, 50, was also nabbed at IkpobaOkha, Upper Sakponba-Benin City, last Friday, with different types of psychotropic substances weighing 2.055kg.
“Similarly, Gabriel Akioya and Isa Salihu were arrested, last Thursday, at Irrua, Esan Central LGA with various quantities of Codeine, Tramadol, Swinol and Rohypnol.
“In Delta State, operatives raided Hampton Towers and Spa Hotel, OkpanamRoad, Asaba where DobedientEtumudor and Thompson Chukwuemeka were arrested with different quantities of psychoactive substances, while another dealer, Emeka Ben was nabbed with 4.7grammes of Methamphetamine along Asaba – IbusaRoad.
“Other suspects arrested, last Thursday, in the state for dealing in Meth, Cannabis, Cocaine, and Heroin include IfeanyiOdibe, UcheOnwurah, and Justice Obika.
“In Kano, a drug dealer, AlhajiBukar Malan Abdu, was arrested and 143kilogrammes of cannabis recovered from him while 466kg of same drug was seized in the home of one Bashir Shuaibu, an indigene of Edo State but resident in Kano, who deals in Cannabis sativa.
“On Thursday, a drug dealer in Maiduguri, BornoState, Chima Obi was arrested in a follow up operation following the seizure of his drug consignment, 73.2kg codeine, at an NDLEA checkpoint in Postiskum, YobeState same day”.
In his reaction to the arrests and huge seizures in Lagos, Edo, Delta, Kano and Yobe states, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed BubaMarwa (rtd) commended the officers and men involved in the operations, and urged them along with their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars.
He charged them to always strive to record greater feats until the drug supply and drug demand reduction targets of the agency are fully achieved.
News
Shettima In Ethiopia For State Visit

Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers

The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
News
Tinubu Orders Civil Service Personnel Audit, Skill Gap Analysis

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.
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