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Nine Ghanaians Jailed 72 Years For Smuggling Cannabis Into Nigeria …As NDLEA Nabs Pregnant Woman, Nursing Mother, 24 Others With Illicit Drugs
Nine Ghanaians arrested for attempting to smuggle 10,843.95kgs cannabis into Nigeria through the seaport have been convicted and sentenced to 72 years imprisonment.
Delivering his ruling in the matter, Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Lagos, convicted the Ghanaians of conspiracy and dealing in cannabis and thereafter sentenced each of them to eight years in prison.
The convicts include: Victor Wuddah; Freeman Gazul; Adotete Joseph; Sottie Moses; Sottie Stephen; Christian Tette; Kanu Okonipa; Daniel Koyepti; and Kanu Natte.
They were initially arrested by men of the Civil Defence Corps and transferred to NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.
At the conclusion of investigations, they were arraigned in charge number FHC/L/292C/2021.
Similarly, a pregnant woman and a nursing mother have been arrested with 9,437.6kilogrammes of cannabis and 138,053 tablets of pharmaceutical opioids, among others, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during interdiction operations in the country.
The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, made this known via a statement issued, yesterday.
Babafemi disclosed that the suspects were arrested in Yobe, Ondo, Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kwara states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The NDLEA spokesperson disclosed that the anti-drug agency operatives, last Saturday, stormed Chukuku village, which is about 10 kilometres from Gwagwalada, and raided a large cannabis warehouse.
He noted that a total of 510 jumbo bags of the illicit substance weighing 5, 640kgs were recovered from the store and a nursing mother in charge, Sa’adatu Abdullahi, 35, was arrested.
He stated that in Yobe State, the NDLEA operatives intercepted 48kgs of cannabis in BuniYadi, adding that they also raided a location in Potiskum where they recovered 56 blocks (31kgs) from two suspects, Mohammed Mamuda, and a married pregnant woman, Hauwa Haruna.
Babafemi further revealed that no fewer than 99 bags of cannabis and three bags of its seeds weighing 1,286kgs were seized on Thursday when the operatives of the anti-narcotics agency raided a location in Ogbese area of Ondo State.
The NDLEA spokesman noted that another raid at Umukpe forest in Uhunmonde council area of Edo State led to the seizure of 410kgs of the same substance in addition to a motorcycle, two dane guns, and the arrest of two suspects, NumgaAnim, aged 30, and 50-year-old Friday Ebije.
“Not less than 50 bags of C/S weighing 623kgs were also recovered at Ekpom village in Igueben LGA with the arrest of the owner, Lucky Henry, 30, while another suspect, Ndidi Esegine, 52, was nabbed at Ugbodo forest, Ovia North East LGA with 266.8kgs C/S on Tuesday, October 11.
“Two days later, operatives stormed Uzebba forest in Owan West LGA to destroy four cannabis farms where two suspects: Ezekiel Raphael and Gideon Bassey were arrested with a total of 223.5kgs processed C/S recovered,” he added.
Babafemi stated that a stop and search operation along the East/West Road in Ahoada area of Rivers State led to the recovery of 251.4kgs of C/S in a gold colour Toyota Sienna bus with Reg No – Abuja YAB 70 BR, noting that a suspect, Segun Ajayi, was arrested, while 161.4kgs were equally recovered from an ash colour Toyota Camry saloon car with Reg No- Abuja RBC 590 BQ.
“In Akwa Ibom State, attempt by a trans-border trafficker, Edet Osu James, 44, to export 2.4kgs cocaine concealed in two large tins of powdered milk to Cameroon was foiled by officers of the Marine unit of the Agency on Thursday, October 13 during an outward clearance of vessels going to Cameroon from Oron.
“In Imo State, no fewer than 10,690 pills of tramadol were intercepted during stop and search operations along Owerri-Onitsha road with three suspects: Saadu Usman; Godwin Emeka and Emeka Obijihe arrested in follow-up efforts on Thursday, October 13,” the NDLEA spokesperson disclosed.
He added that Obijihe was already standing trial for a similar offence for which he was arrested on May 9, 2022, and was on court bail when he was re-arrested, last Thursday, for trafficking 6.5kgs of tramadol.
“In Jigawa State, operatives recovered 67,300 pills of exol-5 and tramadol at Dansure/Roni junction while in Kogi State, a total of 46,100 pills of the same opioids were seized along Okene-Abuja highway both on Thursday, October 13.
“At least, six suspects were arrested at a notorious drug location in Ngurore town, Adamawa State with a total of 495kgs cannabis seized in addition to different quantities of opioids. Suspects arrested include Chidi Titus, Vincent Donatus, Badishi Bitrus, AbubakarInuwa, Abdul A. Abdul, and Inuwa Ado Isa.
“At least, 5,480 pills of tramadol were seized from two suspects: Dalhatu Salisu and HamisuIshaq, who were arrested on Wednesday, October 12 by operatives along Abuja-Kaduna express road, while a total of 3,800 bottles of new psychoactive substance, Akuskura and 7,760 tablets of tramadol were recovered from five suspects along Ilorin-Jebba highway.
“Four of the suspects: Idris Nadir, 38; Suleiman Muhammed, 68; Babangida Zaki, 30 and Yahaya Lawal claimed they were coming from Ibadan, Oyo State, and taking the Akuskura to Katsina, Kano, and Birnin Kebbi. The fifth suspect, NafiuIdris, who was arrested with the tramadol pills said he was taking them to Kankara in Katsina State,” Babafemi said.
While commending the officers of the anti-narcotics agency for their efforts at drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction, the NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), charged them and their counterparts across other commands not to rest on their oars.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.