Connect with us

News

France, Hong Kong-Bound Businessmen Excrete Cocaine, Heroin At Abuja Airport

Published

on

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two businessmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja with cocaine and heroin concealed in their bellies on their way to Hong Kong and France.
While 38-year-old ThankGod Chimamkpa Emenike was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja Airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Air France flight 818 to Paris, on Friday, October 20, another passenger, 41-year-old Agbo Chidike Prince was taken into NDLEA custody on Saturday, October 21, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 950 to Hong Kong via Addis Ababa.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, who made the disclosure in a statement, yesterday, noted that the suspects were both arrested and detained after their body scan revealed they ingested the illicit drugs.
Babafemi stated that after days in custody and a number of excretions, Emenike excreted 72 wraps of heroin weighing 1.171 kilograms, while Chidike discharged 49 pellets of cocaine with a total weight of 998.53grams.
He disclosed that Chidike, in his statement, claimed he is a businessman dealing in spare parts at the Alaba International market in the Ojo area of Lagos.
The NDLEA spokesman said the suspect added that he was to be paid N3.5 million which he intended to use to import goods from Hong Kong.
Babafemi noted that the operatives of the Lagos Command of the NDLEA intercepted and recovered a vehicle loaded with 209kgs of Loud at the Okun Ajah area of the state on Monday, October 23.
He said the anti-narcotics officers also recovered an abandoned consignment of 401 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 392kgs and 21,000 capsules of tramadol in the Tumfure area of Gombe State last Saturday, October 28.
He added that the NDLEA operatives, in the early hours of yesterday, stormed the Utese forest in the Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State and evacuated a total of 2,931.3 kilograms of cannabis sativa from a warehouse in the forest.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA operatives have also intercepted a Qatar Airways flight passenger going to Oman, Agbo Celestine Tochukwu, with a consignment of 58 parcels of skunk weighing 29.10kgs while undergoing processes to board his flight at the terminal 11 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Tochukwu, in his statement, claimed he relocated to Oman on May 6, 2023, and has been working as hotel attendant in Oman before venturing into drug trafficking.
Babafemi made this known in a statement issued yesterday.
The NDLEA spokesman added that 2,197 kilograms of skunk were recovered in four interdiction operations in parts of Ondo State within four days.
He said 1,165.5kgs were seized in Uso, Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State on Wednesday, October 25, adding that a consignment of 691kgs were recovered from Ukugu forest in Ipele the on Tuesday, October 24.
“A suspect, Ifeanyi Abuguja, 32, was arrested with 87kgs of same substance on Monday, October 23 at Agula Road, Ogbese, Akure North LGA, while 253.5kgs were recovered at Ogbese market in Akure North LGA on Thursday, October 26,” the NDLEA spokesman stated.
He disclosed that two suspects – Ayo Dele, 19, and Olaitan Ahmed, 23 – were arrested with 160 grams of cannabis at a drug joint at the Nalende area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Sunday, October 22.
The NDLEA spokesperson noted that a follow-up operation at their warehouse in the same area led to the recovery of 332kgs of the same substance.
While commending the officers of the anti-drug agency for the arrests and seizures, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), urged them and their compatriots across all formations of the agency to maintain the offensive action tempo and strive to surpass previous records while maintaining a balance with their drug demand reduction efforts.

Continue Reading

News

Learn How To Form Coalition Party From Tinubu, Sowunmi Tells Atiku 

Published

on

Spokesman to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Segun Sowunmi, has advised his principal, Atiku, to learn from President Bola Tinubu on how to form a coalition.

The Tide reports that in a bid to wrest power from President Tinubu in 2027, Atiku has been leading the movement by opposition politicians to form a coalition of political parties ahead of the next general election.

Last month, opposition politicians set up a team comprising former Minister of Transpiration, Rotimi Amaechi, and former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, to decide whether to float a new party or fuse into an existing platform.

While the main opposition party, PDP, struggles with a perennial leadership crisis, the former Vice President is bent on establishing another political force to take power from the ruling party in 2027.

But Sowunmi, who has been Atiku’s ally for many years, disagrees with his move, saying instead of forming a coalition with another political platform, he should coalesce opposition politicians into the PDP.

Speaking during an interview on TVC on Tuesday, Sowunmi, who was Atiku’s campaign spokesperson in the last election, asked his principal to learn from President Tinubu on how to form a coalition.

Sowunmi believes Atiku, having benefitted from the PDP as a former Vice President and getting the party’s presidential ticket twice, should not seek to form a coalition that will not have the PDP as its base.

He said, “I’ve always said to people, people love with their hearts. I love atiku with my bones. But I can’t help him against himself. You can’t run vice presidency on PDP two times with Obasanjo, get presidential candidate on that same party two times. I don’t agree with him that the next best thing is to be shopping for…(a platform) If you want a coalition, why are you not coalescing them into your party?” he asked.

The former PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State advised the ex-VP to learn from Tinubu on how to build a coalition without dumping his political party.

“Look at your rival, your friend. You guys started together. At best, even if you want to say he’s building a coalition is he not coalescing opponents into his place”? Sowunmi asked again.

The PDP chieftain, who recently showered praises on Tinubu after he visited him, said the President has an “uncanny ability to make everybody individually feel special” regardless of political affiliations.

His words: “That guy (Tinubu) is something oh, he has this uncanny ability to make everybody individually feel special. It doesn’t matter whether you are a former foe or a president’s friend, every moment you share with him, I don’t know how he does it, though you’re going to leave the place feeling that you matter, feeling that he gets it, feeling that what you guys are talking about is important. And there’s something about him, when he gives you his word, he will say something like ‘ko le ye’, meaning that to the best of human ability, it will stand.”

Meanwhile, there have been conversations about Sowunmi’s political stance as many questioned his relationship with Atiku, with whom he shares a longstanding political relationship.

Asked about his relationship with Atiku following his meeting with Tinubu, Sowunmi said he doesn’t know if the former Vice President is upset.

“I don’t know whether Atiku is upset or not upset, but I know a lot of our followers are talking a lot of nonsense, and I’m wondering how I became attached to Atiku when I’ve been in PDP since 1999 never leaving,” he responded.

Continue Reading

News

FIRS Introduces New SOP To End Tax Confusion Nationwide 

Published

on

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has introduced a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to fix inconsistencies in tax services across its over 300 offices nationwide.

The move aims to make tax processes clearer, more transparent, and easier for Nigerians.

In a statement, Special Adviser on Communications and Advocacy to the FIRS Executive Chairman, Mr. Collins Omokaro, said the updated SOP is a key part of the agency’s plan to improve taxpayer experience.

He explained that, in the past, different FIRS offices used different methods, which often confused taxpayers.

“This is about people, experience, and impact. It’s a step towards a tax system that supports voluntary compliance and national development,” Omokaro said.

The new SOP provides a single guide for key processes like registration, payment, audit, and enforcement. This will ensure all FIRS offices follow the same steps, making the system fairer and more predictable.

FIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zacch Adedeji, described the SOP as more than just a set of rules.

“This SOP is not just a technical document; it is a declaration of who we are becoming as a service. It reflects our commitment to transparency and service to the Nigerian people,” he said.

The SOP also supports FIRS’s digital transformation, combining human and technological systems to deliver faster and more reliable services. It will also improve internal efficiency by providing clear guidance and better training for staff.

“With this rollout, every FIRS staff member has a clear mandate: study it, apply it, and embody it. That’s how we’ll earn the trust of Nigerians,” Omokaro added.

The reform is part of FIRS’s efforts to become a more service-driven organisation, focused on clarity, consistency, and national growth. The agency hopes the new SOP will make tax services better for Nigerians and increase public trust in the system.

 

Continue Reading

News

FG Working Towards World-Class Public Service -Walson-Jack 

Published

on

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, says the Federal Government is committed to building a world-class public service in Nigeria.

Walson-Jack made this known in  Abuja, on Wednesday, at a World Press Conference ahead of the International Civil Service Conference and the African Public Service Week scheduled for June 25 to 26 in Abuja.

She said a recent study tour to Singapore was part of preparatory activities aimed at positioning Nigeria’s civil service for excellence and attracting global participation in the upcoming events.

“The study tour to Singapore was the first major activity we undertook under the collaboration between the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Heads of Service of the 36 states and the FCT,” she said.

According to her, the visit, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), involved 20 State Heads of Service and was designed to benchmark best global practices and enhance Nigeria’s public service delivery.

“The idea was born out of our ongoing collaboration, where we share ideas and knowledge across federal and state levels.

“Singapore was chosen because it is globally recognised for excellence in public service,” she explained.

Walson-Jack noted that the second phase of the tour will involve the remaining 17 heads of service later this year.

She said the tour provided participants with the opportunity to engage with both public and private sector institutions in Singapore, compare administrative practices, and gain insights into global standards.

“It was an eye-opener and a capacity-building opportunity.

“Since our return, several state civil services have begun implementing reforms in collaboration with the federal service, particularly in areas such as capability development and digital transformation,” she added.

Walson-Jack further disclosed that Nigeria would host a reciprocal study tour during the upcoming African Public Service Week, where foreign delegates will engage with various federal institutions.

“They will see firsthand our digitalisation efforts, performance management systems, and other reform initiatives aimed at transforming our civil service.

“We hope the experience will inspire similar actions in their home countries,” she said.

Continue Reading

Trending