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Wanted drug baron arrested as NDLEA nabs woman linked to Pakistani cocaine syndicate

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…Recovers over 7.7tons of cannabis, arrests 20 suspects in Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Edo raids; intercepts 497,900 tramadol 225mg pills at Lagos airport

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

Sponsored by: H&H

Ten days after he was declared wanted, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested fleeing Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Afolabi Kazeem (a.k.a Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed) over offences bordering on exportation and trafficking of illicit drugs as well as money laundering.

The Agency had on Tuesday 1st November declared the suspect wanted following his failure to honour NDLEA invitations and an order granted by a Federal High Court in Lagos.

The wanted drug kingpin was uncovered as the sponsor of some traffickers arrested by the anti-narcotics agency in their recent attempt to export cocaine to Dubai, UAE and other destinations outside Nigeria.

The search for him however paid off on Thursday 10th Nov when he was successfully taken into custody where he is currently being interviewed.

His lid was blown open after the arrest of one of his mules, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver on 27th June at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, when he named Alhaji Ademola Kazeem, alias Adekaz as the owner of the 900grams of cocaine he ingested.

Following Adekazs failure to honour invitations sent to him, the Agency approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with three prayers: to attach and seal his identified properties in choice areas of Lagos island and Ibadan; declare him wanted and block his bank account with a cash balance of Two Hundred and Seventeen Million Naira (N217,000,000.00), all of which were granted.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives also arrested a businesswoman, Okefun Darlington Chisom over her links with two Pakistanis: Asif Muhammed, 45 and Hussain Naveed, 57, arrested at the Lagos airport with 8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a sound system while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Lahole, Pakistan via Doha on Saturday 5th Nov.

An automobile parts dealer, Omeje Oliver (a.k.a David Mark) who was arrested on Monday 31st October in Enugu where he fled to after abandoning his business at Aspanda, Trade Fair Complex Lagos since 16th April in connection with the seizure of 600 grams of heroin concealed inside soles of ladys footwears going to Liberia, has been linked to another drug seizure. A further look at the Agencys database reveals Omeje was also involved in a case of 1.580kg Methamphetamine that was seized from one Victor Nwobodo Friday, who was arrested at the MMIA during his aborted trip to Jakarta, Indonesia on February 6, 2018.

Charges have been filed against the suspect at the Federal High Court Lagos in respect of the old seizure in addition to that of the recent one.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives attached to the SAHCO import shed of the MMIA Lagos have intercepted another consignment of Tramadol from Karachi, Pakistan.

A total of 6 cartons comprising 497,900 tablets of Royal Tramaking brand of Tramadol 225mg with a gross weight of 304.90 kilograms were recovered after a joint examination by stakeholders on Friday 11th Nov.

Operatives in Ogun state in the early hours of Saturday 12th Nov raided a warehouse at Ogere area of Ikene LGA where they seized 273 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 3,533 kilograms (3.533tons) from a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Jesutofunmi Solomon. This came on the heels of the seizure of 176kgs of C/S at Ogere trailer park on Wednesday 9th Nov and the destruction of 15 hectares of cannabis plantation in Gbamgbam area of the state.

In the same vein, operatives in Osun state have raided a cannabis plantation at Obada sawmill, Owena Ijesa in Oriade LGA where they destroyed 1.2hectares, recovered 2,823kgs of processed C/S and arrested 13 suspects on Sunday 6th November.

In Ondo, operatives seized 78kgs of cannabis from a dealer, Beauty Godwin at Ofosu along Benin-Ore express road, and another 264kgs from Abdul Rasheed Mohammed, and Abdul Rasheed Haruna at Sanusi camp 2 in Owo, while in Rivers state, anti-narcotics officers of the Agency arrested Damion Onuoha during a raid at Elele Alimini community, Emuoha LGA, where he was found with 1.6kgs of Methamphetamine as well as monetary exhibit amounting to six hundred and fifty thousand, seven hundred naira (N650,700.00).

A joint operation with the military at Habour road, Port Harcourt City also led to the arrest of Sandra David and seizure of different quantities of cocaine and heroin as well as two million, fifty five thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira (N2,055,750.00) cash exhibit from her home.

In Edo state, operatives located and destroyed 10 clusters of cannabis sativa farms measuring 14 hectares at Igwalor forest, Uhunmwonde LGA where five bags of processed C/S weighing 47.7kgs were recovered, while a raid at Obadan village, in the same LGA also led to the recovery 11 bags of cannabis sativa seeds weighing 399kgs and 34 bags of processed substance weighing 431kgs, bringing the total weight to 830kgs. Two suspects: Enododia Sunday and Osayaba Paul were arrested at the scene.

While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Rivers and Edo Commands of the Agency for the successful operations in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), CON, OFR urged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify the heat on drug barons and cartels.

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LASTMA RECOVERS 2 DEAD BODIES, AS TRUCK RAMMED INTO A MOTORCYCLE PLYING ONE-WAY IN LAGOS

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……motorcycle operator later died at the hospital.

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) today recovered 2 dead bodies trapped under an empty long ‘Man-Diesel’ truck by Barracks Bus-stop along Lagos- Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA Mr. Adebayo Taofiq confirmed that the 2 (two) recovered dead bodies were passengers on a motorcycle riding on direction prohibited by law ‘One-way’ on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

While these two (2) motorcycle passengers died instantly, the rider later died at a hospital around Satellites Town.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a truck driver while on a top speed lost control as a result of a rear busted tyre and rammed into a motorcycle plying one-way by Barracks Bus-stop inward Iyana-Iba along Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

While the truck driver ran away after the accident, Police men from ‘Onireke’ Police Division’ took away the recovered two (2) dead bodies.

Lastma Ogunremi Olanrewaju (Lastma Commander Area D) who led the recovery operations and his team immediately evacuated the truck and motorcycle off the road for an unhindered free vehicular movement around the Expressway.

The General Manager of LASTMA Mr. Bakare-Oki Olalekan while warning truck drivers to always stop over speeding however appealed to motorcycle operators to stop playing one-way including all restricted routes across the State.

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REA to Deploy NASENI Renewable Technologies To Light Up Rural Areas in Nigeria 

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.. To Partner NITDA On Local Content Development

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Halilu and the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad have agreed to work together to deploy NASENI Solar resources and other renewable energy technologies, to increase electricity supply to Nigeria’s rural areas.

This commitment was the outcome of discussions between the two chief executives in Abuja on Friday September 15, 2023, when the EVC/CEO of NASENI visited the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) office as part of his efforts to engage with stakeholders to promote the adoption of NASENI’s technologies.  

Mr. Halilu, who assumed office two weeks ago as NASENI’s chief executive, said, “The focus is to hit the ground running by nurturing effective collaborations with the right stakeholders who will assist NASENI to fulfil its mandate of providing the science and engineering infrastructure base for Nigeria’s businesses and economy to thrive.” 

According to him, “The strategy, going forward, for NASENI includes knocking on the doors of potential end-users of the Agency’s technology and engineering products, making off-take of our Research & Development (R&D) easy, while also bringing the direct impact of our work to bear on the Nigerian economy.”

The two chief executives pledged to work together to bring down the cost of solar power installation in rural areas, through efforts such as increased local production of solar panels by NASENI. The overall goal, according to the REA MD, Ahmad Salihijo, is to facilitate the Federal Government’s ambition to achieve the electrification of Nigeria’s rural areas in record time.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Halilu visited the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, on a similar mission. The two CEOs emphasized the need to look inward and develop local content (human and material) capacity to transform the economy.

Halilu sought to leverage on the long-standing relationship between himself and the NITDA boss, and also between the two organisations, to share experiences and best practices in management and in resource optimization.

Abdullahi disclosed that NITDA’s strategy of focusing on changing both the mind-sets and skill-sets of its staff are two critical factors that have helped the Agency achieve up to 62 percent of its goals and objectives within two (2) years, ahead of its four (4) year projection. He noted that the same approach would work for NASENI, as long as there was a well-thought-out strategic plan, and clarity of vision and goals.

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kidnapping: Again, So-Safe rescues victim, arrests suspect in Ogun

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps also known as So-Safe Corps has captured a kidnap suspect alive, rescuing the victim in Ogun.

This is contained in a statement issued from the Office of the State Commander of the Corps, Commander (Dr) Soji Ganzallo through the office of the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Corps, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf.

Ganzallo said that on 13th July, 2023, the Headquarters of the Corps charged the Ijebu Zonal Command under ACC Marcus Ayankoya to rescue a woman who was kidnapped at about 2200hrs on her way back from market.

Ganzallo noted that he instructed his men to swing into action and get the culprits alive and to ensure the victim gained freedom in earnest and they went after them immediately.

He explained that the State Headquarters of the Corps was briefed as the operation was on that the kidnappers collected the victim phone, gold jewelry, N100,000 in her possession and 1 Atm Card and they drove her away with her car.

The team could not catch up with them because of Logistics issue.

Ganzallo later disclosed that the team did not relent untill they were informed of a strange footprints on a farmland at Oke-Ako Community in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area .

The Commander then instructed the Isiwo/Itamapako Divisional Officer of the Corps, SC Aderibigbe M.O to mobilize and lead his Special Squad to deal with the suspected kidnappers decisively. The kidnappers were tracked down after rigorous search for them as they tried to move the victim to a new location.

Ganzallo reported that
there was a gun duel between the crime suspects and the Corps before the criminals bowed to the superior response of the Corps, while one of the kidnappers, who is 32 years old named Tunde Salami and a resident of Ibadan, Oyo State was captured alive and the kidnap victim was rescued unhurt.

Ganzallo also said that the rescued victim was traumatized but not harmed.

One locally-made pistol was also recovered from the suspect.

The apprehended kidnap suspect and the rescued victim had been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force, Obalende Divisional Police Headquarters.

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