NDLEA Smashes Cocaine Syndicates, Recovers Multi-billion-naira Drugs in Nationwide Raids

This Might Also Interest You

Ambassador Seeks ftan’s collaboration to market Ethiopian Cultural tourism offerings in Nigeria* By Frank Meke Ethiopian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Nigeria, His Excellency Legesse Gerenew Haile says his country, Ethiopia is ready to open up and excite the cultural tourism trade link with Nigeria which will help boost the three trillion dollars intra Africa continental economy. The Ambassador, who is barely a month in office in Nigeria, disclosed that Nigeria is a huge cultural tourism source market in Africa and holds a top place in his heart, hence his focal intention to collaborate with the Nigerian private sector premier umbrella tourism trade organisation, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria ( ftan) to market Ethiopian tourism in Nigeria. Addressing ftan delegation led by the president, Mr Nkereweum Onung at the Ethiopian Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, the Ambassador, noted that he has followed with keen interest the various activities of the Nigerian private sector tourism federation since assumption of office, hence his invitation to the association leadership to find ways to drive the Ethiopian Nigeria tourism trade relations. ” I must express my gratitude to have you and your team here today in our embassy, which I believe would activate one of the biggest cultural tourism economic developments in Africa. Ethiopia is not strange to Nigerians, but we want to further escalate the various cultural tourism offerings in our country to Nigerians, which would cement and boost closer relationship with Nigerians in particular and other African nations in general ” the Ambassador explained further. He stressed his resolve to collaborate and engage the Nigerian tourism federation to change the cultural tourism trade narratives between both countries, adding that his mission in Nigeria is to accomplish the all-important goal while here in Nigeria without let. ” Ethiopia is ready and willing to welcome Nigerians to our country. We love Nigerians and will like them to know more about us apart from our airline and airport in addis Ababa. We have several historical and religious sites in our country, and our hospitality is top notch with vibrant trade groups and bodies such as your federation, which through our ministry of tourism, we can invite to sit down with you to find ways to work out specific opportunities to boost this relationship. Part of my mission here is to facilitate this opportunity, and I am happy to receive your group here today, ” the ambassador reiterated. In his remarks, ftan president, Mr Nkereweum Onung, commended the initiative of the Ambassador, describing it as the first pro African cultural tourism diplomatic agenda focal to practical mobilisation of cultural tourism diversity of the intra Africa continental trade economy which still begs for breaking down of various barriers to its operational survival. ” we at ftan commend your vision to partner with our organisation which has over 14 sub trade associations under its umbrella. We promise and assure you that we shall process this invitation and support it. We know the Ethiopian airline brand, which is quite huge and proudly African, and to which Nigerians patronise without let. Your tourism and hospitality infrastructure is also exciting, and we shall see how your visa regime works out and that includes other opportunities that would facilitate this collaboration. We shall not rule out intentional trade missions to both countries to further study how to perfect the initiative and in the areas of training and retraining offerings, ” ftan president further noted. Ftan president who took time to also introduce the newly elected president of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria ( Atpn) Prince Femi Fadina, who was part of his entourage, and praised the Ambassador for the call for collaboration which other African Ambassadors must emulate to practically oxygenate the three trillion dollars inter African continental trade economy. In another trade visit to the Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture ( NCAC) Obi Asika in Abuja, ftan president stated that any cultural tourism policy which did not have the input and support of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, will only end as an excise in vain, assuring the NCAC boss of the collaboration and support of the Federation. ” we want to work with you and is happy that both culture and tourism are on the same boat now but we want to see a more practical robust relationship as was done by your predecessor and to which we believe you can take to a higher level of delivery responsibilities.” Ftan president noted. Earlier, the NCAC Director General explained that his focal agenda is to create an enabling environment to which the private sector can effectively own the cultural tourism business in Nigeria to help boost trade revenue and also create jobs for teeming unemployed Nigerians. ” I am a policy person and not really a politician, and I am open to effectual collaboration and relationship with the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria ( ftan). Before you came, I had hosted some trade associations, and I wonder how I will process all of them individually, so I am happy to have you around and look forward to where we all, possibly with the ministry would sit down in serious working session to evaluate our expectations and see to how the Federation can help us add value to various cultural tourism policies which should be driven by the organised private sector with government providing guidance and support where necessary ” Mr obi Asika reiterated . The NCAC boss used the opportunity to officially invite the ftan delegation to the command flag off of the National festival of Arts and Culture ( Nafest) on Saturday in Abuja, adding that the festival would run through the 24th to 30th of November in Abuja

NDLEA smashes cocaine syndicates, recovers multi-billion-naira drugs in nationwide raids

Multi-billion-naira worth of cocaine concealed in heavy duty automobile pivot shafts, and Ghanaian fabric, Kente, among others have been recovered in a nationwide intelligence-led operation by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

While 2.32 kilograms of cocaine concealed in Ghanaian traditional kente materials going to the United Kingdom were intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on Monday 5^th August 2024, 10.494kg of same class A drug buried in heavy duty pivot shafts heading to the United States were recovered at the same logistics company after the NDLEA sniffer dogs fished out the automobile spare parts containing the illicit drug, bringing the total weight of cocaine seized in the two shipments to 12.814 kilograms.

In the same vein, five other consignments going to the US, UK and Canada were also intercepted at the courier firm in Lagos on Friday 9^th August 2024. They include 517 grams of cocaine in clothing materials; different quantities of pentazocine injection, promethazine injection and cocodamol pills, all heading to the UK as well as 297 pills of tramadol 225mg going to Canada. In a different logistics company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 21 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 10kg coming from the US and meant for delivery in Abuja.

In another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 7^th August arrested a member of a cocaine trafficking network, Obiora Joseph Agudosi, at Alafia Orile, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos while attempting to move 9.00kg of cocaine to Onitsha, Anambra state.

Two members of another cocaine syndicate based in Nnewi and Oba town, Anambra state were also arrested on Thursday 8^th August in a follow up operation following the seizure of their consignments in a GUO transport company bus at Benin, Edo state same day.

While the bus driver, Harrison Mbachu, 44, was arrested at Benin tollgate with a total of 2.865kg cocaine, Izuchkwu Arinze, 40, was picked at Nnewi town while attempting to collect his own consignment of 1.748kg cocaine and 514 grams sodium bicarbonate, with Ameachi Okoro, 39, arrested while trying to pick his own 1.117kg cocaine at Oba town.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at Tincan seaport Lagos on Wednesday 7^th August intercepted 532 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 265.25kg in a black Toyota Sienna bus, which is one of the three vehicles in a container marked MSMU 6029570 coming from Montreal, Canada. The seizure was made during 100% joint examination with men of Customs Service and other stakeholders. The following day, Thursday 8th August, the operatives recorded yet another seizure of 75 parcels of same substance weighing 37.5kg in a container marked FSCU-9274613, that came from Canada.

In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 8th August with the support of men of operation Farauta Sector 3, Mayo Belwa arrested 49-year-old Joseph Peter with 425 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 291.200kg in his Toyota Camry car marked Lagos KSF 381 HM. He claimed he was bringing the consignment from Edo state to deliver in Yola, Adamawa State.

While two suspects: Adekunle Sunday Adebayo, 50, and Yahaya Mamuda, 35, were arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Tuesday 6^th August with 29.5kg cannabis, NDLEA operatives in Lagos recovered 1,169 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance from a bus along Orchid road, Ajah on Sunday 4^th August.

No less than 1,230.00kg cannabis was destroyed on three hectares of farmland at Ikeje forest, Edimogo village, Igalamela/ Odolu LGA, Kogi state on Friday 9^th August by NDLEA officers supported by men of the Nigerian Army while the owner, Danjuma Maji, 40, was arrested.

With the same drive, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for women at Fowewe Sofuwa Islamic Centre, Saki, Oyo state; WADA sensitisation lecture and inauguration of community drug control committee at Nnando community, Anambra state; WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Ilorin, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Kwara state; and WADA sensitisation lecture to members of Ansaru-ud-deen Muslim Society of Nigeria in Ado Ekiti, among others.

While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, Tincan, Lagos, Edo, Kano, Kogi, and Adamawa Commands as well as those of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to continue with their current balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO PRODUCE EXCELLENT JOURNALISM AT ALL TIMES.

SUPPORT US AT NEWSROOM NIGERIA @ Newsroom Communication Services: 2042789398, First Bank of Nigeria.