The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has successfully thwarted a syndicate’s attempt to smuggle illicit drugs worth N1.183 billion into the country through the Apapa Port in Lagos.

This was achieved through a series of seizures made at both the AP Moller Terminal and the Kachicares Bonded Terminal.

According to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Customs Usman Abubakar, the first three containers were intercepted at the AP Moller Terminal, while the final seizure of 236,783 bottles of cough syrup, packed in 2,174 cartons, was made at the Kachicares Bonded Terminal.

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The Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Command, Comptroller Babatunde Olomu, emphasized that these seizures reflect the service’s unwavering stance against smuggling, especially of illicit drugs.

Detailing the operation, Olomu said, “On the 11th of October 2024, our officers, during a joint examination of a 40-foot container numbered MRKU0377493, discovered 34,800 bottles of CSP cough syrup, an expired and prohibited substance. The syrups were concealed in 174 cartons with 200 bottles per carton.”

The same day saw another interception within the terminal, where a separate 40-foot container, TGBU8886020, was found to contain 39,700 bottles of DSP cough syrup, packed in 100 bottles per carton.

Further inspections on October 15, 2024, uncovered a 40-foot container numbered TCKU6800526, initially declared to contain essential goods. Upon examination, 19 cartons of CSJ cough syrup, concealed for smuggling, were found.

The final discovery was made at Kachicares Resources Terminal on the same day, where a container labeled SUDU8579006, said to contain kitchen wares, was found to hold Barcadin cough syrup.

In total, 1,584 cartons of the illicit substance were concealed, along with an additional 83 loose bottles.

Comptroller Olomu warned smugglers, saying, “Apapa Command is committed to seamless trade facilitation powered by robust stakeholder engagement, but we will not compromise on our revenue collection and anti-smuggling mandates.

“For the umpteenth time, I want to warn perpetrators of unlawful trade to steer clear from Apapa Port as our eagle-eyed officers, relying on intelligence and technology, are out to uncover all smuggling attempts.”

Codeine abuse, prevalent in many illicit cough syrups, has been linked to harmful effects, including nausea, drowsiness, impaired judgment, and irrational behavior.

The NCS has reaffirmed its commitment to curbing the entry of such dangerous substances into Nigeria.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, the 54-year-old music mogul, is facing a new wave of serious sexual assault allegations.

The latest lawsuits, filed on October 14, 2024, in the Southern District of New York, accuse the rap icon of raping, drugging, sodomizing, and threatening to kill multiple victims over the years.

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These fresh claims add to Combs’ existing legal troubles, as he remains in a Brooklyn jail cell awaiting trial on separate sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

According to court documents obtained by Page Six, one of the new lawsuits alleges that Combs raped a then-19-year-old woman in 2004.

The victim claims she was invited to a photo shoot and then to Combs’ Marriott hotel room in Manhattan, where she was taken to a separate room during an “exclusive party.”

There, she alleges, Combs assaulted her and her friend and threatened to have them both killed if they did not comply with his demands.

In another lawsuit, an unnamed male victim alleges that Combs committed aggravated sexual assault in a Macy’s department store stockroom in 2008.

The man claims the incident involved Combs and two of his bodyguards, who allegedly threatened to kill him as the rapper performed a sex act against his will.

A third accuser, also male, alleges that Combs drugged and sodomized him in a van outside a “White Party” in 2006.

The man claims that when he pleaded for help, Combs dismissed his cries, allegedly telling him, “You’ll be alright.”

The final new lawsuit involves an unnamed female who accuses Combs of raping her in 1995 at a party promoting the late rapper Biggie Smalls’ “One More Chance” music video.

She alleges that Combs “violently” assaulted her before the sexual assault occurred.

All four lawsuits have been filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, who recently revealed he is representing more than 120 alleged victims in cases against Combs.

The Grammy-winning artist has consistently denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the federal charges in September. He remains in custody without bail as his legal battles continue.

A tragic ambush early Monday morning claimed the lives of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and several of his colleagues near the Agbarho Rail Station, leaving another DPO in critical condition following a failed kidnap rescue operation.

The incident occurred around 1:00 AM, resulting in a violent exchange of gunfire between police forces and suspected kidnappers.

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Comrade Israel Joe, a prominent human rights activist in Delta State, shared details of the attack in a Facebook post, revealing that the new DPO of Agbarho, who had only begun his assignment two days earlier, was among those killed.

The DPO of Orerokpe, CSP Paul, was seriously injured and has been transported to an undisclosed hospital for urgent medical attention.

“I am deeply pained by this news,” Comrade Joe wrote, reflecting on a conversation he had with the Agbarho DPO just the day before the ambush. “He was taking swift action to address the conduct of his officers, and this loss is heartbreaking.”

In his post, Joe extended heartfelt condolences to the Nigeria Police Force and the families of the fallen officers, highlighting their courage in the line of duty.

“These officers gave their lives while protecting us. None of these criminals should escape justice,” he asserted.

As the investigation unfolds, efforts to reach the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, for further comment were unsuccessful at the time of this report.