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NDLEA, NCS Seize 76.9kg Inbound Canada Loud in Port Harcourt

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NDLEA arrest 4 suspects, seizes 210kg drug in Kaduna

 

Collaborations between law enforcement agencies are yielding results in the war against illicit drugs.

 

A team of operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have seized up to 76.9 kilograms of Canadian loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, hid in four used vehicles in a container marked MSDU6686346 from Canada, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State.

 

It was gathered that the seizure was done during operations between Thursday, June 1 and Friday, June 2.

 

Image Maker, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said, “This followed the request for 100 per cent examination of the shipment as a result of earlier intelligence received by the agency on the container.”

 

In a related development, Babafemi revealed that NDLEA operatives stormed the Iwe forest in the Iwe community, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State, where they located a large warehouse of skunk, used to store 231 jumbo bags of the psychotropic substance weighing 3,003 kilograms, which was set ablaze.

 

“The operation involving hundreds of well-armed NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Tuesday, May 30, followed intelligence that a wanted drug kingpin had stored tons of the illicit substance in the forest ready for distribution to other parts of the country.

 

“In Kano State, two suspects – Ma’aruf Rabiu and Abubakar Mustapha were arrested on Tuesday, May 30 along Zaria-Kano road with 260 blocks of cannabis weighing 139.4kg, while Auwal Ibrahim was nabbed with 38kg of the same substance the following day; along Kaduna-Abuja road; same day 35-year-old female suspect, Bilkisu Isiya, was arrested at Birnin Yero, Kaduna in possession of 5.6kg cannabis.

 

“In Borno State, two suspects – Abubakar Usman (aka Alhaji Mai Kero) and Adamu Yusuf, were arrested at Bargu village, Shani LGA, on Saturday, June 3, with 165 blocks of skunk weighing 140.7kg. Their arrest was effected with military support, deep inside a fluid insurgents’ environment,” he added.

 

He also revealed that a female suspect, Hauwa Ibrahim, 25, was nabbed in the same village with 6.4kg of the psychoactive substance, while another suspect Alhaji Abubakar, 27, was arrested at Njimtilo checkpoint with 4,200 ampoules of pentazocine injection and different quantities of D5 and excel-5 tablets.

 

Babafemi pointed out that “A 30-year-old suspect, Iroko Wasiu was arrested at a drug joint at Sabo Aba-Owolowo along Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway on Tuesday, May 39, and 31.2kg of cannabis was recovered from him, while two suspects – Deji Adelabu, 35, and Mutiu Salau, 37, were nabbed the following day in the Sabo area along Oyo-Ogbomoso road and Awuro Dada area in Orire local government area of Oyo state with a total of 8kg cannabis recovered from them.”

Crime

N1.3trn Fraud: EFCC Arrests Ex-Delta Gov, Ifeanyi Okowa

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa over allegations of diverting N1.3 trillion in 13% derivation funds intended for Delta State during his tenure.

Okowa, who served as governor from 2015 to 2023, was detained after he voluntarily appeared at the EFCC’s Port Harcourt Directorate on Monday in response to an official summons.

READ ALSO: Nigeria’s Debt Service Ratio Falls To 65% As Tinubu Tackles Economic Woes

According to an EFCC source, Okowa is accused of failing to account for the N1.3 trillion derived from the federation account, as well as an additional N40 billion he allegedly invested in shares of UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

The investigation suggests that Okowa acquired an 8% stake in a major Nigerian bank to support the offshore LNG venture, with funds purportedly misallocated from state resources.

Beyond the LNG shares, investigators are probing whether Okowa redirected state funds to acquire high-value properties in Abuja and Asaba.

Okowa is currently held at an EFCC facility in Port Harcourt as the inquiry continues.

The high-profile arrest comes as Okowa, who was the vice-presidential running mate to Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, faces scrutiny over his financial conduct in office.

 

 

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Crime

Court Orders Arrest Of Dana Air CEO In N1.3bn Fraud Case

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Amid repeated absences from court, the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for Hathiramani Ranesh, Managing Director of Dana Air, who faces charges of fraud and conspiracy tied to alleged misappropriations totaling N1.3 billion.

The ruling, handed down Monday by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, calls for Ranesh’s immediate arrest following his failure to respond to multiple court summonses.

READ MORE: Ibadan Man On Why He Used 76 Women For Ritual, Ate Others

Justice Egwuatu cited Section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), empowering the court to issue an arrest warrant against defendants who evade appearance.

“The defendant is legally obligated to appear, and the court is authorized to issue a warrant for arrest if he does not,” Justice Egwuatu said, setting January 13, 2025, as the next court date, adding that no objections will be considered unless Ranesh is present.

Ranesh and two Dana Group subsidiaries—Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd—face serious allegations from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

Prosecutors claim that between 2014 and 2018, Ranesh and his companies engaged in fraudulent activities, including the unauthorized sale of industrial generators valued at N450 million, which had been pledged as collateral in a debenture agreement.

Additional charges allege the misappropriation of N864 million from bond funds meant for operations at the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina, and a N60.3 million transfer to an external account without authorization.

The charges, filed by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Moshood Adeyemi, cite violations under the Criminal Code Act.

In court, government lawyer Mojisola Okeya-Esho argued for the arrest warrant, stating that Ranesh had disregarded court orders to appear for arraignment.

Defense counsel B. Ademola-Bello challenged the prosecution, contending that jurisdictional issues must be addressed before proceeding with the case.

Justice Egwuatu dismissed these objections, underscoring that Ranesh’s presence in court is required before other arguments can be entertained.

The matter is now adjourned until January 13, 2025, with the warrant remaining active until the defendant is brought to court.

 

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Crime

Gunmen Attack Police Facility In Owerrinta, Female Detainee Killed

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In a shocking act of violence, armed assailants targeted the Police Rapid Response Squad facility in Owerrinta early Monday morning, resulting in the tragic death of a female detainee.

The attack occurred shortly after midnight along the Umuahia-Aba Federal Expressway.

READ MORE: Edo Deputy Gov, Omobayo Ordered To Court Over Refusal To Vacate Office

State Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa confirmed the incident, revealing that the gunmen arrived in three Hilux vehicles and opened fire on the police facility.

“Our personnel successfully repelled the attack,” Isa stated.

However, the attackers resorted to using dynamite, causing significant damage to the building and exposing the detainees inside.

During the chaos, the gunmen attempted to free detainees, leading to the fatal shooting of the female suspect.

Unconfirmed reports suggest she was in custody related to a child trafficking case.

In the aftermath of the attack, police swiftly initiated a manhunt for the perpetrators, employing advanced technical methods to track their movements.

Commissioner Isa announced the arrest of one suspect, who is currently undergoing interrogation to uncover the identities of additional accomplices.

“We are making significant progress in our investigation,” he affirmed.

Authorities are calling on the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities as the investigation continues.

 

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