…Recovers 390kg of illicit drugs in Kano, Kaduna, Borno, Oyo raids***

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have destroyed a large warehouse of skunks, used to store 231 jumbo bags of the psychotropic substance weighing 3,003 kilograms at Iwe forest in 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 (over 3 tons), which was set ablaze.

This was made known in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA. 

According to Babafemi, the operation involving hundreds of well-armed NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Tuesday 30th May following 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.

Meanwhile, not less than 76.9 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis were recovered from four used vehicles in a container marked MSDU6686346 from Canada at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state between Thursday 1st June, and Friday 2nd June during a joint inspection of the shipment with men of the Nigeria Customs Service. 

The Director, Media & Advocacy said the request for 100 percent examination of the shipment followed earlier intelligence received by the Agency on the container. 

In Kano state, two suspects: Ma’aruf Rabiu and Abubakar Mustapha were arrested on Tuesday 30th May along Zaria-Kano road with 260 blocks of cannabis weighing 139.4kg, while Auwal Ibrahim was nabbed with 38kg of the same substance following day Wednesday 31st May 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 3rd June with 165 blocks of skunk weighing 140.7kg. Their arrest was effected deep inside a fluid insurgents’ environment with military support. A female suspect, Hauwa Ibrahim, 25, was also 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.

A 30-year-old suspect, Iroko Wasiu was arrested at a drug joint at Sabo Aba-Owolowo along Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway on Tuesday 30th May and 31.2kg of cannabis was recovered from him, while two suspects: Deji Adelabu, 35, and Mutiu Salau, 37, were nabbed the following day Wednesday 31st May in 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.

While commending the officers and men of the Edo, Onne Ports, Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Oyo state Commands for their commitment and synergy with other law enforcement agencies in their areas of responsibility, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to intensify the offensive action against drug cartels while ensuring a balance with drug demand reduction efforts.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) on Friday quizzed the former Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Tallen over alleged fraud. 

A source close to the commission said that the ex-minister who arrived at the Abuja Zonal Command of the Commission on invitation at 12pm was still being grilled by investigators of the Commission till late Friday night.

Though details of the allegations against the ex-minister were sketchy, a source familiar with the case informed that it bordered on alleged corrupt enrichment to the tune of N2 billion

Part of the money was allegedly diverted from the African First Lady Peace Mission Project.

The spokesman of the Commission, Wilson Uwujaren, could not be reached for confirmation.

However, in a swift reaction, the ex-Minister has highlighted that her visiting the EFCC was not on the basis of the anti-graft body’s invitation; but on her own accord to defend her integrrity, following grapevine leaks.

The Police Command in Oyo State says it has recovered additional weapons at Diamond Hotel, a hideout allegedly being used by the wanted former Chairman of Oyo Park Management Disciplinary Committee, Mukaila Lamidi, aka Auxiliary.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Adewale Osifeso, disclosed this in a media briefing at the command’s headquarters, Eleyele, in Ibadan on Friday.

Osifeso said the weapons were recovered upon execution of a search warrant on Wednesday at the hotel owned by Lamidi, who had since been declared wanted by the police.

Weapons recovered, according to the spokesperson, include 70 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 400 cutlasses. 400 pieces of live cartridges, 13 pieces of 9-MM ammunition, and one pump action rifle.

Other weapons include nine locally made pistols, nine jack knives, three axes, three swords among others.

According to Osifeso, further investigation into the matter is ongoing.

The police had on Tuesday raided the same hotel, arresting 78 members of the Park Management System (PMS) loyal to Auxilliary.

During the raid, 724 cartridges, guns, and other weapons were found in their possession.

Meanwhile, the command has arrested a 39-year-old suspect, who had been on the watchlist of the command, for the sales and distribution of drugs.

Osifeso said that the man was sighted and arrested during the raid, and had on him 336 wraps of Indian hemp, 450 wraps of skunk, and plastic bags containing Colorado.

According to the spokesperson, the suspect had voluntarily confessed to the crime, and identified his distribution network and clients in Lagos, Oyo, Osun, and Ogun.

The suspect, Osifeso said, would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) upon completion of the investigation.