Author: oduduwanews

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have launched massive raids across Lagos, Edo and Ondo state leading to the seizure of over 44,948.1 kilograms (44.9 tonnes) of illicit drugs and arrests of eight suspects as well as the seizure of 11 vehicles owned by the drug cartels.

While a total of 7, 687.8kg of cannabis was destroyed in a warehouse in Ala forest, Akure, Ondo state with another 670kg evacuated, on Saturday 23rd March 2024, no less than 14,310.8625kg of same psychoactive substance was razed on 5.7 hectares of farms in Ohosu/Ugbogui forest, Ovia South West LGA, Edo State on Tuesday 19th March, where five suspects including 67-year-old Sunday Otulugbu; Agbayeogor Joshua, 39; Kelvin Ofuasia,45;
Williams Peter, 37; and Kamaru Onimisi, 44, were arrested.

In another operation in Uzebba/Avbiosi forest on Thursday 21st March, over 6,500kg cannabis was destroyed on 2.6 hectares of farms where three suspects: Kabiru Idris, 36;
Alaba Jimoh, 40; and Lekan Asobere, 35, were arrested. In the same vein, 5,000kg of same substance was razed in a warehouse in Okpuje forest, Owan West LGA by NDLEA operatives with support from the military on Friday 22nd March.

In Lagos, a well-coordinated operation on Wednesday 20th March led to the seizure of 10,534 kilograms (10.534 tonnes) of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis in Ajah area of the state where 11 vehicles were seized from the drug cartel. The recovered vehicles include: Iveco truck marked KRD 522 YE; Toyota sienna marked AAA 338 GL; Toyota sienna marked AAA 308 EP; Toyota sienna marked FKJ 381 JC; Nissan bus marked EKY 846 YG; Mercedes bus marked EPE 743 XT; an unmarked Iveco J5 bus; Toyota sienna marked LSD 744 GP; Toyota highlander SUV marked KTU 280 FN; Toyota sienna marked AAA 333 GH and Toyota sienna marked FKJ 208 HV.

In another raid at Ago Palace way area of the state on Friday 22nd March, a suspect, Miracle Obi was arrested with 1,006 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 50 tablets of tramadol 225mg; 89 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,360 ampoules of Diazepam injection. Another suspect, Kareem Mustapha was earlier on Tuesday 19th March nabbed along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway with 25,000 pills of tramadol and 5,900 ampoules of pentazocine injection.

While 58kg cannabis was recovered at Jagindi village, Kafanchan LGA, Kaduna State on Friday 22nd March, Abdulqadir Muhammad, 34, was arrested with 45 kilograms of same substance by NDLEA operatives along Kaduna- Zaria expressway. In Borno state, Salisu Yusuf, 20, was nabbed with 30kg Arizona, a strain of cannabis at Njimtilo checkpoint on Saturday 23rd March, while another suspect, Rabiu Husseini, 27, was arrested with 34kg cannabis along Gwagwalada/Abuja highway on his way from Lagos to Katsina state on Wednesday 21st March. The following day, 22nd March, NDLEA officers on patrol along Gashua-Baymari road, Busari LGA, Yobe state arrested Haladu Hassan with 160 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 50kg.

In Kano state, a syndicate dealing in cocaine and heroin was successfully dismantled with the arrest of 42-year-old Onyeka Uba at Sabon Gari area of Kano where 1.805 kilograms and 7grams of the illicit substances were recovered from him on Monday 18th March. Another suspect, Ubale Sani, 49, was also arrested with 51.5kg cannabis at Chiromawa area of Kano.
Operatives of a special operation unit of NDLEA also disrupted criminal activities of another cocaine syndicate in Abuja at the weekend with the arrest of three leaders of the group. While Nnajiofor Celestine Kenechukwu, 41, and Okoro Chigozie Christian, 35, were arrested On Friday 22nd March at Paint House Hotel, Umar Garba Benna Street, 21 Road, First Avenue, Gwarimpa Abuja with 718 grams of cocaine, a follow up operation at the residence of Okoro Chigozie at House 30, 69B Road 6th Avenue Gwarimpa, led to the recovery of 19 blocks of Arizona, a strain of cannabis weighing 9.823kg and monetary exhibits: N545,500 and $250, as well as property documents. Two vehicles: Toyota Camry 2007 marked BWR 94 BM and Toyota Camry 2012 marked RBC 154 BS were also recovered from them.

Another follow up operation to the residence of Nnajiofor Celestine Kenechukwu at 49 Mercy Orjiakor street, Becky Estate 11, Karu, Nasarawa state on Saturday 23rd March also led to the recovery of various quantities of Arizona and methamphetamine while his girlfriend and accomplice, Ifemenam Oge was arrested.

With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Day Secondary School, Damaturu, Yobe; Government Secondary School, Afaha Ukwa, Akwa Ibom; Total Child School, Awka, Anambra and Celestial Church of Christ High School Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo state, among others.

While commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Kano, Borno, Kaduna, and FCT Commands as well as the Special Operations unit of the Agency for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures in schools, markets, motor parks, worship centres and work places.

The Lagos State chapter of the Labour Party, LP, has asked the National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, to resign to sustain the party’s integrity.

Rasheed Bamishe, the LP chairman in Lagos State, made the call at the party’s secretariat in Lagos on Saturday.

He urged the National Working Committee, members of the party Board of Trustees and other relevant stakeholders to prevent Abure from holding his proposed National Convention on March 27, 2024.

According to him, Abure should prioritize the party interest while a Caretaker National Chairman should be appointed to organize State Congresses before convening the National Convention.

“We urge Barrister Abure to leave the Party now because the litany of corrupt cases against him has done collateral damage to the image of the Labour Party.

“The Labour Party which was formed by the founding fathers to be a beckon of hope for millions of Nigerians is gradually being destroyed by Barrister Abure and this should not be allowed to continue,” he said.

Bamishe further stated that Abure was free to create his political party and manage its business but declared that the Labour Party, as a democratic organisation, cannot function as a one-man show.

He said that allegations of dishonesty, forgery, and fabrication of signatures have brought public shame and embarrassment to the Labour Party.

“Even if all these allegations are not true, the reasonable option open to the embattled Labour Party National Chairman is to step aside to pave the way for thorough investigations into the cases of alleged fraud against him.

“In a civilized clime, Barrister Abure should have exited office since the flurry of fraud cases against him became public knowledge but because of the culture of impunity in Nigeria, he is still clinging to power.

“Barrister Abure should tell the world where the National Convention of Labour Party in which he emerged as National Chairman was held.

“Barrister Abure is plotting to install himself again as the National Chairman of Labour Party through another illegal Convention and this should not be allowed to happen,” he stressed.

He emphasized the need for all stakeholders to unite to seek legitimate options including litigation to make sure Abure is removed from office to restore credibility, dignity, and integrity to the party.

Chaos engulfed Abeokuta, the Ogun state Capital on Monday following a violent clash between two factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers at Kuto, Lafenwa, Obantoko, Ita-Osin Odeda, and other motor parks across Ogun Central Senatorial District.

The conflict underlines an ongoing dispute within the NURTW, a development that observers say requires urgent intervention by the Ogun state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to prevent further breakdown of law and order, especially in the capital city, Abeokuta.

It was reported that a clash broke out when supporters of the NURTW, Mustapha Ismaila Yaro, who some of their members believe were forced on them by the secretary to the Ogun state government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, and Akeem Bodunrin who people believe worked for Dapo Abiodun’s second term bid within Ogun Central Senatorial District.

Earlier this month, the Honourable Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Gbenga Dairo gave a directive that the transport union has been given to 3 different groups as instructed by Governor Dapo Abiodun; NURTW, RTEAN, and OGSPAM. A development that the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi was not comfortable with as gathered.

This week, the OGSPAM team led by Alhaji Iyeru was supposed to start work but the Commissioner for Transportation gave another directive that the union team loyal to the SSG should work again, while technically scrapping the OGSPAM. A move the other transport union considered as empowering the opposition party.

This Newspaper reports that Iyeru and his supporters had earlier revealed that he sought the intervention of the governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, Ogun Central Senatorial District Leaders, the Nigeria Police Force, and the DSS to resolve the situation, without success.

We shall henceforth not hesitate to defend our mandate with the last drop of our blood,” The fraction had earlier vowed while accusing Yaro of illegally occupying the State Secretariat of the union according to a video shared by a name called Simple.

All respective Local Government Areas in Oyo State that have outstanding Audit Queries to be answered on Statutory Audit Report for the year 2021 and 2022 have been directed to submit their various responses within two weeks to the Office of Auditor General for Local Government in the State.

The directive came following a report presented by the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee, Hon.
Olorunpoto Rahaman, during the plenary on Tuesday.

In his report, Hon. Olorunpoto revealed that while considering the Audit Report of the thirty – three Local Government areas in the State, it was discovered that virtually all violated the Appropriation Law for the years under review by incurring Excess Expenditure against the approved Budgets and unbudgeted Expenditure.

He maintained that the reason for the Excess and unbudgeted Expenditure was as a result of Expenditure incurred centrally by the State Joint Local Government Account Allocation Committee, which at times facilitated by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters on Infrastructure projects at various Local Governments, Primary Health Care, Education support programmes for First Technical University Scholarship, LAUTECH and others.

” All aforementioned Expenditure appeared unaccounted for in the General Purpose financial statement of the respective Local Government which is one of the documents used by the office of Auditor – General for the Local Government to prepare the Audit financial statement of all the Local Governments”. He added

The PAC Chairman further stated that the Legislative Hearing which pave the way for engagement with the officials of Local Government Areas served as an avenue to realise that the signatures appeared in the Local Government approved Budgets or Supplementary Appropriation shows that most Local Government Officials did not carry along their Legislative Council.

“Most Local Government officials did not carry along the Legislative Councillors in the process of approving the Budget as required by Law and Model Financial Memoranda of the Local Government which is the Financial instrument and guideline of all the Local Governments”.

In his report, the Committee Chairman however declared that there was no loss of Local Government Funds or fraud and misappropriation of fund recorded according to the Statutory Audit Report that was carried out.

The House has however urged the Chairmen and Heads of Local Government Administration in the State to put in place an adequate internal control mechanism across LGAs in observing strict adherence to the provisions of Model Financial Memoranda of Local Government on maintenance of proper Local Government Transactions, Asset Register books, personnel emolument Register, Pensioner Register, Revenue Earning Books, Investment Register ,Revenue Collectors Chart and others.

Speaking to the newsmen shortly after the proceedings on the Constitutional roles of the Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Olorunpoto stressed that “As custodians of the public trust, it is imperative that we approach the review process with the utmost diligence, impartiality, and dedication it deserves. The findings outlined in the Auditor-General’s report provided us with invaluable insights into the stewardship of public funds, the efficiency of financial management practices, and the adherence to regulatory frameworks.

“Our role as the Public Accounts Committee is not merely to scrutinize the findings presented to us, but to delve deeper, to question, to analyze, and to ensure that the interests of the citizens we serve are safeguarded. We must identify areas of concern, deficiencies in accountability, and opportunities for improvement, and we must do so with a commitment to fairness and objectivity”.

“Our deliberations are not just a procedural formality; they are a fundamental aspect of our democratic governance, a demonstration of our commitment to upholding the principles of transparency and accountability. By engaging in rigorous scrutiny and constructive dialogue, we have the power to effect positive change, to strengthen the integrity of our institutions, and to instill public confidence in the management of public resources”. The lawmaker added.

A Chinese national, identified simply as Yespon, is currently on the run after allegedly using an electric shocker on one of his father’s employees, known as Kelvin Godwin, at a timber factory in Ijebu-Ode.

ODUDUWA NEWS learnt that the incident occurred at a timber forest on the Ijebu-Ode-Owa Express Road last Tuesday at about 5.30pm.

Our correspondent learnt that trouble started when Godwin, a factory worker, was suspected of stealing flour believed to belong to Yespon’s father, known as Yenchingin.

While an argument ensued between the two over the stolen flour, the absconding suspect was said to have drawn out the electric shocker and used it on Godwin, causing the victim to lose consciousness.

The victim, it was learnt, was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment by other factory workers, including Yespon’s father.

A police source privy to the incident exclusively told Newsmen that the suspect fled the scene after allegedly committing the crime.

When contacted on Sunday, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident and told our correspondent that the Obalende Divisional Police Headquarters had intensified efforts to arrest the fleeing suspect.

Odutola said, “There was an allegation that Godwin stole flour that belongs to the factory he works at. An investigation reveals the factory is owned by Yespon’s father. The suspect allegedly used an electric shocker on Godwin and fled the scene.

“Our men in the division have intensified efforts to arrest the suspect. However, the father, who is the owner of the factory, has been with the victim, who has been responding to treatment, in the hospital to offer him support. Meanwhile, the case will be transferred to the State CID for further investigation.”

An earlier incident reportedly occurred in Kano when another Chinese man, Frank Geng-Quangrong, allegedly stabbed his Nigerian girlfriend, Ummukulsum Sani, to death in Janbulo quarters, Kumbotso LGA of Kano, in September 2022.

The suspect was arrested and is currently standing trial for culpable homicide before a Kano High Court.