Crime

Banning Okada, Artisanal Miners will deepen poverty & insecurity in Nigeria- AAN

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2022

News Net Global

Banning Okada, Artisanal Miners will deepen poverty & insecurity in Nigeria- AAN

By: Michael Mike

ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has warned the federal government against planned ban of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, as well as illegal mining activities in a bid to stem the rising insecurity across the country, insisting that he would further aggravate poverty in the country,

A statement by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) on Monday lamented that the planned nationwide ban on commercial motorcycles, as well as illegal mining activities by the federal government in a bid to stem the rising insecurity across the country, as hinted by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami last week, will undoubtedly further deepen the national multi-dimensional poverty index if measures are not taken to address the population involved.

ActionAid while agreeing that placing a ban on the use of motorcycles and mining activities may cut the supply of logistics and source of funds for the purchase of arms to the terrorists, said while this is being contemplated in the national interest to combat insecurity, there must be well thought-out alternatives to lessen the effects of the attendant loss of livelihoods on the people that will be affected.

The NGO said: “Regardless of the means being considered for the proposed ban on Okada riders, artisanal and small-scale miners, it must be implemented in a way that will not further worsen the country’s dire economic situation, adding that: “A World Bank report has already noted that the number of poor persons in Nigeria will rise to 95.1 million in 2022. The number of poor people was 89.0 million in 2020. This means that over 6.1 million more persons would have fallen into the poverty bracket between 2020 and 2022, a 6.7% increase. With the projected 2022 figures, the number of poor persons in Nigeria has had a four-year increase of 14.7% from the 2018/19 figure of 82.1 million to the projected 95.1 million in 2022.”

ActionAid, in the statement, lamented that in Nigeria, the poverty rate has been aided by the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, the growing population, the high level of inflation, which stood at 18.6% as of June 2022 and the harsh effects of the Ukraine-Russia warfare.

It said: “This development is coming after the Nigerian government said it lifted 10.5 million Nigerians out of poverty between 2019 and 2021. Though the President has repeatedly said that the Bank of Industry has created nine million jobs in the country since 2015, and different schemes to create jobs and tackle poverty in the country have been launched. These have failed to stem the tide of poverty in the country.”

The statement said the claim of the Attorney General that, “If you are talking of banning motorcycles, for example, I think the number of people using these motorcycles is not up to 20 per cent of the Nigerian population,” is not tenable against the backdrop that this represents a significant segment of the population whose condition will be worsened because Nigeria continues to battle issues such as food inflation, rising unemployment, the rising cost of living among other economic challenges, and these issues are responsible for why more people are falling into the poverty net.

AAN said: “Simply put, it means that one out of every five Nigerians will be directly affected by this ban, and this will further increase if you consider their family members, relatives and friends that may depend on them.”

Also Read: Mikano Denies Link With Ex-Vice President Atik

It therefore recommended, among other things, that Nigeria must put a robust social safety net in place to buffer the impact of the planned ban, insisting that: “In addition, the country must invest in agriculture value-chain, especially girl child education, prioritise the health and well-being of its citizenry and enhance economic opportunities while embracing technology to improve economic productivity and opportunities for the citizens. In essence, the government must encourage investments and job creation to engage those that will lose their livelihoods.”

AAN expressed its availability as well as other development partners to work with the government at all levels to create a sustainable alternative for this population, decrying that Nigeria may find it hard to contain crime and criminality and tackle poverty if adequate alternatives are not implemented before the planned ban.

The statement said: “While it is vital for us to do everything possible to deal with threats to national security or the country’s corporate existence, we urge the FG to give the options being considered human face as the well-being of Nigerians should be prioritised. This will help to reduce livelihood and monetary poverty that will stem from the planned ban on Okada riders and miners.”

Banning Okada, Artisanal Miners will deepen poverty & insecurity in Nigeria- AAN

Crime

Paris-bound businessman arrested at Abuja airport for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine

Published

1 day ago

December 29, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Paris-bound businessman arrested at Abuja airport for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Orizu Ifeanyi while attempting to board an Air France flight 844 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja to Paris, France for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine.

Orizu was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Sunday 22nd December 2024 during the outward clearance of passengers on Air France. When he was pulled aside for body scan, he turned down the request claiming his medical condition won’t allow him.

The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said Orizu was thereafter taken into custody for excretion observation during which he excreted a total of 74 wraps of Class A drugs over a period of seven days.

In his statement, Orizu was said to have claimed he owns a shop at Balogun market, Lagos Island where he sells school and travelling bags, adding that he was promised 3,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Paris.

The suspect was said to have revealed that he left his base in Lagos for the Abuja airport to connect his Air France flight to Paris, hoping to escape detection.

Babafemi said in another interdiction effort, operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA at 2:30am on Christmas eve intercepted two boats loaded with 1,960 kilogrammes of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis at the Eleko beach in Lekki area of Lagos.

He said six foreign nationals who brought the consignments from Ghana were arrested during the operation. They include: two Ghanaians: Godsway John, 38; and Freedom Kelvin, 33; as well as four Beninese: Chegoun Hounsou, 23; Gadabor Nyameto, 47; Adantg Sasa, 34; and Ayao Kayivi, 21.

In Katsina, a suspect Ibrahim Shaibu, 35, was arrested in possession of 40 album-size parcels of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 35 kilogrammes on Christmas day at Central Motor Park, Katsina, while another suspect Umar Ahmed, 47, was nabbed along Zaria-Malumfashi road, Katsina with 27 parcels of same psychoactive substance weighing 13.5 kilogrammes on Saturday.

A 21-year-old suspect Kosisochukwu Ozigbo was arrested at new Lagos road Benin City, Edo state when the area was raided last Monday by NDLEA operatives. Recovered from the suspect include: 32,490 pills of tramadol 225mg, 200mg and 100mg; 936 bottles of codeine-based syrup and various quantities of other opioids.

Babafemi said the commands across the country balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the efforts of the officers and men of NAIA, Katsina, Edo and Marine commands of the agency for job well done in the past week, tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on the achievements of 2024 but continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug barons and cartels with an equal measure of WADA sensitisation campaigns in the new year.

Paris-bound businessman arrested at Abuja airport for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine

Crime

Arrest of Suspected Terror Logistics Supplier in Zamfara

Published

2 days ago

December 28, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Arrest of Suspected Terror Logistics Supplier in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the 1 Brigade, Operation FANSAN YANMA, have apprehended a suspected logistics supplier for terrorist activities in Zamfara State.

The incident unfolded when authorities received intelligence about the movement of the suspect, leading to the establishment of a snap checkpoint along the road from Kware to Badarawa in the Shinkafi Local Government Area.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the operation resulted in the arrest of 25-year-old Shamsiyya Ahadu, who was found in possession of a staggering 764 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 6 magazines, and a talisman (referred to locally as ‘laya’), signifying her potential involvement in illicit activities. Alongside Ahadu, a motorcycle rider named Ahmed Husaini was also detained during the operation.

This arrest signified the continual threat posed by criminal networks that compromise the safety and security of communities in Zamfara State.

As investigations proceed and the suspects remain in custody for further action, the message is clear: community safety hinges on continuous efforts to dismantle the parameters of terror financing and logistics that exploit vulnerable populations in Zamfara and beyond.

Arrest of Suspected Terror Logistics Supplier in Zamfara

Crime

Four Drug Lords Get 28 Years in Jail, Forfeit VGC Houses, Large Cash

Published

4 days ago

December 26, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Four Drug Lords Get 28 Years in Jail, Forfeit VGC Houses, Large Cash

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has gotten for drug kingpins arrested in connection with the historic seizure of 2,139.55 kilogrammes of cocaine at an Ikorodu residential estate in 2022.

They were convicted by a Federal High Court, Lagos presided over by Justice Yellim Bogoro who sentenced them to various jail terms totaling 28 years with hard labour.

The convicts: Soji Oke, 71; Wasiu Akinade, 55; Emmanuel Chukwu, 67; and Kelvin Christopher Smith, 44, a Jamaican, were charged with six counts in charge number: FHC/L/607C/2022 in October and December 2022, while the trial of the fifth suspect, Oguntolure Sunday arraigned along with them is still ongoing in court.

The charges border on conspiracy to form and operate a drug trafficking organisation (DTO); management and financing of a DTO; importation and possession of 2,139.55 kilogrammes of cocaine, among others.

A press statement on Thursday by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi read: operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA had in a well-coordinated and intelligence-led operation on Sunday 18th September, 2022 raided a house located at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, Lagos where the over 2.1 tons of cocaine were seized, the largest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s anti-narcotic operations.

He added that the drug kingpins were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between the night of Sunday 18th and Monday 19th September, 2022.

Babafemi said after over two years of diligent prosecution, the trial judge handed the Jamaican, Kelvin Smith four years imprisonment with hard labour; Emmanuel Chukwu got a total of 16 years; Soji Oke got five years with hard labour and Wasiu Akinade three years with hard labour.

He disclosed that the trial judge however gave the convicts varying options of fine with the exception of one of them who will serve his full jail term without an option of fine.

Babafemi said they were also to forfeit a grey colour Toyota Tacoma SUV marked AAA-734HT registered in the name of Emmanuel Chukwu; $50,000:00 belonging to Chukwu; N55,099,509.50 also belonging to Chukwu; the sum of N9,003,168.06 belonging to Wasiu Akinade and N3,052,295.20 also belonging to Akinade.

The spokesman said the agency also in another suit marked FHC/L/MISC/672/2024 and filed before Justice Bogoro on 9th December 2024 after an initial interim forfeiture order, secured the final forfeiture of two houses linked to members of the drug cartel.

The trial judge said: “That an Order of final forfeiture and confiscation is granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Landed Property/House Number 6 Olokunola Street, Sholebo Estate, Ikorodu, Lagos State, as contained in Exhibit NDLEA 2A, 2B, and 2C attached to this application used for the storage and concealment of 2,139.55 kilogrammes (More Than Two Tons) Cocaine, an illicit substance similar to Heroin and LSD.

“That an Order of final forfeiture and confiscation is granted in favour of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Landed Property/House Number J9, Road 3, Close 1,
Victoria Garden City (VGC) Estate, Lagos, Lagos State, as contained in Exhibit NDLEA 3 attached to this application reasonably believed to be bought with proceeds derived
from trafficking in illicit drug substances (proceeds of crime) as in relief 1 of this Motion.

“That an Order is granted directing the sale or disposal by any other means provided by law of the forfeited House/Landed Property by the Applicant and the payment of the proceeds therefrom to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending all the officers and men of the agency involved in the extensive investigation and prosecution of members of the drug cartel, said the case is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll not only go to jail but will equally lose all their investments in illicit drug consignments including all the properties and wealth acquired through the criminal trade.

Four Drug Lords Get 28 Years in Jail, Forfeit VGC Houses, Large Cash