Crime
Fentanyl: NDLEA busts lethal drug syndicate, arrests members in Anambra
Fentanyl: NDLEA busts lethal drug syndicate, arrests members in Anambra
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested members of a syndicate involved in the illicit importation and trafficking of lethal synthetic opioid, Fentanyl,
Fentanyl is a drug which is 100 times stronger than tramadol and capable of causing mass casualty among the youth population being targeted by the cartels.
In a press statement on Tuesday, the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the arrest of two members of the syndicate: Odoh Oguejiofor and Oliver Uzoma at Ogbogwu market, Onitsha Head Bridge, Onitsha South local government area of Anambra State, in well-coordinated and clinical operations, is coming on the heels of an alert issued by the NDLEA on 22nd November 2022 that some criminal elements were plotting to flood the Nigerian market with the drug, which is currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States.
Babafemi recalled that the CDC in the US, had described Fentanyl as 80 times as potent as morphine and 100 times more potent than heroin.
The NDLEA Spokesman said following credible intelligence and synergy with local and international partners, the anti-narcotics agency was able to mobilise necessary assets to trace the illicitly manufactured drug to the Ogbogwu market, Onitsha Head Bridge, reputed to be the largest drug market in West Africa, after months of undercover monitoring.
He said convinced that the agency has gathered sufficient evidence to nail the suspects, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) ordered a deployment of operatives to pick members of the syndicate one after the other. Odoh Oguejiofor was the first to be arrested while on a business mission with packets of 100 micrograms of Fentanyl, while the arrest of Uzoma who is a major dealer in other illicitly manufactured pharmaceutical opioids including Fentanyl, followed.
He disclosed that packs of liquid Fentanyl were recovered from Odoh, different quantities of banned and controlled drugs including Fentanyl were seized from Uzoma. They include: ampules of Fentanyl Injection; Ozempic solution for injection in pre-filled pens; ampules of Sustanon 250mg/ml; ampules of Rivavirin injection 200mg/2ml; ampules of Erythropoietin injection; ampules of Recombinant Anti Rho-D Immunoglobulin injection 300MG; ampules of Pethidine 100mg/2ml solution for injection and Zoladex 3.6mg Goserelin.
Reacting to the arrest of members of the syndicate, Marwa commended all officers and men of the agency involved in the operation while directing them to intensify the crackdown on other members of the cartel who may have gone underground.
Marwa said: “We’ll no doubt hunt down every member of this criminal gang before they do further harm to our public health especially our youth population. In the meantime, I’ll like to thank our international partners for the huge confidence in us and their support and partnership for the benefit of humanity. In the same vein, I’ll urge parents and other stakeholders to be vigilant, alert and warn their young ones against attempting experimenting with this illicit substance.”
“The agency wishes to reiterate that exposure to this lethal opioid, which could come in different forms, as has been shown by the seizure, may result in pinpoint pupils, falling asleep or losing consciousness, slow and shallow breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, limp body, and pale, blue, or cold skin,” Marwa explained.
Fentanyl: NDLEA busts lethal drug syndicate, arrests members in Anambra
NSCDC Rescues 10 Suspected Victims of Human Trafficking in Abuja
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has intercepted in Abuja 10 suspected victims of human trafficking, purportedly being sponsored for illegal migration abroad.
The victims were accosted at Zuba motor park, Abuja, by officers of the FCT command of the NSCDC, following a tip off on their return from Minna, Niger State, where they had gone to process their International passport as directed by their sponsor.
The victims whose age bracket was between 24 and 34 years, consisted of a male and nine females, and all claimed to be indigenes of Ondo State.
It was gathered that each of them paid N80,000 to facilitate the procurement of the International passport.
According to a statement on Monday by the spokesman of the FCT Command of the NSCDC, Samuel Idoko, the intercepted persons also confessed to being promised migration abroad to undertake ready made jobs, especially in North Africa and Canada by a yet to be identified sponsor who according to them, resides in Okitipupa, Ondo state.
While handing over the 10 suspected victims to the Nigeria Agency for the prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP), the FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, warned Nigerians on the dangers of illegal migration abroad.
He said: “Be careful of the types of people that are promising you a better future abroad, don’t be desperate because, some of them end up ruining your lives .
“They deceive you and collect huge sums of money from you that there are ready made jobs, whereas, you may end up in slavery or forced to be sex workers.
“If you must travel abroad, follow the right channel that’ll give you rest of mind, don’t allow somebody to seize your international passport abroad, and place you under an oath that you’ll regret.”
The Commandant further stated that, the victims were handed over to NAPTIP being the agency in charge of human trafficking to carry out further investigations and actions within the ambit of the law.
NSCDC Rescues 10 Suspected Victims of Human Trafficking in Abuja
Boko Haram slaughter 27 fishermen in Cameroon
By: Zagazola Makama
No fewer than 27 fishermen were slaughtered and 3 others abducted by the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah
lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, Boko Haram terrorists group in the fringes of Lake Chad in the border between Cameroon- Nigeria.
It was gathered that terrorists suspected to be from the Buduma faction of Abou Ummaymah, attacked a local fishing community harboring most fishermen from Nigeria at Island Kofiya near Darak in the Republic of Cameroon.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that they asked them to lie down, tie their hands behind their backs before they started slaughtering them.
The sources said the terrorists also abducted four other fishermen after accusing them of spying for the ISWAP faction
The bodies of the fishermen were later recovered during a search and rescue operation by troops and their colleagues who received the news from victims who fled the attack scene.
Boko Haram slaughter 27 fishermen in Cameroon
NSCDC Discovers Illegal Petroleum Refinery Site in Imo
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has discovered in Egbema West of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State illegal petroleum refinery site with massive capacity.
A statement on Friday by the spokesman of the security agency, Afolabi Babawale read: “In a swift response to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi mni OFR marching order the CG”s SIS having upscaled their intelligence and operational techniques have uncovered a massive illegal refining site with over 95,000 illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) while others yet to be refined but already siphoned are unquantified in litres.”
He said: “Acting on credible intelligence, the CG’s SIS stormed Otulu Community in Egbema West of Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State and discovered an illegal refinery covering a large expanse of land with many cooking pots and illegally connected Pipes tapping from the main Oil Trunk line of NNPC OML 20 assets in Egbema West field; Well 11 location with many fabricated reservoirs, drums and AGO concealed in cellophane bags.
“Upon sighting the resilient and dogged CG’s Special Intelligence Squad the perpetrators took to their heels through the thick forests. “
He revealed that: “The following exhibits were recovered at the crime scene:
“Galvanized iron pipes, several locally fabricated metal reservoirs, Constant Elepaq Gasoline Generating Set, Bridge Inverter Welding machine ARC 200, Electrical filing machine, Several vandalized Well Head Valves, a yellow coloured Robin GC pumping machine and Packs of Electrolyte.
“Investigation is ongoing to unravel the perpetrators behind the heinous crime while the exhibits recovered would be forfeited to the federal government after the Court’s order. “
Babawale said: “The NSCDC hereby affirms it’s determination to relentlessly combat the menace of Vandalism and crude oil theft to a stand still across the nation.
NSCDC Discovers Illegal Petroleum Refinery Site in Imo
Nigeria, Niger Joint Military Operation Neutralizes several fleeing Boko Haram in Borno
FG to revamp orphanages in FCT
NSCDC Rescues 10 Suspected Victims of Human Trafficking in Abuja
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