News
FG to Partner Stakeholders on Environmental Sustainability

FG to Partner Stakeholders on Environmental Sustainability
…IEPN President Commits to Protection of Nigerian Environment
By: Michael Mike
The Federal Government has expressed it’s determination to partner with the stakeholders in the environmental sector especially the Institute of Environmental Practitioners of Nigeria (IEPN) on environmental sustainability.
The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal expressed this at the inauguration ceremony of the 1st Governing Council of IEPN in Abuja.
Lawal, who was represented by Dr Olubunmi Olusanya, Director Pollution Control and Environmental Health in the ministry assured that they would unlock all the potentials in the environment sector and regulate environmental professionalism.
He said: “This institute is going to ensure we have professionalism in the system. For us in the Federal Ministry of Environment, we are very particular about the quality of professionals that are managing our environmental issues; therefore we are going to collaborate with the institute to ensure that we conserve our environment for sustainability and also unlock all the potentials that are in the circular economy in Nigeria. Also from Environmental management we can begin to maximise the profit there; there is a lot of profit in environmental management if properly done, so through this institute I think we are going to achieve that.”
Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye President and Chairman of Governing Council of IEPN noted that the institute was saddled with the responsibility of regulating the activities of its members in the protection of the Nigerian environment.
Ezemonye, who is also the Vice Chancellor of Igbinedion University, said he will protect the environment by regulating the activities of its members to provide good governance, stewardship and environmental justice.
He noted that: “The primary mandate of the council is to join hands to protect the Nigerian environment, and we will do this by regulating the activities of our members to provide good governance, stewardship and environmental justice and when we do this in accordance to the proper best practices and ethics, you can be rest assured that the Nigerian environment will be protected.
“We understand today that the symbiotic relationship between man and the environment seems to have collapsed; because everyday the environment is presented with different environmental challenges, not only affecting the matrices of land, water and air, but it also affecting man and that is the current predicament that the Nigerian environment is currently experiencing; so the emergence of this Institute of Environmental Practitioners of Nigeria is to bring sanity and sanctity in the practice of environmental protection, conservation, remediation and restoration to the Nigeria environment; that is our sole mandate and that is what we have resolved to do.”
He added that: “Today marks the beginning of a new era in Environmental Governance and Ecosystem Management in Nigeria. It was not an easy task going through the process of signing the IEPN establishment Act into Law.
“Nothing signposts man’s apparent failure to protect Mother Nature than our apathy in combating climate change challenges.
“As a matter of fact, the symbiotic relationship between man and the environment seem to have collapsed. Every passing day presents daunting environmental challenges interfering with ecosystem matrices such as water, air, land and man,” he said.
The president reassured that it behooves on all, to ensure the sustainability of the Nigerian environment saying that the primary mandate of the council is to protect the environment by regulating the activities of environment users in order to proffer environmental justice.
He commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for signing the IEPN Act into Law.
The members of the governing council of IEPN includes, President of the Institute- Lawrence Ezemonye, VIce President – Chukwukeluo Chukwuogo, Registrar – Yakubu Waziri, Treasurer – Paul Akporowho, Legal Adviser – Ifunaya Charity, amongst others.
FG to Partner Stakeholders on Environmental Sustainability
Crime
NDLEA intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books

NDLEA intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books going to Saudi Arabia.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said the cocaine consignment consisting of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500 grammes and buried in the pages of the religious books was uncovered at a courier company in Lagos last Tuesday when NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) were searching through export cargos going to Saudi Arabia at the logistics firm.
Babafemi said at another courier company same day, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 2.8 kilogrammes hidden in a carton coming from the United States of America.

In Kano, a 22-year-old alleged supplier of illicit substances to bandits, Muhammad Mohammed, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bichi – Kano road while heading to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection tied to his thigh and private part with Sellotape.
He was intercepted on Sunday 13th April, while another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was nabbed same day at Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30 kilogrammes.
He said not less than 557.2 kilogrammes of skunk, 5.6 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and 29.8 grammes of heroin were recovered from a house along Major General Isaiah Alllison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where four suspects were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided the premises last Wednesday
Babafemi said the four suspects arrested during the raid include: Sarimiye Suwa, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46, while a total of 1,100 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from a delivery van with the driver, Ismail Abdullahi arrested in Surulere area of Lagos last Thursday.
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives last Friday raided the hideout of a suspect, Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria, where no fewer than 31,950 pills of tramadol 225mg and diazepam were recovered, and in Kebbi, along Bagudo road on the same day a vehicle loaded with bags of charcoal coming from Malabil, Benin Republic was intercepted, when the vehicle was search, 97 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in the sacks of charcoal was recovered.
. Three suspects: Abubakar Ibrahim, 50; Mustapha Aliyu, 32; and Bashar Lawali, 28, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
A 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was nabbed with 11.5 kilogrammes skunk at Abatete, Anambra state while NDLEA operatives in Osogbo, Osun state last Tuesday arrested Ajala Mercy, 27, with 43 litres of skushi, a mixture of black currant, cannabis and opioids recovered from her room at Dada estate, Halleluyah area of the state capital.
Babafemi said two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Ovia North East LGA, Edo state were raided by NDLEA operatives who destroyed 3,717.8625 kilogrammes of the psychoactive plant on 1.487145 hectares and recovered 136.5 kilogrammes of processed cannabis.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a suspect Basorun Kayode, 40, who has been at large for two years was arrested by NDLEA officers in connection with the seizure of 107 kilogrammes Loud imported from Canada in 2023, while another suspect, Dauda Yakubu who distributes illicit drugs within the seaport community was arrested by a team of operatives last Monday.
The spokesman said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of DOGI, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Zone 13, Edo and Tin-can commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
NDLEA intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books
News
Fire Guts Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, Borno

Fire Guts Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
A devastating fire broke out at the Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) on April 19, 2025, destroying approximately one hundred thatch and makeshift houses.
Eye witnesses said that the fire started at around 1040hrs and rapidly spread across the settlement, burning household items, foodstuffs, and other valuable properties to ashes.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and the value of the property destroyed is still being assessed.
Humanitarian officials were immediately deployed to the scene to maintain crowd control and prevent looting, while firefighters, alongside camp residents, worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames.
Fortunately, no casualties or loss of life were reported.
Fire Guts Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, Borno
News
Terrorists Snatch Vehicle in Monguno, Borno

Terrorists Snatch Vehicle in Monguno, Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed assailants suspected to be members of ISWAP/Boko Haram attacked and snatched a vehicle in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) on April 18, 2025, at about 1400hrs.
Saleh Haun, a resident of the Water Board IDP Camp in Monguno, reported that while he was at the Gumnari Bush Area in Monguno, four armed gunmen, riding on two motorcycles, accosted him.
The assailants, at gunpoint, seized his white Toyota Land Cruiser, before fleeing with the vehicle to an unknown location.
A Military Forward Operating Base (FOB) has been alerted, and efforts are underway to to track the assailant and recover the stolen vehicle.
Terrorists Snatch Vehicle in Monguno, Borno
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