By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 50-year-old businessman, Osuoha Iheanacho, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu for ingesting 90 wraps of cocaine.

A press statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said Osuoha was intercepted last Wednesday at the arrival hall of the Enugu airport during the inbound screening of passengers arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on an Ethiopian airlines flight following months of intelligence and surveillance on him.

Babafemi said he was subsequently placed on excretion observation during which he egested 90 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.019 kilogrammes in seven excretions.

He said investigation revealed that the suspect who operates phone and accessories business in Lagos and Gabon, travelled by road from Gabon to Douala, Cameroon from where he took a flight to Addis Ababa where he swallowed the pellets of cocaine while in transit and thereafter continued his journey to Enugu with Lagos as his final destination.

He was said to have deliberately complicated his movement to distort traces of his travel history unknown to him that he has been on NDLEA watchlist for the past three months.

In his statement, Osuoha was said to have confessed that he desperately needed the money from the criminal drug trade to boost his declining phone and accessories business.

Babafemi said In another well-coordinated operation carried out by a Special Operations Unit of the agency last Thursday, head of a cocaine distribution cartel, 42-year-old Ndive Obinna was arrested along with five of his associates at Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo, Lagos with a total of 2.412 kilogrammes of cocaine recovered from them.

He noted that other members of the drug trafficking organisation arrested along Obinna include:Okeke Ifeoma who is the syndicate’s stash keeper; Ikechebelu Chibuzor; Okorie Onyedikachi; Okonkwo Nnabugo; and Okafor Anita.

In a related development, another drug syndicate operated by a Chinese man, 58-year-old Tianzhen Yen (alias Jackie) has been dismantled by NDLEA operatives following his arrest at his hotel in Ikeja area of Lagos. Officers of the Seme Special Area Command of the agency had last Thursday intercepted a 40-year-old suspect, Yakubu Mark in a commercial bus going to Ghana at the Gbaji checkpoint along Badagry-Seme expressway based on credible intelligence.

Babafemi said when he was searched, a total of 750 grammes of cocaine were found in his bag. A swift follow up operation was organized to trace and arrest the kingpin behind the trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, who turned out to be a Chinese citizen, Tianzhen Yen.

He was eventually traced to MC Hotel behind Alade market, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos. When his hotel room was searched, 4.3 grammes of cocaine; a gramme of methamphetamine; two electronic weighing scales; and Chinese National Identification Number Card, among other exhibits were recovered while he was arrested in the vicinity of the hotel.

At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted 92 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis with a combined weight of 23.25 kilogrammes concealed in two vehicles imported from Canada: a Nissan car and a GMC bus. The discovery was made during a joint examination of a container from Canada by NDLEA officers, men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other stakeholders.

In Rivers state, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne last Thursday intercepted two containers of imported opioids during a joint examination with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.

He said a total of 168,000 bottles of codeine based syrup worth about N1.2 billion in street value were recovered from one of the containers while the second one contained 4.5 million pills of super royal tramadol 225mg valued at about N3.2 billion bringing the combined value of both the codeine and tramadol consignments to over N4.3 billion.

In Ekiti state, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 17th November arrested a 50-year-old physically challenged woman, Mustapha Boja, with 286 grammes of Colorado and Loud strains of cannabis at Araromi street, Ikere-Ekiti, while 64 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa recovered at Akinyele motor park, Ibadan, Oyo state last Thursday.

Not less than 1,200.5 kilogrammes of same psychoactive substance were seized during raids by NDLEA officers in parts of Edo state. At Utese forest in Ovia North East local government area, 463.5 kilogrammes was recovered last Thursday; while 507 kilogrammes was seized at a compound in Owan village, Ovia local government area where the duo of David Ederin, 60, and Afoje Frank, 24, were arrested on Friday 22nd November. Another suspect, Godwin Okhoya, 40, was nabbed with 230 kilogrammes of same substance at Okpuje, Owan West local government area.

In Kano, four suspects: Usman Sani, 25; Abdul Mohammed, 28; Bunu Ali, 27; and Umar Musa, 30, were last Tuesday arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria- Kano road, with 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 45 kilogrammes while Ayuba Zaranda, 55, was nabbed with 124 kilogrammes cannabis at Pengana village, Toro local government area, Bauchi state.

Babafemi said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of AIIA, SIU,Tincan, Onne, Seme, Ekiti, Oyo, Kano, Bauchi, and Edo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.

NDLEA Arrests Businessman at Enugu Airport for Ingesting 90 Wraps of Cocaine

Nigeria Emerges New Africa Representative in International Ranger Federation

By: Michael Mike

The National Park Service (NPS), Assistant Conservator of Parks, Mohammed Dikko Bala has emerged the new regional representative for Africa.

He was elected in a recent election of new executives of International Ranger Federation (IRF) at the 10th World Ranger Congress (WRC) held in Hyeres, France.

Remarking on his emergence as the new Africa Regional Representative, Mohammed Dikko Bala, who is a dedicated and highly committed ranger, promised to continue protecting and promoting the interest of African rangers, forest guards and other protected area workers.

He expressed his sincere gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Lawal Abbas and the Conservator-General of the National Park Service, Dr. Ibrahim Musa Goni, for their kind approval and unwavering support for his participation in the elections.

Bala promised to be more dedicated and committed in his new position towards giving African rangers a renewed hope and a befitting representation at the IRF as well as in realizing the 30X30 target.

He explained that The 30X30 target is the target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) aimed at achieving effective conservation and management of at least 30% of the Earth’s land and sea area by 2030.

In his message at the 10th IRF Congress, President of International Ranger Federation, Chris Galliers, emphasized the critical role rangers play especially given the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Calling for more support for rangers, he said, “Ask yourself this simple question, how much wildlife would there be today, if there were no rangers, and you will realize why the world needs to recognize the value and importance of rangers, particularly in light of the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss facing humanity.”

Speaking further, Galliers said “Whether state, private, volunteer or indigenous community rangers, rangers are essential planetary health workers and are the key workforce in achieving the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework Targets.”

He noted that the 10th IRF World Ranger Congress was an opportunity to share knowledge, develop new skills, broaden perspectives, forge meaningful collaborations and collectively, advance the ranger profession.

The 10th World Ranger Congress was organized by the International Ranger Federation in collaboration with Gardes Natures de France (GNF), in Hyeres, France, from 7-11 October 2024

The International Ranger Federation Congress is a Triennial global forum and the 10th IRF Congress attracted over 400 ranger professionals and conservation workers to discuss topics of common interest and concern in an international development event.

The IRF Congress is a pivotal event that fosters international collaboration, addressing pressing environmental issues such as wildlife protection, sustainable practices, and emerging technologies. Beyond knowledge exchange, the Congress celebrates ranger commitment and bravery, acknowledging their sacrifices on the conservation frontline.

With a focus on diversity and inclusivity, the event honors indigenous perspectives and advocates for ongoing support. It stands as a dynamic, cross-cultural platform shaping the future of global conservation efforts.

Nigeria Emerges New Africa Representative in International Ranger Federation

Nigerian Wins Chinese Singing Competition

By: Michael Mike

A Nigerian, Linda Ifeoma has emerged as the winner of the Chinese category at a Singing Competition organised by the China General Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria and the China Cultural Centre.

The grand finale of the competition sponsored by China Harbour Engineering Company Nigeria Limited, had two categories Chinese and English and was held at the weekend at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Abuja

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Linda expressed her excitement about her win, as she competed in a category dominated by Chinese native speakers.

She said she initially did not want to compete when she was contacted as she had lost first time she competed at a similar competition.

She narrated that: “At that time (last time she contested), I was very discouraged. But when she asked me to try again, I thought, ‘Okay, let me give it another shot.’ Initially, I didn’t even expect to win the first round. So, I’m absolutely excited to win here today.”

Linda’s journey to the finals involved winning the first round of the competition held few days earlier, followed by intensive practice leading up to her performance in the finale.

Linda, who studied Business Education at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and pursued Chinese as a side course, and later received a Chinese government scholarship to study in Nanjing, China, where she earned a master’s degree in the language, performed a Chinese song, showcasing her fluency and passion for the language.

She said: “When I was in school, I wanted to work in an embassy. I asked myself, ‘What do I need to achieve this goal?’ I realized I needed to learn a language other than my mother tongue.”

The singer also shared her aspirations in songwriting, describing this competition as a pivotal moment in her journey. “Personally, I write songs, and I think this is an opportunity for me to step out of my shell and showcase my talent,” she said.

Linda encouraged Nigerians to study Chinese language, highlighting its potential to unlock opportunities in employment and cultural exchange, noting that: “The character aspect can be challenging, but with dedication, you’ll find it easier to learn.”

Other winners of the competition were recognized in both English and Chinese categories.

English Category Winners: Third Prize (200,000 Naira): Chen Jun, Li Wei, and Qiu Liu Liu

Second Prize (300,000 Naira): Guan Xin and Wang Jia Yi

First Prize (500,000 Naira): Tan Jian

Chinese Category Winners: Third Prize (200,000 Naira): Yang Fan, Zhang Ji, and Deng Xiu Yuan.
Second Prize (300,000 Naira): Contestants Glory Livingston and Yang Xin.

The event which is organised annually underscored the strengthening ties between China and Nigeria through cultural exchange and mutual appreciation of music and language.

Nigerian Wins Chinese Singing Competition