Crime
NDLEA destroys 255 hectares of cannabis farms, arrests 13 in Ondo
NDLEA destroys 255 hectares of cannabis farms, arrests 13 in Ondo
By: James Bwala
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday destroyed a total of 255 hectares of cannabis farms in five local government areas of Ondo State.
A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi said the feat was achieved in a major operation that lasted seven days,
Babafemi said in the operation, 13 suspects were also arrested and 250 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds as well as 63.85 kilogrammes cannabis weeds were recovered.
According to him, the operation took place deep inside five major forests: Omolowo/Powerline forest; Ipele forest; Ala forest; Ogbese forest; Utte and Okuluse forest that spread across five local council areas of the Sunshine state.
He said the exercise codenamed ‘Operation Abub’, which began at Ogbese forest last Tuesday, lasted till Monday, noting that at the Ogbese forest, a suspect, Olatunde Olaoluwa was arrested in his cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares, which was destroyed and burnt along with other cannabis farms spread across the Ogbese riverbank.
He said the following day, 16th of February, the agency’s Strike Force operatives in their numbers stormed Ipele forest where they arrested Amos Mark; Luke Job; Monday Momoh, and Otunuya Waya and destroyed while 19 hectares of irrigated cannabis plantations, adding that one of the suspects, who escaped during the farm destruction, was later arrested in his house.
He said the operation moved to the Omolowo community in Ogbese area last Wednesday when one Mary Udonije was arrested inside a 10-hectare farm with 16.5 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and 4.5 kilogrammes of processed cannabis. Also recovered in the farm was an irrigation pumping machine with over 700 metres of hose for watering the illicit weed.
Babafemi also said not less than 15 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds was also seized at Ala forest, Akure North Local Government Area with over 30 hectares of irrigation cannabis farms destroyed and burnt. A suspect, John Mike who claimed to be a labourer was apprehended with 2.5 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds.
He said on the Day 4 of the operation, 54 hectares of cannabis farm was destroyed at Utte and Okuluse forest, Ose Local Government Area of the state. Also recovered in the farm was 95 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds, 2.5 kilogrammes of processed cannabis sativa and a pumping machine with a long hose.
On the fifth day, one Anthony Agbe, 58, was arrested with 43 kilogrammes of fresh cannabis inside a farm that was earlier destroyed at Ogbese. He claimed he was contracted by one Henry Daniel, (a.k.a Calendar) who is at large to help gather the destroyed cannabis weeds. On the same day, one Ahmadu Abubakar was arrested with three Dane guns in a hut within a farm where over three hectares were destroyed at Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
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Babafemi said on the last day of the operation, Monday, over 50 clusters of cannabis farm spread across 47 hectares were destroyed and 2 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds seized, while a suspect, Olorunlogo Lekan was apprehended inside a large cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares at Ala forest before it was destroyed and burnt by Strike Force officers drawn across Edo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states Commands of the anti-narcotics agency.
He said at least, 72 hectares of other cannabis farms in small clusters close to the identified ones in the five forests were also destroyed in the course of the operation.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the officers and men of the Strike Force corps of the agency for their sacrifices and commitment to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that all such cultivation and plantations in the forests must be located and destroyed.
He however charged them to look out for more of such farms in any part of the country for similar clampdown.
NDLEA destroys 255 hectares of cannabis farms, arrests 13 in Ondo
NDLEA Dismisses Allegations of Lopsided Appointments, Nepotism as Baseless
By: Michael Mike
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has described as baseless, allegations of nepotism and favouritism in the appointment of its Directors, Commanders and other top officials.
The agency in a statement on Thursday described as false, insinuations in some social media posts suggesting that appointments into high ranking positions are tilted in favour of Northern Muslims against Southern Christians.
The statement read that: “For the benefit of the reading public, the agency will like to state as follows:
“Out of the 20 Directors/ Commandant in NDLEA, 14 are Christians and 6 Muslims; of the 14 Zonal Commanders, 9 are Christians and 5 Muslims; out of 37 State Commanders, 19 are Christians and 18 Muslims; of the 14 Special Area Commanders, 10 are Christians and 4 Muslims; out of 12 Coordinators/Heads of Units, 9 are Christians and 3 Muslims; while out of 11 Heads of Operation, 7 are Christians and 4 are Muslims.
“In all, out of the 108 topmost appointments and positions in the agency, 68 of them are occupied by Christians and 40 Muslims, which represents a ratio of 63% – 37% as against the perception some mischief makers are trying to create against the leadership of the agency.
“The agency wishes to assure the public that its leadership remains focused and committed to the goal of curbing the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking while upholding the tenets of fairness, equity, and merit in its distribution of opportunities for its workforce.”
NDLEA Dismisses Allegations of Lopsided Appointments, Nepotism as Baseless
NSCDC Uncovered Illegal Refinery in Rivers’ Thick Forest
By: Michael Mike
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered another illegal bunkering site were stolen crude oil are channeled to a thick forest Umuedeokwara Community, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. where they are refined.
A press statement on Tuesday by the National Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Afolabi Babawale said the
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’SIS) uncovered another illegal bunkering site where stolen crude oil was tapped, channelled to reservoirs and refined locally in a thick forest at Umuedeokwara Community, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
He said the CG’s SIS Commander, Deputy Commandant Appolos Dandaura, hinted during a media briefing that the squad acted based on sustained intelligence, which revealed that a gang of criminal elements was operating an illegal refinery at the crime scene.
Dandaura said: “Like we always reiterate that our operations are intelligence-based and we value every piece of information and preserve the integrity of our informants; we swung into action, combed the entire forest and discovered where the suspects were refining crude oil locally after storage in large trampoline reservoirs and further packaged them in cellophane bags and sacks.
“These unscrupulous saboteurs connected fabricated and galvanized metallic pipes to the trunk lines of multinational oil pipeline installations with inserted valves; the suspects, however, took to their heels through the creeks due to the terrain upon sighting our men.
“The following exhibits were marked at the crime scene: about 20,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) stored in cellophane bags, large quantities of siphoned crude oil stored in tarpaulin reservoirs, different sizes of aluminium and plastic buckets, galvanized metallic Fabricated pipes, heavy-duty industrial hoses and items of clothing belonging to the suspects”.
Appolos said that the matching order of the Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Audi on the need to smoke out illegal bunkers and effect massive arrests for possible prosecution, frustrate their continuous efforts to sabotage the economy and to increase oil production in the nation; would always be carried out by the squad, adding that “the fight against illegal dealings in petroleum products is without compromise as the CG’SIS will not rest in combating the menace of crude oil theft across board .”
NSCDC Uncovered Illegal Refinery in Rivers’ Thick Forest
Nigerian troops nutrialised 4 Boko Haram insurgents in Borno
By: Zagazola Makama
The troops of Sector 1, North East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, in conjunction with the Hybrid Force and CJTF, nutrialised four Boko Haram terrorists during a fighting Operation around Ngwom General Area in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The operation, which commenced at Sept 1, 2024, aimed to neutralize terrorist elements in the region.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that during the operation, troops made contact with terrorist elements around Boroso Village, resulting in the neutralization of four terrorists.
Three Dane guns were recovered from the scene. The operation is part of the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism in the region, specifically under Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Desert Sanity III/Lake Sanity II, and Mountain Sanity II.
Nigerian troops nutrialised 4 Boko Haram insurgents in Borno
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