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NDLEA intercepts N3.3billion Meth, Loud Christmas shipments in auto parts from Canada

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NDLEA intercepts N3.3billion Meth, Loud Christmas shipments in auto parts from Canada
. Arrests 3 businessmen linked to consignments in Lagos; recovers N4.4billion worth opioids in Rivers

By: Michael Mike

Multi-billion-naira worth of shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season, concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada, have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos after months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents.
For the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms were on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December 2024, recovered from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts coming from Canada and heading to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin area of Lagos.
While one of the containers going to Ladipo market through the Sifax bonded terminal was examined on Thursday 12th December, not less than 5.001kg methamphetamine hidden in a bag wrapped in bed sheet that came in a Toyota Camry car, was recovered, even as a businessman, Isaac Onwumere linked with the consignment was promptly arrested.


The other container bearing automobile spare parts checked on Friday 13th December was found to contain 1, 735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg and six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg. At least, two businessmen: Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
The two meth consignments have a combined weight of 83.301kg worth One Hundred and Twenty-Four Million Nine Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand Naira (124,951,000.00) while the 867.5kg Loud is worth Two Billion One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,168,750,000.00) in street value.
The seizures were made during a joint examination of the shipments with Customs and other port stakeholders. This followed months of intelligence processing and tracking of the consignments from their ports of loading in Canada to the landing port in Lagos by combined Special Operations Units in NDLEA and the Tincan Port Strategic Command of the Agency.
The first container with 5.001kg meth came under the radar of NDLEA’s intelligence network on 4th October 2024 when the preparation for the shipment began in Toronto, Canada, monitored through 8th October when the shipment was received at the rail ramp, loaded on the rail and departed to Montreal, Canada where it arrived and was unloaded the following day 9th October. The consignment was further monitored till it was loaded on a vessel on 19th October through when the vessel arrived and discharged at Antwerp in Belgium on 30th October after which the consignment was trans-shipped and loaded on 14th November before arriving Lagos port on 1st December and released to a bonded terminal two days after.
The second shipment containing 867.5kg Loud and 78.3kg methamphetamine followed the same route. It came under NDLEA’s intelligence tracking on 8th October 2024 when the consignments were delivered to the shipper in Toronto, Canada, loaded on the rail on 14th October and arrived Montreal the following day, 15th, after which they were loaded on a vessel to Europe on 20th October. After arrival and trans-shipment at Antwerp in Belgium on 6th and 17th November respectively, the consignments were tracked till they arrived and discharged from the vessel at Lagos port on 6th December before being moved to the terminal on 10th December.
At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand Six Hundred (636,600) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Four Billion Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,456,200,000.00) in street value were intercepted in shipments from India on Monday 9th, Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th December 2024.
The seizures were made during joint examination of four containers by NDLEA officers, men of Customs and other security agencies at the port following processed credible intelligence on the shipments.
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. These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of City Comprehensive College, Ogidi, Anambra; Government Secondary School, Toungo, Adamawa; Bonny Camp Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Yarganji, Kano, while Oyo state command of NDLEA delivered WADA enlightenment lecture to leaders, elders, youths and residents of Tapa community, Tapa, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Units, Tincan, and Onne Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that the operational successes should show the drug barons and cartels that the Agency has the capacity and intelligence network to track their movements and their consignments even before getting to Nigeria. He said they will continue to lose heavily if they fail to back down on the criminal trade.

Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 15th December 2024 NDLEA intercepts N3.3billion Meth, Loud Christmas shipments in auto parts from Canada
. Arrests 3 businessmen linked to consignments in Lagos; recovers N4.4billion worth opioids in Rivers

Multi-billion-naira worth of shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season, concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada, have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos after months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents.
For the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms were on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December 2024, recovered from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts coming from Canada and heading to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin area of Lagos.
While one of the containers going to Ladipo market through the Sifax bonded terminal was examined on Thursday 12th December, not less than 5.001kg methamphetamine hidden in a bag wrapped in bed sheet that came in a Toyota Camry car, was recovered, even as a businessman, Isaac Onwumere linked with the consignment was promptly arrested.
The other container bearing automobile spare parts checked on Friday 13th December was found to contain 1, 735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg and six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg. At least, two businessmen: Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
The two meth consignments have a combined weight of 83.301kg worth One Hundred and Twenty-Four Million Nine Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand Naira (124,951,000.00) while the 867.5kg Loud is worth Two Billion One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,168,750,000.00) in street value.
The seizures were made during a joint examination of the shipments with Customs and other port stakeholders. This followed months of intelligence processing and tracking of the consignments from their ports of loading in Canada to the landing port in Lagos by combined Special Operations Units in NDLEA and the Tincan Port Strategic Command of the Agency.
The first container with 5.001kg meth came under the radar of NDLEA’s intelligence network on 4th October 2024 when the preparation for the shipment began in Toronto, Canada, monitored through 8th October when the shipment was received at the rail ramp, loaded on the rail and departed to Montreal, Canada where it arrived and was unloaded the following day 9th October. The consignment was further monitored till it was loaded on a vessel on 19th October through when the vessel arrived and discharged at Antwerp in Belgium on 30th October after which the consignment was trans-shipped and loaded on 14th November before arriving Lagos port on 1st December and released to a bonded terminal two days after.
The second shipment containing 867.5kg Loud and 78.3kg methamphetamine followed the same route. It came under NDLEA’s intelligence tracking on 8th October 2024 when the consignments were delivered to the shipper in Toronto, Canada, loaded on the rail on 14th October and arrived Montreal the following day, 15th, after which they were loaded on a vessel to Europe on 20th October. After arrival and trans-shipment at Antwerp in Belgium on 6th and 17th November respectively, the consignments were tracked till they arrived and discharged from the vessel at Lagos port on 6th December before being moved to the terminal on 10th December.


At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand Six Hundred (636,600) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Four Billion Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,456,200,000.00) in street value were intercepted in shipments from India on Monday 9th, Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th December 2024.
The seizures were made during joint examination of four containers by NDLEA officers, men of Customs and other security agencies at the port following processed credible intelligence on the shipments.
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. These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of City Comprehensive College, Ogidi, Anambra; Government Secondary School, Toungo, Adamawa; Bonny Camp Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Yarganji, Kano, while Oyo state command of NDLEA delivered WADA enlightenment lecture to leaders, elders, youths and residents of Tapa community, Tapa, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Units, Tincan, and Onne Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that the operational successes should show the drug barons and cartels that the Agency has the capacity and intelligence network to track their movements and their consignments even before getting to Nigeria. He said they will continue to lose heavily if they fail to back down on the criminal trade.

NDLEA intercepts N3.3billion Meth, Loud Christmas shipments in auto parts from Canada

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UN Agency Gives USD 395,000 to 39 Land Restoration Projects Worldwide ‬‭

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UN Agency Gives USD 395,000 to 39 Land Restoration Projects Worldwide ‬

By: Michael Mike

‭ In a decisive step to reverse land degradation, 39 land restoration projects ‬led by grassroots organisations have been awarded ‭USD 395,000  ‬through the inaugural Small Grants Programme of the G20 Global Land Initiative (GLI), a flagship initiative of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Drawn from 22 countries, the winning projects were selected for their innovation, impact and sustainability. Over 650 organisations from more than 100 countries applied for the award. The winners were selected following three rounds of review by separate UNCCD staff teams, with varied expertise in land management and restoration.

Awardees will receive between ‭US‬$5,000 and ‭US‬$15,000 to fund grassroots efforts that boost local economies, improve food and water security and strengthen ecosystem resilience. 

The announcement was livestreamed‭ ‬at an event showcasing the grant winners. 

The Small Grants Programme is ‭ ‬an ‭ ‬important tool for achieving the ‭G20 GLI’s mission of ‬reducing degraded land by 50 percent by 2040.

‭Speaking during the award ceremony, ‬ Director of the G20 Global Land Initiative,‭Dr. Muralee Thummarukudy‬, said: “We are aware that these big numbers, cannot be achieved by small initiatives alone. Yet, we feel, it is important that tens of thousands of small actors, engaged in land restoration around the world, be ‭supported, promoted and recognized,”‬

Special priority was given to organisations accredited to UNCCD and to projects empowering Indigenous Peoples, youth, women and the elder‭ly‬. 

The ‭ ‬programme ‭ ‬was ‭ ‬set ‭ ‬up ‭ ‬in ‭ ‬2024 ‭ ‬to ‭ ‬support ‭ ‬community-level ‭ ‬non-profit ‭ ‬organisations worldwide. According to a statement, by directly supporting civil society and grassroot actors, these grants will generate measurable progress ‭ ‬across ‭ ‬global ‭aided ‬restoration ‭ ‬priorities, ‭ ‬such ‭ ‬as ‭ ‬soil ‭ ‬fertility ‭ ‬enhancement, ‭ ‬forest regeneration, sustainable agriculture, agroecology and ecosystem-based adaptation. 

The statement added that beyond reclaiming ‭ ‬land, ‭ ‬the ‭ ‬projects ‭ ‬are ‭ ‬enhancing ‭ ‬livelihoods, ‭ ‬strengthening ‭ ‬community climate resilience, and fostering social enterprise and ‭eco‬-preneurship.

“When we do these small grants program, it is not just about the grant. It’s about the ‭network ‬which we create and the visibility it provides ‭—‬ both for those within it and those outside who can benefit from their knowledge and experience‭,”‬ Thummarukudy added. 

Three of the highest-scoring projects were showcased at the UNCCD Conference of the Parties held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2024, to highlight the‭ir‬ potential for scaling and replication across regions. 

The statement also revealed that winners will also be showcased at select high-level events in the future, stating that the G20 GLI is committed to inclusive and continuous engagement, and is exploring future 
collaboration opportunities for the applicants not selected in this round.

Stressing ‭that “this is just the beginning, this will be an annual process, the next cohort is about ‬to start,‭” ‬Dr Thummarukudy invited community organisations doing land restoration to apply to join the network because both “big and small” [efforts] are important.‭ ‬

He noted that the second ‭ ‬call ‭ ‬for ‭ ‬applications ‭ ‬will ‭ ‬open ‭ ‬in ‭ ‬2025 ‭ ‬with ‭ ‬increased ‭ ‬funding ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬expanded 
support for grassroots restoration efforts worldwide. 

Innovative ‭ ‬community-led ‭ ‬restoration ‭ ‬initiatives ‭ ‬are ‭ ‬essential ‭ ‬for ‭ ‬creating ‭ ‬green ‭ ‬jobs, especially for youth and women..The awards provide support that can transform restoration into a catalyst for economic opportunity and sustainable environmental management.

Examples of selected 2024 grantees include‭: ‬ Legacy of War Foundation (Rwanda), ‭which will restore six hectares of degraded soil while ‬empowering ‭ ‬90 ‭ ‬women ‭ ‬as ‭ ‬landowners ‭ ‬of ‭ ‬fully organic cooperative ‭ ‬farms. ‭ ‬By ‭ ‬integrating climate-smart ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬artisanal farming methods, the project aims ‭ ‬to improve soil fertility and agricultural resilience in post-conflict rural communities. 
Up2Green Foundation (India)‭ is restoring mangroves and riverbanks in Tamil Nadu, India. ‬The project is reforesting 60 hectares and planting 15,000 fruit trees, enhancing biodiversity, strengthening coastal resilience ‭ ‬for flood prevention, and training local ‭ ‬communities in sustainable agroforestry practices. 
Sustainability ‭ ‬and ‭ ‬Environmental ‭ ‬Studies ‭ ‬Endeavor ‭ ‬(Nepal)‭ is working to restore ‬
ecological ‭ ‬balance along the mythological ‭ ‬Nagaraj Trail. By ‭ ‬revitalizing ‭ ‬degraded ‭ ‬farms, wetlands and forests using nature-based solutions, the project promotes ‭ ‬nature-inclusive agriculture and convivial conservation approaches. 

The G20 Global Land Initiative was launched in 2020 under the Saudi G20 Presidency. Hosted by the UNCCD, its ambition is to reduce degraded land by 50 percent by 2040. By showcasing 
land restoration, empowering civil society, engaging the private sector and building capacity, G20 GLI is driving restoration to scale and energizing a restoration economy. The Small Grants Programme is a key component of this vision, empowering civil society to restore degraded lands and promote sustainable land management at scale.

UN Agency Gives USD 395,000 to 39 Land Restoration Projects Worldwide ‬

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

By: Michael Mike

Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed deep grief over the passing of prominent Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, saying the nation has lost an irreplaceable institution.

The late Dantata, an uncle of Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, passed away at the age of 94 in Abu Dhabi in the early hours of Saturday in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Mustapha Abdullahi Junaid, his Personal Private Secretary (PPS), who confirmed the death.

In a condolence message, Vice President Shettima praised the late businessman for his lifetime of service, describing him as “a living bridge that connected us to our past.

“We have not just lost a leader; we have lost an irreplaceable institution,” Senator Shettima said, describing Dantata as “one of the greatest titans in Nigeria’s philosophical history” whose departure marks the end of a vital chapter in the country’s economic and democratic evolution.

“In African tradition, when such an elderly person transitions, a vital chapter of our history departs with them. He was indeed among the great titans, a living bridge that connected us to our past,” VP Shettima added.

The Vice President extended heartfelt condolences to the Dantata family, expressing hopes that they would “find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,” even as he prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the deceased Jannatul Firdaus.

Born into the legendary Dantata family of Kano, Alhaji Aminu built on his father’s commercial legacy to become one of Nigeria’s most influential business figures. His empire spans construction, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, and the oil and gas sectors.

Beyond business, Dantata was renowned for his extensive philanthropic work, funding schools, mosques, health centres, and supporting widows and the underprivileged across Nigeria.

VP Shettima Mourns Late Alhaji Aminu Dantata, Says Nigeria Has Lost An Irreplaceable Institution

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

By: Michael Mike

The Senior Officials Meeting between Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.

A statement on Saturday by the Press Officer, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Modestus Chukwulaka, read: “The Delegation of European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS wishes to inform that the Senior Officials Meeting between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) will be held on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd July 2025 in Abuja.

“The agenda of the very important meeting is to prepare for the upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting and to explore areas of cooperation.”

According to the statement, the Senior Officials Meeting will be co-chaired by the Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Ambassador Janet Olisa, Director, and the Deputy Managing Director for Africa Department, European External Action Service, European Union, Mr Mathieu Briens.

The statement revealed that the agenda of the meeting is expected to entail wide-ranging discussions that would focus on various aspects of the Nigeria – EU partnership, such as: Cooperation on multilateral and regional issues; Peace, Security and Governance; Humanitarian situation; Trade and Investment; Human Development: Health, Education, Social Protection; Science, technology, innovation and digital transition; Migration; Energy, climate change and green economy transition among others.

Nigeria and the European Union share a deep, long-standing partnership inspired by mutual values and interests as well as support for multilateralism and rule-based international order, the statement said.

Nigeria-EU Senior Officials Meet in Abuja to Prepare for Upcoming Nigeria – EU Ministerial Meeting

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