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NDLEA Smashes Attempts to Smuggle Drugs in Jeans Hems, Dolls, Buttons to Europe, Asia

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NDLEA Smashes Attempts to Smuggle Drugs in Jeans Hems, Dolls, Buttons to Europe, Asia

By: Michael Mike

Attempts by drug syndicates to smuggle illicit substances including various quantities of methamphetamine and opioids concealed in hems of new jeans trousers, dolls, buttons, local soap and tins of beverage to Europe, United Arab Emirate and Asia have been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at some courier firms in Lagos.

A statement by the spokesman of the anti- narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi on Sunday said some of the consignments intercepted by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) at courier houses in Lagos include: tramadol 225mg concealed in hems of new jeans trousers heading to Cyprus; shipment of cannabis sativa hidden in heads of dolls going to Dubai, UAE; sachets of tramadol 225mg buried in tins of beverage going to UAE and another set of same drug hidden in local soap also going to UAE, as well as a consignment of methamphetamine concealed in buttons heading to Hong Kong.

He said a shipment of another illicit substance coming from Florida, USA was equally intercepted at a courier firm while the recipient, Daniel Ogi was tracked by NDLEA officers and arrested at 5 Akeem Shittu street, Ajao Estate Lagos on Friday 24th November 2023.

Babafemi also said operatives in Lagos last Friday arrested a drug kingpin, Okechukwu Ogala, 56, who specialises in exploiting and recruiting young persons to export meth to Asian countries. He was arrested at Blue Moon Hotel in Okota area of Lagos with 60 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.009 kilogrammes

In another operation in Lagos, operatives last Friday recovered 393 kilogrammes of cannabis in a shop at Akala, Mushin while a suspect, Justin Enuonye, who deals in Canadian Loud was arrested by the police at Victoria Island and transferred to Lagos Command of NDLEA this same day with 154 parcels weighing 92 kilogrammes.

Babafemi also said a team of NDLEA operatives also intercepted a vehicle at Oyingbo area of Lagos and recovered 108 kilogrammes of cannabis from it, while 675 kilogrammes of the same substance were recovered from the store of a wanted dealer, Wahab Olota at Adedoja area of Mushin, Lagos State.

In Edo, NDLEA operatives last Wednesday stormed the Ujiogba forest, Esan West local government area where they recovered 5,988 kilogrammes of cannabis already processed and ready for distribution while a 22-year-old, Mson Bunde, (a.k.a Tete Peter Joseph) found in a hut on the cannabis farm was arrested.

He said no less than 120,000 capsules of tramadol concealed in new sound systems packed in a Jos, Plateau state-bound bus were seized by NDLEA officers acting on intelligence along Onitsha-Awka road, Anambra state last Monday, while 123 blocks of cannabis weighing 73 kilogrammes were recovered from a suspect, Abdullahi Bello along Gombe-Bauchi road, Gombe state last Wednesday, operatives in Abuja seized 168 blocks of same psychoactive substance with a total weight of 101 kilogrammes from the store of a fleeing drug dealer in Kabusa area of the FCT.

The NDLEA spokesman said no fewer than 8,000 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered by NDLEA operatives last Friday when they intercepted a vehicle transporting the opioid along Abuja- Kaduna road, with the driver, Shamsu Isiyaku and his conductor, Muhammad Maina arrested. Same day, operatives also arrested Ernest Esechie, 30, with 44.4 kilogrammes of compressed cannabis sativa along Gwantu- Sanga road, Kaduna.

In Kogi, NDLEA officers arrested Ahmad Umar, 18, with 46.4 kilogrammes of cannabis at a check point in Kabba, while Jamilu Zakari, 32, was nabbed at Kofar Idi, Kandahar, Bauchi town, Bauchi state with 125 blocks of same substance that weighed 146 kilogrammes.

At least, 542.3 kilogrammes of cannabis were recovered from a suspect, Festus Egeogoli, 32, when his base at Jakpa road, Warri, Delta state was raided by NDLEA operatives last Wednesday, while 125.9 kilogrammes of same substance were also seized from a store in the same area.

He said the various commands of the Agency across the country
continued with the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students of Phrankstars School, Awka, Anambra; students of Taskar Alkairi Primary and Secondary Schools, Goburawa, Dala LGA, as well as Natsugune Primary and Secondary Schools, Ungogo LGA, Kano; students of Kevqueen College, Itanla, Ondo West LGA, Ondo; students of Unibek Group of Schools, Port Harcourt, Rivers; students of The Apostolic High School, Ilesa, Osun, and students of Usman Jidda Shuwa Memorial Secondary School, Gamboru, Borno state.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Gombe, FCT, Kaduna, Kogi, Bauchi and Delta commands of the agency as well as DOGI for their outstanding feats in the past week, applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures thus creating parity between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.

NDLEA Smashes Attempts to Smuggle Drugs in Jeans Hems, Dolls, Buttons to Europe, Asia

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China Says Taiwan Independence is a Threat to It’s Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity

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China Says Taiwan Independence is a Threat to It’s Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity


… Asks Journalists Against Report Suggesting Independence of Taiwan

By: Michael Mike

The People’s Republic of China on Thursday said Taiwan independence is a serious threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It said the Taiwan question concerns China’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and China’s national sentiment without any ambiguity and cannot be argued or challenged.

The Chief, Political Section of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Zhu Songbo, in his remarks at the Media Salon on the One-China Principle as the Bedrock of China- Nigeria Relations in Abuja, explained that the one-China principle, which asserts that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China.

Songbo added that the application of the one-China principle is universal, unconditional, and unquestionable stressing that all countries that have diplomatic relations with China and all member states of the United Nations must unconditionally adhere to the one-China principle.

Zhu on how Nigeria is handling the Taiwan, said China appreciates the country’s commitment to the one-China principle, citing Nigeria’s actions, including the relocation of the Taiwan Trade Office out of Abuja.

He said: “Nigeria has been adhering to the one-China principle, which has been appreciated by China.

“We hope that Nigeria will continue to uphold this principle and support China’s efforts to achieve national reunification.”

Zhu however cautioned media practitioners against using language that implies Taiwan’s independence or sovereignty, urging them to adhere to the principles of objectivity, fairness, and truthfulness when reporting on China and the Taiwan question.

He said: “We hope that all of you will have a better understanding of China’s position on the Taiwan question and will continue adhering to the principles of objectivity, fairness, and truthfulness when writing reports about China,” Songbo added.

Songbo further expressed concern over attempts by some forces to promote Taiwan independence, describing such efforts as a serious threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

“The Taiwan independence separatist activities and external forces are a threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We firmly oppose any attempts to create a ‘two Chinas’ or ‘one China, one Taiwan’ scenario.”

Songbo reaffirmed China’s commitment to peaceful reunification, while also emphasizing the importance of maintaining stability and security in the region.

“We are committed to peaceful reunification, but we will not tolerate any attempts to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hope that all parties will work together to promote peace and stability in the region.”

Earlier in his presentation, the Director of Centre for China Studies, Charles Onunaiju, said the Chinese and Taiwanese are, in fact, one people, sharing a common history and cultural heritage.

He noted that Nigeria’s position on the One-China principle is sacrosanct, as evidenced by its commitment to recognizing the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate government representing all of China.

According to him, “The Taiwan Trade Office in Lagos operates merely as a trade facilitation entity, and not as an embassy, with its primary purpose being to promote economic and commercial ties between Taiwan and Nigeria.

He, However, said the activities of the Taipei Trade Office have been known to undermine Nigeria’s adherence to the One-China principle, which could potentially strain bilateral relations between Nigeria and China.

“Ultimately, Taiwan’s eventual return to China is an inseparable part of history, as the island has been an integral part of Chinese territory since ancient times, and reunification is seen as a necessary step towards realizing the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Also, the Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Abuja, Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, in his presentation said no country will allow secessionist groups to undermine its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and China is no exception in its stance against Taiwan independence.

Prof. Ghali Ibrahim who is also the Director of Centre for Contemporary China-Africa Research, said the United Nations Resolution 2758 of 1971 recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the only legal representative of China, with Taiwan considered an integral part of it, a position reinforced by several other laws and frameworks that support the One-China policy, including anti-secession laws.

“The concept of “One Country, Two Systems” was propounded by Deng Xiaoping, aimed at achieving peaceful reunification while allowing for different systems to coexist within a unified China.”

“Nigeria adheres to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and as such, will not meddle in China’s internal affairs, including the Taiwan question.”

“China and Nigeria share similar ideas and identity, and as a result, efforts by the Taiwan Trade Office to undermine the One-China principle are likely to fail, given the strong bilateral relations between Nigeria and China.”

“The One-China principle has been pivotal to the significant increase in trade volume between Nigeria and China, with trade exceeding over $20 billion, making China Nigeria’s third-largest trade partner.”

“Furthermore, there have been tangible outcomes in terms of infrastructural interventions from the Chinese government, including the construction of rails and roads, which have contributed to Nigeria’s economic development.”

Dr Austin Maho who is a lecturer at the International Institute of Journalism in his presentation on the role of the Nigerian media in Reporting the Taiwan Question, stated that the media plays a critical role in shaping society and public perception, and as such, journalists should exercise caution and responsibility in their reporting, particularly on sensitive issues such as the Taiwan question.

Maho who is also a Daybreak Newspapers’ publisher also said the People’s Republic of China considers Taiwan independence as a red line that should not be crossed, and journalists should be mindful of this in their reportage.

“To provide accurate and balanced coverage, journalists should thoroughly understand the issues between Nigeria and China, avoiding references to Taiwan as a “country” or calling for enhanced collaboration between Nigeria and Taiwan.”

“Media professionals should also be wary of Andy Ping Liu, representative of the Taiwan trade mission in Nigeria, who may attempt to promote Taiwan independence.”

“Vigilance is key among media professionals to ensure that their reporting does not inadvertently undermine the One-China principle or promote secessionist agendas.” He added.

China Says Taiwan Independence is a Threat to It’s Sovereignty, Territorial Integrity

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Police officer killed, firearm stolen in attack on officers in abia state

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Police officer killed, firearm stolen in attack on officers in abia state

By: Zagazola Makama

Tragedy struck in Abia State on May 6, 2025, when gunmen ambushed a team of police officers, resulting in the death of one officer and the theft of a firearm.

Police sources told Zagazola Makama that at around 8:30 p.m., a team of officers, including ASP Victor Eze and Inspector Nwanochi Ndubuisi, were returning from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when they were intercepted by five armed assailants dressed in combat attire. The attack took place on a narrow road after a filling station along the Port Harcourt–Aba Road, Asa.

During the confrontation, Inspector Christian Gbaratee, was shot dead, while Inspector Ekoro Isong went missing. The gun stolen from Gbaratee during the attack, as well as the suspect who had been in custody, was taken by the assailants.

A prompt response by the police led to the recovery of a Toyota Corolla and other items, including expended ammunition, a laptop, and three traveling bags. Additionally, Inspector Isong later surfaced unharmed. The body of the late Inspector Gbaratee has been deposited at the Euro Allied Medical Center Mortuary for autopsy.

A search operation in collaboration with military personnel, is ongoing to track down the attackers, recover the stolen firearm.

Police officer killed, firearm stolen in attack on officers in abia state

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Gunmen abduct Professor, driver killed in ambush along owerri-aba highway

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Gunmen abduct Professor, driver killed in ambush along owerri-aba highway

By: Zagazola Makama

Gunmen ambushed travelers on the Owerri-Aba Highway in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State on May 6, 2025, resulting in the abduction of several passengers, including Professor Herbert Batta, the Head of the Department of Media and Information Technology at the University of Uyo.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the criminals also shot and killed the driver of a Toyota Hilux vehicle with registration number BWR 692 GJ, registered in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), during the attack at around 6:25 p.m.

A joint security team comprising the military, police, Department of State Services (DSS), and local vigilantes has been mobilized to the area, conducting intensive search operations to track down the perpetrators and rescue the victims.

The sources said “As of now, the identities of the other abducted passengers remain unknown. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the assailants and secure the release of the victims,”said the sources.

Gunmen abduct Professor, driver killed in ambush along owerri-aba highway

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