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NDLEA destroys 317 Tons of Cannabis in Edo Forest, Arrests Four

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says it has destroyed and set ablaze over 317,417 kgs (317.4 metric tons) of cannabis sativa in the Opuje forests, Edo.

The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this on Saturday in a statement made available to Journalists in Abuja.

Babafemi said that this happened barely hours after the Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig.

-Gen.
Buba Marwa, vowed to make life tough for drug barons and cartels in the new year if they failed to back out of the illicit trade.

He said that Operatives of the agency have dealt a lethal blow to a cluster of cannabis syndicates operating in the said forest during the two-day operation.

“At least, a police impersonator, Omoruan Theophilus, 37, who parades as a Police Inspector to convey the drugs from the forests to the cities, was arrested.

“And three others: Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were also arrested in connection with the drugs,” he said.

Babafemi said that the Opuje community in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo is notorious for cannabis cultivation, where the cartels invest huge resources.

This, he said, involved cutting down economic trees of the forest and cultivating cannabis on a large scale, running into hundreds of hectares.

“After harvest, they build warehouses inside the forest reserves and employ the services of armed youths to protect the warehouses 24/7.

“Accessing the forest on Wednesday January 18, took hours of trekking by hundreds of NDLEA operatives who were ambushed with bonfire by armed youths on their way out of the community the following day.

“They were, however, able to successfully leave the area without any casualty except the heavy investment losses inflicted on the cartels,” he said.

In the same vein, the agency on Thursday, Jan. 19, through intelligence received from the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States, busted a criminal syndicate.

Babafemi said that the suspect was involved in the trafficking of fake American currency in Lagos.

He said that during a combined operation carried out by NDLEA operatives with their EFCC colleagues, a total of US$269,000 counterfeit currency were recovered from the syndicate.

This, he said, was at Oniru Shoprite area of Lekki, Lagos, where three suspects were arrested.

He quoted Marwa as commending all the officers involved in the two special operations in Edo and Lagos for their professionalism and commitment.

Marwa directed that the suspects arrested (with their fake dollars) in the Lekki operation be immediately transferred to the EFCC for possible prosecution. (NAN)

CRIME

Police Nab  Woman, Accomplice Over Alleged Gunrunning in Delta

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The Delta  Police Command have confirmed the arrest of a woman and her accomplice over alleged case of gun-running in Okpanam community, near Asaba.

Command spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe,  who disclosed this in a statement in Asaba on Monday said that the suspects were nabbed last Friday during a sting operation by operatives of the Command’s Special Assignment Team.

“At about 1600hrs of 13/6/2025, operatives of the Commissioner of Police’s special assignment team embarked on a sting operation at  Okpanam community, near Asaba, the state capital.

“During the operation, the team effected the arrest of one Ekene Chioma, (f), a 36 years old native of Issele-Uku community and one  Okafor Jonathan (m), an 18 year old native of Onicha-Ugbo community both in Aniocha North LGA of Delta State.

“Upon search, two English Single Barrell guns  and one hundred and ten live cartridges were recovered from the suspects,” he stated.

Edafe said that police preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects  were suspected of being involved in the business of gun running.

He said the suspects and the exhibits recovered were taken into custody while investigation is ongoing.(NAN)

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CRIME

Bricklayer Bags Life Imprisonment for Defiling Minor in Toilet

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An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday sentenced a Bricklayer, Azeez Shoderu, to life imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s eight -year-old daughter in a toilet.

Justice Rahman Oshodi sentenced Shoderu after he found him guilty of the one-count charge of defilement proffered against him by the Lagos State Government.

Oshodi held that the prosecution successfully proved the offence of defilement against the convict.

According to him, the survivor’s testimony is well corroborated with the testimony of the investigative police officer, who also testified before the court.

He said the evidence of the convict was inconsistent and all attempted to distant himself from the offence did not hold waters.

Oshodi said: “The prosecutrix (survivor) gave a compelling, eyewittness evidence before  this court  that the convict, alias chisco ‘took me to the toilet, carried me on his lap, covered my mouth  and put his thing in my ‘bumbum’.

“The prosecutrix identified the convict as his neighbour and when one of their neighbours  saw them, he threw  her into the other bathroom and ran  away.

“Her evidence was consistent throughout her examination-in-chief that the convict removed her pant and put her on his lap,” the judge said.

The judge also said that the convict’s action had undoubtedly inflicted deep psychological wounds that might take a lifetime to heal.

The court further held  that  the convict admitted that he interacted with the child at the compound, where he claimed to have asked the child to bring water to him in the toilet.

However, the child narrated that she went to urinate at the bathroom, where the convict thereafter covered her mouth, placed him on his lap and had sexual act with her.

Meanwhile, the convict denied that nothing happened when taken to the police station.

During his arraignment on Sept. 29, 2023, he pleaded not guilty.

The court held that the convict was a squatter on Ago-Hausa Street in Ajegunle, Lagos, where he interacted with the child, and confirmed that he was at a toilet facility where the survivor was also present.

The court held  that  the evidence of the survivor was corroborated by the medical report, the Investigating Police Officer and medical doctor’s evidence showed that the convict committed the offence.

The judge noted that a child that had not attained the age of 18 was incapable of consenting to sexual activity.

The court having found  the convict guilty,  hereafter sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered that  his name should be registered as a sex offender.

The state counsel led by Mr Dare Dada presented three witnesses and tendered exhibits in court to prove the charge against the convict during trial while the defendant testified in his own defence.

According to the prosecution, the offence contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of 2015. (NAN)

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CRIME

Two Friends Jailed 12 Months Each for Stealing Clothes

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An Area Court in Jos on Monday, sentenced to friends, Michael Auta and Gabriel Sunday to 12 months imprisonment each for  stealing  clothes  valued at N488,000.

The judge, Mrs Shawomi Bokkos, sentenced the convicts after they pleaded guilty to the offence.

The judge however gave the convicts an option of fine of N50, 000 each.

She also ordered that they both pay compensation of N200, 000 each to the complainant or risk another 12 months in jail for default.

Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Insp Daniel Damulak, told the court that the case was reported at the B division police station, on April 17, by the complainant, one Ms Gift Ernest.

Damulak said the complainant told the police that the accused persons trespassed into her shop and stole clothes valued at N488, 000.

He said that during police investigation, the accused persons confessed to have committed the offence.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the Plateau State Penal Code law of Northern Nigeria of 2017. (NAN)

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