14 drug barons to celebrate new year in NDLEA net

No fewer than 14 suspected drug barons have been caged in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA's,

net with over N300million worth of various types of illicit drugs.

The suspects were apprehended at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, (MMIA), Lagos with 33.655kg of narcotic drugs. 

 

Also discovered by the narcotics agents were their various methods of drug concealment adopted by drug traffickers to escape arrest this end of year season but were not lucky as their ploy failed them. 

Daily Signpost gathered that eight of the suspects were caught trying to smuggle cocaine into the country from Brazil and Argentina, while six others were intercepted while taking drugs to Hong Kong, Dubai, Italy and Brazil.

According to the NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, 

“four of the suspects were apprehended in one flight, Royal Air Marco on their way from Brazil. Some of the seized drugs were dissolved in water and absorbed in two towels and a T-shirt. Others were industrially packed in tin foods, body cream packs while some of the suspects ingested the drugs in total disregard of the health implications. The estimated value of the seized drugs is about three hundred million naira (N300,000,000)”, Umar stated

"The names of the suspects are as follows; Okafor Chijioke Franklin 25 years old caught with 13.735kg cocaine in tin food, Okeke Uchenna Aloy Pascal 29 year old caught with 3.425kg cocaine absorbed in towels, Akpobome Godwin Ujunwa 32 years old found with 1.730kg of cocaine absorbed in T-shirt, Ani Monday, 37 years old found with 300 grammes of cocaine, Madububa Amaechi Joseph, 38 years old ingested 845 grammes of cocaine, Amuka Sunday, 26 years old ingested 1.505kg cocaine and Ijoganu Edache, 25 year old ingested 1.240kg of cocaine".

 

Also to end the year in NDLEA net include  Obiefuna Tochukwu Kenneth, 40 years old found with 500 grammes of cocaine, Ogbodu Williams, 48 years caught with 1.650kg of cocaine, Nwakama Walter Chinonso, 32 years old caught with 1.060kg of cocaine, Egbueme Benedict McCarthy, 31 years old found with 1.190kg of cocaine, Nwachukwu Chimeremeze Leonard, 38 years old found with 975 grammes of heroin/cocaine, Adebayo Wasiu Abiodun, 30 years old caught with 5kg of cannabis and Ofoegbu Godwin Ujunwa caught with 505 grammes of cocaine.

 

Investigation revealed that most of the suspects engaged in drug trafficking to get money for the end of year celebrations. Akpobome Godwin Greg was promised the sum of N2million to smuggle 1.730kg of cocaine absorbed in a T-shirt from Argentina to Nigeria. Okafor Chijioke Franklin was promised the sum of ten thousand dollars while Nwakama Walter Chinonso would have been paid the sum of five thousand dollars if he had not been caught.

Twenty-five years old Okafor Chijioke Franklin had the largest quantity of drugs. He was found in possession of 13.735kg cocaine concealed inside tin foods on his way from Brazil. According to Okafor, 

“I have no one to help me. I traveled to Brazil a year ago in search of job opportunities. I used to hawk toys in Brazil to sustain myself. A friend promised to pay for my ticket to Nigeria to spend the end of year festive season. He was the person that gave me the drugs packed inside tin foods”.

For Egbueme Benedict McCarthy, who was going to Hong Kong where drug trafficking attracts capital punishment said his arrest was a divine intervention to save his life. Hear him:

 “I used to sell used amplifiers in Abuja. I ingested 55 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.190kg. It was my classmate in the secondary school who now lives in Tanzania that sent the drugs to me and assisted me with my travel documents and expenses. I had no idea of the punishment for drug traffickers in Hong Kong until after my arrest. God has rescued me from death and I will never smuggle drugs again in my life,” Egbueme stated.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade described the arrests and seizures as a good way to end the year.

 

 “this is a good way to end the year. The Agency shall continue to detect hidden drugs and prosecute offenders in line with the NDLEA Act”.

Giade added that the Agency shall also intensify its public awareness programmes to educate the public on the dangers of drug trafficking; stressing that the suspects arrested with drugs on their way to Hong Kong would have paid the ultimate price if not for the intervention of the Agency.

"The suspects would be charged to court soon," Mitchell Ofoyeju told Daily Signpost

 

Why we hike fares during Christmas------ Transporters

Emeka Ibemere

It’s the trip of a lifetime. Christmas travelers with cash to spare are making their trips to their different states as the nativity event took place today.

For the keen travelers for the yearly event, who has always longed to visit their states the incredible hefty fare hikes ticks them all off the list- but the journey must be made.

Ask the luxury bus and small bus owners, its business all through.

Inter-state buses have increased their fares, in some cases by more than double, as they prepare for increased business in the traditionally busy Christmas period.

With schools and a number of companies closing, there is usually brisk business by both holiday makers and businesses, and bus operators are keen to take advantage.

A snap survey by our Correspondent revealed that some buses which ply the Lagos-East, South-South and from the Northern part of the country to the Southern routes showed that some transporters had already increased fares, although others were yet to do so.

Young Shall Grow staff at Cele Bus Stop told our correspondent that the company was going to increase its fares from N6000, as it is now to N8000 from December 24 to 31, 2014 for a one way ticket to east.

A trip which was N3, 500 as at November ending is presently charged at N6, 000, N7, 000 and N5,000, , respectively.

A ticketing salesperson at one of the bus company offices in Ikotun said the new fares are as a result of the mass movement of people down-east and south-south because of the festival period.

"The fares will be increased more, but I am not yet aware what the charge will be," she quipped. “People are even booking in advance with anticipation that the fares are going to be increased more”.

A trip from Lagos to Onitsha now cost as high as N7, 000 and from Lagos to Cross River State is put at N8, 000. Ordinarily, it cost as low as N3, 500.

 Investigation by our correspondent shows that many families are also taking their wards home for fear of the next election, which comes in February.

Mr Okafor Adindu, a tricycle operator who lives at N0 5 Bayo Street Abaranje Road by Custom Bus stop, told this reporter that no matter the cost of transport fare, he must surely take his family down to Orlu, in Imo State, because of the election.

Mrs. Akpan Mary, a factory worker at Aswani is bemoaning her fate in raising transport fare down to Akwa-Ibom State due to hire increase in fares.

Mary would be travelling alone without her eight-size family apparently because of the fares to cater all the family. And if she was to go with all of them, a paltry budget of N50, 000 would be expended on transport alone unlike when it was N3, 500, fares.

Ikechukwu Duru, a student said he has cancelled his trip till January 7, when transport fare to East always kisses dust because according to him by that time, coming back to Lagos State would be like a peak period while fares going to East as of that time drops as low as anything. Investigation also revealed that fares to Lagos from the East or South-South now or travelling to the Northern part of Nigeria, is now cheap because much people are not making trips to Lagos State or to the North. The influx is downwards and that is why the charges are high. 

Yesterday, transporters capitalized on the closure of schools in Lagos State and in last minutes rush by travelling Christmas holiday makers hike their fares. Fares from Lagos to Okene, Kogi State is now N6000 as against N800 previously charged for the trip. Defending the hike in fares, Chijioke Akabundu said the hike was a result of bad road leading to eastern part of Nigeria, which is in a deplorable situation.

However, the Chairman of Chisco Transport Ltd., Chief Chidi Anyanegbu, was reported to have cried to the Federal Government concerning the multiple taxation levied transport operators in Nigeria.

He was reported to have told the Federal Government to reduce the double taxation imposed on transport operators in the country.

Anyanegbu, made the call in Lagos, said that multiple-taxation was hitting transporters hard and killing the transport sector.

It was also reported that Commercial transport operators are finding it difficult to break even as they have to pay interest on loans borrowed from banks to purchase the buses.

It was gathered that they pay over 23 different taxes and it is affecting their businesses. This is responsible for the frequent hike in transport fares.

“The transport business is a business that touches the masses and most of the beneficiaries are the less-privileged and civil servants who earn meagre incomes,’’ Anyanegbu said.

Anyanegbu said that the value and impact of the transport sector on the nation’s economy and the masses could not be over-emphasised.

It was also gathered that import duties charged on buses used for mass transportation are enormous and when transporters pay these charges, it is the passengers that bear the burden through fare hikes.

Therefore, it behoves on the government to look into these challenges by acknowledging that transporters are solving one of the problems facing the masses.

“The government must also realise that transport operators are adding value to the economy by providing employment opportunities to many Nigerians”, Anyanegbu said.

“The profit accruing to operators of this business is very low when compared to what the oil companies and multi-national organisations are making”.

Anyanegbu also urged the National Assembly to set up a trust fund that could grant low-interest loans to transporters in the country.

He also urged the federal and State Governments to rehabilitate their roads, which he said, were in deplorable conditions.

“We spend so much money on maintenance of our vehicles owing to the deplorable state of most roads,’’ he lamented.  

Newswatch Times Art Editor, Ada Dike wins Award

Online Art collector/Gallery (Artkora), Mr. Haib Moukarim; Art Editor, Newswatch Times, Ada Dike, and Chairman, SNA Lagos State Chapter,  Dotun Alabi, during the 2014 induction awards and Gala Night of SNA Lagos State Chapter, held at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos...at the weekend. Photo: Abiodun Omotosho

Ada Dalyn Dike of Newswatch Times Newspapers has been awarded Press Award 2014 by the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos State Chapter.

This was in recognition of her excellent reporting on the visual Arts, coupled with her zeal towards the development of art in Nigeria.

 Speaking during the Gala Night and Fund Raising Dinner Award / Induction ceremony held last week Friday, December 19, 2014, at Terra Kulture, Victoria Isalnd, Lagos, the Chairman, SNA, Lagos State chapter, Mr. Dotun Alabi said, “we are celebrating some reporters and artists, who have contributed immensely and distinguished themselves in the field of art including some art centres that have hosted artists and art works.

According to him, the award was in honour of individuals’ concrete efforts and spectacular impacts they have made towards the advancement and promotion of art and culture in Nigeria and beyond.

He urged other art reporters in media organizations in Nigerians to emulate Dike towards promoting art in Nigeria through factual and objective reportage.

Expressing appreciation for the award, the recipient, Ada Dalyn Dike, said the award came as a token of encouragement for her as a reporter to do more towards promotion of Nigerian and African art.

According to her, “I am profoundly honoured by this award. To me, the award symbolizes an encouragement for me to do more to ensure that through me, people get to read and know more about Nigeria’s rich, aesthetic paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs and dance-steps, among others, which have helped in a lot of ways in developing Nigeria,” she said.

She hinted that her passion to report people, events and issues on the creative industry (visual art, literary works and film), cannot be quantified due to the industry’s works which have enriched people’s lives in Nigeria and have continued to enrich people’s lives within and outside Nigeria by providing employment opportunities for millions of Nigeria, boosting Nigerian economy and promoting Nigerian and African rich culture.

“Art is something that I always love to report before any other sector, despite the fact that many people shy away from it because they feel it is quite challenging. I feel excited whenever I listen to some artists interpret their works. It helps me to learn more about Nigerian culture. Also, the literary art opens one’s mind and intellect when reading and reviewing books, novels –fiction, non-fiction from different authors. Also worthy of note are the films/documentaries produced by the Nigerian movie industry also known as Nollywood, which have immensely promoted Nigeria’s positive image to the world,” she said.

Two other reporters that also received awards were Tony Okuyeme of New Telegraph Newspapers and a reporter from The Nation Newspapers.

Many art producers (painters, sculptors and printers), curators, conservators, curators, members of the academia and institutions were also honoured with various categories of awards for their contributions to the growth and development of the visual arts in Nigeria.

But Veteran artists such as Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, Yusuf Grillo, Bisi Fakeye, Abayomi Barber, Kolade Oshinowo and Chief Mrs. Nike Okundaye were awarded with lifetime achievement awards. A Post Humous award went to a veteran documentary photographer, the late Pa J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere.

Other highlights that featured in the event are performance by a cultural music group and induction of new members into the society.

Meanwhile, on June 1, 2013, the Royal Star Entertainment Production (ROSEP), in celebration of the World Culture Day, honoured Ada Dalyn Dike for promoting culture in Nigeria and carrying out outstanding performances towards promotion of Nigerian and African culture.

Born in early 1970s into a family of seven children (two males and five females) to the late Hon. Chief Dike Ukara Dike (a teacher and politician) and mother, Chief Mrs. Margaret Dike (a business woman), both indigenes of Abam in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, Ada Dalyn Dike is a mother of a female child.

She has a Diploma, Bachelor of Art and Master of Science Degrees in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos in 1996, 2002 and 2005 respectively.

Dike did her media attachment in Champion newspaper in 2002 and began her career in journalism in 2006, when she was employed as a reporter in National Mirror newspaper.

She has worked in many other newspaper organizations including  Daily Times Nigeria plc, New Star and The Moment newspaper, where she worked as the Society, Entertainment and Style Editor till 2012 when she joined Daily Newswatch newspapers (Now Newswatch Times), where she is presently working as the Arts Editor.

She is a member of the Nigerian Union of Journalism (NUJ), the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Journalists For Christ (JFC) and an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), among others.

She has been interviewed by both print and electronic media on topical issues bothering society, art, fashion and entertainment. She has also appeared as a guest in TV programmes including Ladies Love Gisting. She has also participated in many awards fashion shows as a judge.

Road Safety, CLEEN Foundation synergies for easy Drivers licence procurement

Emeka Ibemere

Do you know that you can obtain your driver’s licence without tears any longer? This is what the Federal Road Safety Corps and CLEEN Foundation are working effortlessly to make sure that access to obtaining driver’s licence would no longer be a problem as they work to eliminate the bottlenecks that stifled the process.

Last week in Lagos State, the Sector Command, CLEEN Foundation, Journalists and members of the National Youth Service Commission, NYSC, took to the streets in Lagos State on sensitisation and awareness campaign to educate Nigerians and Lagos State residents on the application procedures for obtaining and renewal of drivers licence.

The rally- like event took off at the Ojota Toll Gate office of the FRSC, at 9am Thursday, 18 December, 2014, was equally observed throughout the country. The motor-Cade tour of duty campaign went through Ojodu to Ojota and to the Alausa axis of Ikeja to Agidingbi before berthing at the FRSC Headquarters at Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State, where the sector commander addressed journalists.

Addressing journalists after the sensitisation and awareness tour, Godwin Ogagaoghene, Assistant Corps Marshal, Zonal Commanding Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State explained that the campaign was to create awareness and sensitise the populace on what FRSC is doing to ease the tension arising from procedures in obtaining driver’s licence. On touting issue that has brought bad image to the FRSC, Ogagaoghene stated touting at the road safety, is being treated with every sense of seriousness, adding that the issue of touting is being eradicated.

“We must say that we are doing everything possible within our power to see that it’s eradicated entirely. We have arrested some, and we caught some and handed them over to the police for prosecution”, he added.

“People say some of our staffs are involved; we have also put machinery in motion to ensure that any staff seen getting himself or herself in touting, will be dismissed from the Corps”.

Speaking on the duration for obtaining driver’s licence, Assistant Corps Marshal further stated that the Corps are bringing the duration of obtaining driver’s licence down and because of that the Corps have opened more driver’s licence centres, in Lagos State, he said they have more centres now than before and they have started sensitising people about the existence of these new centres.

“We have also made jingles on radio and televisions to tell people the new driver’s centres and we are telling people to go to these new ones. Before, the old ones we have are always crowded because there was where many people go and the numbers are so high, and that is why we have delays and backlog. So, now that the centres have been distributed, people can now go to these new places to ease the backlog and delays”.

Ogagaoghene assured Nigerians that with the system on grounds now that Nigerians can obtain their driver’s licence within 30 to 60 days. “The time is coming down and you get your driver’s licence within a month or two”, he promised.

On those who obtain driver’s licence without proper training, he said that the Corps is also on the spot assessment and checks.

“Our men can dictate if your licence is genuine or not on the spot check, if your licence is not genuine, they take you to police station for prosecution. The process of obtaining new drivers licence is getting easy and shorter and when people know that they won’t be wasting more time there, they will be patronising it than going for the fake ones.   

In another development, he explained that the Corps had put machinery on ground to have free-accident yuletide.

According to him, “We have a meeting where we talk to our stakeholders, they need to come together to make sure that Lagos-Ibadan road is reduced of crash this period, that meeting was fruitful and we are still meeting to find tune our agreement to make sure that our roads are accident free this yuletide”, he added.

“We want to say that within this end of the year, we are giving our words that people will not sleep on the road as it has always been; we usually have deadlocks on the road. This period will be seamless period, when people get to their destinations without hitches”.

Raphael Mba, a staff of CLEEN Foundation and the coordinator of the campaign for proper procedures for obtaining driver’s licence disclosed that he was happy the way the event went, because according to him, many Nigerians, especially the Lagos State residents can now know the process of obtaining their licences without going through touts and scammers at the FRSC, premises.

Mba explained that their involvement in the campaign was to let the FRSC, to know as well that to have touts at their premises was wrong and if the touts are hired to collect money on their behalf, that it’s equally very wrong. He stated that the campaign is an ongoing thing.  

 “We are ready to partner with them and the partnership has extent it can go but we are already out in this campaign to make sure that things work. First of all, we have identified corruption which has a link to the delay Nigerians are experiencing in obtaining their drivers licence. If the system is working well, you know that these delays cannot be entertained by Nigerians”, he claimed.

“We believe that with this campaign, we are going to make sure that Nigerians doesn’t experience delay again in obtaining their licences and renewing it, earlier than expected. We want to set an example and the best way to set an example is to get someone caught in the act, if the person is a tout, we get police to arrest him and prosecute the person and if the person is an official of the Corps, we will make sure that the Corps punished the staff with the official guidelines for punishment of offenders”.

Mba said the Foundation doesn’t believe that the touting issue was the handiwork of the FRSC officials but believed that with the recent campaign, that the organisations have started and that things would begin to work.

“What we are doing today is sensitisation programme of drivers licence on how Nigerians can obtain their licences without being duped by touts, because we discovered that a lot of wrong things have been going on in FRSC, and Nigerians reported to us about what they are going through in obtaining their licences from FRSC, so what we did today, was to partner with FRSC, to sensitise them on how best they can go about it”, Mba disclosed.

 “We listed out the procedures on what they should do and warned them not to pay to anybody whether in uniform or not. We are telling them to pay at the designated banks provided by the authority”.

According to him, the event was to inform Nigerians the best way they could obtain driver’s licence, to avoid being victims of dupes. “We have been receiving complaints from Nigerians telling us the delays, and extortions.

 What motivated CLEEN Foundation to partner with FRSC, was that one of our mission was to fight against corruption at all levels, so by going into this campaign, we tend to remove the obstacles in obtaining licences which have been made difficult by touts.

 We want to tell Nigerians that the best way to get their driver’s licence or renewal of them is to go to the FRSC, by getting the right procedures and get their driver’s licence”.

Mba revealed that 70 years old persons and above are not qualified for driver’s licence because age was no longer on their side, and that  FRSC was trying to reduce the road carnage rate in Nigeria, which has been up and down and as ‘Ember Months’ are around, it was expected that accident rate is to go high”.

Mba, however, listed the requirements for procuring driver’s licence as 18 years as required minimum age and that maximum is 70 years. The procedures also include driving school certificate from an FRSC accredited driving school and medical certificate from approved government hospital.

According to Mba, the person must obtain VIO test certificate and submit application form online and pay through the designated banks. It also include going for physical and biometric capture at FRSC driver’s licence centre.

 He said with these, the person can collect his or her temporary licence and after successful biometric investigation, permanent driver’s licence is issued. Since the emergence of the new driver’s licence, Nigerians have been going through pains to obtain and renew their driver’s document due to the influence of touts at the FRSC