Drug- war! ...And they died fighting drug war

By Emeka Ibemere

Nigerians are seeing more violence in society and that violence in society leads to violence against officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

So, when they left their homes for duty that black Sunday, June 15 2014, there were no inkling that they wouldn’t return to receive welcome- warm -embrace of family members who bide

them bye when they were leaving home.

But that was it when the officials of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ogun State Command put a call across to the families of Bolaji Owolodun, Rabiu Usman Kazaure and Ishaku Joshua, to break the unpalatable news of death of their breadwinners.

These officers had no idea somebody was going to kill them and it’s a terrible situation and a tragedy.

Last week’s Owode, Ogun State shootings that left three on-duty NDLEA officers dead coincided with a nationwide increase of officers killed since the inception of the anti-drug agency.

According to investigations carried out by our correspondent, over 40 NDLEA officers have died on the job and 30 of those deaths were due to gang-war and firearm-related incidents

Previously, the overall number of officer fatalities had been on a steady increase since 2005.

Last week in Owode, when Bolaji Owolodun, Rabiu Usman Kazaure and Ishaku Joshua were shot and killed in cold blood while they were on their duty to effect an arrest of a drug baron and his goons ambushed them. It wasn’t the first time in the NDLEA’s Ogun State Command history that three officers were lost at the same time.

The Agency is still coming to terms with their tragic deaths as three officers were killed in a mob attack while on official assignment in Owode, Ogun State. The incident occurred during the arrest of a notorious drug baron, Azeez Babatunde. Three officers were confirmed dead following the attack.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade who received the news of the death with shock vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

 “It is shocking that officers on legitimate assignment will be attacked and killed by people whose interest they are protecting. I have ordered investigation into the incident and the Agency will leave no stone unturned until the perpetrators are arrested and dealt with in accordance with the laws of the country,” Giade assured.

The NDLEA boss described the officers as gallant heroes of the anti-narcotics crusade. “These gallant heroes have paid the supreme price for a drug-free society. We shall immortalize them by punishing the culprits and sustain the fight against drug barons. The Agency will take good care of the family members whom they have left behind”.

The Ogun State commander, Mr. Bala Fagge said that the suspected drug goons the late officers went to arrest is in the Agency’s custody and would be charged to court.

 “We have the main suspect in our custody and he will be charged to court soon. There is one other officer that sustained injury who is currently recuperating at the hospital,” Bala added.

 Investigation revealed that the Agency has become an organisation that loses its officers at every slight provocation.
According to the investigation, the only source of worry in the Agency now was the kind of mob attack drug dealers are leashing on the officials of the agency.
An NDLEA staff told Daily Newswatch: “There are more other names that have been killed in the past years. Those ones I cannot remember now”. Official figure cannot be less than 50 in the last 20 years of the organization’s existence.

“This is astonishing compared to the Agency's total staff figure of barely 4, 000. Is this not alarming? Can this be ordinary?" the officer piqued. “Officers are dying as if there is an epidemic outbreak in the Agency. From the look of things, the Agency is becoming an open cemetery”, says the officer, fighting tears.
Earlier in the year the police orderly attached to Alhaji Giade, by name ASP Chuks, died after a brief illness. The roll call of deaths ravaging NDLEA through gang wars against the agency included the death of one Friday Malu who was found hanging on the ceiling fan of his house. In Akure, Ondo State November 5, 2010, report says gunmen suspected to be on the payroll of a suspected drug baron attacked two officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and three policemen at Ebinogbe, Owo in Ondo State.

The officers were in the area to open a warehouse loaded with Indian hemp, when the goons attacked them. In the operation, which allegedly lasted over two hours, the NDLEA team engaged the hoodlums in a gun duel.

The then State NDLEA Commander, Walter Nicholas confirmed the incident, saying the officers have been taken to the hospital.

According to him, the warehouse contained the largest concentration of Indian hemp was too much. Nicholas said his officers, acting on tip off, stormed to the community with 70 policemen and 30 NDLEA operatives to dislodge the warehouse, which according to him, was owned by a group of barons in the area. It was gathered that the operation was led by the agency’s Operation Commander, Mr. Polycarp Duguba; the Area Commander of Owo and the Divisional Police Officer.

Reports said no sooner had the officers forced the warehouse open than they were ambushed by over 100 armed hoodlums in 10 commercial buses. They opened fire on the security agencies.

“They also set ablaze the bags of Indian hemps which were packed in front of the warehouse and sprinkled the warehouse with petrol to burn my officers and the policemen. My officers and the security men made use of their professional training to escape the attack which would have been a major massacre but for the grace of God”.

Not giving a for an answer, NDLEA men regrouped and went back to the place a few hours later and recovered about 23 tonnes of Indian hemp valued at about N23m.

If the operatives in Akure survived the attack, same cannot be said of the operatives of NDLEA who storm Ado-Ekiti, in Ekiti States in 2012. It was a suicidal war at the capital city of Ekiti, when officials NDLEA, allegedly shot one person in a motor park during a clamp down on some suspected drug abusers. NDLEA officials, apparently acting on a tip-off, had stormed Ajilosun Road Motor Park to clamp down on suspected drug consumers.

It was gathered that no sooner than the NDLEA officials arrived the garage in a commando-style in search of Indian hemp consumers than they were attacked by suspected hoodlums. It was alleged that the action led to sporadic shootings by the officials of the agency.

In the ensuing melee, stray bullet was said to have hit a passenger, a development that led to commotion in the area. Unconfirmed report said the victim gave up the ghost after he was rushed to the hospital.

National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Chairman in the state, Mr. Julius Jegede, said the resistance from his men was not because they were guilty of drug abuse, but the manner in which the agency’s officials stormed the park.

Also, the same attacks on the officers have been recorded in the Northern part of the country. In Adamawa State, two officers of the agency during an operation were killed. The late officers, Superintendent of Narcotics, Allen Asor, and Narcotics Agent, Yohanna Barnya were killed during their official duty. It was learnt that the officials went on an operation following a report of cannabis sales and abuse in Loko village. The operation led by Asor was said to have turned bloody after a mob attack on the officials. Asor was 44 while Musa was 28 as of the time of their death.

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Ahmadu Giade, quickly ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of his officials but today nothing have been heard of the investigations or anybody brought to book.

Spokesman for NDLEA, Ofoyeju Mitchell, in a statement then said Giade vowed to bring the perpetrators of the act that led to the death of the NDLEA men to justice. The statement quoted Giade as saying, “The death of the officers is sad and painful. The agency will not treat the issue with kid gloves. These are officers that gave their best in protecting the country from the problem of illicit drugs. I have ordered an investigation and appropriate action shall be taken to ensure that those responsible do not go unpunished.”

On Monday, November 07, 2004 five officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, were killed in strange circumstances in Kano while trailing suspected drug barons.

Security agencies in Kano State have mounted an intense investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of five officers of the NDLEA, and three others. The names of the five officers were Sunday Aina, Hassan Umar and Yakubu Mohammed. Two other names were simply given as Maji and Sanchi.

The five persons were mobbed to death in Kabo town, Kano State while on the trail of a notorious drug baron. Daily Newswatch learnt that the five NDLEA officials had intercepted an unnamed suspect with large quantities of Indian hemp and Diazepam, otherwise known as valium.

The suspect, who was arrested at Yelwa Danza village in the Bichi area, had on interrogation disclosed the major source of his and other couriers' supplies to be one Yunusa Liti, said to be a resident of Kabo town. Liti was not new to the NDLEA. He had at least on one previous occasion been arrested in connection with hard drugs, but was let off after being detained for some time and paying a fine. The NDLEA team was alleged to have planned their raid on Liti's residence for the early hours of Friday, October 29.

 By 2 am that morning, the agents were said to have been led by two informants and the suspect who had fingered Liti arrived Kabo town and had headed for Liti's residence. Reports claimed that three of the officers who were in uniform and fully armed with automatic pistols headed for Liti's house with the handcuffed suspect, while the two other officers stayed behind in the NDLEA vehicle with the two informants.

Taken unawares, it was alleged that Liti easily succumbed and was arrested. But as the officers were taking out their victim away, he suddenly started screaming, "Barayi! Barayi! Za su kashe Ni!" meaning, “Thieves! They want to kill me”.

Then, suddenly, there was quick response to Liti's calls with a large number of people pouring into the streets armed with machetes, axes, daggers and other crude weapons.

NDLEA officials were reportedly taken by surprise and in not wasting time, the hoodlums attacked the officers when the spotted their Liti in the middle of strange persons. They attacked the agents as well as the handcuffed civilian and hacked them with cutlasses, axes and into pieces; they severed their bodies and killed them instantly.

A security analyst, Oboh Cletus said killing of the officers was an occupational hazard which was a common trend among crime fighters all over the world.

Another source queried on why the young officers risk their lives in illegal businesses, especially when the security operatives who lost their lives in the battle against crime were hardly well remunerated and fight with outdated armoury, just to see that the society is habitable. He condemned the action and called the NDLEA never allow the efforts of the slain officers to be in vain.

“I have been to Owode Yelwa. What I saw there my mouth can't say. The only job the youths are into is car smuggling. And they smoke ganja in the open. Even in restaurants where people go to eat food. And bar where people go to drink. They drink two bottles of star at a time; pour it in a big bowl. Even during occasions like child naming, they smoke ganja in the very open. Wow, Owode is one hellish town on ea

Why I left the banking sector – Imelda Odiagbe

 Mrs Imelda Odiagbe worked in the banking sector but later dumped the lucrative job to start a business. Today, she sits at the helm of a business she grew from the scratch and made it a major hospitality business  and she is also an employer of      labour. With tenacity, hard work and professional trainings, she was able to transform her business fortune. In a chat with OKEY OBIOZO, Odiagbe explains  the reasons she went into  business. 

Mrs Imelda Odiagbe is the Managing Director of  Top Chef Bakery, Lekki, Lagos. A bakery she runs together with her husband. Prior to starting the business, she worked in the banking sector for some years before she finally resigned because of some circumstances she could not control.
Odiagbe    hails from Delta state and started her secondary school education in Asaba, Delta State. Immediately she completed her secondary school education, she gained admission into Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State where she studied Geology and Mining.
During her National Youth Service , She  worked  with the defunct Platinum Bank     and that chanced opportunity tossed her into a career in banking.
At the end of the  Service   year,  she got a job with Equatorial Trust Bank and she spent five years in the banking sector.
Fortunately for her, she met her husband who was also in the same sector and they got married  .  But for Odiagbe she knew that life held a different calling for her because she was never comfortable with the stress and uncertainties that characterised banking job in Nigeria.
But for the want of what to do to make a living she stayed on, not until she was forced out of the sector by tragic circumstance. Sometime life naturally leads people to their destinies and for Odiagbe, it was the  miscarriage  she had  which  would have being her second born .
It was a devastating experience for her that ultimately changed the scope of her life. The trauma made her bid a final goodbye to banking in a characteristic manner. To her belief, she would have had the baby alive if not for the stress she encountered as a banker.
So , she left for good to chart an entirely different course in life; attend to her health and have time to take care of her family.
Describing further how she loathed her nerve-racking job in the bank, “I personally prayed to God that if I continue in the banking sector, He should never allow me get pregnant again .
“The stress was too much for me and the experience, terrible, she added”
However, it was still that terrible encounter that motivated her into starting a business of her own.
According to her, “when I resigned from the bank, I started a supermarket by renting a shop along the fast growing Ajah-Epe Expressway. I have high taste when it comes to what I eat and use, I discovered that while I ran the supermarket, my personal preferences influenced what I sold. I was always going for quality products.”
Every business they say started with discovering a major need to be met so on setting up her business; Odiagbe discovered that quality bread was nowhere to be found around the entire vicinity. So she went to fill that need by going to the mainland where she knew she could find some quality bread to stock her shop.
Without minding the distance, she started buying quality bread from the mainland to sell on the Island and so that was the beginning  of  a business that later grew into so many outlets that now cater for people’s need for food, quality pastries and hot bread. But the journey was never an easy ride.
When she started selling her type of bread and demand started increasing, along the line, her suppliers were not able to meet her high demands, so she tried other avenues of sustaining her customers even to the extent of getting a franchise that will help satisfy her high demands.
Truly, Odiagbe got what she really wanted and her business continued but not without the regular challenges that comes with rent and other overhead costs that every growing businesses faces in Nigeria, she could not break even in spite of her efforts.
Cost of everyday running of her business became so high and burdensome that it adversely affected the growth of her business. As she put it, “The landlord was so demanding and inconsiderate to the extent of cutting me off major power supply due to some bills. I resorted to alternative power supply which was not good for the business though but since I was left with none other option I had to carry on with the high cost.”
After going through several challenges from shop owner, the major supplier of her main source of business which was the bread closed shop too due to internal challenges, in the process, she thought of setting up a bakery of her own.
Planning about it and considering several other challenges of land, labour and capital, she decided to go headlong and acquired a landed property along the express. It was a good site considering the kind of business that regularly entertains high traffic of customers that she intends to set up, so she started.
“While buying the land, we knew quite well that we did not have the financial muscle to start the kind of business we want, but we bought it with the intent of erecting a container shop for a while till business improves.” She revealed.
But her intention soon met strict opposition because the real owners of the land will not condone such structure within the vicinity for fear of government acquisition or sanctions since the mega city project was already underway and her site was on the course-way of government activities.
Imelda said that while she was planning of starting her business in small scale, she was oblivious of God’s mega plans. When the land owners stopped their planned work, they had to gather all they had and sourced for funds from other means to start concrete constructions however.
“As God will have it, in less than two week of construction, the structure started taking shape. When we saw the progress, we were encouraged to complete it.”
Consequently, while the Odiagbes were thinking of how to get started after completing their business premise, one day a call came through to Imelda from an associate whom she had stopped dealing on her products.
Through the call, she was asked whether she would be interested in setting up a bakery, being that such has been her major objective, she admitted but informed the caller of her lack of funds as a major challenge.
She went ahead to narrate how she had tried to set up a bakery through her little effort but failed to get it off ground, on discovering the futility of her efforts, the caller promised to visit her site and observe what is on ground in other to ascertain the level of assistance needed in setting up the bakery.
“When she did visit, she was surprised at the level of progress she discovered, so she decided to support us by providing the relevant machineries that we did not have which was important in establishing and running a standard bakery.”
They were however put through on how to run the bakery, mix and bake quality bread for people’s consumption. The assistance came to them in the form of a take-off grant with the leverage to pay back gradually without pressure on the growing business.
That was how the Odiagbes realised their dream of owning a bakery and running a confectionary business. With that support, Imelda said that she was motivated to commit herself to the growth of the business. She started studying deep into the art of baking of bread as a result of the demands; she also suspended her master’s programme.
Knowledge however is power, so in pursuit of excellence and growth, Imelda went to Le saf Baking Centre  in France which incidentally is one of the best in the world for further training on how to make bread and other pastries in readiness to the type of quality products that is readily available from the stable of Top Chef.
Today through her resilience, focus and hard work, the business has really grown so big to meet people’s needs. Within the area and beyond, Top Chef’s new innovation of hot but oven fresh bread fascinated people and soon the demands increased.
It is now a common sight to see people queue up in front of the bakery to buy hot bread and even when it is yet to be ready, customers choose to wait while it gets ready.
“Our major selling point is hot bread. We sell hot bread here and we make sure that as a mandate, our customers get hot bread whenever they come here. The demands are unprecedentedly high and we are working to meet up.” She disclosed.
Adding that, “I have flair for food and I like feeding people with quality food. I love whatever that has to do with the opportunity to feed people with good food and quality.”
The need to provide people with standard, tasty and quality bread as a treat, on discovering that there was none around the environs motivated Imelda to establish a hot bread outlet.
Like every other business in Nigeria, the major setback to the bakery business is power; it is a critical factor because the art of bread making is time bound and consumes a lot of energy. When the dough is prepared, there must be light ready to bake it else it gets damaged.
Imelda  however , confirmed that she spends so much on alternative power supply and her happiest  moment  is  whenever there is power supply,   a luxurious feat she prays to always happen because of her business.
Speaking on Le Saf Baking Centre , she said they specialized  in manufacturing  of  specific baking materials for different parts of the world who have knack for quality bread and pastries  as different countries have different approach to bread making and all these the centre accommodates in other to serve their customers according to their local unique demands.
“In fact they made me understand the art of bread-making. They take you to the basis to know what sugar does to bread, what improver does, why you need to add salt and if there is any problem with bread, it becomes easier to identify the cause.” Imelda declared.
She went further to explain that setting up a business requires a lot of considerations especially a business that is built to survive.
‘’ The health implication of what people eats has to be made paramount because the fact is that a lot of Nigerians gradually eat to their deaths due to the substandard products they consume daily’’ , she noted.
Knowing what she wants and what she wants to offer her customers has been what has kept Imelda in business ever she started. She goes through several quality control systems to ensure that people really eat healthy.
To her credit, First Blend, an Indian company that specialize in blending people’s recipes around world is the company she contracts to blend hers and the taste of her bread and other products speaks for it.
Finally Mrs Odiagbe, is grateful to God and determination to never compromise quality.
“People have come here to buy my bread and took it abroad. Also I have had proposals to go and set up this company abroad but that is not my priority. My focus is to grow this business here first.” She concluded.

Army Hands over Six Suspected Oil Thieves to EFCC

EFCC Press Release

The Nigerian Army on Friday June 13, 2014 handed over six suspected oil thieves and three vessels to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The suspects; Benard Omoaiwua, Tony Okundia, Osahenrumwen Osaguona, Osaro Arasomwan, Aaron Idahosa Terry, and Blessed Goodluck were arrested by officers of the Guards Brigade, Nigerian Army at the Abaji Military check point, Abuja with three trucks, each loaded with thirty three thousand litres (33,000) of suspected crude oil.

Colonel MT Usman said the suspects were arrested on May 31, 2014 on their way to Abuja, from Warri, Delta State.

At the time of arrest, the crew members allegedly had no approval to lift crude oil.

The suspects were received on behalf of the Commission by the Head, Extractive Industry Fraud Section, EIFS,  Ibrahim Yidi.

The suspects, who are still being interrogated, will be arraigned in court as soon as investigations are concluded.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

16^th June, 2014

EFCC Arraigns Two Suspected Fraudster for $60,000 Contract Scam

Press Release

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday June 16, 2014, arraigned Clifford Nduka Nwachukwu and Jethrow Nigeria Limited before Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja on one- count charge bordering on stealing.

Nwachukwu's problems began, sometime in January 2013, when Jethrow Limited, a company owned by him , was awarded a contract to refurbish, rehabilitate and re-install six (6)  Steel Skirt Navigational Marking Buoys at Calabar Port, for a total sum of N27million( Twenty-Seven Million Naira only), by Abhal Ventures Limited through Alhaji Abu Mohammed.  

N15, 000,000(Fifteen Million Naira only) was reportedly given to Jethrow Nigeria Limited as advance payment. An additional sum of N9, 000,000.00 (Nine Million Naira only) was paid in September 2013, while the balance of N3, 000,000.00 (Three Million Naira only) was to be paid upon completion of the job. Since the N9million was paid to Jethrow Nigeria Limited, Nwachukwu allegedly refused to mobilize to site, to complete the project, and diverted the money to personal use.
The one count charge reads: “that you Clifford Nduka Nwanchukwu and Jethrow Nigeria Limited on or about the 2^nd September, 2013 at Ikoyi, within the Ikeja Judiciary Division of this honourable court stole the sum of Sixty Thousand United States of America Dollars ($60,000) only, property of Mr. Abdulrahman Girei Halihu and Abhal Ventures Limited“
When the charge was read to him,  he pleaded not guilty 
Upon his plea, counsel to EFCC, Ben Ubi asked  for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the accused person in prison custody.
But the defence counsel, John Eboh, while praying the court to allow him file an oral application for bail, urged the court to remand the accused person in EFCC custody.
Justice Kudirat Jose, adjourned the matter to October 14 and 15, 2014, and ordered that the accused person be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum prison.

N4.5Bn Scam: COURT ADJOURNS OVER NNAMANI’S ILL-HEALTH

                        EFCC PRESS RELEASE.

 

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday, June 17^th, 2014 adjourned proceedings in the trial of a former Governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani. Justice M.N. Yunusa, in granting the prayers of Counsel to the former Governor, Oluyele Delana, SAN,  said that ill- health was an important issue normally considered in criminal matters.

 

Earlier,  Delana had informed the court that Nnamani was seriously sick. According to him, the former Governor had undergone “quadruple-bypass, an open heart surgery”. He also said that, “while there is relative success with regards to the heart surgery, he has to undergo slow recovery process”.   “A dead man cannot be tried.  I am making this application bearing in mind that justice has to be done against the allegation brought against the accused person”, he said.

 

In his response, EFCC’s  counsel, K.C Udozie, told the court that:  “this matter started way back in 2007. It is on record that the accused person, either for health or other reasons, has cause to be absent in court or asked for adjournments.  If we are to conduct a laboratory test on every counsel present here in court, it would be discovered that everyone here has one health challenge or the other”. He challenged Delana to provide a  medical evidence to back up his submission.

 

Delana responded that the court granted the accused person  leave to travel overseas in order to carry out the surgery. He added that there are ample affidavits to that effect. Justice  Yunusa, after listening  to both counsel ruled that,he didn’t  have the competence to determine the state of health of the accused person, and would not risk the possibility of him collapsing in court. He therefore adjourned the matter to November 3, 2014 for the continuation of trial. 

Nnamani is standing trial on charges of money laundering to the tune of N4.5billion while holding sway as Governor of Enugu State.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

17th June, 2014

 

Navy Hands over 11 Suspected Oil Thieves, Vessel to EFCC

EFCC Press Release
Eleven suspected oil thieves and their vessel were on Monday June 16, 2014 handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation by the Nigerian Navy. The suspects and a merchant tanker (MT PETROITTI), formerly known as MB VILVOORDER were handed over to the EFCC by Lieutenant Commander O. C Odaja, who represented the Commander of the Delta Naval Base, Warri. He said the suspects were arrested aboard the vessel sometime in May, 2014, with substances suspected to be crude oil.
The suspected oil thieves include: Ephraim Akpan (the captain), Agadagba Ochuko, Clement Tommy, Oyayefa Abonne and Bousou Kereotu. Others are: Dereye Harry, Lucky Abonne, Dapo Obadare, Friday Ibude, Ebi Ekokeme and Vincent Elayegha.
Deputy Detective Superintendent Victor Ngwoke who received the suspects and the vessels on behalf of the EFCC assured a diligent investigation and possible prosecution of the suspects.

Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
18th June, 2014 

Red alert...as West African drug syndicate uses Nigeria water ways

By

Emeka Ibemere

It sounds like a beginning of a story line: five foreigners- two Ghanaian, two Beninese and another Niger national, attempted to ferry illicit drugs using Nigeria water ways as perfect route for their illicit deals.

But that was what happened as, Joseph Akpe 36 year old Nigerian, Gabriel Fokito 32, years-old Ghanaian, Zutah Edward, a 42 year old Ghanaian, Ameriato Tafe, 30 of Benin national and Celestine Azarante 27, of Benin citizens were stopped from ferrying drugs into Nigeria.

The five suspects are alleged part of the West African drug syndicate, who are trying to invade Nigeria with illicit drugs having considered the country as a transit country for drugs to Europe and America.

Their pot of luck ran dry on that fateful day as the Marine Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), foiled attempt by a West African drug syndicate to employ the services of fishermen in smuggling 1,020.5kg of compressed dried weeds suspected to be Ghanaian cannabis.

It was gathered that the Marine officers attached to the Apapa Port Command of the Lagos axis of the port intercepted the drug on Nigerian waters during patrol.

“Five suspected fishermen comprising Beninese, Ghanaian and a Nigerian have been arrested in connection with the illegal importation of the drug from Ghana”, Mitchell Ofoyeju stated.

“This is the highest single seizure of cannabis made by the Marine Unit since its establishment. The drug has a street value of N10million”.

Ofoyeju also stressed that the five suspected drug traffickers were conveying the drugs in a motorized boat. He disclosed further that at the time of arrest these people were arrested. “Joseph Akpe, 36, Nigerian, Gabriel Fokito, 32, Ghanaian, Zutah Edward, 42, Ghanaian, Ameriato Tafe, 30, Beninese and Celestine Azarante, 27, Beninese”.

Speaking on the issue, the NDLEA Apapa Port Commander, Mr. Nse Jack explained that the compressed cannabis originated from Ghana. “Officers of the Marine Unit, Apapa Port Command of the Agency intercepted a boat containing twenty-three consignment of compressed dried weeds suspected to be cannabis sativa concealed in white sacks and wrapped in black polythene. The shipment originated from Ghana through Benin Republic. Those under investigation include two citizens of Ghana, two citizens of Benin Republic and a Nigerian,” Nse stated.

Meanwhile, the suspects in their statements have allegedly claimed that the drugs belonged to them. Ofoyeju said they have owned up to the crime and would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

Joseph Akpe, one of the suspects who led the gang said their motive was pecuniary. “We were given N100, 000, part payment for logistics”, he added. “We would have collected a balance of N250, 000 if not for the arrest,” he told investigators.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade commended the Marine officers for their vigilance leading to the arrest.

“This is a warning to drug barons that the Agency is prepared to halt their illicit drug activities on water, land and on the air. I commend the impressive officers for their vigilance,” Giade stated.

The NDLEA boss added that the Agency would further strengthen the Marine Unit for effective patrol of Nigerian waters.

 There are indications that the Federal Government are committed to ensure safety and security of navigation within Nigeria’s territorial waters and her Exclusive Economic Zone.

It would be recalled that one of the challenges to safety of navigation was the threat posed by piracy and armed robbery in most territorial waters including Nigeria’s. But recently, drug traffickers have added to the challenges facing Nigerian water ways.

With the increasing insecurity in the land, it was discovered the Federal Government is worried by the increasing cases of piracy of the maritime industry and sea robbery both in Nigeria and across the global shipping community, but assured that it was making moves to address this challenge.

An NDLEA source claimed that government would continuously place the safety and security of the maritime domain in the front burner, especially now that the country if facing serious security problem. Our source stated that efforts have been made to ensure adequate safety and security mechanisms in Nigeria’s maritime domain and that was why the NDLEA monitoring officers were able to foil the attempt by the foreigners to ship into the country a N10 million worth of illicit drugs.

A Custom officer also disclosed that some strategies were being put in place to effectively contain the challenges posed by water ways criminals using Nigerian ports as escape routes. Already, the government has set up of an Inter-agency Maritime Coordination Committee with membership drawn from the Federal Ministry of Transport, the Navy, the State Security Service, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Ports Authority, the National Inland Waterways Authority, Customs and the NDLEA.

Our investigations also showed that the government was currently working on improving in technology to shore up capacity in the surveillance, monitoring and enforcement, which is in line with its port state control responsibility. The effort was to protect the marine environment from pollution and substandard ships and promote the working conditions of shipboard officers and crew by making concerted efforts to allocate adequate resource to increase inspection up to 15 percent of ship calls.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), formerly the National Maritime Authority (NMA) is responsible for regulations related to Nigerian shipping, maritime labour and coastal waters. The agency also undertakes inspections and provides search and rescue services. The governing board includes representatives of the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Transport and the Navy.

Nigerian water ways have come under serious threat of sort due to criminal activities of pirates. Recently, the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Joseph Aikhomu raised the alarm over the numerous security threats plaguing the Gulf of Guinea.

According to him, these have a bad impact on the development of the region.

At a media chat in Calabar, Cross River State capital, Aikhomu disclosed that some of the pressure included sea robbery and piracy, crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, unreported and unregulated fishing, drug and human trafficking and proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

At the event, Aikhomu revealed that the Nigerian Navy was in partnership with the United States of America’s Office of the Security Cooperation to organise a Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Conference for countries in the Gulf of Guinea.

According to the FOC, the conference was as a result of the necessity to have a comprehensive maritime understanding of Nigeria’s maritime environment, including the Gulf of Guinea.

 “Some of these threats are sea robbery and piracy, crude oil theft and illegal bunkering, unreported and unregulated fishing, drug and human trafficking as well as proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

In reaction to these, the Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with the US Office of the Security Cooperation, has taken the bull by the horns, by organising this conference”, he stated.

“This is with the view to improving maritime domain awareness of the Gulf of Guinea and the need for member states to collaborate in terms of intelligence gathering and information sharing.”

He further said the expanded economic activities in the gulf were what gave rise to renewed interest within the region. FOC also stated that the Nigerian Navy was determined to ensure that the Nigeria maritime sphere of influence was safe against unwholesome practices.

According Aikhomu, the command has increased the existing maritime security through surveillance systems located along coastlines to improve total awareness of the environment.

He said the conference was designed to further extend the coverage to the entire Gulf of Guinea through the collaboration of member-states. Ghana, Cameroun, Cote D’Ivoire, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Benin Republic, Senegal and Togo share boundaries with Nigeria.