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Tag: Drug Trafficking

  • Alleged drug deal: DCP Kyari ask court to strike out case

    Alleged drug deal: DCP Kyari ask court to strike out case

    In the motion filed by his counsel Ikpeazu Ikpeazu, suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari, has asked the court to strike out the drug trafficking charges preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), alleging that the offence his being tried for was committed during a police investigation and the Police Service Commission (PSC) has the authority to discipline the offenders.

    According to his counsel, Ikpeazu said the five-count charge is similar or related to allegations previously made by the applicants’ Police Service Commission in respect of disciplinary action against police officers and it was for the same subject matter and for the same period.

    It reads: “This charge against the applicants’ affected the completion of this constitutional procedure.

    The application adds that the internal disciplinary action of the Police Service Commission provided by the Constitution against Abba Kyari and other applicants is a condition precedent before they can be charged by any other security agent/agency.

    The disciplinary action by the Police Service Commission commenced earnestly and timely. The applicants had previously answered a query issued to them by the police authority before the charge herein was filed against the applicants.

    I know as a fact that the Police Service Commission has through the office of the IGP commenced the disciplinary procedure against the applicants and other defendants prior to the institution of this charge.

    Without subjecting the applicants to the police disciplinary procedures that are constitutionally set down, the applicants are charged before the federal high court with counts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 under the NDLEA act and alleged to have committed the offenses in the course of the performance of their duties as police officers.

    Failure of the complainant herein to await the disciplinary action against the applicants renders the charge incompetent and deprives this court of jurisdiction to entertain this charge.”the court notice read in part

    It added that Abba Kyari and others have not waived their rights under the police disciplinary control which has begun before the instant charge was filed.

  • Back from Ethiopian prison, ex-convict arrested with cocaine at Lagos airport

    Back from Ethiopian prison, ex-convict arrested with cocaine at Lagos airport

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an ex-convict, Onyeka Madukolu, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, for importing 5.90 kilograms of cocaine.

    This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.

    Babafemi said that the drugs were concealed in cans of deodorants and ladies’ lip gloss and were imported into Nigeria.

    He said that the suspect was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in Ethiopia for drug trafficking offences and released from prison in 2020.

    He added that he was again arrested on Friday at the Lagos Airport on his return from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

    He also added that a search of his luggage revealed he had concealed 5.90kg cocaine inside cans of deodorants and female lip gloss.

    “During preliminary interview, he claimed to have gone into the drug business to raise fresh capital to start a legitimate business after his release from Ethiopian prison in 2020.

    “The father of two kids, one each from a Nigerian woman and a Brazilian lady, said he was into motor spare parts business before going into the criminal trade.

    “The 44-year old indigene of Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra, said he was expecting to be paid N2 million on successful delivery of the illicit drug in Nigeria,” he said.

    https://twitter.com/FemiBabafemi/status/1571480862855667713

    NDLEA intercepts 26,600 bottles of psychoactive substance ‘Akuskura’ in Kano, arrests producer

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an alleged notable producer of new psychoactive substance, popularly called Akuskura with 26,600 bottles of the illicit substances.

    The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, that the suspect was arrested on Sept. 13.

    Babafemi said the suspect, Qasim Ademola, was arrested by anti-narcotic officers with the Akuskura substances meant for distribution across Northern states.

    He said that the consignment was seized on Sept.15 along Zaria-Kano road, Gadar Tamburawa, Kano.

    He added that the 39-year old proprietor from Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State and three of his distributors, were arrested in follow-up operations.

    In another development, NDLEA operatives intercepted a drug trafficker, Chukwu Kingsley on his way to Rome, Italy on an Asky Airline Flight.

    Babafemi said that a search on his luggage showed he had concealed among food condiments 11,460 tablets of tramadol 225mg with a gross weight of 5.7kg and 39 bottles of Codeine Syrup.

    He said that the 49-year old suspect was a known haulage agent who hailed from Oru West Local Government Area of Imo.

    Also at the Lagos airport, a freight agent, Lawal Adeyemi, was arrested same day for attempting to export some sachets of lexotan, among other non-controlled drugs to Liberia.

    Babafemi said that the NDLEA operatives however, equally seized 593.90 kilograms of khat leaf at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) import shed of the airport on Sept. 15.

    This he said, was after a joint examination of the cargo by a combined team of security agencies.

    Babafemi said the Chairman, NDLEA, retired, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the command and their counterparts in Lagos and Kano for their vigilance and resilience.

    Marwa charged them and others across the country, to remain focussed as they daily discharge their responsibilities.

    NDLEA impounds 18 pump action guns, 2,300 cartridges in Kogi

    NDLEA impounded  a Peugeot J5 vehicle loaded with 18 pieces of pump action rifles and 1,300 cartridges in Kogi on Saturday.

    The vehicle took off from Onitsha in Anambra and was heading to Zaria in Kaduna State when it was intercepted on the Okene-Abuja Highway.

    NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that two suspects found in the vehicle, Chukwudi Aronu, 51, and Shuaibu Gambo, 23, were arrested.

    He added that also on Saturday, one Anthony Agada, 37, conveying 1,000 ammunition cartridges to Abuja from Onitsha was nabbed in a bus.

    He stated also that 1,404 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,040 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized from another vehicle which also took off from Onitsha and was heading to Sokoto.

    Babafemi added that the arranged receiver of the drugs, Stanley Raymond, 39, was arrested in Sokoto, while the sender, Shadrack Ifediora, 46, was simultaneously arrested in Onitsha.

    Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, a drug dealer, Mohammed Dalhatu aka Dawa, was arrested at Sabon Gari, Zaria with eight bags of Indian hemp weighing 67kg.

    Another suspect, Maikudi Hassan, was arrested at Gubuci village in Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State also with five bags of Indian hemp weighing 54.2kg.

    “On Thursday Sept. 15, operatives also arrested Mary Ugwu and Hawwa Idi, at Anchau town in Kubau Local Government Area of Kaduna State with 721 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 37,000 tablets of Exol-5 and nine ampoules of diazepam injection as well as 6.8kg of rubber solution.

    “In Edo, NDLEA recovered 285kg of Indian hemp in two raids at Okpuje, Owan West Local Government Area, on Friday Sept. 16.

    “In Lagos, 972.5kg of Indian hemp was recovered from an electronics shop at Alaba Market and one of the suspects, Mrs Ebere Aja, 38, was arrested.

    “Not less than 335.1kg of Indian hemp was also seized in a raid at Kwanar Kundum area of Bauchi town, where two suspects, Usman Garba and Najib Ibrahim, were arrested,’’ Babafemi stated.

    Babafemi quoted NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa as directing that the arms and ammunition impounded in Kogi be hand over to the police for further investigation.

  • Drug trafficking: NDLEA arrests 7 at Kano airport

    Seven suspects have been arrested by the Natiional Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for alleged drug trafficking at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano in May and June.

    Its commander at the airport, Mr Sani Abubakar, made the disclosure on Friday in Kano in commemoration of the 2022 UN International Day against Drug Abuse and Trafficking.

    He said the suspects were arrested with Indian hemp, tramadol, pentazocine and khat, among others and would soon be arraigned.

    “They were arrested at the airport while attempting to smuggle drugs into the country.

    “A total of 470.21 kilograms of drugs were seized from the suspects.

    “NDLEA operatives are determined to thwart attempts at using the airport for drug trafficking,’’ he said.

    Abubakar added that increased manpower, provision of logistics and enhanced staff welfare contributed to the positive strides the NDLEA was making.

    The theme of the Day is: “Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crisis”.

  • Suspended DCP Abba Kyari pleads not guilty to drug trafficking

    Suspended DCP Abba Kyari pleads not guilty to drug trafficking

    Suspended DCP Abba Kyari on Monday pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charge filed against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    Kyari told Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, on Monday, following his arraignment, alongside six others, on allegations bordering on drug trafficking.

    According to reports, while Kyari pleaded not guilty to counts one, two, three, four and eight levelled against him, the other four police officers, who are defendants in the trial, also pleaded not guilty to counts one, two, three and four filed against them.

    But Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, who are 6th and 7th defendants respectively, pleaded guilty to counts five, six and seven preferred against them.

    Although their names were also mentioned in counts three and four where allegations bordering on conspiracy were leveled against Kyari and others, they were not ask to take a plea on these two counts.

    The four members of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/57/2022 include ACP Sunday J. Ubia, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu.

    Umeibe and Ezenwanne are the two alleged drug traffickers that were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu.

    Shortly after taking their plea, the NDLEA lawyer, Joseph Sunday, Director, Prosecution and Legal Services, prayed the court for a trial date for the 1st to 5th defendants.

    Sunday also urged the court to grant a leave to review the charges against Umeibe and Ezenwanne who pleaded guilty for the charges against them.

    “We hope to file our prove of evidence latest tomorrow (Tuesday),” he said.

    Kanu Agabi, SAN, who led a delegation of Senior Advocates of Nigeria that appeared for Kyari and Ubia, however informed that a bail application had been filed in respect of his clients.

    The NDLEA’s lawyer, Joseph Sunday, Director, Prosecution and Legal Services, who confirmed being served with the bail application, said a counter affidavit had been filed in its opposition.

    The NDLEA, in the charge it filed through a team of lawyers, accused Kyari and the four other police officers of conspiracy, obstruction, and dealing in cocaine worth 17.55kg.

    It equally alleged that Kyari and his men, who are currently in its custody, also unlawfully tampered with 21.25kg worth of cocaine.

    The duo of Umeibe and Ezenwanne were accused of conspiring with others at large to import 21.35kg of cocaine into the country.

    NAN had, on Thursday, reported that Kyari, formerly head of IRT, and six others would be arraigned before Justice Nwite.

    NAN, in a related development, reports that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, had, on Wednesday, filed an application for the commencement of extradition process of Kyari in the FHC.

    The Federal Government, through the Office of the AGF, had filed the application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/249/2022, under the Extradition Act as part of Nigerian government’s approval of the request by the U. S. for Kyari’s extradition.

    Kyari is to stand trial for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft.

    He was accused of conspiring with a United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Nigerian, Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi, to commit the crime, and Kyari had denied the allegations.

    A grand jury, on April 29, 2021, had filed an indictment against Kyari with the approval of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and the court issued a warrant of arrest for him.

    However, the extradition proceeding is yet to be heard by the FHC as at the time of filing the report.

    Justice Zainab Abubakar of a FHC had, on Feb. 22, gave the NDLEA the go-ahead to detain Kyari and six others in custody for another 14 days to conclude its investigation.

    His application for bail was, on Feb. 28, turned down by a sister court, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, on the grounds that a court of coordinate justification had already granted an order for his further detention.

    But Ekwo, who said that he was inclined to hear Kyari’s fundamental enforcement rights suit with the urgency it deserves after the expiration of the 14-day court order, fixed March 15 to hear Kyari’s application.

    Kyari, earlier through his lawyer, had, on Feb. 21, approached the court with an ex-parte motion and originating summons seeking for a bail and asking the court to enforce his fundamental human rights which he alleged had been breached by the unlawful arrest and detention.

    He said that the allegations preferred against him were trump-up and baseless.

    Kyari, in the main suit, urged the court to make an order directing the NDLEA to pay him N500 million for infringing on his rights.

    He also asked the court to direct the agency to tender a public apology in national dailies.

    The suspended DCP had also challenged the order made on Feb. 22 by Justice Abubakar, empowering the NDLEA to detain him for more days.

    In an application filed by his counsel before Abubakar, Kyari prayed the court to set aside the order for his detention, arguing that the order was issued without him being accorded a fair hearing.

    Abubakar had fixed tomorrow (Tuesday) for hearing Kyari’s application.

  • Five men to spend 126 years in prison for drug trafficking offences

    Five men to spend 126 years in prison for drug trafficking offences

    Five men namely; Ndubuisi John, Haruna Aliyu, Saddam Abdullahi, Bashir Usman, and Usman Ibrahim have been sentenced to a total of 126-years imprisonment for trafficking in cocaine and cannabis sativa.

    Their sentence was passed at the Federal High Courts sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    The five men; Ndubuisi were sentenced by Justice Ogunremi Omowunmi Oguntoyinbo in suit no. FHC/AB/105c/2021.

    The convicts were arrested on the 14th of September 2021 along Lagos -Ibadan expressway conveying 46 bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 552 kilograms in a truck.

    They were subsequently charged on three counts of transportation, possession and dealing in the illicit drug.

    In her judgment delivered on November 9, Justice Oguntoyinbo, sentenced the 1st, 2nd and 3rd accused persons to 30 years’ imprisonment each while the driver of the truck bagged 21 years and the motor boy/driver’s assistant 15 years in jail.

    While Ndubuisi, Haruna and Saddam were sentenced to 10 years on each count, Bashir got seven years on each count and Usman five years on each count.

    The jail terms are to run concurrently.

  • Drug trafficking: Mexico former defence minister detained in US

    Drug trafficking: Mexico former defence minister detained in US

    Mexico’s former Defence Minister Salvador Cienfuegos was arrested Thursday in the United States, allegedly at the request of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, in connection with a corruption inquiry.

    Cienfuegos, who was defence chief from 2012 to 2018, was said to have been on a trip with his family when he was detained at Los Angeles airport.

    “The consul in Los Angeles will inform me of the charges in the next few hours. We will offer the consular assistance to which he is entitled,” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter.

    The Mexican investigative magazine Proceso, quoting unidentified sources at the US Department of Justice, reported that the arrest was the result of a long-standing investigation named “Operation Godfather” into corruption involving drug traffickers.

    It said other senior military officials had also come under investigation when US authorities began to collect evidence against drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the US.

    US media including the Wall Street Journal reported that Cienfuegos was arrested at the request of the DEA.

    Contacted by AFP, a DEA spokesman declined to comment.

    Cienfuegos, 72, headed the defence ministry under former president Enrique Pena Nieto.

    According to Mexican media reports, he was held by US authorities when he arrived on a trip with his family.

    Mexican prosecutors did not immediately respond to requests for information about why Cienfuegos was arrested.

    Pena Nieto also faces allegations of corruption during his 2012-2018 term in office.

    President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is pushing for a referendum on whether to prosecute Pena Nieto and four other predecessors over accusations including graft.

    Mexico’s government militarized the fight against the drug cartels in 2006, since when more than 296,000 people have been murdered, according to the authorities, who say most of the killings are linked to gang violence.

    While defence minister, Cienfuegos complained about his troops having to take part in the country’s war on drug trafficking, saying the military was not suited for the job.

    “We didn’t ask to be here. We don’t like it. We didn’t study how to chase criminals,” he said.

    “Our function is something else and it’s been made into something unnatural. We are doing things that don’t correspond to our training because there’s no one else to do them.”

    Cienfuegos is the second former Mexican minister who is detained in the United States.

    Ex-public security minister Genaro Garcia Luna was arrested in Texas in December 2019 on charges of taking huge bribes to allow El Chapo’s Sinaloa cartel to ship drugs into the US.

    Garcia Luna, an architect of Mexico’s war on drug trafficking, pleaded not guilty.

     

  • Drug trafficking: NDLEA secures release of Nigerian held by Saudi Arabia for three years

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has secured the freedom of one Ibrahim Abubakar, a Nigerian held in Saudi Arabia for alleged drug trafficking.

    Ibrahim was released after three years of incarceration in the Middle Eastern country following presentations from investigation reports by NDLEA that exonerated him.

    Abubakar was arrested upon arrival in Saudi Arabia when his luggage was found to contain 1, 497 tablets of illicit tramadol.

    He has been standing trial since 2017 in Saudi Arabia where punishment for drug trafficking is execution.

    The Agency said they presented evidence that proved that the drugs were planted on Ibrahim and he was innocent of the crime he was accused of. Three persons have been arrested for planting the drugs on Ibrahim.

    There were contained in a statement by the Principal Staff Officer, Public Affairs, of the Agency, Jonah Achema, made available to The Nation in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The statement read in part, “Efforts by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to secure freedom for Ibrahim Ibrahim Abubakar, a Nigerian held by Saudi Arabia for Drug Trafficking has finally paid off. Abubakar has been released after three years of incarceration in Saudi following presentations from investigation reports by NDLEA that exonerated him.

    “A delegation from Nigeria in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, and Zamfara State Government, the home state of Abubakar, arrived in Jeddah with documentary evidence provided by NDLEA for the trial slated for 18th February 2020.

    “The documentary evidence included a correspondent from NDLEA stating that it had arrested and charged three persons who planted the Tramadol tablets on the defendant and a certified copy of the two counts charge sheet from the Federal High Court Kano. These documents were provided to the Saudi Court after which it ruled in favour of Ibrahim and discharged him.

    “On December 15, 2017, a letter of complaint was written by Malam Gwani Sadiq Siddiq from Zamfara seeking NDLEA to intervene on the arrest of Abubakar by the Saudi Anti-narcotic officials. The Agency swung into investigation, which revealed that Abubakar travelled to Saudi on March 10, 2017 through Malam Aminu Kano International Airport and was arrested by the Saudi Anti-narcotic officials at Medina Airport for importing 1, 497 tablets of Tramadol. The substance was allegedly concealed in a bag and tagged to his passport at MAKIA by his travel agent named Mahmood Sani and two other handlers at the Airport, one Mrs. Celina Yaycock and Mr. Anthony Johnson.

    “These suspects have since been charged to Federal High Court, Kano.”

  • 3 notorious drug traffickers get 29 months prison sentence

    3 notorious drug traffickers get 29 months prison sentence

    Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Thursday sentenced three men to 29 months imprisonment for dealing in Indian hemp.

    The convicts are Azeez Olagboye, Kehinde Saheed and Taofeek Ajadi.

    In three separate judgments, Ayo-Emmanuel held that he convicted the trio based on the evidence before him.

    The judge sentenced Olagboye and Ajadi to one year imprisonment while Saheed bagged three months in jail.

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    He said that the sentence would run from the date of their arrest.

    Ayo-Emmanuel, however, warned them to refrain from crime after serving their jail terms.

    Mr Musbau Olapade, counsel to the convicts, had prayed the court to temper justice with mercy in his judgment.

    Earlier, NDLEA counsel, Mr Raphael Himinkaiye, said that the convicts were arraigned on a one-count charge of unlawful dealing in Indian Hemp.

    Himinkaiye added that Olagboye, Saheed and Ajadi committed the crime on May 17, April 10 and April 12 respectively at various spots in Oyo State.

    He said the offence committed by the trio was contrary to and punishable under Section 11 (c ) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.