NDLEA intercepts N4b cocaine in Lagos

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, yesterday, said it had intercepted a container load of substance suspected to be cocaine.
The container, marked CMA CGM, ECM 78299-8, 22 GI, arrived the country via the Tin Can Island Port Apapa, Lagos, weekend, and was reportedly cleared promptly.

Vanguard learnt that the attention of plain clothed NDLEA operatives who were monitoring the clearance was aroused and they promptly trailed it to an undisclosed warehouse in Orile-Iganmu in Apapa where they demanded to know the content.

Apparently realising that the game was up, the agent was said to have called an unnamed Chinese industrialist at Ibadan informing him that men of the Nigerian Customs were demanding for additional N4million and he promptly arrived with the cash.

The Chinese man was reportedly arrested. Not wanting to go down alone, he also called his partner-in-crime in Kano State, informing him that Customs men were still demanding an additional  N1million to release the container.

The partner also flew in with the cash, and into the waiting hands of NDLEA officials.

Vanguard gathered that the two foreign industrialists were, yesterday, still briefing the anti-drug agency about their respective involvement in the illicit trafficking.

Their stash of cocaine was masterly concealed in customized plywood used as floors and packed in the  containers weighed 450.4 kgs; with  its street value put at a whopping N4billion.

Chairman of the anti-drug agency, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, who was flanked by his Director-General, Otunba Laren Ipinmisho, told newsmen at the Shaw Road, Ikoyi, head office of the agency that the present seizure was the second largest in the annals of the agency.

Security reports

He said that operatives had received security reports about the movement of the vessel which carried the particular container and had patiently kept watch at the port.

It will be recalled that similar quantity weighing 14.2 tons was equally seized at the same port in 2006.

NDLEA chairman said: “We received intelligence report about the consignment which originated from Chile and passed though Peru, Bolivia and Antwerp in Germany to Tin Can Island Port and we kept tab on it. The drug was neatly concealed in customized floor wood in a container.  The container was cleared and taken to a private warehouse in Orile-Ignamu.”

Giade added that the clearing agent and other Nigerians involved in drug deals had been arrested to ascertain their level of involvement.

He said: “The agency and other security agencies which are also on the alert to prevent criminal acts capable of disrupting peace and stability in the country, are determined to send all drug barons out of circulation.”

Vanguard

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Dubai to extradite Ibori to Britain

Former governor of Delta State James Ibori who was arrested in Dubai by Interpol on charges of siphoning millions of dollars of state assets is due to be extradited to Britain, a local newspaper reported yesterday.

Ibori, governor of Delta between 1999 and 2007, who was arrested in May, "will soon be extradited to London," Gulf News quoted a police source as saying.

Dubai police were not immediately available to confirm the report.

Ibori is charged with embezzling $290 million of public funds and money laundering while he was in office. An international arrest warrant was issued against the ex-governor who also faces corruption charges in Britain after the discovery of assets suspected to have been bought with stolen money.

On August 2, 2007, prosecutors made a successful "application of restraint" at Southwark Crown Court in London "in relation to worldwide assets worth 35 million dollars belonging to James Ibori," London police had said upon Ibori's arrest.

Daily Trust

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EFCC freezes NFF accounts

Economic and Financial crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen three bank accounts of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), following new revelations by its investigation into the alleged N1.3 billion fraud in the Glass House.

This is even as the acting President of the federation, Aminu Maigari, has been summoned by the anti-graft commission to explain his role in the alleged fraud.

A senior EFCC source told Daily Independent on Monday that the commission has to freeze the three accounts in three different banks because investigators discovered some funds in those accounts which could not be explained.

The source, who would not disclose the names of the banks where the accounts were frozen, said however that $6 million was traced to one account which he said may not be in NFF's books.

According to him, the two other accounts frozen by the agency have $2 million and N144 million respectively in them.

The source who further disclosed that the acting president of the NFF has been summoned to face investigators working on the case today, explained that the invitation was informed by the fact that he was Chairman, Financial Committee of the NFF board when the former President, Sani Lulu, held sway.

"We have invited the acting President, Maigari, because we believe he has a case to answer. He was chairman of the financial committee of that board under Lulu," he explained.

EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the freezing of the NFF's accounts and invitation of Maigari for questioning. He however declined further comment on the matter.

The anti-corruption agency launched its investigation into the alleged fraud in July after Lulu was dismissed as president of football federation.

The commission first invited him for interrogation on July 8 alongside former Technical Committee Chairman, Taiwo Ogunjobi, former Vice President, Uchegbulam Amanze and Bolaji Ojo-Oba, NFF's former general secretary who were also fingered in the scam.

They are being investigated for rushing to book accommodation for players and officials in a non-FIFA approved hotel, Hampshire Hotel, in order to cut cost, causing the country to lose over $125, 000 (N18.7 million) when they had to book a new hotel.

Daily Independent

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President Goodluck Jonathan says government to boost cocoa production

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said his administration has concluded arrangements to boost the nation's economy and increase the GDP through cocoa production.

Towards this end, he said a committee on cocoa production and processing has been set up and given six weeks ultimatum to submit its report which he assured would be speedily implemented.

Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo, said this at the closing ceremony of the 6th National Cocoa Day celebrations organised for the 14- cocoa producing states in the country held at the Township Square Ilorin, Kwara State.

He said the committee comprises of the ministries of finance and agriculture and rural development; the Centra Bank of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, among others .

The president also pledge that facilities that will assist farmers in cocoa production will be provided for them so that they will take it with all the seriousness it deserves and help the Federal Government to fulfill its objectives.

In his address, the minister of agriculture and rural development, Professor Sheik Abdullah, said the theme of the 6th National Cocoa Day, "Quality Cocoa for National Development," is well chosen to reflect the importance Nigeria attaches to cocoa production.

Earlier in his address, the governor of Kwara State, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, commended the Federal Government for supporting the programme to be held in Ilorin, noting that with the three-day programme, the glory of cocoa production is being re-kindled for better development of the agricultural sector.

Meanwhile, Cocoa producing states in the country have attributed incessant power outage as the major reason they have not been able to build any cocoa processing factory despite the abundance of cocoa in the country.

They said until the problem of power generation was tackled by the federal government, it would be difficult for any state to contemplate such venture.

Speaking with newsmen in Akure ahead of the Cocoa Day celebrations, Ondo State Deputy Governor Alhaji Ali Olanusi regretted that many of the industries established in the sector were no more in operation, while those operating were doing so at a minimal capacity.

Vanguard

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