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Customs Intercept 111 Live Parrots, Illicit Drugs In Adamawa, Taraba

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The Adamawa and Taraba Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 111 live African grey parrots, illicit drugs, and other contraband items worth over N67 million.

The Area Comptroller, Garba Bashir, made this known at a news conference on Wednesday in Yola.
Bashir said that within three weeks, officers recorded 19 seizures valued at N67,785,358 in different locations.

According to him, the locations are Mubi-Sahua, Goshindan-Farang, Belel, Girei-Woro Bokki, Gella, Fufore-Gurin, Damare Waterside, Apawa-Numan road, and the Savannah-Numan axis.

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The seized items include; 13,200 litres of Premium Motor Spirit and 1,925 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, packed in 528 and 77 jerry cans respectively.

11 sacks of second-hand clothing, Tramadol capsules; 5,710 (100mg), 990 (50mg); and 185 packets of Benzhexol tablets, 111 live African grey parrots and nine dead ones,” he said.

READ ALSO:World Customs Organisation Elects Adeniyi Chairperson

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The comptroller said that the illicit drugs were intercepted from a suspect along the Apawa-Numan road on June 19.

He noted that the substances were concealed in charcoal sacks and recovered following credible intelligence.

These drugs, when abused by youths will induce them to perpetrate their nefarious activities.

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“Such drugs can be inimical to the health of the citizens and undermining security of the nation,” he said.

On the wildlife seizure, Bashir said a suspected trafficker was caught on June 27 while attempting to smuggle the parrots from Cameroon through the Gurin border.

READ ALSO:Customs Promote Over 4,000 Senior Officers, Restructure Key Unit

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Bashir said the parrots were stuffed in six wooden boxes, leading to the death of nine resulting from poor handling.

The interception aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

“Poaching methods are often brutal and a high percentage of captured birds die even before reaching export sites.

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“The species are highly trafficked due to its high demand as intelligent and mimicking pet,” he said.

The comptroller said that the seized drugs and suspects would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, while the parrots would be transferred to the World Parrot Trust for rehabilitation.

READ ALSO:How Customs Intercepted $578,000 Undeclared Cash At Lagos Airport

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He said that 101 raw donkey skins, earlier seized in May, would be destroyed under NCS regulations.

He said the seized petroleum products would also be auctioned immediately to avoid fire hazards, with proceeds paid into the Federation Account.

The customs boss commended the leadership of the Comptroller General, Bashir Adeniyi, for providing an enabling environment and support from sister security agencies.

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He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to curbing smuggling, protecting Nigeria’s borders, and safeguarding public health and the economy.

(PUNCH)

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Lagos NURTW Boss Reacts To Alleged Threat To Voters As DSS Grilled Him Over Viral Video

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The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in Lagos, Mustapha Sego, has confirmed that he was invited by the Department of State Services, DSS, over allegations of incitement following a viral video in which he made controversial remarks about the 2027 elections.

In the video, Sego, while addressing union members, had warned that “what happened in 2023 will not be allowed to repeat itself in 2027,” adding in Yoruba that “anybody who makes any mistakes in 2027 will be dealt with” and that the All Progressives Congress, APC, was the party voters must support.

His comments sparked public outrage, with many interpreting them as threats aimed at voters ahead of the next general election.

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However, in a follow-up disclaimer video, the NURTW boss denied threatening voters, insisting that his remarks were misrepresented and taken out of context.

READ ALSO:Court Remands NURTW Official In Correctional Centre Over Tricyclist’s Death

He confirmed that the DSS invited him earlier in the day to clarify the allegations, which he described as “false and baseless.”

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“I have always been a man of peace, and my messages are directed only to our members. Everyone has the right to associate freely and choose their affiliations, and I fully respect that,” he said.

Sego alleged that the controversy was being fueled by rival groups seeking to destabilize his leadership in the state.

“There is always an enemy in every job, and we know where this is coming from. This is clearly an attempt to destabilize me and the NURTW in Lagos State,” he stated.

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Lagos Man Shot Dead After Fight In Nightclub

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There was panic on Friday after a man, identified simply as Alex, was shot by suspected gunmen at Iyana Isashi in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that the incident occurred at about 8 pm.

A resident in the community who requested not to be mentioned due to the nature of the incident had told The PUNCH that the deceased was on his way to meet a friend when two men on a bike accosted him.

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One of them was, however, said to have pulled out a gun in the process and shot him at close range.

READ ALSO:Lagos Opens Portal For Teaching Job Applications

The source said, “Alex stays at Cele Niza here in Iyana Isashi. He had just come back from his place of work when he stepped out again, probably to meet a friend. He was on his way when some men on a bike stopped him on the way and shot him. It was the sound of the gunshot that attracted people around, who rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood. The gunmen were also seen trying to escape from the area while still on the bike.”

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According to the source, Alex was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was being attended to.

Giving an update on the incident on Wednesday, the source confirmed to that the victim succumbed to the gunshot injuries earlier in the day.

We lost him this morning. He had been in a coma since that Friday, and doctors tried all they could to save him, but he did not make it,” the source disclosed.

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Meanwhile, the victim, otherwise known as Fleximore, was said to have had an altercation with some strangers at a nightclub in the community a day before the incident happened.

Another resident who identified himself simply as Quadri and made this known to The PUNCH on Wednesday said, “Some of his friends who went to a club in the area with him said he had a serious fight with some guys there. They said it started with an argument that later resulted in a confrontation.

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“Although they tried to settle it but that is very unusual of him. You hardly hear anything of such about him. Alex is an easy-going person and does not make trouble, but we don’t know the kind of person he had issues with at the nightclub, and that is why some people said the attack was most likely a result of what happened at the club.”

According to Quadri, arrangements are ongoing to bury the late Alex.

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident.

“I am not aware of the incident, but I will call the DPO in the area to confirm,” she said.

Communities in the Iba Local Government Area and adjoining communities along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway have, over the months, witnessed a series of cult-related attacks. The resident had also called for the intervention of the police authorities.

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Gunmen Invade Ex-Ogun LG Chairman’s Residence

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An armed gang on Thursday morning invaded the residence of former Ijebu-Ode Local Government Chairman, Alhaji Emilola Gazal, carting away valuables, cash, and his vehicle.

Gazal, who is also the publisher of The Roots Magazine, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview.

The three armed men broke into my residence at Ijebu-Ode GRA at about 2 a.m. They collected all the cash with me after which they forced me to open my bank apps on my phone and transfer everything there to an account they provided. They left only N5,000 in my account.

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READ ALSO:Police Foil Robbery On Sagamu-Benin Expressway, Recover Stolen Tricycle In Ogun

“They also made away with my wife’s trinkets and with my ash-colour car. They actually told me they would be going away with my car. I am just going to report the incident to the police at Igbeba and Obalende, Ijebu-Ode”, Gazal told our correspondent.

According to The PUNCH, that this incident comes amid a spate of violent robberies and home invasions reported across Ogun State, particularly in the Ijebu area.

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For example, earlier this year, the Ogun State Police Command killed a suspected armed robber in a gun duel along the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Expressway.

READ ALSO:Police Foil Robbery On Sagamu-Benin Expressway, Recover Stolen Tricycle In Ogun

The command, on September 12, 2025, also recently arrested a man linked to a burglary and armed robbery in Ayetoro, amounting to about N1.5 million in stolen goods.

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Meanwhile, the regional security network, Amotekun Corps, has in past operations engaged criminal gangs in shootouts, neutralising suspects in Ogun’s border zones.

Details later…

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