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NDLEA Operatives Invade Edo Forest, Destroy Skunk Farm

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have stormed the Ujiogba Forest Reserve in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State where they destroyed 7,286Kg of warehoused skunk and five hectares of its plantation.

The agency’s Head, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday.

According to Babafemi, the operation carried out on Wednesday followed credible intelligence that some cartels had warehoused hundreds of jumbo bags of the illicit substance inside the thick forest of the reserve for distribution to some states ahead of the general elections.

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Babafemi said, “The operation could however not go on immediately until after several roadblocks set up by armed guards of the drug lords were cleared and they were overpowered by the superior firepower of Strike Force officers of the agency in a gun duel.

“After the initial resistance, two rifles spent cartridges of guns and an empty shell of an AK47 rifle were recovered while a 24-year-old suspect, Calvary Essien, was arrested.

“After the gunfight, the NDLEA operatives in their numbers successfully descended on a big warehouse constructed with wood and zinc containing 100 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 3.2 tons, 5,000 bags of cannabis weighing 65 tons, and 137 bags of cannabis seeds weighing 4.66 tons, totalling 72.86 tons.

“Seven bags of cannabis and one bag of its seeds were subsequently taken out of the warehouse for further investigation and prosecution of suspects while the rest was set ablaze.”

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Babafemi added that the operation came on the heels of a similar operation on January 18 in the Opuje Forest in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State where massive warehouses and tents storing over 317,417Kg of the psychoactive substance were destroyed and set ablaze in a two-day operation.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: NDLEA Arrests Church GO For Drug Trafficking

“A police impersonator, Omoruan Theophilus, 37, who was parading as a police Inspector to convey the drugs from the forests to the cities and three others Aigberuan Jacob, 42, Ekeinde Zaza, 53, and Naomi Ohiewere, 42, were arrested in connection with the drugs,” he said.

He added that in his reaction to the latest operation in Ujiogba Forest, the Chairman, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended all the officers involved in the effort and all the almost 10,000 officers, men and women deployed across the country in the pre-election renewed offensive action to clear every part of the country of illicit substances for use by thugs and miscreants before, during and after the elections.

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“Marwa said taking the battle to the doorsteps of the cartels deep in the forests is to attack the menace of drug supply from the source and to also send the right message to the barons that there is no safe haven for them and their investments anywhere in Nigeria,” Babafemi noted.

 

 

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VIDEO Newly Appointed LG Supervisors, Advisers In Ekiti Take Oath Of Office With ‘Ogún’

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A video showing newly appointed supervisors and advisers of Ikere-Ekiti LGA in Ekiti state were sworn in with an ‘Ògún’ totem and the Quran.

A viral video shows the supervisors and advisers swearing at the conference hall of the office of Olu Adamolekun, chairman of Ikere-Ekiti LGA.

The oath of office was administered on the appointees by Adamolekun. The appointees could be seen taking turns to wield a cutlass (a totem for the god of iron) in one hand and a Quran in the other.

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READ ALSO: NAF Kills Several Terrorists In Borno, Niger Airstrikes

While administering the oath of office, Adamolekun asked the appointees to repeat the following in Yoruba

‘’From today, I will be loyal and truthful to BAO (Ekiti state governor), and Monisade (deputy governor), APC and its leaders. I will take instructions from the leaders. If I refuse to do so, Ogun or Quran should kill me. For this, I will be truthful” each appointee said as they took their oath

In Nigeria, public office holders usually swear an oath of office using the Quran or Bible, while pledging allegiance to the constitution.

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Watch the video of the swearing-in ceremony below:

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JUST IN: DSS Arrests Wanted Oyo Motorpark Boss, Auxiliary

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The Department of State Services has reportedly arrested the wanted former chairman of the Oyo State Park Management System, Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary.

The PUNCH reliably gathered that Auxiliary was arrested at about 4:00 pm on Tuesday at his residence in the Olodo area of Ibadan, the state capital.

Although the reasons for his arrest are still sketchy, a source who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because of the weight of the matter said it was because of an interview he granted on Saturday, May 4, in which he called out Seye Famojuro, a trusted ally of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for being behind his woes.

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READ ALSO: EFCC Grills Six Senior NSCDC Officers Over N6bn Fraud

In the interview he granted to Media personnel, Ajibola Akinyefa, in the Yoruba Language, the former PMS chairman said, “If he (Famojuro) is the governor or Seyi Makinde is, we will know. It is just a matter of time. Everybody will face the consequences of their actions. The people he chose to manage the park are cheating themselves.

When asked if it was his hooliganism that led to his removal, Auxiliary queried how many people reported that he beat them to the police.

He further said that Seye would still return to Ijesha because Ibadan is not his homeland.

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READ ALSO: Rivers: Siblings Flog Teacher, Lock Up Admin Officer For Flogging Brother

“Seye will still go back to Ijesha because Ibadan is not his town. Only Governor Seyi Makinde and I will remain here because we won’t run away. And I see that the bird is not working, but God feeds it. Seye will reap the seeds of his actions,” he added.

In May 2023, Auxiliary was arrested after being linked to an alleged attempt by his loyalists to cause trouble in the state following the dissolution of the PMS committee by Makinde.

An impeccable source who spoke with PUNCH Metro said the police acted swiftly to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the state, adding that during the raid, Lamidi escaped which led to him being declared wanted.

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READ ALSO: Five Things To Know About The New Cybersecurity Levy To Be Paid By Nigerians

The source, who craved anonymity over fears of harassment, said, “From what we gathered, the police acted on the information that some members of the Auxiliary’s camp wanted to cause trouble based on the government disbanding their operations in the state.

“So, the police were proactive, stormed their location, made some arrests and recovered some arms and ammunition. But Auxiliary was not arrested. The people arrested were in connection with the fact that intelligence linked them to an attempt to cause trouble in the state today.”

However, attempts to reach the spokesperson for DSS, Peter Afunnaya, proved abortive as several calls made to him were unanswered and text messages ignored.

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Benue To Build Brewery As Residents Spend N850m On Beer Monthly

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Benue State Government has concluded plans to start production of beer brand to stop capital flight to other states.

The Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company, Dr Raymond Asemakaha, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday.

He said that the beer’s name will be unveiled during its launch in December.

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Asemakaha, who took journalists on a tour of the proposed brewery, water, and bakery factories in Makurdi, the state capital, said that the initiative to set up a brewery came as a result of recent studies showing that a huge amount of money leaves the state every month on beer consumption.

READ ALSO: Nigerians To Pay More As Breweries Again ncreases In Prices Of Beer

Asemakaha said the company was out to give Benue and Nigerians a high-premium quality beer made in the state using local raw materials.

He said that BIPC was not in competition with any brewery company therefore, would do everything for the people to enjoy a beer with a difference.

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He said, “Basically, when we came on board, we understand that the rate of alcohol consumption in the state is between N850 million per month.

“We understand that the people that are selling these beers have taken this money out of Benue State.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Breweries Hikes Prices Of Beer As Production Costs Soar

“So, we discovered and said no, all what we need to do is to float a new company that we can be able to observe and retain the cash flow within the system. That is why we are embarking on beer production.

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“This N850 to N870 million is a monthly sale of beers in the state, and within the month of December, they have made one billion naira in sales. So, one of the things we are doing is to help retain the cash flow within the system.”

According to the MD, the estimated production capacity is 180,000 bottles per day, and the fermentation period is 15 days.

READ ALSO: Drink-a-thon For Beer Thieves; Jealous Nurse Manipulates DNA To Cause Divorce

“We will crash the price of beer in the state, but we are not going to compete with them (other breweries). We want to retain the cash within us. It is our own thing. So, the people here, our brothers and sisters, should be able to key in and take our products,” he said.

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While stating that raw materials will be locally sourced, Asemakaha stated that the factory would commence full production by the first week of December.

“What we want to do is that this season, we want to give people seedlings so that we can go back to production and take those products from them to plant and harvest,” he added.

The managing director said that the brewery project would cost between ₦700 and ₦800 million, just as he expressed assurances that the amount would be sourced.

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