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How Europe-bound 19-year-old Student was arrested at Abuja Airport with Meth Consignment

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***As NDLEA Intercepts 116.5kg Colorado From Canada

***Female lawyer, others nabbed with tons of illicit drugs

For attempting to export 7.2 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in crayfish to Europe where he was going for undergraduate studies, 19-year-old student, Benjamin Nnamani Daberechi has been arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA) Abuja.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Femi Babafemi in a statement said, nemesis caught up with the teenage suspect on Wednesday 12th July, during an outward clearance of passengers on Turkish Airlines flight TK 0624. While being interviewed by operatives, Daberechi claimed he was a student on his way to Cyprus for studies, but upon a thorough search of his luggage, he was found to be in possession of 7.2kg of whitish substance neatly concealed inside a sack of crayfish.
A field test of the substance however proved positive to Methamphetamine.

Operatives of the NDLEA at Tincan Port Command of the Agency on Tuesday 11th July intercepted also 116.5kg consignment of Colorado, a strong strain of cannabis concealed in bags hidden in a heap of used vehicles parts on the floor of a container marked FCIU 8459700, bearing three units of used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada.
Based on intelligence, the Agency had requested for a 100 percent examination of the container which arrived the TICT terminal of the port on 14th June. A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs, DSS and other stakeholders on Tuesday 11th July however led to the discovery of 233 parcels of the illicit substance stashed inside travelling bags on the floor of the container, covered with used vehicles spare parts.

Also attempts to export various quantities of illicit substances through courier companies were equally cut short by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigations, DOGI in Lagos. While 336 grams of skunk stuffed inside computer hard drives going to Dubai, UAE, were seized at a courier firm, a suspect, Ibrahim Analu, 28, was arrested at Iddo motor park, Lagos while attempting to send 151,700 pills of opioids to Kaduna. A total of 4.830kg skunk was also discovered at another courier firm in a shipment from Douala, Cameroon passing through Nigeria to Oman. The drug was concealed in 10 of 12 cans of palm fruits paste, locally called Banga, packed in a carton.

In another development, a Lekki Lagos based female lawyer, Ebikpolade Helen, who specialises in production and distribution of skuchies, a mixture of cannabis, opioids and black currant has been arrested in a follow up operation in Awka, Anambra state following an earlier seizure of 5kg cannabis and 12 bottles of prepared skuchies in her apartment at Lekki.
While Abubakar Shuaibu was arrested on Thursday 13th July at Cappa, Mushin/Oshodi road with 86 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 8.6 litres in his Toyota bus marked FFA 241YB, two other suspects: Razak Ogunbo and Adeola Idowu were nabbed Tuesday 11th July at Ikorodu with 51 litres of skuchies. This is even as 372kg cannabis sativa and 48 bottles of skuchies measuring 48 litres were recovered from the home of a fleeing drug dealer at Akala, Mushin Lagos on Wednesday 12th July.

In Ondo state, operatives stormed a building at Ehin-Ala, Akure South LGA where they arrested one Abubakar Zayanu Gyambar, 28, with 162 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 1,944 kilograms, while another suspect, Henry Wilson, 50, was nabbed at Ogume town, Ndokwa West LGA, Delta State with same substance weighing 216.5kg.

A total of 45.41kg cannabis was recovered from Adam Hassan, 27, along Inga wa-Mani – Mashi road, Katsina enroute Niger Republic, while 70kg of same substance was seized from Mamman Nur Shettima on Saturday 15th July along Kano – Nguru road, Yobe state. In Kano, a suspect, Abdulhamid Lawan Bayaro, 48, was on Friday 14th July nabbed at Dan Agundi area, Kano with 114 blocks of cannabis, weighing 71.7kg, just as operatives recovered 50,000 pills of Tamol, a brand of Tramadol at Kofar Waika area of the state.

While a total of 912,600 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol were recovered from two commercial vehicles; one coming from Lagos to Kano, the other was intercepted along Abuja-Jere-Kaduna expressway, with a suspect, Sahabi Lawal, 25, arrested. In Borno state, 32-year-old Umar Tijjani Mustapha was arrested at Gangamari, MMC, with 55.25kg skunk on Thursday 13th July.

Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the tenacity of the officers and men of NAIA, Tincan, Lagos, Ondo, Katsina, Yobe, Delta, Kano, Kaduna and Borno Commands as well as those of DOGI. He charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant.

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Alleged Fraud, Land Grabbing by Rebecca Omokamo: Falana Chambers Petitions EFCC, ICPC

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Legal powerhouse, Falana and Falana Chambers, has filed petitions with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) against Rebecca Omokamo Godwin Isaac, also known as Hajia Bilikisu Ishaqu Aliyu, and her firm, Homadil Realty Limited.
The allegations include financial fraud, forgery of documents, and illegal land grabbing involving Plot 4022 in Guzape, Abuja.
The petitions, made on behalf of the Yesufu family, accuse Mrs. Omokamo and her associates of conspiracy, forgery, and fraudulent acquisition of funds.
The legal battle dates back to 2014 when Mrs. Omokamo allegedly purchased the disputed land but subsequently lost its title documents.
The Yesufu family claims ownership and has been in protracted legal and investigative disputes over the land.
In a related incident in May 2024, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter, Emmanuel Agbo, investigating the case, was summoned by the police after communications with Mrs. Omokamo.
She denied the allegations in conversations but later accused the EFCC of harassment in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu. Mrs. Omokamo claimed EFCC interference in what she called a civil matter, further alleging the unjust detention of her husband and staff.
However, subsequent investigations by the EFCC and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) reportedly uncovered extensive fraudulent dealings tied to Mrs. Omokamo.
The findings led to separate petitions to the ICPC, prompting further investigations into alleged forgery of land titles and fraudulent sales involving multiple properties, including a 2.3-hectare plot in Katampe District, Abuja.
Efforts to resolve the matter amicably, including appeals by Mrs. Omokamo’s husband and traditional rulers to the Yesufu family, reportedly failed. Allegations emerged that Mrs. Omokamo had sold the Katampe property to over 60 victims using forged documents.

Her purported resistance to settlement and her legal maneuvers to block investigations drew criticism.
In October 2024, Mrs. Omokamo filed a motion at the Federal High Court in Abuja to prevent further investigations by the EFCC and ICPC. Simultaneously, her husband reportedly sought forgiveness from the Yesufu family, a move seen as contradictory given Mrs. Omokamo’s legal actions.
The Yesufu family, represented by Falana and Falana Chambers, has called for the prosecution of Mrs. Omokamo, her husband, and their accomplices.
They also requested investigation reports to aid civil proceedings. Meanwhile, the company’s secretary, Mr. Kolawole James Olowokere, recently withdrew his

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Osun Governor grants Christmas Clemency to chicken, egg thieves on death row

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In a bid to mark the 2024 Christmas season with acts of compassion, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has granted clemency to Segun Olowookere and Sunday Morakinyo.
They were sentenced to death in 2014 for robbery-related offenses committed in 2010.
The duo, aged 17 at the time, had been convicted of stealing two fowls, eggs, and mobile phones from individuals in Okuku, Osun State.
Despite the minor theft, the court had sentenced them to death by hanging in 2014, sparking nationwide outrage over the severity of the punishment.

Ademola Adeleke


They were granted a prerogative of mercy alongside 51 other convicts who had varying levels of sentences in correctional centres in Osun, by the governor.
The governor’s decision, made on the recommendation of the State Advisory Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, highlighted a broader push for prison reforms and justice review in the state.

Governor Adeleke, through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, stated that the clemency alignsled with constitutional powers and the spirit of the season.

“This exercise of mercy follows the recommendations made by the State Advisory Council and underscores the administration’s commitment to fairness and humanity,” Rasheed said in a statement.

The letter of commutation, dated December 24, 2024, has been officially acknowledged by prison authorities.

The governor’s move has sparked debates over Nigeria’s judicial process, with human rights advocates praising the decision as a step toward addressing sentencing disparities and prison decongestion.

The case of Olowookere and Morakinyo, sentenced as teenagers, drew public attention due to the severity of their punishment relative to the crime.
Their release is expected to reignite discussions on justice reforms and youth rehabilitation programs.

In his address, Governor Adeleke emphasized the importance of second chances and pledged to continue reviewing cases deserving of mercy while balancing justice with compassion.

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Human Rights Lawyer, Dele Farotimi regains Freedom, says he is innocent of defamation claims

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Dele Farotimi

After meeting his bail conditions, prominent human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has regained his freedom from the correctional center in Ekiti State.
Farotimi was released on Tuesday morning, following last week’s ruling by a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti, which granted him bail on the condition of a ₦30 million bond, two sureties (one of whom must own property), submission of his passport, and a ban on granting media interviews.
Addressing journalists shortly after his release, Farotimi reaffirmed his commitment to truth and denied ever spreading falsehoods against anyone.

“It is not ever an easy journey when you are fighting evil,” Farotimi said. “But before I started this work, God told me that the truth is enough. It is the only weapon with which you can slay the monster called Nigeria. I have never lied against anyone. If I don’t know something, I will say I don’t know.”
Farotimi’s legal troubles began following the release of his book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’, on July 2, 2024.
In the 116-page publication, Farotimi alleged that some Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), including Aare Afe Babalola, had engaged in judicial corruption by influencing Supreme Court Justices.

Babalola subsequently accused Farotimi of defamation, leading to his arrest at his Lagos office on December 3 by operatives attached to the Ekiti State Police Command. Farotimi was transported to Ekiti State, where he faced defamation and cyberbullying charges.
In addition to the defamation claims brought by Babalola’s legal team, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, filed 12 more charges against Farotimi at the Federal High Court in Ekiti on December 6, 2024.
Farotimi maintained that his book reflected facts and insights into Nigeria’s justice system, adding that his work was aimed at reforming rather than attacking the legal profession.
“It is the truth that will set this country free,” Farotimi said, vowing to continue his advocacy for justice and fairness despite the legal battles.

The case is expected to proceed in January 2025, with prosecutors set to present additional evidence. Meanwhile, Farotimi’s legal team is reportedly considering a motion to quash the charges.
Farotimi’s arrest and detention have drawn public outrage, with many civil society organizations condemning what they describe as an attempt to silence dissent.

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