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‘Rogue Officers’ Attack NDLEA Operatives, Soldiers, Rescue Lagos Drug Baron

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Suspected gunmen numbering about 20 on Tuesday ambushed some National Drug Law Enforcement operatives who were trailing a drug baron from the Agege area of Lagos Mainland.

The operatives were trying to intercept a truck conveying unknown quantities of Canadian Loud on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State around 1am when they came under a rain of gunfire but the attackers were repelled with the assistance of some soldiers.

However, the hoodlums escaped with the baron who had been on the watch-list of the drug agency for some time.

The incident is coming against the backdrop of the arrests of several drug lords and the crippling of their criminal enterprise, leading to seizures of huge quantities of narcotics and other illicit drugs.

Sunday PUNCH reported that the NDLEA recently froze 126 bank accounts belonging to a suspected drug lord, Nsofor Chukwukadibia.

The accounts domiciled in various commercial banks had cash inflows of N4.3bn and outflows of N7.9bn, while over N50bn had passed through them.

The NDLEA also confiscated 20 mansions belonging to the suspected drug baron located in Lagos,  Abuja and the South-East.

However, the drug traffickers have been fighting hard against the drug agency’s onslaught by launching attacks on its operatives.

Confirming the Tuesday attack in Lagos to The PUNCH, the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Babafemi explained that the agency successfully seized a truck-load of Canadian Loud during the operation.

According to Babafemi, Canadian Loud is a very strong and most expensive variant of cannabis.

He said, “It is usually imported from Canada and shipped through neighboring countries like Ghana and Benin Republic from where the cartels try to smuggle them into Lagos as in this particular case.”

Babafemi said, “Operatives of the agency trailed a drug movement from the Agege area of Lagos Mainland to the Ikoyi area of Lagos Island in the early hours of Tuesday, January 10, 2023.

“Our operatives blocked the truck and in the process, some suspected fake security agents who were escorting the truck struggled with our operatives, and they eventually escaped with the suspect.

“But our men were able to get the drug-filled truck. The gunmen damaged NDLEA’s operational vehicle and tried to demobilize our operatives as they damaged the windscreen of the vehicle.

“But our operatives got the support of some soldiers who were nearby during the attack, and the soldiers supported the efforts of our operatives, leading our operatives to successfully move the truck containing the drugs to our office.”

But the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi doubted the involvement of police officers in the attack, noting that the necessary steps would be taken if investigations by the NDLEA identified the attackers as police officers.

Adejobi said, “I doubt the veracity of the claim that the attackers were police officers. No reasonable police officer would involve themselves in drug dealing or attack operatives of the NDLEA during an operation to arrest a drug baron; instead, police officers are supposed to work with the NDLEA to nab criminals.’’

A security expert, Chidi Omeje called for the arrest of the attackers, describing them as rogue elements.

The Punch

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Akwa Ibom Gov Clarifies, Says I Didn’t Appoint My Daughter First Lady

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Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has refuted reports suggesting that he has appointed first daughter Mrs. Helen Obareki as the First Lady of the State following his wife death recently.

He clarified that his daughter was appointed as the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, a point he made clear President Bola Tinubu’s wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu during her condolence visit.

Speaking at the All Nations Christian Ministry International, Eket, on Sunday, the governor explained that his decision was a natural outcome, not one motivated by political considerations.

The governor maintained that first ladies are not appointed. However, following the passing of his wife, it was appropriate and comforting for his daughter—who had been her mother’s closest assistant—to oversee and implement the programs of the office.

He noted that priority attention would be given to his late wife’s pet project, Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), as well as other support programs for women, the elderly, the vulnerable, and the less privileged. He added that these activities could only be sustained with Mrs. Obareki as coordinator due to her experience, exposure, education, and access.

His said: “Appointing our daughter, who had worked closely with her late mother, as the coordinator is not an appointment as First Lady. You don’t appoint a First Lady. The Office of the First Lady has responsibilities to the women of this state, and my wife had programs she was running—the GIFA, the support for the elderly, and other programmes.

“As long as I remain governor, those programs will not die. There must be a coordinator, and it must be someone I see on a daily basis, someone who can walk into my room and brief me, not a distant person.”

Governor Eno further explained that, by the appointment, his daughter would be addressed as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor and Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, stating that this decision was one way to bring healing to the family and comfort to himself.

While expressing gratitude to the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and her entourage, the governor also thanked the church for their words of comfort and encouraged them to find solace in the word of God.

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Glo Unveils Festival of Joy Promo, Rewards Customers with Toyota Prado, Kia Cars

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As the year begins to roll towards the festive end, Glo customers are in for a great time as the company on Tuesday unveiled a delightful new season of its Festival of Joy promotion. The promotion is parading Toyota Prado SUVs and other delectable prizes.

The end-of-year promotion, which began on October 1, will run until January 31, 2025, according to a statement released by Globacom in Lagos. The prizes up for grabs by customers include five Toyota Prado SUVs, five Kia Picanto vehicles, 15 tricycles, 150 power generator sets, 200 sewing machines, and 300 grinding machines.

The Glo Festival of Joy offer was packaged in keeping with the company’s pledge to empower Glo customers and make them happy as the holiday season draws near. Globacom explained that all consumer segments, including high net worth individuals (HNIs), professionals, business people, employees, and students, will find the incentives appealing.

The company also disclosed that it has chosen to spend enormous amounts to give its customers life-enriching prizes, at a critical time that other businesses are cutting expenses as a result of the current economic troubles.

Prize-presentation ceremonies will be conducted in various locations around the nation, including Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Warri, thereby giving Nigerians in all parts of the nation the opportunity to win any of the incredible items up for grabs.

Globacom stated that both new and current customers  on the prepaid and postpaid platforms are eligible for the Festival of Joy promotion. “To be eligible for the draw, a customer must simply select the prize they want to win, opt into the promotion by dialing *611#, and recharge up to the required amount for that specific item during the promo period,” the statement read.

To be eligible to be drawn for any of the Prado, a subscriber is required to recharge up to N100,000 cumulatively during the promo period, while the requirement for the Kia Picanto is N50,000 cumulative recharge during the period. For the tricycle, the customer needs to recharge up to N10,000 cumulatively in a month, just as N5,000 total recharge in a month will qualify the customer to win a generator. For the sewing machine, a total recharge of N2,500 in a month is required, while a recharge of N500 in a day will be eligible for the draw for the grinding machines.

“All recharge types – physical and electronic – count towards the qualification. The higher the recharge amount, the higher the chances of winning,” Globacom concluded.

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Glo Celebrates Nigeria on 64th Independence Anniversary

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Globacom, digital solutions company, has congratulated Nigerians on the nation’s 64th independence anniversary.

In a statement released to commemorate the occasion, the company lauded Nigerians for their tenacity, industry, passion, patriotism, and enterprising spirit over the years, all of which have helped the nation persevere even in the face of hardship.

Globacom praised Nigerians who have consistently elevated the nation’s standing in a variety of endeavour and exhorted every Nigerians to adopt a mindset of excellence, dedication, diligence, and alertness to help the nation soar.

“Our people remain the country’s greatest assets,” Globacom noted and added that “there is a remarkable Nigerian making waves around the world in every field of human endeavor”.

It urged the youth, who comprise the majority of the population, to avoid vices and actions that can tarnish Nigeria’s reputation.

It reiterated its commitment to empowering its customers and advancing Nigeria’s development via the ongoing provision of top-notch telecommunications products and services at the most affordable costs

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