The war against drug trafficking cartels is getting tougher as operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) last weekend busted two major attempts by suspected drug syndicates to import 4kg of high grade cocaine from Brazil and 5.1kg of heroin from Pakistan. The spectacular seizures with an estimated street value of over 100 million naira were recorded in two separate operations at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

Three prime suspects arrested in connection with the illegal importation are currently being quizzed by anti-narcotic officials. A total of 9.800kg of narcotics was intercepted; 4kg of cocaine was hidden inside bed sheets and engine pistons; 700grammes of cocaine was ingested while 5.1kg of heroin was concealed in a false layer of a luggage.

Confirming the arrests and seizures, the NDLEA commander at the MMIA, Hamza Umar said that the recent crackdown occurred last weekend when preparation for the Christmas celebration was at its peak. “Three prime suspects by name Akakpo Kossi James, 49, and Nwanchukwu Chukwuma Ferdinard, 42, who were on board Emirate flight from Brazil as well as Okonkwo John Oforma, 38, who had an emergency travel certificate on his way from Pakistan on board Qatar Airline flight are currently undergoing interrogation in connection with the drug seizures” Hamza stated.

Akakpo smuggled 4kg of cocaine from Brazil in bed sheets and engine pistons, Nwanchukwu Chukwuma Ferdinard ingested 58 wraps of cocaine weighing 700grammes also from Brazil while Okonkwo imported 5.1kg heroin from Pakistan hidden in a luggage. The suspects have made very useful statements that are fast tracking investigation.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA Ahmadu Giade described the seizures as another victory in the country’s anti-narcotics crusade. “This is another victory in the battle to eliminate illicit drugs from our society. We are poised to tackle drug syndicates notwithstanding their shrewd modes of drug concealment” Giade promised.

Akakpo Kossi James a 49 year old bachelor told investigators that he got involved in drug trafficking in order to be married and live a settled life. “I work as an event planner in Brazil since 2008. I dropped out of secondary school in class 3. As a result of unemployment I travelled to Senegal in 1999. When I could not get any good job, I left Senegal to Cape Verde and later to Brazil in 2008. In all these countries, I have been living from hand to mouth. A Brazilian introduced me into the drug business. I used to meet with him at shopping mall and recreational centres. He convinced me into smuggling the drug with a 10,000 dollars offer. I saw it as an opportunity to marry and settle down” Akakpo stated. He hails from Isukwator, Abia State.

Okonkwo John Oforma, 38 years is believed to be working with a Pakistani based drug cell. The suspect who lives at Surulere Street, Ijaniki, Lagos used to sell dry fish before he was recruited to smuggle drugs from Pakistan. Okonkwo who travelled to Pakistan on September 14, 2011 through Dubai claimed that he lost his international passport at Islamabad. He arrive Nigeria a day to Christmas with an emergency travel certificate NHCI 197/2011 and Qatar ticket number 2145050251276.

He reportedly took off from Karachi Airport, Pakistan to Nigeria enroute Doha. According to Okonkwo, “I am sick and need to undergo surgery. I have no money for the treatment and they promised to settle all my hospital bills and also give me money for business. The man is so nice to me. They usually import shirts and sometimes I collect some of the clothes to sell and have my commission. That was how I met them. The man took me as his son and promised to do anything for me. They assisted me with my travel documents and sponsored my trip to Pakistan. When I lost my passport at Islamabad, he was the one that processed the emergency travel certificate for me. He is an elderly man, I do not know his name but we call him Alhaji. He gave me the bag to take to Nigeria. Unfortunately, I was arrested and 5.1kg heroin was found in the bag”. He hails from Umueze in Anambra State.

Nwanchukwu Chukwuma Ferdinard who sells furniture in Lagos travelled to Brazil in 2009. His wife and 3 children reside in Lagos. During interrogation Nwanchukwu said that his love for his family made him to smuggle drugs. “I work in a Cyber Café in Brazil and my salary can barely meet my basic needs. In the process of complaining to friends I met a man who promised to help me only if I will smuggle drugs. Eventually, I agreed to carry the drug. They bought my return ticket and promised to pay me 2,500 dollars. My intention was to use the opportunity to visit my family and pay school fees of my children. I excreted 58 wraps of cocaine weighing 700grammes” he explained. The suspects will soon be charged to court.

Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan on Thursday hinged the future greatness of the country on youths that were prepared to be self-reliant and hardworking.
 
Uduaghan, speaking during the  presentation of awards to 200 participants of  the 3rd Award Ceremony of the Shell/Delta State Government  Livewire programme, observed that any country with a crop of youths that are dependent on others would not make any progress in the 21st century.
 
The governor who spoke through his deputy, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN)  noted, “the future of our great nation and indeed, our state depends on youths who are hard working, painstaking, innovative and ready to be self-reliant.”
 
He reasoned that poverty alleviation programmes that do not provide the needed environment for the young ones to be engaged in viable business ventures would not go a long way in achieving their set targets.
 
According to him, the state government in confronting the scourge of unemployment and youth restiveness in the state has made it a matter of policy to continue to engage the youths in productive ventures to reduce the ugly trend and to secure their future.
 
Uduaghan lauded the Livewire Scheme, recalling, “The success story of this programme began in 2005 and in year 2006, the pioneering set had 120  recipients of the award. Their testimonies are encouraging.”
 
Addressing the awardees, the governor disclosed that the concept of the programme was motivated by the need to reach out to more people in the state and urged the recipients to work hard to be the best among all the award recipients so far.
 
The governor stated that his administration would continue to partner with the private sector for the overall sustainable development of the entire state.
 
Shell’s Government and Community Relations Manager, East, Mr. Funkakpo Fufeyin on his part  informed that over 1000 Niger Delta youths have benefited from the programme since its inception.

Only recently precisely on 24th July, 2011 in Arewa House, Kaduna, the SCSN President, Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad vowed that Muslims would defend the implementation of the Islamic banking system “with the last drop of their blood.” “Jaiz bank has come to be and there is nothing they can do about it and if we have to go to war on this, we’ll go to war… Whatever they call themselves, whether archbishops, priests or whatever they are, let them stop disturbing our lives… We’ll meet fire with fire if they make the Jaiz bank impossible.” 

Not quite long thereafter, again in Kaduna on 28th July 2011 the Alh. Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto’s made his first public reaction since the emergence of the Boko Haram Islamic fundamentalists, “Most of the crises in the Northeast are not caused by Boko Haram sect… Stop blaming every violence on Boko Haram” he said.

However, on the Christmas day bombings in the country JNI and SCIA headed by the same Sultan of Sokoto claimed that “The perpetrators of the Christmas Day blasts in all parts of the country have done their evil acts not on behalf of the Nigerian Muslims or Islam. Boko Haram that claimed responsibility has done so on their own not on behalf of the Nigerian Muslims.”

I am not surprised by these attacks at all, certain prominent Nigerian Islamic leaders have been beating drums of war. It doesn’t make any difference if Boko Haram massacred innocent worshipers including women and children on their own behalf or on the behalf of Nigerian Muslims or Islam. Not all Nigerian Muslims are Boko Haram but all Boko Haram are Nigerian Muslims and the Leader of Nigerian Muslims is the Sultan of Sokoto. It is certainly contradictory for the Sultan having absolved Boko Haram of any violence to turn round and say Boko Haram did not act on behalf of the Nigerian Muslims or Islam. Why was he defending them in the first place?

Also, I find divisionary that the Sultan is calling for implementation of past Judicial Commission of Inquiry reports on Jos and the North East violence. What have reports on the Jos Crisis and crises in Northen Easter got to do with massive killings on innocent worshipers in a Church in Madala? What is the Sultan’s interest in the Solomon Lar report and not say the Bola Ajibola Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report headed by a fellow Muslim and a Jurist of International repute?

Their lame attempts to down play religion when nobody has accused them is ridiculous to me, the several Churches that were bombed were attacked on Christmas day. Why for example has the Boko Haram never bombed any Mosque on Sallah day? Nigerians now know better and we are being vindicated by the day, the Jos crisis is not really about indigeneship/settlership dichotomy nor is it because about poverty or unemployment. I concur with the Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor who said, “Let us not deceive ourselves, as good as religion is, it can be a terrible thing because it is only religion that can give a man the conviction to do this kind of thing.” How else can one explain the Madala massacre?

Signed

Bitrus B. Kaze

Member, House of Reps

Representing Jos South and Jos East

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has described a motion on notice filed by ex-governor Abubakar Audu of Kogi State seeking for an order of Kogi State High Court to stay further proceedings in the N4 billion corruption charges against him as an abuse of court process.
 
Audu had on December 12, 2011, through his lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, filed the motion supported by 11 paragraph Affidavit. This was 26 clear days after the Supreme Court of Nigeria on November 16, 2011, struck out a similar application he filed on January 24, 2011.
 
Five justices, led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher, sat in chambers and came up with their ruling, a copy of which was presented before Justice Saidu Tanko Husseini of High Court of Kogi State on December 9, 2011 when the case came up. But Ozekhome, SAN, had argued against the presentation of the ruling by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, as he said that in his about 30 years experience at the bar, he was unaware of such a legal jargon as “sitting in chambers”.
 
He described the Supreme Court ruling as a possible forgery which he must verify. The judge obliged his prayers and adjourned till December 22, 2011. But three days after, (December 12, 2011), he filed another stay of proceedings at the High Court.
 
In reply to Audu’s latest motion for stay of proceedings, the EFCC, through its counsel, Jacobs, on December 22, 2011, filed a 20 paragraph counter Affidavit supported with written address in opposition to the accused’s motion. Also attached to the counter Affidavit was a Supreme Court ruling as Exhibits RJ1.
 
The EFCC says the High Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear the stay of proceedings motion, “same having already been decided upon by the SCN when the apex court refused stay of proceedings in this Honourable Court as shown in Exhibit RJ1. Therefore, by the principle of stare decisis, this Honourable Court and all other subordinate courts are bound by the decisions of the SCN”
 
The prosecution counsel further stated that “it is our humble submission that the contention of the Applicant that none of the parties were heard at the Supreme Court before giving the said ruling is unfounded as this Court does not have a business with whether or not the decision of the Supreme Court is right or wrong and can therefore not sit over same”.
 
Jacobs, in paragraph 12 and 13 of the Counter Affidavit in opposition to the accused motion, said the application is another ploy by the accused to further delay the commencement of trial in the case which started in 2006 with the series of applications he inured the court with. “In all the several applications, there is none that has been won by the accused”, he declared.
 
In paragraph 17 of the motion, the EFCC prayed the court to discountenance the motion as staying proceedings in the matter will cause further delay and hardship to the complainant, having been given a go ahead by the Supreme Court and since the matter has not been allowed to proceed to hearing since 2006 when it commenced.
 
It would be recalled that Justice Husseini, in his ruling of June 10, 2011, held that since the matter was starting de novo, the starting point was the re-arraignment of the accused (ex- governor Abubakar Audu) by taking his plea afresh.
 
This development led the accused to proceed on appeal and filed motion for a stay of proceedings. A third stay of proceedings which motion, the accused filed, is in relation to his appeal before the Court of Appeal. “The case at the Court of Appeal is attacking the jurisdiction of the court to re-arraign the accused person; that motion is pending. The appellate courts are obliged to take these cases separately and determine its merit and demerit, no matter how frivolous it is. Like Pontius Pilate, wash your hands off until the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court concludes this case”, Ozekhome told the court.
 
After listening to all submissions by the prosecution and accused counsels, the court adjourned proceedings till January 24, 2012, for ruling and continuation of trial.    
 
Audu was originally arraigned on an 80 criminal count charge of fraud and embezzlement of public fund to the tune of over N4 billion while he was governor of Kogi state between 1999 and 2003.