Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted attempts by drug syndicates to export large consignments of cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, to the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, and Qatar.

A total of 13 parcels of cocaine weighing 4.40kg, destined for the United Kingdom via Frankfurt on a Lufthansa Airlines flight, were intercepted by NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Lagos airport on November 5, 2024.

A statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed that a businessman linked to the consignment, Ekeocha Nelson, was tracked and arrested on November 8.

Babafemi also reported the arrest of another businessman, Adegbite Solomon, who attempted to export 7,800 pills of tramadol, among other drugs.

He said, “The bid by another businessman, Adegbite Solomon (aka Obama), to export 7,800 pills of tramadol, 180 tablets of Rohypnol, and 60 bottles of codeine to Italy was also foiled at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on Monday, November 11, when the NDLEA operatives arrested him after recovering the opioids concealed in food and other items while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Italy. He claimed to have travelled to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea and earned a living as a street beggar before delving into the logistics business.”

Babafemi further mentioned the arrest of another businessman, Anoke Roomy, who was caught with 1,100 pills of tramadol 225mg hidden in his luggage while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Istanbul, Turkey, at the Lagos airport on November 15.

He added, “Following credible intelligence, the NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, and their counterparts from the FCT Command of the agency on Friday, November 15, raided a hotel room at the Federal Housing Authority estate, Lugbe, Abuja, where they arrested two suspects: Omeh Uchenna Jude, 36, and Anene Valentine Chigozie, 34. Recovered from them was 1.8kg methamphetamine, which they were preparing to travel with to Qatar.”

In another intelligence-led operation, Babafemi said a trans-border drug trafficker, Emmanuel Okeke, was arrested during an attempt to smuggle drugs to Ghana.

He said, “Officers of an NDLEA task force on Saturday, November 16, foiled the attempt by a trans-border trafficker, Emmanuel Okechukwu Okeke, to smuggle 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg from Ghana into Lagos. The pills were concealed in the body compartments of a Toyota Hummer Bus belonging to the GUO Transport Company, driven by the suspect. The vehicle was intercepted at the Ijanikin area of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway while coming from Ghana.”

In Edo State, Babafemi reported the recovery of no fewer than 997kg of cannabis during raids in various parts of the state.

“While 680kg of cannabis and a Sienna bus marked FST-320 AE were seized at a bush path to the Oghada forest in Oghada, Orhionmwan LGA, 180.5kg of the same substance was recovered from a suspect, Cecilia Ibe, 31, at the Ofosu forest, Ovia South West LGA, and 136.5kg evacuated from a building in Otuo community, Owan East LGA on Thursday, November 14,” he added.

In Kwara State, Babafemi mentioned that NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect, Adio Sulaiman, with 120.8kg of cannabis and some litres of codeine at Gaa Odota in Ilorin West LGA.

“While Kelechi Obichere, 42, was nabbed with 75kg of cannabis at Eziobodo, Owerri West LGA, Imo State on Thursday, November 14, a total of 563.74 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance were recovered from a 60-year-old suspect, Anthony Anakabi, following his arrest at Iyalode, Iyana Church area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital,” he concluded.

Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano, has called on the national assembly to reject any attempts to “cheat” the north through the proposed tax reform bills.

Kwankwaso made this statement on Sunday during the convocation ceremony of Skyline University at the Ammani Centre, Nassarawa GRA, Kano state.

He accused Lagos of “making a lot of efforts” to colonise the north, and further alleged that the president, who hails from Lagos, is interfering in the emirship dispute in Kano.

“The Emir has just been installed at this difficult time in our country, especially in this part of the country, northern Nigeria,” he said.

“Today, we can see very clearly that there is a lot of effort from the Lagos axis to colonise this part of the country.”

“Today, Lagos wouldn’t allow us to choose our Emir. Lagos has to come to the centre of Kano to put their own Emir.”

“Today, we are aware that the Lagos young men are working so hard to impose and take away our taxes from Kano and this part of the country to Lagos.”

The Kano emirship is currently the subject of litigation. Muhammadu Sanusi was reinstated as Emir of Kano in May, but Aminu Bayero, who was previously removed to make way for Sanusi, has refused to step aside.

• TAX REFORM BILLS

Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, also claimed that many factory owners have been “forced” to relocate their headquarters to Lagos, enabling the southwest state to claim “all the taxes.”

“We have seen the effort of some people to make the poor poorer and the rich richer. And I believe this is very dangerous for us,” Kwankwaso said.

“This part of the country today is suffering from a serious economic crunch, insecurity, poverty, hunger, and diseases.”

“I believe this is not good for the cordial existence of our country. At this moment, I would like to call on all our national assembly members to keep their eyes open so that they don’t do anything that will cheat the people of northern Nigeria, especially here in Kano.”

“We are witnesses to what happened during the first term of Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2003, where our members of the national assembly were bribed into collecting a huge sum of money to support onshore/offshore in the country.”

“That law put a huge blow on our economy in northern Nigeria and all other states.”

• BACKGROUND

On October 3, President Tinubu asked the national assembly to consider and pass four tax reform bills.

These proposed legislations, which have sparked intense debate, include the Nigeria tax bill, the tax administration bill, and the joint revenue board establishment bill.

The president also requested the parliament repeal the law establishing the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and replace it with the Nigeria Revenue Service.

On October 28, the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) opposed the bills, arguing that the proposed legislation would harm the region’s interests. The governors asked the national assembly to reject the bills, calling for the equitable and fair implementation of national policies across all regions.

The National Economic Council (NEC) also urged Tinubu to withdraw the bills to allow for further consultations.

On November 1, President Tinubu stated that the bills would not be withdrawn, emphasizing that the proposed laws are designed to improve the lives of Nigerians and optimise existing tax frameworks.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the appointment of new, credible leaders for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with short tenures, in order to prevent corruption and restore trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.

Obasanjo made the comments during the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

In his keynote address at the forum, titled ‘Leadership failure and state capture in Nigeria,’ Obasanjo described the 2023 general elections as a “travesty.”

The former president emphasized that reforming the electoral system is a critical issue for the country, stressing the need for thorough vetting of INEC officials to avoid partisan appointments.

“As a matter of urgency, we must make sure the INEC chairperson and his or her staff are thoroughly vetted,” Obasanjo said.

“The vetting exercise should yield dispassionate, non-partisan actors with impeccable reputations.”

“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal—city, town, and village levels—with short tenures—to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption and re-establish trust in the electoral systems by its citizens.”

“The INEC chairperson must not only be absolutely above board, but he must also be transparently independent and incorruptible.”

Obasanjo further stated that Nigeria must prevent electoral interference at every level, protecting elections from both foreign and local malevolent actors to safeguard democratic integrity.

He also advocated for the implementation of clearly defined financial regulations for political campaigns to ensure transparency and accountability.

“On the local level, we should implement and enforce clearly defined financial regulations for political campaigns and establish effective control and enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with financial regulations,” the former president said.

“And intensify activities to prepare and secure the voting infrastructure, such as safeguarding the technology used to collate, transmit, verify, and disseminate election results.”

Obasanjo alleged that INEC deliberately failed to use the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and election viewing portal (IReV) technologies during the 2023 presidential election.

“The BVAS and IReV are two technological innovations that, prior to 2023, were celebrated for their potential to enhance the accuracy and transparency of our election results, eliminate the threat of election rigging, and boost public trust in electoral outcomes,” he said.

“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself. In the end, these technologies did not fail.”

“INEC willfully failed to use or implement them, which resulted in widespread voting irregularities. It was a case of inviting the fox into the henhouse.”