2 clearing agents, another arrested at MMIA with drugs.............We ‘ll expose those involved in electoral offences – NHRC BOSS........UNIUYO crisis: NANS call for VC’s sack

LAGOS — Three persons, including two licensed clearing and forwarding agents, have been arrested for illicit shipment of 43.6kg of cannabis to China and 12 kilogrammes of methamphetamine to South Africa.
The drugs said to have been hidden inside foodstuff and artificial hair were detected by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, during screening.
This was as 55.6 kilogrammes of narcotics was intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.
NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr Hamza Umar, described it as the highest cannabis seizure since January 2013.
Hamza said: “This 43.6kg is the highest cannabis seizure since the beginning of the year. Like several seizures in the past, the cannabis was hidden inside foodstuff. The drug was discovered during routine examination.
“The suspects include Keita Mamady, 38, who was arrested with 43.6kg cannabis and two clearing agents Samuel Williams (40) and Adams Adewunmi Samuel (35) who were arrested in connection with the shipment of 12kg of methamphetamine.”
One of the suspects who hails from Anambra State whose real name is Sylvester Nnamdi Augustine was caught with a Guinean International passport bearing Keita Mamady.
According to the suspect, the drug was to be delivered at Hong Kong while he would have proceeded to Guangzhou.
He said: “I was told to deliver the drug in Hong Kong on my way to Guangzhou. Unfortunately, the drug was discovered by the NDLEA officers at the luggage checking desk. I am a business man and I live in Guinea where I obtained my passport.”
Samuel Williams who is a clearing agent collected the consignment from a member of the drug syndicate and gave it to his colleague to export to South Africa. The drug was found hidden inside female artificial hair.
According to Williams, “my friend in South Africa called me to send some hair attachment to him. When they brought the package to me, I then gave it to my colleague on export desk because I specialise in import clearance.”
Samuel hails from Delta State.
His colleague, Samuel who hails from Ogun State also told officers that he was invited to send the package to South Africa by Samuel Williams.
“I was given the package by Samuel Williams. It was during examination that NDLEA officers detected the drugs inside the hair attachment,” he said.

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We ‘ll expose those involved in electoral offences – NHRC BOSS

Lagos — The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, weekend, in Abuja, said it would expose all those involved in electoral impunity during past elections in the country.
Chairman of the Governing Council of the commission, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, during the formal inauguration of a project with theme Fair Trial and the Right to Effective Participation in Governance, said: “If we are to change this country, we must mention names.
We are not going to run away from our responsibilities because we have the will to mention names and we will. If there is a name that is disclosed and we find evidence, we will mention it. We are going to name those who have been officially indicted of electoral impunity in our country.”
The project  was  organised by  NHRC with support from Ford Foundation, to review evidence of violations of the rights of citizens to fair trial and participation in governance.
Odinkalu added that the commission would do all within its power to stop electoral impunity and promote the rule of law.
He said that over the years, politicians did not bother to know about the needs of the masses because they felt they were not accountable to the people. He, therefore, urged politicians, women, youths as well as other stakeholders to ensure that the right people were voted into power and that the culture of impunity was completely eradicated.
According to him, this will enhance development, stability and national integration.
Speaking at the event, Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Senator Umaru Dahiru,  announced the resolve of the National Assembly to adequately tackle the issue of electoral impunity ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Dahiru said that the senate had captured the funding of NHRC under the First Line Charge in view of the need for the commission to effectively carry out its mandate. He urged the committee to expand its scope to cover internal party policies, so as to ensure that parties fielded qualified candidates.

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UNIUYO crisis: NANS call for VC’s sack

UGHELLI — PRESIDENT of National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Mr. Yinka Gbadebo, has called for the removal of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Comfort Ekpo, blaming the death of five of its members in a recent auto crash on the introduction of a policy by the university authorities.
It will be recalled that that NANS Senate President, Donald Onukaogu, and four others died in a fatal auto crash on the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway in Abia State on their way to intervene in the crisis between the university management and the students union.
Gbadebo spoke when he led a delegation of the association on a condolence visit to the family of one of the deceased, Mr. Asa Ejieta in Ughelli, Delta State.
He blamed the deaths on the insensitivity of government on the plight of Nigerian masses.
He said: “It is the actions and inactions of governments and anti-student policies of the institution’s management that make students embark on protests.
“It is the first time NANS is losing five of its gallant members.”