By Godwin Obi
Tincan Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has announced interception of large quantities of pharmaceutical preparations suspected to be hard drugs in a 1×40 ft container.
The Area Controller, Comptroller Abdullahi Musa, who disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Thursday, endorsed by Mr Uche Ejesieme, the Public Relations Officer of the command, said the feat was made in conjunction with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA),
Musa said the container, with number MSCU 1751320, was intercepted during routine examination.
“Relying on a well-established collaboration and synergy at the base of our standard operating procedure, the NDLEA acting on intelligence on its radar, notified us of their strong suspicion that the said container was laden with concealed hard drugs.
The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko presents the Authority’s plaque to the Commanding Officer 65 Battalion, Lt. Colonel Bartholomew Ike Amajuoyi during a working visit to the NPA Management at the Authority’s Corporate Headquarters in Lagos.
“Following the development, the command directed that the container be transferred to its Enforcement Unit on Sept 6, where a 100 per cent physical examination revealed the items,” he said.
Musa said the items include 1,506 cartons of Barcadine Codeine and 189 cartons of Extra (pain and fever tablets).
He said sequel to this, the said container was impounded and would be handed over to NDLEA.
This is in line with section 169 of the Customs and Excise Management Act cap C45 Laws of the Federal Republic 2004, as amended.
“It is instructive to reiterate that the renewed and strengthened partnership with sister agencies in the port has continually yielded expected results.
“The command will leverage on that to decimate the activities of these criminal gangs and their supply chain.
“It is also pertinent to note that young Nigerians are addicted to codeine syrup medicine that is becoming a street drug, excessive consumption of which can cause psychosis and organ failure,” he said.
In another development, a 21-year-old suspected drug addict, identified as Muhammed Yusuf, has allegedly committed patricide by beating his septuagenarian father, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf, to death.
The suspect was said to have been alone with the father when he allegedly committed the crime at St. Mary Primary School area of Lokoja on Wednesday night.
According to one of the neighbours, Miss Bello Nana, the boy had been misbehaving since Wednesday morning and she urged the father to report him to the police and get him arrested to avoid problems.
She said that the suspect, a Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC) holder who had vehemently refused to further his education despite efforts by the father, had taken to drugs.
The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko (4th left), the Commanding Officer 65 Battalion, Lt. Colonel Bartholomew Ike Amajuoyi (5th left), General Manager, Land & Assets Administration, Yusuf Ahmed (3rd left), General Manager, Security, Khalil Mohammed (4th right), General Manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications, Olaseni Alakija (3rd right) and top Officers of the 65 Battalion during the visit to the NPA Corporate Headquarters in Lagos.
Nana said on the fateful day, she went to work around 4 pm to close by 12 midnight but closed at 10 pm and decided to go home but “When I came home, I knocked the gate and nobody opened it.”
She said that when she opened the gate herself and let herself into the house with her spare key and asked of Baba, the suspect said the septuagenarian was not around.
Knowing that the old man does not go out anything after 6 pm and that Baba would always lock his door, she asked the young man where Baba had gone.
“He answered from Baba’s room and knowing that Baba don’t normally allow him to enter his room, I became suspicious of what he was doing there and I immediately called my fiance.
“We called Baba’s phone number but it was switched off”, she said, adding that this made them to go to the police to lodge a complaint and came back to the house with policemen.
“When we entered the room Baba was lying in a pool of blood still breathing, that was how we rushed him to the hospital. This morning, we heard the news that Baba is dead,” Nana narrated.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Williams Aya (DSP), said the suspect had been arrested.
“We got information yesterday around 9 p.m. that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of ‘A’ Division Police Station, Lokoja received a distress call that Muhammad Yusuf, 21-year-old of behind St. Mary Primary School, Lokoja, attacked and injured his father.
“The police moved to the scene where they met the victim Yusuf Ibrahim in a pool of his blood with serious injury on his head.
“He was rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, for treatment and the suspect was arrested.
“But today, around 9:30 am, one of the victim’s sons came to the station and reported that their father had died while receiving treatment.
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