Tag: drug trafficking

  • Why Bola Tinubu not indicted in trending US Court Documents – Keyamo

    Why Bola Tinubu not indicted in trending US Court Documents – Keyamo

    Festus Keyamo, the spokeswoman for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, has denied claims that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the candidate for president of the ruling All Progressives Congress was indicted in the US court documents trending on social media.

    Festus Keyamo, during his interview on Wednesday with Politics Today on Channels Television made this declaration as response to criticism from the PDP and Labour party who claimed that Tinubu was indicted in the US case.

    According to Keyamo, the opposition parties crossed the line when they claimed Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was under investigation.

    “There cannot be an indictment if Asiwaju is not a defender or was not a defendant to that case.

    “I repeat it for the umpteenth time, I don’t want to sound like a broken record here. Asiwaju was not a party to that case.

    “It was just an account that was sued not him.

    “It was an account in his name that was sued, so how could you indict him if there was no account?”

    When Keyamo was asked about the number of accounts involved, he said, “10 in three banks.”

    “Not in one person’s name. There were ones linked to his mother.

    “He took responsibility for all of them because they were all Tinubu family.

    “His mother was there, his company was there, his brother was there.

    “At the end of the day, they now pleaded with him that ‘please don’t come against us if it was found that we wrongly seized your accounts in the first place” Keyamo added.

    Keyamo urged the public to examine Paragraph 6 in Page 2 of the Settlement, which was signed by the attorneys.

    He emphasized that the attorneys were pleading with Tinubu not to take the lawsuit against them.

    Keyamo further added that “It was him (Tinubu) giving them indemnity. It was not the other way round by them telling him go and sin no more.

    “He (Tinubu) was the one telling them go and sin no more. The documents are there before Nigerians to read.”

  • U.S Court Judgement Indicts Tinubu for Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering 

    U.S Court Judgement Indicts Tinubu for Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering 

    Social Media has been agog with a United States District Court judgement from the Northern District of Illinois taking possession of Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s money over his involvement in drug trafficking.

    The judgement docketed on July 26, 1993, and certified by Thomas O. Burton, the clerk of the court, indicted Tinubu for heroin trafficking in the state of Illinois through a proxy organisation owned by Adegboyega Mueez Akande and subsequently forfeited the proceeds of the crime to the U.S. government.

    The funds, which were held by First Heritage Bank and Citibank in trust for Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), were forfeited to the U.S. government for being proceeds of drug-related offences.

    Details from the now-circulated court papers show that Michael J. Shepard, the attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said in 1993 that the court has jurisdiction over the case brought to it by special agent Kevin Moss.

    According to the document, the monies held in those forfeited accounts were proceeds from white heroin drug operations operated by Aknade and his partners.

    Akande had a strong and well-connected narcotics business, whose proceeds were substantial and kept in the forfeited bank accounts, the document shows.

    The affidavit revealed that the defendant’s—Tinubu funds—represented a substantial part of the proceeds from this operation or property involved in money laundering. That Judge Michael believes based on indisputable evidence that the funds belonging to Tinubu stashed in his Citibank and First Heritage Bank accounts were proceeds from Akande and other narcotraffickers’ heroin operations.

    The judge concluded that the proceeds be forfeited to the US government.

    Below is an excerpt of the court judgement:

  • Abba Kyari Pleads ‘Not Guilty’ To Drug Trafficking Charges

    Abba Kyari Pleads ‘Not Guilty’ To Drug Trafficking Charges

    Suspended police officer Abba Kyari on Monday pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges brought against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The NDLEA had filed eight counts of hard drugs trafficking against Mr Kyari, who is also wanted in the United States for his relationship with convicted fraudster, Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas.

    He was arraigned on Monday along with six others before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    Mr Kyari, before his suspension, was a former Deputy Commissioner of Police.

    Those arraigned along with Mr Kyari include Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP Sunday Ubua, Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirigba, Inspector John Nuhu, Chibuinna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.

    Mr Abba Kyari was arraigned in an Abuja court on March 7, 2022 over drug trafficking related offences. Sodiq Adelakun/Channels Television
    Mr Abba Kyari (L) was arraigned in an Abuja court on March 7, 2022 over drug trafficking related offences. Sodiq Adelakun/Channels Television

    While the other defendants also pleaded not guilty to the charges when read to them, the sixth and seventh defendants, pleaded guilty to counts five, six and seven.

    According to the NDLEA, Mr Kyari, between January 19 and 25, dealt in 17.55 kilograms of cocaine.

    He is also being charged with obstruction of justice through attempted bribery of NDLEA officers.

  • NDLEA Declares Abba Kyari Wanted For Drug Trafficking

    NDLEA Declares Abba Kyari Wanted For Drug Trafficking

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has declared suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, wanted over alleged links with drug trafficking.

    NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi made the announcement during a press conference in Abuja on Monday.

    Before his suspension over links with convicted fraudster Hushpuppi, Mr Kyari was the Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force.

    According to the NDLEA, he is wanted over his involvement in a 25 kilograms Cocaine deal.

    The Agency said it declared Mr Kyari wanted after all efforts to get him to honour formal invitations for his interrogation failed.

    It bemoaned a situation where those who are supposed to support current efforts to stem the tide of illicit drug trafficking and abuse are themselves neck deep in the menace.

    “There is no better way to start this press briefing than to remind us about the enormity of the drug problem Nigeria has on its hand and the imperative of all well-meaning Nigerians to play a positive role in curbing the illicit drug menace,” Mr Babafemi said on Monday.

    “Even before the damning findings of the 2018 National Drug Use and Health Survey, Nigeria’s drug problem was getting close to epidemic proportion. And if anything, the arrests and seizures by NDLEA in the past 12 months is an indication that the country’s drug problem was grossly underestimated before President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to strengthen the NDLEA and the subsequent launch of offensive action by the Agency to clean the society of the menace.

    “And in just 12 months, even the most cynical of Nigerians now agree that the country is really in a drug quagmire and therefore appreciates the relentless efforts of NDLEA operatives.

    “Unfortunately, some law enforcement agents who should be partners in the pursuit of the President’s mandate are at the forefront of breaking the law, as they aid and abet drug trafficking in the country.

    “Today, we are forced to declare one of such law enforcement agents wanted in the person of suspended DCP Abba Kyari, the erstwhile Commander of Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at the Force Intelligence Bureau of the Nigerian Police Force.

    “With the intelligence at our disposal, the Agency believes strongly that DCP Kyari is a member of a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline, and he needs to answer questions that crop up in an ongoing drug case in which he is the principal actor. His failure to cooperate forced the hand of the Agency and that is the reason for this press briefing.”

    The drug deal
    According to the NDLEA, Kyari had initiated a call to one of its officers on Friday, January 21, 2022.

    “When the officer returned the call two minutes later, Kyari informed him he was coming to see him, to discuss an operational matter after the Juma’at service,” Mr Babafemi said.

    “He appeared at the agreed venue of the meeting with the officer and went straight to the crux of the matter. This was it: His team had intercepted and arrested some traffickers that came into the country from Ethiopia with, according to him, 25kg of cocaine. He proposed a drug deal whereby he and his team are to take 15kg of the cocaine and leave 10kg for the prosecution of the suspects arrested with the illicit drug in Enugu. In the meantime, the purloined cocaine will be replaced with a dummy worth 15kg. He asked the NDLEA officer to persuade men of the FCT Command, to play along as well.

    “By 11: 05 am on Monday, January 24, after the Agency gave the officer the green light to play along, he and Kyari began a WhatsApp call for the rest of the day. The officer conveyed “their” willingness to play the game.

    “At this point, Kyari disclosed that the 15kg (already taken out) was shared between the informants that provided information for the seizure and himself and his men of the IRT of the Nigerian Police. According to him, the informants were given 7kg while his team took 8kg which was already sold.

    “He then offered to pay the NDLEA team (that is the officer and the FCT commander) by selling, on their behalf, half of the remaining 10kg, thereby further reducing the original cocaine for the prosecution to just 5kg. At N7m per kilogram, the proceed from the 5kg would amount to N35m, at the exchange rate of N570 per dollar being the black market rate for the day, January 24, 2022. In effect, he would be delivering $61, 400 to the NDLEA team. He put pressure on our officer to wrap up the arrangement with the commander of the FCT Command to take custody of the drug and suspects from his men who were on ground in Abuja. At the time, he was speaking from Lagos, where he allegedly travelled for private business.

    “The next day January 25, Kyari offered to send his younger brother to deliver the payment while his men deliver the suspects, but our officer turned down the suggestion, insisting he would rather deal with him in person and was therefore prepared to wait for him to return from Lagos.

    “And by 5: 23 pm, Kyari was in Abuja and met with the officer at the same rendezvous where they had the first meeting. In their discussion, he disclosed how his team received the information from a double-crosser who betrayed the traffickers to him, showing a sordid connection between law enforcement agents and the drug underworld; he narrated how acting on the tip-off, his team departed Abuja to Enugu and arrested the traffickers, removed part of the consignment on his instruction and replaced same with dummies. He also indicated how to identify the remnant of the original cocaine that would be delivered to NDLEA, five original packages marked with red dots. The reason for this was to avoid the dummies being subjected to test. He forwarded a picture of the marked original cocaine package. According to the plan, once the 5kg cocaine has been tested in the presence of the suspects and confirmed positive, there would be no need to test the remaining ones, being dummies.

    “He also brought with him the money from the sale of the 5kg share of the NDLEA team, a total of $61, 400. Our officer, however, preferred to take the money inside his car. Well, the car was wired with sound and video recorders.”

    While explaining that relevant channels of communication were duly followed in the demand for Kyari without any result, the NDLEA said it cannot continue to keep other suspects in the case indefinitely while the principal suspect fails to honour official invitation.

    “NDLEA has the mandate to take custody of suspects and consignments of drugs seized by other arms of law enforcement,” Mr Babafemi said. “And there is a standard protocol for such transfer. This we duly followed. The suspects and drugs were delivered to us on February 8 but the last part of the process, yet to be completed, is the debriefing of Kyari.

    “DCP Abba Kyari was invited by NDLEA for debriefing on Thursday February 10 through two main channels because there is a whole lot of questions begging for answers. The invitation was legitimate and formal according to our protocol. But up till the close of office hours on Friday, February 11, he refused to respond. Up till this moment, he hasn’t responded. We are a law-abiding agency of government. We follow due process. In that vein, we will not detain suspects beyond the stipulated period according to the law before we charge them to court. And Kyari must be debriefed before the suspects are arraigned in court.

    “Having failed to honour the official invitation, NDLEA has no option but to declare DCP Abba Kyari of the Nigerian Police WANTED, right from this very moment.

    The NDLEA said that it’s not unaware of threats to the lives of its officers involved in the case, assuring that it would do everything to protect its officers.

    “We are not unaware of threats to the lives of NDLEA officers involved in this investigation, even as we continue to do our best to protect our officers and men in the line of duty.

    “We are making this strong statement to those contemplating harmful action against NDLEA officers. They would only succeed in compounding their problems in the event of the murder of or harm to officers and men of NDLEA.”

  • Court Convicts Comedian De General Of Drug Trafficking

    Court Convicts Comedian De General Of Drug Trafficking

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted a comedian and skit maker, Joshua Sunday, popularly called De General, for unlawful possession of 14 grams of Tramadol.

    Also convicted alongside the 22-year-old comedian, is Caleb Ojana William, who was accused of unlawful possession of 15 grams of Cannabis Sativa, popularly called Marijuana.

    Justice Daniel Osiagor convicted the two men after they pleaded guilty to a count each of unlawful possession of the banned substance, made against them by the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The NDLEA through its prosecutor told the court that the two convicts on January 12 at No 2B, Saula Akinlolu Orchid, Lekki, Lagos State, had in their possession the banned substance without lawful authority.

    The prosecutor had told the court that the offences committed by the convicts are contrary to and punishable under section 11 (c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The prosecutor also urged the court to sentence the two men as prescribed by section 356(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, having pleaded guilty to the charge.

    But in his judgment, Justice Osiagor declined to sentence the convicts. He cautioned them ‘to go and sin no more’.

  • Gov. Masari urges FG to strengthen NDLEA to check drug trafficking

    Gov. Masari urges FG to strengthen NDLEA to check drug trafficking

    Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State has urged the Federal Government to strengthen the NDLEA to make it proactive in checking drug trafficking at the borders.
    Masari gave this advice when Mr Sule Mommodu, the newly posted NDLEA Commander in the State, paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Katsina, on Friday.
    The governor said that although the closure of the borders had reduced the smuggling of dangerous substances into the country, the porous nature of the borders with neighboring countries has made the duties of the agency more challenging.
    He said that to enhance NDLEA  performance, the state government would donate two new Toyota Hilux vehicles to them and repair the agency’s broken down vehicles.
    Masari said that the government would  intimate members of the National Assembly from the state on the need to support NDLEA, to enable it perform optimally.
    Earlier, Mommodu, explained to the governor the dangers  drug peddlers and dealers posed to the state and the country.
    He said he had been briefed on the assistance being rendered to the command by the state government and urged it to keep up the good efforts.(NAN)
  • Man bags 3 months imprisonment for drug trafficking

    Man bags 3 months imprisonment for drug trafficking

    A 42-year-old farmer, Sunday Shok, was on Tuesday sentenced to 3 months imprisonment by the Federal High Court, Ibadan, for drug trafficking.

    The judge, Justice Patricia Ajoku, said she considered the time the convict had spent in detention since his arrest on Nov. 23, 2019.

    She also ordered that the cannabis sativa, also known as Indian hemp, found in the possession of the convict be burnt publicly.

    Earlier, Mr Raphael Hinmikaiye, counsel to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), told the court that the convict was arraigned on a count charge bordering on unlawful drug trafficking.

    According to him, the convict was arrested on Nov.16, 2019 at Kishi, Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State.

    “He was arrested with a black polythene bag, containing wrapped leafy substance, which tested positive to Indian hemp and weighed at 1.1kg,” he said.

    Ms Beauty Ekah, the defence counsel, however, pleaded for leniency on behalf of her client.

    “He is a first-time offender who pleaded guilty when he was arraigned.

    “If given a reformatory sentence, he will be useful to himself, his family and the society at large,” she said.