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Customs Arrest Bullion Van With Bags Of Smuggled Rice, N24m

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Customs Arrest Bullion Van With Bags Of Smuggled Rice, N24m

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has impounded a bullion van loaded with 12 bags of 50kg of smuggled foreign parboiled rice and a sum of money to the tune of N24,489,500.00.

The Customs Area Controller, Olusola Alade, who disclosed this to newsmen on Friday, said the items were impounded by the Ogun Area Command II.

According to him, the van with registration number, FKJ 993 BZ belongs to Bankers Warehouse Ltd, while the money belongs to the Abeokuta branch of Access Bank.

Alade revealed that the items were impounded in April 2022 by operatives of the Joint Border Patrol team along Sokoto-ljoun/Joga road, Abeokuta axis of the state.

The Area Controller further stated that the Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, has ordered the release of the bullion van and the money to both Bankers Warehouse and Access Bank on compassionate grounds after an investigation and recommendation.

Alade said, “On 22 April 2022, Officers and Men of Joint Border Patrol Team at the Olorunda axis of Ogun State, intercepted the used Bullion Van with Reg. No. FKY 993 BZ found to have concealed some bags of foreign parboiled rice and N24,489,500.00, along the Sokoto-ljoun/Joga road, Abeokuta axis of Ogun State.

“The foreign parboiled rice which were 12 bags of 50kg each were carefully concealed in the said vehicle.

“Consequently, the said vehicle and the items were conveyed to the Customs House, Abeokuta for safekeeping. After conducting examination on the vehicle, the said amount of money was discovered and deposited at Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Abeokuta branch for safekeeping.

“The vehicle was detained while the rice was converted to seizure in line with Section 168 of Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.

“In connection to the above seizures, three suspects were arrested, detained, granted administrative bail and subsequently charged to court for aiding smuggling.

“In a bid to retrieve the detained Bullion Van and the money, the Bankers Warehouse Ltd and Access Bank wrote an appeal letter to the Comptroller General of Customs for release on compassionate ground.

“Based on the outcome of investigation and recommendations of the Investigation Unit of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Comptroller General of Customs granted an approval for the release of the detained van and the money in line with the provision of Section 248 (1) and (2) of NCS Act, 2023.”

He reiterated the resolve of the service to continue to fight smuggling and other criminality in the state.

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Abia Judicial Panel orders arrest of Ikpeazu’s former Chief of Staff, Deputy

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Abia Judicial Panel orders arrest of Ikpeazu’s former Chief of Staff, Deputy

The Chairman of Abia State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the recovery of Government Property and Funds, Justice Florence Doruoha-Igwe (Rtd) has issued a Bench Warrant on Anthony Agbazuere and Don Ubani, who served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff, respectively, to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.

This is even as Don Ubani has said that he never received any invitation from the panel.

The Bench Warrant on Agbazuere according to Justice Duruoha-Igwe was because of his alleged failure to appear before the Panel to give evidence in respect to a Toyota Hilux Land Cruiser alleged to be in his possession since he left office.

Justice Doruoha-Igwe (Rtd) who adjourned the matter to January 24, 2024, directed that Agbazuere should be arrested and produced for further cross examination.

The Panel said that the Bench warrant on the former Deputy Chief of Staff to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Don Ubani, was because of his alleged failure to appear before the Panel and his inability to file a response to a notice served him on 30th of November, 2023.

Speaking before adjourning the matter to 24th of this month, the Chairman Justice Doruoha-Igwe (Rtd) directed that Ubani should be arrested and produced on January 24, 2024, to defend himself.

But reacting to the development, the former Deputy Chief of Staff to former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Don Ubani said he was shocked to read that a Bench Warrant had been issued on him, saying that he was never invited by the Panel.

“I am shocked to read that a Bench Warrant could be issued on me without ever being invited to a Panel either by writing or even through a telephone call,” said Ubani who also described the arrest order as ‘false propaganda and political witch-hunt’.

But the former Deputy Chief of Staff also promised to appear before the Panel of Enquiry if he received an invitation.

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No date yet for inauguration of Supreme Court’s new Justices – NJC

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No date yet for inauguration of Supreme Court’s new Justices – NJC

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has clarified that no date has yet been fixed for the swearing-in of the newly appointed eleven Justices of the Supreme Court.

The Council said that the purported news by an Abuja based media organization suggesting Monday January 16 for the inauguration of the Justices did not emanate from it.

A statement by the NJC’s Director of Information, Barrister Soji Oye clarified that neither the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who is the NJC Chairman, nor the Council itself authored or endorsed the purported date.

While asking members of the public to disregard the news, the NJC said that the date for the swearing-in of the Justices would be made public at the appropriate time.

NJC’s statement read in part, “The attention of the National Judicial Council has been drawn to a trending story purportedly informing the public that the newly appointed 11 Supreme Court Justices would be sworn in on Monday 16 January 2023.

“The Council by this medium expressly denies the news as it did not emanate from the Council or the Office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola.

“The date for the swearing-in of the Justices will be made public at the appropriate time. Members of the public should please disregard the trending news.”

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MACBAN demands probe of alleged extra-judicial killing of members in Kaduna

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MACBAN demands probe of alleged extra-judicial killing of members in Kaduna

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Kaduna State, has demanded a probe of alleged extra-judicial killing of their members.

WORLD WIDE GIST recalls that an online report alleged that 11 decomposing corpses of Fulani natives, from Tulde Fulbe, Ladduga Grazing Reserve in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were on Monday discovered in a forest.

They were alleged to have been killed by the Nigerian Army.

But the Headquarters, 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, in a statement on Thursday night, by Lt. Col Musa Yahaya, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, denied involvement of the Army in the said killing.

However, in a statement by MACBAN Kaduna chairman, Haruna Usman Tugga, he insisted that the organisation as an umbrella body of Fulbe in Nigeria received with serious concern the information.

The statement condemned what they described as “extra-judicial killing of law-abiding Fulbe youths of Tilde Fulbe community and other areas of Ladduga Grazing Reserve in Kachia Local Government Area of the state by military personnel at Kachia, headquarters of Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.”

He said they called an emergency executive meeting of the association to get to the root of the matter and find out the remote causes, perpetrators and names of the victims.

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