Folarin Kehinde

Some hoodlums on Monday attacked officials of NAFDAC who were on an enforcement operation against substandard drugs in Abuja.

The officials were attacked by the hoodlums during a raid at Area 1 motor park.

The hoodlums harassed the enforcement officers, including mobile policemen, and stoned the agency’s vehicle, breaking its windscreen.

It took the effort of police officers, who shot into the air several times and released teargas to disperse the hoodlums before journalists and the NAFDAC officers could scamper for safety.

The team leader, Umar-Ahmed Suleiman, an assistant chief regulatory officer, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said the raid followed intelligence received by the Agency of the high volume of substandard drugs in the park.

“This exercise that we just conducted today at Area 1 motor park is as a result of intelligence report received from DSS in 2023, although we have done some part of it then, we are trying to conclude the operation.

“You can see a lot of drug hawkers relaxed selling their products and people patronising them, that was why we raided the place.

“What happened is a normal thing to us in the investigation and enforcement unit of NAFDAC.

“That is why anytime we are going, we go with our armed mobile police officers, and Investigative Police Officers in case of any arrest.

“On our arrival here today, we swung into action, but to my surprise, we had not even done half of the work when the drug hawkers all absconded, not knowing that they were re-enforcing against NAFDAC.

“They came back in full force, attacking us; you can see our vehicle and how they broke the glass, throwing stones at us.

“Thank God for the gunshot and teargas released on them and we had to leave the scene,” he said.

Mr Suleiman, however, said that the enforcement unit would reinforce, prepare more, and do the needful.

He said in spite of the attack, the enforcement team was able to seize some controlled drugs, including rohypnol, diazepam, tramadol 500mg, tramadol 225mg, co-codamol, and so many other aphrodisiacs with some codeine syrups.

According to him, the value of the drug seized is more than N5 million.

“Area 1 motor park is a troublesome area for substandard drug sales, and the enforcement unit will be going back there to complete the operation,” he said.

A 20-year-old newlywed, Aisha Aliyu of Nasarawa village in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State has reportedly killed her husband, Idris Ahmadu.

Residents told Daily Trust that the incident happened around 1am on Monday.

Multiple sources said the couple got married on December 31, 2023.

One of the sources said the couple had a little misunderstanding in the evening on Sunday and they were reconciled before going to bed, until midnight when the mother of the deceased heard him screaming.

“When the mother came out alongside other residents, they saw him in a pool of blood. He tried to run out of room but he fell at the doorstep. But up till now, we don’t know the whereabouts of his wife,” he said.

The source said the wife had first stabbed the husband on his chest before she eventually slaughtered him.

Asked if it was a forced marriage, sources said the couple had been in a relationship for years but before the wedding date was fixed, she had a change of mind to marry someone else.

“But even with that, issues were resolved. They started this relationship right from secondary school and they had been together. Before the marriage, she said she was no longer interested in the relationship, but the issue was resolved and she agreed eventually, not knowing that this was her plan. She said she had a new suitor,” he said.

The Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident to our reporter.

“Today 12/02/2024 (Monday), at about 1200hrs, information was received that in the early hours, one Idris Ahmadu of Nasarawa village, via Lapai was stabbed to death by his wife, Aisha Aliyu 19/20yrs of the same address.

“Before the arrival of the police at the scene, the suspect had fled to an unknown destination, while effort is being intensified to arrest the fleeing suspect. Case under investigation please,” he said.

The Labour Party is facing a fresh crisis as its National Treasurer, Mrs. Oluchi Oparah, has accused the National Chairman, Julius Abure, of mismanaging party funds exceeding N3.5 billion.

The funds in question allegedly originate from the proceeds of selling nomination forms and engaging in other fundraising activities for the 2023 general elections.

At a press conference held on Monday in Abuja, Oparah alleged that Abure has been stopping her attempts to fulfil her constitutional duty of overseeing the party’s finances. She further claimed that the chairman has refused to open the party’s books for scrutiny since the closure of nomination form sales before the 2023 elections.

Oparah said, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the press. I stand before you today with a heavy heart and a sense of duty to the principles of transparency, accountability, and justice. With great reluctance and deep concern, I am compelled to publicly address the media regarding the egregious financial mismanagement and corruption that have plagued our beloved party under the leadership of Mr Julius Abure, the current National Chairman.

“As National Treasurer, I am constrained to come before you and the public today because the internal mechanisms of our party have failed woefully to bring Mr Abure to account for his brazen abuse of office and misappropriation of party funds.

“His appetite for power has grown unchecked, and he has deliberately undermined my duties and authority as stipulated in the party’s constitution.”

GUO Transport Company has officially acknowledged a bandit attack on one of its buses traveling from Lagos to Abuja, as the police maintain silence on the matter.

The incident, which occurred along the Ikare-Akoko Road in Ondo State, resulted in the tragic killing of the bus driver and the abduction of passengers, excluding a three-year-old child.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Sunday, GUO Transport provided details of the incident, specifying that the attack took place around 3:15 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 2024.

The transport company clarified that the vehicle was en route to Abuja from Lagos, contrary to earlier reports that the bus was headed for the southeast.

While GUO Transport expressed regret over the unfortunate incident and conveyed prayers for those affected, there has been no official statement from the police regarding the attack.

The company called for urgent government intervention to enhance the safety of Nigerian roads.

“Our prayers are with those directly or indirectly affected by this unfortunate incident,” GUO Transport stated in its release, adding, “We appreciate the prayers, advice, understanding, and support of the security agencies, our staff, our passengers, and the public at this critical moment.”

GUO Transport added that it is actively collaborating with security agencies to facilitate the swift and safe release or rescue of the kidnapped passengers.

The company appealed to the government and security agencies to intensify efforts for the safety of highways underscores growing concerns about the security of road travel in Nigeria.

The Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP) in Enugu State has announced a temporary shutdown of water-producing factories due to the high cost of production.

The decision was made following an emergency meeting on February 8, 2024, where the challenges confronting the association’s members were extensively discussed.

Starting from February 12 to February 15, 2024, all Table Water Producers in Enugu State, including those producing sachets and pet bottles, are required to suspend production.

The move is aimed at providing an opportunity for the association to seek viable solutions to the numerous challenges faced by its members, particularly in light of the harsh economic situation in the country.

The statement issued by ATWAP highlighted the following:

The current harsh economic situation in the country, especially as it affects materials and other logistics for the production of sachet water in the state, was critically reviewed.

“After hours of deliberations on the overwhelming challenges being encountered by ATWAP members, especially the over 500 per cent increase in the prices of raw materials and other factors of production, we have to come to this decision.

“Following the 500% increase in the prices of raw materials, which included, nylon, parking bags, purifying materials, procurement of water from boreholes located outside the city, diesel, high electricity tariff, haulage/transportation and other maintenance and staff costs, we had to close shop.

“Also, the upward review of various fees charged by both agencies of the state and local governments within our areas of operations is also a factor,” it said.