‘tokunbo’ within the month of January to June 2019.
It said the seizures were made at the Idiroko border and the adjoining
communities.
The Controller of the Ogun State Area Command, Mr. Michael Agbara,
disclosed this on Tuesday at its Idiroko border office while briefing
journalists about the activities of the command.
While talking about the seizure of the foreign bags of rice, he said
this was the first time the command would make the highest number of
such monthly seizure since he took over the mantle of leadership in the
command.
Agbara said that while in the area of anti-smuggling during the period
under review, the Command made 549 seizures comprising of 197 units of
vehicles, 29, 905 (50 kg each) and 15 (25 kg each) of bags of foreign
rice, 1, 466 kegs of vegetable oil (25liters each), 17 units of
motorcycles, 9, 407 new and 1,042 pairs used , 3 jumbo, 69 sacks and 1
small sack of foot wears.
“427 cartons of Frozen poultry products, 25 bales, 29 sacks of
secondhand clothing, 12 sacks of Ankara rapper, 4 sacks of yards
materials and 5 wraps of lining materials, 51 Pcs of used handbags, 583
Pcs of used tyres, 1,181 kegs of PMS (Petrol) of 25 litres each, 3 bags
of sugar (50 kg each), 143 book size, 21 coconut size and 11 sacks of
Cannabis Sativa, 897 pcs of used tyres, 18 sacks of water proof, 1 sack
of snuff powder, 110 sacks of soap chemicals, 3 sacks of Alligator
pepper, 40 x 142, 60 x 200 & 40 x 41 android cartons of Itel Phone, and
1 set of Television”
Comptroller Agbara, “The seizure of over 29, 905 bags of rice in the
first half year of 2019 is indeed a landmark among numerous successes
recorded as compared to 15, 976 bags of rice seized during the
corresponding period of the year 2018.
“The aforementioned was achieved due to strategic enforcement measures
put in place in line with the Federal Government Policy targeted at
boosting Agricultural Development within the country.
“Also, within the period of 1st to 30th June, 2019, the Command
generated total revenue of N1, 196, 146, 835.60. While in the area of
anti-smuggling the command made a total of 83 seizures with the DPV of
N310, 555, 588.00. The items seized include: 30 units of vehicles, 7,095
bags of foreign rice (50 kg each), 258 kegs of vegetable oil (25liters
each), 10 units of motorcycles, 7, 572 pairs of new, used and rubber
foot wears, 3 bales of secondhand clothing, 28 Pcs of used handbags, 392
cartons of frozen poultry products, 200 kegs of PMS (Petrol) of 25
litres each, 3 sacks of Cannabis Sativa, 40 x 142, 60 x 200 & 40 x 41
android cartons of Itel Phone, and 1 set of Television.
“However, the above activities were entangled with series of clashes
between Officers of the Command and some daredevil smugglers/accomplices
leading to loss of lives and properties. The Command will continue to
dialogue, engage, sensitize and educate the public on social, security,
health and economic implication of smuggling, while on the other hand,
the statutory functions of enforcing compliance with strict adherence to
the law will be rigorously sustained.
“Finally, I wish to commend the sister agencies, opinion leaders, head
of traditional institutions, eminent personalities, fourth realm of the
estate (the Media) and other law abiding members of the public on the
esteem cooperation and support we are receiving in properly implementing
Federal Government Policies”, he said.
The Provost of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Ikeja Branch, Lagos,
Olubunmi Odeniyi, on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, told Justice Mojisola Dada
of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, how insurance
premium funds paid by members of the association were not remitted to
any insurance company during the administrations of two former chairmen
of the Association, Adesina Ogunlana and Yinka Farounbi, respectively.
Both Ogunlana and Farounbi were arraigned alongside Kappo Aderinola, a
former Treasurer of the NBA, Ikeja branch, on Wednesday, May 22, 2019,
on a 30-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony, money
laundering and stealing to the tune of N20, 100, 000.00 (Twenty million,
One Hundred Thousand Naira), property of the NBA.
The second and third defendants, Farounbi and Aderinola, who were
signatories to the accounts of the NBA, Ikeja branch, allegedly signed
some cheques at different times without appropriate authorisation.
They also allegedly gave the cheques to the first defendant, Ogunlana,
to cash fraudulently.
At the resumed hearing today, Odeniyi told the court that his
investigations revealed that premiums paid by members of the association
were not remitted to any insurance company, contrary to the claims by
the defendants.
In his further testimony, Odeniyi, who is the second prosecution
witness, PW2, told the court that he commenced investigation into the
activities of the defendants and came out with his findings, after he
was briefed by a member who alleged that the Association had not paid
him any entitlement from the insurance policy.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Samuel Daji, the PW2 also
told the court that he found out abnormalities in the insurance premium
funds during the regimes of the defendants.
Odeniyi, under cross-examination by the defence, told the court that his
investigation was limited to findings on the insurance premium and not
signing of cheques.
Odeniyi also admitted that he was not aware that the first defendant
signed some cheques after expiration of his tenure in office as the
chairman.
In her evidence, a third prosecution witness, Caroline Iwayoyanfe, told
the court that she got a call from an officer of the EFCC sometime in
March 2019, informing her of a petition written to the Commission by
NBA, Ikeja members against the defendants and that she would need to
“throw light in respect of the petition.”
Iwayoyanfe, who is a former Vice Chairman and member of the Association,
further told the court that: “I was invited by the EFCC to talk and
write regarding authorisation of some financial transactions and signing
of cheques by the defendants.
“I went to the EFCC office and wrote a statement, informing the
Commission that I know nothing about any authorisation of any
transaction or signing of cheques carried out by the defendants.”
Giving further evidence, she said between 2016 and 2018 when she served
as Vice Chairman, the executives (defendants) rarely held meetings and
that when Exco meetings were held, there was never a time where the
defendants authorised the signing of any cheques or discussed such
issues.
During cross examination, she admitted that she was not aware of any
payment to the first defendant’s account.
“The expenses of the Association were silently done by the second
defendants,” she added.
Justice Dada adjourned the case till July 10, 2019 for continuation of
trial.
ROAD USERS
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed profound shock over the death
of 19 passengers whose vehicles collided at Dinyar Madiga in Kano State
during the weekend.
The President said he received the news “with deep grief and empathy for
the families of the unfortunate victims of the accident.”
He urged all road users to continue to exercise caution and vigilance as
they go from one place to the other. “As our roads get better with
increased maintenance, drivers must use them with added caution and
vigilance,” he said.
President Buhari prayed that Almighty God will comfort families of the
deceased at this difficult time and grant them the fortitude to bear
this irreparable loss of loved ones, adding; “May the souls of the
departed rest in peace. May God reward their good deeds with paradise.”