No fewer than 187 bags of cannabis sativa were on Wednesday handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) by a sister agency, the The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT.
The handing over was done in Apapa, Lagos by the ship’s commander, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga.
According to the commander, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, is doing everything in his power to combat criminality in the marine environment.
The drugs were confiscated at Badagry Creek and Eleko Beach in Lekki, Oguntuga revealed.
“We have been collaborating with the NDLEA toward securing the maritime environment for economic prosperity.
“This is part of the achievement under the ongoing Operation Water Guard particularly with the deployment of the state-of-the-art maritime domain awareness facility; the falcon eye.
“We were able to detect these economic saboteurs bringing this contraband from different angles within the maritime environment,” the commander said.
Oguntuga told Nigerians that the Navy would continue to pursue criminals and prevent illicit drugs from entering the country.
“The Nigerian Navy in collaboration with the NDLEA will continue to ensure that this act is stopped and that our country is made a better country.
“I advise parents to follow up on their children in order to know what their wards are doing so as to curb all these menace in the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, at least 25 persons perished in a multiple auto crash at Peke village along Oko-Olowo-Bode Saddu expressway in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The ghastly accident which occured on Tuesday involved a petrol tanker with registration number JJN 17 XW and an 18-seater bus.
Spokesman of the state fire service, Hassan Adekunle who disclosed this in a statement in Ilorin on Wednesday, said 25 persons lost their lives in the auto crash, while 15 people were rescued with injuries.
“Firemen worked diligently to quench the inferno, but unfortunately, 25 lives were lost and 15 people were rescued with injuries.
“Investigations revealed that the petrol tanker, traveling from Niger state, was using the wrong side of the road, resulting in a head-on collision with a heavy-duty truck from Lagos state.
“The collision ignited a fire that rapidly consumed both vehicles, also affecting the 18-seater bus from Lagos.”
Director of the Kwara State Fire Service Falade Olumuyiwa, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and emphasized the need for road users to prioritize safe driving practices.