Seme Command of Nigeria Customs Service has seized two buses belonging to popular transport company, Chisco Nigeria Limited, for illicit drug smuggling.
Acting Customs Area Controller of the Command, Dalha Cheidi Wada, said that the buses were discovered to have carried commercial quantity of amphetamine syrup.
Some of the seized petroleum products
Aside breaching policy on partial border closure, which prohibits imports and exports in and out of Nigeria, Wada said the drugs were without National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration number.
Wada said the buses had 13 and 29 cartons with a cumulative value of about N6,000,000 in addition to 422,500mg of tramadol.
The Controller said such volume of prohibited drugs, if allowed to come into the country can cause harm to the people and capable of destroying lives of many youths due to reported widespread abuse.
He said: “Officers and men of Seme Command are not unaware of these desperate groups of unpatriotic citizens. Therefore, we have resolved never to lose guard in watching them day and night leading to arrest and seizures of 235 contraband with total duty paid value of N91,162,942.
Other seizures Wada showed to journalists include 1113 bags of 50kg rice; 24,710 litres of premium motor spirit; 188 cartons of frozen poultry products; 105 textile materials; 22 vehicles; 84 sacks of used clothing, ladies handbags and shoes.
Other seizures shown to journalists include 30 sacks and a carton of soap; 35 cartons of choco drink; 51 pieces of motorcycle spare parts, 28 jerrycans of vegetable oil;25 sacks of hides and skin.
Also seized are 10 sacks of melon (egusi); 89 cartons of blue and magarine, 2 sacks of stockfish, 12 packs of peanuts and 23 bundles of corrugated papers.
Solskjaer challenges Ighalo to earn permanent Man Utd switch
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has challenged loan signing Odion Ighalo to earn a permanent stay at the club.
Ighalo joined United on a temporary deal on deadline day, as the club desperately sought a short-term solution to Marcus Rashford’s serious injury, which is expected to keep him out until April.
While Bournemouth’s Josh King was considered by United, with Eddie Howe confirming the club made an approach, Shanghai Shenhua-owned Ighalo was the striker they chose.
Although the Nigerian only joined on loan, Solskjaer sees no reason why securing a permanent contract should be seen as beyond the 30-year-old.
“It’s a loan, but when you’re in the door, and if you impress, it gives you a chance,” Solskjaer said. “That’s exactly the same for everyone who signs.
“If it’s permanent or if it’s a loan, if you impress as a player, if you impress as a person, if you can help this group improve, of course there’s a chance we’ll look at extending things.
“That doesn’t just go for Odion but, yes, his incentive is to play as well as he can and it’s up to us to make sure he wants to stay, if we want him.”
United critics suggested Ighalo was a desperate last-ditch signing by the club, particularly given they were said to be chasing the sought-after Erling Haaland prior to his Borussia Dortmund move.
But Solskjaer dismissed that notion and is optimistic Ighalo will hush his doubters.
“Don’t go down that route now,” Solskjaer responded. “He’s a loan player that we’re very happy with having here. Hopefully he’ll prove to you what I think he will. He’s a proven goalscorer, so he’ll do all right.
“I’m very happy with the two guys we brought in and it’s not just us and Chelsea. But to finally have got Bruno [Fernandes] over the line, to have signed him after following him for so long, and just seeing what he can give us and what he will give us, has been great. And it will be great to integrate Odion as well.”
Ighalo is expected to make his United debut against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday but is not thought to be in contention for a starting spot after training away from the first-team squad due to coronavirus fears.
