Baba Suwe Loses N25 Million Compensation From NDLEA

A panel of Court of Appeal judges in Lagos today has denied the Yoruba Actor/Comedian the N25 million compensatory damages earlier awarded to him over a prolonged detention by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) last year.

In the ruling, the Court of Appeal re-affirmed the right of the NDLEA to investigate, arrest, detain and prosecute drug suspects as long as the agency acts within the law.

The court said the NDLEA had not violated Baba suwe's rights because it sought and got court orders from the federal high court to keep him in custody after they arrested him on the suspicion that he had ingested hard drugs.

The Court of Appeal came down heavily on the Lagos High court judge that awarded the damages against the NDLEA, describing the decision as oppressive and burdensome to an agency of government carrying out its statutory duties.

Baba Suwe's attorneys led by civil rights activist, Bamidele Aturu,  has vowed to take the matter before the Supreme Court.

Woman Inserts 66 wraps of Narcotics in Private Part

Mande Bala

Law enforcement agents and travellers were last week astonished when 66 wraps of narcotics, which tested positive to methamphetamine, were discovered in the private part of Mande Bala, 48, at the screening section  of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on June 15, 2012.

The lady was promptly arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency shortly before she was due to board a Kenyan Airways flight to Nairobi.

The NDLEA Commander at the airport, Hamza Umar, confirmed the arrest. He said, “The quantity of drugs that Bala had inserted in her private part was so much that it affected her gait, drawing the attention of the NDLEA officials. No suspect has ever inserted such a large quantity of drugs in the country. Usually, cases of insertion are not more than 300g. The discovery was shocking.”

CRIME DIGEST gathered that in all, the 66 wraps of methamphetamine expelled from Bala’s private part weighed 1kg.

Bala, who claimed to be a widow and mother of three, told CRIME DIGEST that she was pushed to trafficking in drugs in order to raise school fees for her children. She said, “I am a widow; my husband died in 2007. I have got three children to take care of.  I need N45,000 to pay some fees for my child and I also had to take care of my rent because I have a quit notice to leave my house in July. I was actually supposed to swallow the drugs but I was too scared to do so.

NDLEA Arrests Tailor with N29m Worth of Cocaine

Olowe Moshood Adebesin

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 41-year-old Lagos tailor, Olowe Moshood Adebesin, for allegedly smuggling  2.7kg of cocaine valued at N29 million into the country.  

According to a statement from the Agency signed by it’s spokesman, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju, the suspect was arrested on arrival from Brazil at the Murtala on Thursday.

The substance was discovered in his luggage during the inward screening of passengers on a Turkish Airline flight.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, who warned drug traffickers of the consequences of the criminal act says ” The suspect is only being greedy and he will face the consequences of his action. He should have weighed the gravity of the offence because the family he loves and seeks to protect, same he had abandoned today’.

So far,  the suspect has opened up, claiming ownership of the drug. ‘I am a tailor at Lagos Island…the people that sponsored me promised to pay me N2m. I agreed to smuggle the drugs because the money will change my life… My intention was to start importing clothes from China with the money but I was not lucky’.

Court Orders NDLEA to Pay Baba Suwe’s N25 Million in 21 Days

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has being ordered by the Lagos High Court, to deposit the sum of N25 million into an interest yielding account of Nollywood actor & comedian, Babatunde Omidina (also known as Baba Suwe) within 21 days.

The presiding judge, Justice Yetunde Idowu in her ruling on Friday, ordered that the anti-drug agency, deposit the sum with the Chief Registrar of the Court, who would in turn deposit the money into an interest yielding account pending the determination of an appeal filed against her judgment by the agency at the Court of Appeal in Lagos.

Justice Idowu had ruled in November 2011 that the comic be paid N25 million for denying his rights to personal freedom.

The actor had sued the agency for N100 million following his trial and long detention after he was arrested for allegedly concealing drugs in his stomach in 2011.

NDLEA Arrests Pakistani with N120m Heroin

Mr. Syed Ahmed-Bukhari

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 35-year-old Pakistani with 13 kilogrammes of “high grade” heroin with an estimated street value of about N120m.

The anti-drug agency said the suspect, Mr. Syed Ahmed-Bukhari, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly after arriving aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Doha.

The NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar said the 35-year-old Pakistani was apprehended following the discovery of 13 kilogrammes of high grade heroin in his hand luggage.

Also, a Nigerian clearing and forwarding agent by name Okereke Chukwudi, 42, who is suspected to be an accomplice has also been arrested and investigation had commenced.”

NDLEA said both suspects would be charged to court soon.

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NDLEA Arrests Man with Drugs Stuffed inside Tin Tomato

 

26-year-old, Nzeka Chika was arrested  by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA,  for alleged drug trafficking.

The suspect who was heading to Malaysia, was caught  with over 1.800kg of methamphetamine worth over N5 million, stuffed into tin tomatoes at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.

The suspect  who claimed to be ignorant of death sentence for drug offenders in Malaysia is being interrogated by anti-narcotic agents over unlawful exportation of  the drugs.   Officers of the agency  who  made the arrest at the weekend following the discovery of drugs inside tomato paste at Lagos, Nigeria, said the suspect is cooperating with investigators.

Baba Suwe finally set free

After 23 days in detention in the camp of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over suspicions that he concealed nacortic substance in his stomach, ace comedian, Babatunde Omidina a.k.a. Baba Suwe was this morning set free on bail by an Ikeja High Court. 

This brings the 23-day ‘stand-up comedy’ to an end with its attendant huge embarrassment for the NDLEA.

At the resumed hearing of the matter before the court this morning, NDLEA lawyer, Mr. Femi Oloruntoba told the court that since Tuesday, nothing incriminating has been found in Baba Suwe’s stomach.

Oloruntoba informed the court that NDLEA is not opposed to Omidina’s release on bail but the agency requested that he should report at its office on Wednesday next week for further investigation.

Court grants Baba Suwe bail

The court granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 yesterday and ordered NDLEA till Friday Nov 4 to either get the drug excreted or release him.

NDLEA: Baba Suwe still in Detention after third Excretion

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said yesterday that popular actor and comedian, Mr Babatunde Omidina, a.k.a. Baba Suwe who was arrested last Wednesday for allegedly ingesting cocaine in his system would remain in its custody and would continue to observe him even after he had reportedly made his third excretion on Monday night with no traces of drug found in it.

NDLEA’s spokesman, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, explained yesterday that the detained comedian would still be placed ‘under observation’ for now and that further developments on the matter would be communicated to the public.

Source: Vanguard

Cocaine: NDLEA detains Baba Suwe

Nollywood actor and veteran comedian, Alhaji King Babatunde Ayinla Nurudeen Olasunkanmi Omidina, a.k.a. Baba Suwe was arrested Wednesday night, for possession of substances suspected to be cocaine by the officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Baba Suwe was picked up at the International wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos, by the NDLEA officials, while boarding an Air France flight to Paris, France.

It was revealed that Baba Suwe was on his way to Paris to act as a master of ceremony in a naming ceremony of an Air France staff who was also picked up.

The arrest was made when the scanning machine at the airport detected some substance hidden in the actor's stomach.

Isn't this the second time...... role model indeed!