FCTA directs parks to close 7pm daily
NDLEA intercepts N4.5bn heroin in baby food packs at Lagos airport
All parks operating within the Abuja City Centre have been directed to henceforth close by 7pm daily. The directive, according to the FCT Administration, takes effect from today.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of the FCT, Ikharo Attah, said all park operators must close at 7pm every day in line with the new policy.
He told weekend journalists at the that enforcement of the policy will commence immediately to bring about sanity.
Attah said: “The issue of the park policy is very clear; the FCT Administration is very clear on it. The co-ordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, with the director of Parks and Recreation, have clarified the issue.
“Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello, has given the marching order to implement the park policy and it is clear;
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted 22 blocks of heroin, with a street value of over N4.5 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said the consignment, which was concealed in packs of Nestle Cerelac baby food, weighed 23.55kg.
He said the consignment came from Johannesburg, South Africa, on board a South African Airways flight on Wednesday, June 29.
This, he said, was part of a consolidated cargo that arrived at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) import from 7pm all parks are to remain closed that is what the park policy contains.
“With the approval of the minister, from tomorrow Monday, all parks should close at 7 p.m.
“Parks that refuse to close at the stipulated time would be sanctioned.
“I have received calls from some of them that people want to enjoy after closing from work till deep in the night, but I say no. The city will have to adjust to the fact that parks close by 7pm, when it’s dark. shed of the Lagos airport.
“After a series of follow up operations that led to the arrest of two freight agents, the actual receiver of the drug consignment was Chike Eweni.
“Eweni who distributes the substance for his South Africabased partner, was arrested the following day, Thursday June 30, at a logistics warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja.
“The suspect who hails from Anaocha LGA, Anambra, claims, during preliminary interview, that he is also into fish farming,” he said.
Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the airport had on Monday, June 27, arrested a former driver with a public transport company, BRT, Muyiwa Bolujoko, for ingesting 90 pellets of cocaine
“Everybody can adjust to it.”
Recall that the coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu, had recently announced the decision ordering park operators to open by 8am and close at 7pm.
Shuaibu said the enforcement is part of the implementation of the FCT park policy.
According to him, the exercise will enable the administration to have data on parks and checkmate their activities. before the arrest of Eweni.
He said Bolujoko was arrested at the screening point before boarding a Qatar Airways flight, enroute from Doha to Sharjah, with his trip expected to terminate in Dubai, UAE.
He added that the 39-year-old, from Ijebu South LGA, Ogun, was placed under excretion observation after a body scan result confirmed drug ingestion.
“While in custody, the suspect excreted all the 90 pellets in four excretions.
“He claimed he left his N60,000 per month job as a BRT driver in February, and decided to work as a drug courier, to raise funds to buy a shuttle bus popularly called ‘Korope’ in Lagos to continue his transport business,” he said. (NAN).