‘ Gold Trade Will Boost Living Standard Of Nigerians’

THE Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc Olamilekan Adegbite has said the Federal Government is working on policies that would enable citizens to fully harness potentials in gold deposits.

Adegbite stated this when declaring open gold event tagged: “Lagos Love Gold,” at West Wing, Wings Towers, Victoria Island Lagos, organised by Kian Smith Refinery, in collaboration with the Ministry.

He noted that there are huge gold deposits in different parts of the country waiting to be explored, assuring government would deepen its activities in the sector by encouraging the private sector to come into mining.

“It is legal for people to export gold out of the country. The process is very simple, with 3 per cent royalty paid on the value of the gold being taken out and by that, we give an export certificate to take gold to anywhere in the world to be sold at premium price,” he stressed.

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) has again uncovered a warehouse of cannabis sativa in the suburb of Guma Local council of Benue State, and intercepted a truckload of the illicit drug in the state.

Recall that the agency last week arrested seven drugs barons operating four large warehouses in Ukpuje forest, Owan council of Edo State, where a total of 16,344 bags of cannabis and seeds weighing 233, 778 kilogram were seized, in addition to two pump action and one double barrel guns. The estimated street value of the seized illicit drug was put at over N1.4bn.

Giving a breakdown of the Benue drug seizure while briefing the Chairman/ Chief Executive of the anti- drug agency, Brig. Gen. ( rtd) Mohamed Buba Marwa, the state commander of NDLEA, Mrs. Florence Ezeonye, said the bags of cannabis seized during the operation weighs 1,578 kilogram.

Ezeonye said: “Operatives of the NDLEA Benue State command intercepted in Makurdi, an empty trailer from Awka, Anambra State heading to Lafia, Nasarawa State, when properly searched, 600 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 600kg were discovered in a compartment constructed under the flat belly of the truck. The mode of concealment was first of its kind.

“Another seizure was made when our men stormed a warehouse filled with drugs harvested by some farmers at the suburb of Guma council. The total number of the illicit drug evacuated from the warehouse weighs 978kg.

The drug dealers shot at my men on sighting them, but their attack was repelled and as such we did not record any casualty.”