The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Ogun State has uncovered a warehouse used for the storage of illicit substances, along with a haul of Cannabis Sativa concealed inside a Honda Ridgeline pickup vehicle in the Rounder area of Abeokuta.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Haris Musa, said in a statement obtained by DAILY POST on Monday that the discovery was made at about 10:00 pm on Sunday.

Musa revealed that the operation also led to the arrest of a 49-year-old man, identified as Fatokun Rahmon, with a total of 347 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa recovered.

He said, “Acting on actionable intelligence, operatives of the Command, on December 28, 2025, at about 10 pm, conducted a targeted operation at the Rounder, Abeokuta, Ogun State, where a warehouse used for the storage of illicit substances was uncovered.

“During the operation, operatives discovered a haul of Cannabis Sativa concealed inside a Honda Ridgeline pickup vehicle.

“The operation culminated in the arrest of one Fatokun Rahmon, 49 years of age, while a total of 347 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa were recovered.”

While reiterating the command’s unwavering commitment to suppressing illicit drug trafficking within the state, Musa noted that the interception highlights the operational alertness, intelligence-driven strategy, and relentless enforcement posture of the command, even as the year drew to a close.

Musa asserted that the command remains steadfast in sustaining this tempo as part of its mandate to curb the menace of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

Two close friends and team members of world-renowned boxer, Anthony Joshua, have been identified as the victims of the fatal road crash that occurred along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Monday.

Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing, confirmed in a statement that the deceased were Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, both of whom worked closely with the boxer for several years.

“With profound sadness, it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele have tragically passed away,” Matchroom Boxing said.

The company added that Joshua sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment, noting that he was in a stable condition and would remain under observation.

The BBC also confirmed that the two men killed in the crash were Joshua’s teammates, adding that both were part of his inner circle.

PUNCH Online reports that just hours before the accident, Joshua had posted an Instagram story showing him playing table tennis with Latif Ayodele, popularly known as Latz.

Who were they?

Sina Ghami

Sina Ghami was Joshua’s strength and conditioning coach for more than a decade.

He also co-founded Evolve Gym in London.

BBC reports that Ghami is a qualified sports and exercise rehabilitator who specialises in musculoskeletal injuries and corrective exercise.

Ghami had worked with athletes across several sports, including the National Football League, National Basketball Association and the Michigan State University football team.

The BBC reports that Ghami, who specialised in sports rehabilitation and injury prevention, had shared social media posts from Lagos shortly before the crash and frequently posted photos with Joshua.

Latif “Latz” Ayodele

Latif Ayodele, widely known as Latz, was Joshua’s personal trainer.

His social media pages reflected a deep passion for fitness and a strong commitment to Islam.

Ayodele regularly posted photos with Joshua on his Instagram page and was seen with the boxer shortly before the accident.

How the crash happened

As earlier reported by PUNCH Online, Joshua was involved in the road accident around 11 am on Monday at Makun, near the Danco Filling Station, before the Sagamu Interchange inward Ibadan on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash.

“Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles to assist. A few minutes after the crash, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived,” he said.

He added that the passenger beside the driver and the occupant beside Joshua died on the spot, while Joshua sustained minor injuries.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps later arrived at the scene and commenced rescue and investigation efforts.

Official reactions

The Ogun State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that two passengers died at the scene while Joshua and one other person were hospitalised.

In a statement shared on X, the police said the deceased had been conveyed to the Livewell Hospital Morgue in Sagamu, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash had commenced.

The Federal Road Safety Corps, in its preliminary findings, attributed the crash to excessive speed and wrongful overtaking, noting that the Lexus SUV lost control before colliding with the stationary truck.

Joshua, who was born to British-Nigerian parents, attended a boarding school in Ikenne, a few kilometres from where the accident occurred.

Messages of condolence have continued to pour in from fans and public figures, while tributes have flooded social media for Ghami and Ayodele.

The Peoples Democratic Party in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has said that it is fully prepared for February 21, 2026, area council elections.

The FCT Publicity Secretary of the party, Josephine Itoyah-Splendor, made the declaration in a statement on Sunday.

The party insisted that its candidates are duly qualified and recognised by both the party’s national leadership and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

This comes against the backdrop of ongoing internal wranglings within the party, including disputes involving a faction linked to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other party stakeholders.

“Our candidates, men and women of proven integrity and commitment, have been duly approved and signed in by the Damagum-led National Working Committee,” the statement said.

The opposition party further explained that it is entering the polls united and confident of victory, dismissing reports questioning the eligibility of its candidates as misinformation.

A former Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has clarified that he does not need to officially join the Africa Democratic Congress, ADC.

According to Obi, he has always been a member of the ADC and was part of the coalition from its inception.

He stated this while speaking during an X Space on Sunday night.

Obi also made it clear that he will always have respect for ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar.

“I am not joining ADC. I can’t re-join what I am already a part of,” Obi said.

“I’ve been part of the coalition from day one.

“Nobody is stepping down for me in ADC.

“We have all agreed to work together and Atiku remains my respected leader.”

The National Judicial Council has disclosed that 34 applicants, including a Chief Superintendent of Police, failed the judges’ appointment integrity test conducted by the Federal Judicial Service Commission.

The council made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, explaining that while 62 applicants passed the Computer-Based Test conducted by the Federal High Court in Abuja, only 28 nominees emerged successful after the integrity screening.

According to the NJC, the 62 candidates who passed the CBT were forwarded to the FJSC for further assessment in line with the integrity policy recently introduced by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun.

Upon assuming office, Justice Kekere-Ekun introduced a public-feedback-based integrity test for judicial appointments, allowing members of the public to submit petitions or comments on shortlisted nominees.

The NJC statement said, “Sixty-two applicants passed the CBT conducted by the Federal High Court. Their names were forwarded to the FJSC. In line with the policy introduced by the CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the FJSC published the names of the 62 nominees to invite public feedback on their integrity, reputation and suitability for judicial appointment. The publication was made on September 17, 2025.”

One petition, sighted by The PUNCH, accused a serving CSP of collecting bribes and lacking the requisite integrity to be appointed as a judge.

The petition, submitted by a legal practitioner on behalf of a client, alleged that the officer had a reputation for soliciting bribes, rendering her unsuitable for judicial office.

The petition alleged that while serving as Officer-in-Charge of the Legal Section at Zone 7 Police Command, Abuja, the CSP demanded N1m through a proxy to grant bail during a court enforcement exercise on January 16, 2025.

The petitioners claimed that the matter was investigated by the Police Service Commission, and the money was traced to the CSP’s account, demonstrating a lack of integrity.

The petitioners commended the judiciary for the integrity screening process, calling it necessary to restore public confidence in the justice system.

They urged the NJC to reject the CSP’s nomination, stating: “She is a corrupt police officer and, if appointed, would only become a corrupt judicial officer.”

Following the public feedback process, the FJSC forwarded only 28 names to the NJC, with 34 nominees failing the integrity test.

The Council’s Deputy Director of Information, Kemi Ogedengbe, confirmed that the NJC is scheduled to meet on January 13 and 14 to deliberate on issues arising from the selection process.

She said the 28 shortlisted nominees would face the council’s interview panel ahead of the meeting.

Ogedengbe added that the council remained resolute in maintaining high standards, stressing that transparency and judicial integrity remain top priorities under the administration of Chief Justice Kekere-Ekun.

A civil society coalition, the Patriots, has pledged its support for the National Assembly’s decision to re-gazette the Tax Acts 2025, amid controversy over alleged alterations between the versions passed by parliament and those said to be in circulation within government agencies.

In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Coordinator, Muhammad Dauda, the group said its independent review showed that the tax laws, as passed by the National Assembly, were intact and free of material discrepancies.

The intervention comes against the backdrop of growing public concern following claims that certain provisions of the newly enacted tax laws were modified after passage by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The allegations sparked intense debate among stakeholders, including tax professionals, civil society groups and lawmakers, with fears that post-legislative alterations could undermine legislative authority and legal certainty.

In response, the House of Representatives recently resolved to probe the allegations and constituted an Ad-hoc Committee to examine the versions of the Tax Acts as passed by the legislature, the harmonised conference reports and the copies published in the Official Gazette.

The House also directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to make available Certified True Copies of the Acts to the public, as part of efforts to promote transparency and restore confidence in the legislative process.

Reacting to these developments, the Patriots expressed support for the leadership of the National Assembly, insisting that the authoritative versions of the laws remain the Votes and Proceedings of both chambers.

The statement read in part, “We, the Patriots, a coalition of civil society organisations committed to constitutional governance, the rule of law, and legislative accountability, wish to express our firm support for the leadership of the National Assembly regarding the decision to re-gazette the Tax Acts 2025.

“Recent public discourse has highlighted alleged discrepancies between the versions published in the Official Gazette and the Votes and Proceedings of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

“It is important to state clearly that the Votes and Proceedings of May 28, 2025 of the Senate and the House of Representatives constitute the authoritative records of the decisions of the National Assembly on these Acts.

“We are aware that these Votes and Proceedings were published as far back as May 29, 2025, and have been in circulation since then.”

According to the group, a careful comparison of the harmonised copies of the laws with the Votes and Proceedings and the conference reports revealed no substantive differences.

“We have taken our time to carefully go through the harmonised copies of these Acts and the Votes and Proceedings, as well as the Conference Reports.

“Interestingly, we are yet to see any material discrepancies in the records of the National Assembly.”

The Patriots further addressed claims that conflicting versions of the Acts were published in the Official Gazette, stressing that gazetting is an administrative, not legislative, function.

“It is alleged that there are two versions of the Acts published in the Official Gazette. We are yet to ascertain this allegation.

“However, gazetting is a ministerial and administrative function, not a legislative responsibility. It exists to give the public notice of laws already validly enacted; it does not confer authority to alter, amend, or rewrite laws passed by the National Assembly.

“Accordingly, any variance arising from administrative publication cannot override what both Houses of the National Assembly duly approved,” it added.

The group cited several judicial authorities to support its position, including AGF vs Guardian Newspaper Ltd (1989) 1 NWLR (Pt. 99) 1; AG of Lagos State vs AG of the Federation (1986) NWLR (Pt. 17) 244; and AG, Ondo State vs AG of the Federation (2002) 6 NWLR (Pt. 764) 279, all of which affirm the supremacy of parliamentary records over administrative publications.

While acknowledging that allegations of alterations are serious, the Patriots argued that such claims must be proven and addressed through lawful means.

“While allegations of alterations are serious and must be addressed through appropriate internal machinery, it is settled in law that the burden of proof lies on those making such allegations.

“We have carefully studied the allegations, and our findings revealed that there are no material alterations. Pending any judicial determination, Acts duly passed by the National Assembly remain valid and binding,” the statement further read.

The group endorsed the decision to re-gazette the laws as the proper remedy, warning against calls for suspension, repeal or re-enactment.

“We totally agree with the leadership of the National Assembly that re-gazetting the Tax Acts in their correct form – as reflected in the harmonised clean copies, the Votes and Proceedings and the Conference Report – is proper, lawful and appropriate remedy.

“Calls for suspension of implementation or repeal and re-enactment are unnecessary, constitutionally unsound and risk creating avoidable legal and fiscal uncertainty,” it said.

The Patriots also commended the directive to issue Certified True Copies of the Acts to the public, describing it as a step that would enhance transparency and public trust.

“We urge all aggrieved persons and the general public to respect parliamentary records, support prompt re-gazetting of the Acts, and refrain from narratives that undermine the authority of democratic institutions.

“We make the above submissions in the best interest of our country, the citizens and for good governance to prevail in our dear nation,” it stressed.