Crime & Court
Colombia to extradite drug lord ‘Otoniel’ to US
Colombia’s government announced Sunday it is working towards extraditing the country’s most-wanted drug trafficker “Otoniel” to the United States, a day after he was captured in a major operation in the jungle.
“There is an extradition order against Otoniel, and this extradition order… remains in progress,” Defense Minister Diego Molano told the daily El Tiempo newspaper in an interview.
“This is the path for all those who commit transnational crimes,” Molano told reporters later, adding that nearly 30 percent of the many tons of cocaine exported from Colombia went through the so-called Gulf Clan, the country’s largest drug trafficking gang, led by Otoniel.
The 50-year-old drug lord, whose real name is Dairo Antonio Usuga, was arrested Saturday in northwest Colombia’s dense jungle in an operation involving some 700 uniformed agents backed by 18 helicopters, according to the army.
The United States had offered a $5 million bounty for information leading to the arrest of Otoniel, one of the most feared men in Colombia.
“This is the hardest strike to drug trafficking in our country this century,” President Ivan Duque said Saturday, adding that the arrest was “only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar,” the notorious Colombian narco-trafficking kingpin.
“We are going for more, we are going for victory against all high-value targets,” Duque vowed from a military base in the country’s northwest.
The government accuses other armed groups such as the Popular Liberation Army (EPL), and rebels who walked away from the peace pact signed with the FARC guerillas in 2016, of financing themselves with drug trafficking revenue.
Born to a poor family, Otoniel joined the EPL, a Marxist guerrilla group that demobilized in 1991. A paramilitary fighter, he ultimately headed the Gulf Clan, with a force of some 1,600 men and a presence in almost 300 municipalities nationwide, according to the independent think tank Indepaz.
In Colombia Otoniel had 128 outstanding arrest warrants for drug trafficking and recruitment of minors, among other crimes.
“He murdered more than 200 members of the security forces… Many soldiers have suffered because of this murderer and his friends,” Duque said.
Otoniel also preyed on minors, “intimidating families and extorting them in order to take their daughters’ virginity,” the president added.
In five decades of a US-backed drug war, Colombia has killed or captured several drug lords, including kingpin Escobar, who was shot by security forces in 1993.
But the country remains the world’s leading cocaine producer, with the United States its biggest buyer.
A Magistrate Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, has granted human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, bail to the tune of ₦30 million. The court also mandated Farotimi to provide three sureties with landed properties within its jurisdiction.
As part of the bail conditions, the court ordered Farotimi to refrain from granting media interviews and to submit his international passport to the authorities. The case has been adjourned to February 13, 2025, for further proceedings.
Farotimi, who had been remanded at a correctional center in Ado Ekiti, arrived at the court premises on Friday at approximately 9:45 a.m. He was conveyed in a prison van accompanied by a police escort. Upon arrival, the embattled lawyer raised his hands in appreciation of a cheering crowd that had gathered outside the court to show their solidarity.
The human rights advocate is facing prosecution for allegedly defaming a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Afe Babalola. His arrest has ignited widespread public outcry, with many Nigerians and civil society groups condemning the action and demanding his immediate release.
Farotimi’s detention and subsequent arraignment have fueled debates about the boundaries of free speech and defamation laws in Nigeria, with critics arguing that the case may stifle dissenting voices in the country.
Police operatives have apprehended a 25-year-old man, Enediong Bassey, in possession of a pump-action gun concealed in a bag of rice at Nkwelle-Ezunaka.
The suspect, a native of Ikono Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, was arrested on November 22, 2024, at 6:38 pm following credible intelligence.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga.
The statement revealed that officers attached to the 3-3 Divisional Headquarters, led by CSP Emeka Obi, acted swiftly to intercept Bassey.
During interrogation, he admitted to being a member of a local vigilante group but confessed to plans of absconding with the weapon to join a criminal gang involved in armed robbery and other illicit activities.
“Given the above and following other complaints and unprofessional conduct by some security outfits and vigilante members, the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, in line with the principles of community policing, reiterates the calls for profiling of security operatives assisting the police and other security agencies on anti-crime operations to improve safety in the state,” the statement read.
In light of the situation, the Commissioner of Police has directed the immediate transfer of the suspect to the command’s anti-robbery squad for a thorough investigation.
The Anambra State Police Command reassured residents of its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of lives and property, urging vigilance and collaboration with law enforcement.
Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered an accelerated trial of four bloggers accused of defaming and cyberstalking the management of Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), including its Group CEO, Mr. Segun Agbaje.
The defendants—Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami—face a 10-count amended charge for allegedly publishing false and defamatory content about GTCO on various social media platforms.
During proceedings on November 13 and 14, Justice Faji dismissed their bail applications, citing the severity of the charges, which carry potential penalties of up to 14 years in prison.
The judge specifically noted that Precious Eze had previously been charged with a similar offense in another court and was on bail at the time of the alleged actions, demonstrating a likelihood of reoffending.
Justice Faji emphasized the destabilizing impact such actions could have on the banking sector, pointing to the cross-border nature of some of the allegations.
“The regulatory oversight of institutions like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should not be undermined by false claims,” the judge remarked, referencing GTCO’s CBN-approved audited statements.
At the previous hearing, defense counsel Afolabi Adeniyi had urged the court to grant bail on liberal terms, arguing that the defendants were ready to stand trial.
However, the prosecution counsel, Chief Aribisala, SAN, opposed the motion, raising concerns about the defendants potentially absconding and stressing the need for a swift trial.
In his ruling, Justice Faji rejected the defense’s plea, ordering an expedited trial to address the case’s significant implications for the financial industry.
The trial has been adjourned to December 10 and 12 for continuation.
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