Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted frantic bids by drug syndicates to smuggle in and out of Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and some courier firms in Lagos, consignments of Cocaine and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis concealed in incense candles, game packs, dry hibiscus leaves and ladies’ native wears.
According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, a businessman, Abdulwahab Owolabi Alebiosu was last Thursday arrested at his Horizon Court, Lekki, Lagos residence after a consignment of 40 parcels of Loud weighing 20.3 kilogrammes hidden in packs of chessboards, scrabbles, checkers, and poker set, brought in from Canada on a British Airways flight was intercepted at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport during a joint examination of the cargo with men of Customs Service.
He said a search of his home also led to the recovery of more exhibits including some drug paraphernalia, such as, weighing scale, and cannabis potency test kit, while four vaping machines were recovered from his business premises on Admiralty Way, Lekki. A Mikano black truck with registration number FST 657 HP was also recovered from his house.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the MMIA last Friday intercepted two jumbo bags going to Pakistan. The bags contained dried hibiscus leaves, dried bitter leaves and other food items, which were used to conceal four parcels of cocaine and 14 parcels of Loud, both weighing 1.36 kilogrammes, and further investigations leading to the arrest of a businesswoman, Eze Ogechi who claimed she was sending the illicit consignment to Pakistan on the instruction of her brother, Eze Nnamdi based in the South Asia country.
Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives attached to Terminal II, Departure Gate of the MMIA, last Thursday intercepted a male Beninese passenger, Orobi Adoubi travelling with a bag containing some female native dresses. The suspect was going to Dubai via Accra, Ghana on an Air Peace Airline flight and a connecting flight to Dubai, UAE on Emirates Airline.
He said a thorough search of the bag revealed eight parcels of Loud weighing 2.1 kilogrammes were concealed in the ladies’ native wears. The suspect claimed he was given the consignment for a fee of N600,000 on successful delivery in Dubai.
Babafemi said not less than 4.5 kilogrammes of the same substance concealed inside the door panels and boot of an imported Toyota RAV 4 vehicle was on Sunday 14th July recovered from a container marked MSDU 5656394 from Canada during a 100% search of the container at Tincan port in Lagos.
He revealed that two suspects: Dada Kole and Alaba Oladewusi have been arrested in connection with the seizure. Meanwhile, a 48-year-old one legged man, Amadu Garba was arrested by NDLEA operatives in his house at Yawuri town, Kebbi State with six bags of cannabis weighing 67 kilogrammes Tuesday 16th July.
In Abuja, two suspects: 60-year-old Ademola Elusakin and 34-year-old Nuhu Friday Adamu were arrested by NDLEA operatives last Monday with 30 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance along Kwali-Gwagwalada-Abuja expressway on their way from Lagos to Nasarawa state.
He said Elusakin claimed he procured the consignment from Ghana via Lagos with Keffi, Nasarawa state as his final destination, where they were to supply illegal miners operating in the area.
Babafemi said at least 305 blocks of cannabis weighing 152.5 kilogrammes were recovered from a suspect, Sale Bukar, 39, who was arrested at Geidam in Yobe state on Sunday 14th July while taking the illicit consignment to Diffa, in Niger Republic. While a suspect: Aham Regal Chinemeze, 43, was nabbed last Thursday with 60 kilogrammes of same substance along Owerri – Onitsha expressway, Imo state, Adamu Abdullahi, 24, was arrested with 40.5 kilogrammes last Wednesday along Obajana -Kabba expressway, Kogi state. The consignment was recovered from him in a commercial bus coming from Lagos enroute Kano.
In Plateau state, a raid on the storehouse of a notorious drug dealer, Choji Gyang (aka Pararam) who is currently at large, at Rukuba road, Jos led to the recovery of 34 bags of cannabis weighing 312 kilogrammes while his manager, Kelvin Onwutalu, 43, was arrested. Two suspects: Ifabiyi Johnson, 27, and Adeleke Musiliu, 54, were last Friday arrested with different strains of cannabis sativa weighing 30.4 kilogrammes during a raid in Osogbo, Osun state.
In Jigawa state, the trio of Tukur Yahaya, 55; Idris Haruna, 28; and Tanimu Umar, 29, were nabbed with 90 blocks of cannabis weighing 116.8 kilogrammes at Roni junction, Kazaure local government area last Friday while on their way to supply the illicit drugs to their customers in Kazaure, Yankwashi and Katsina state.
Similarly, the duo of Ibrahim Abdulkadir, 29, and Suleman Mohammed, 22, were arrested with 336 bottles of codeine syrup at Amingo, Kaduna, while Auwalu Hashimu, 35, was nabbed with 45 kilogrammes of cannabis along Zaria- Kano highway.
Acting on credible intelligence, a team of NDLEA operatives backed by soldiers raided a mechanic workshop opposite Benin garage, Akure, Ondo state where they recovered a white Toyota Hilux Van with registration number EE 328 EKY loaded with 652 parcels of cannabis weighing 685 kilogrammes.
In Nasarawa state, 38 kilogrammes of the same psychoactive substance and a locally made AK-47 rifle were recovered from the home of a suspect, Christopher Ombugadu, 32, in Akwanga during a raid on Sunday 14th July.
With the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Jigawa, Osun, Yobe, Plateau, Kogi, Imo and FCT commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, noted that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated.
He urged them not to rest on their oars but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Michael Olugbode
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