Nigeria: Illicit Drug Supplier on Wanted List Nabbed with Over 100kg of Cannabis in Southeast Abia

One of major supplier of illicit drugs in Abia state, Chibuike Apolos, has been arrested during a raid by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on his hideout at Mbausi in Isialangwa North area of the state.

Apolos who who is a notorious drug dealer in Abia state has been on the wanted list of the anti-drug agency.

He was placed on the wanted list since February following the arrest of one Chima Ukeleonu, the suspect behind the video that went viral in January 2021, showing a young man hawking illicit drugs on the street.

The 38-year-old Apolos was arrest in an early morning raid on his hideout on Wednesday.

The Commander, Abia State Command of the NDLEA, Bamidele Akingbade, said: “The Command has been on his trail since February this year. Fortunately we got a tip-off that he just received some quantities of cannabis from Edo state.”

He added that: “Notwithstanding the tense security situation in the south east especially Abia state, the Command still embarked on the operations which culminated in the arrest of one Chibuike Apolos with ten (10) bags of cannabis weighing 100 kilogrammes, 1.6 grammes of cocaine, 1 gramme of heroin and 5 grammes of methamphetamine.”

Akingbade said: “The suspect is one of the major suppliers of illicit drugs in Abia State especially in the Isialangwa communities. The State governor has been notified and his building has been marked for demolition.”

In a similar development, the Taraba State Command of the Agency has arrested 61-year-old Lawan Gambo Umar for trafficking 58.5 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa.

According to the state Commander of NDLEA, Suleiman Ajadi, Umar was taking the skunk concealed inside sacks of beans chaff used to feed animals to Fune in Yobe state when he was intercepted.

Reacting to the latest arrests, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the Abia and Taraba Commands of the agency for the seizures and arrests while urging them to sustain the current tempo of offensive action to rid the country of illicit substances.

He said: “No doubt, the volume that has been seized in these two operations is less the kilogramme meant for our towns and communities. I therefore urge our officers and men across all the Commands all over the country to continue to smoke all the elements involved in this criminal trade out of their hiding places.”

Michael Olugbode

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