Nigeria: Nonagenarian Ex-soldier with 8 wives and 50 Children Arrested for Drug Trafficking

A 96-year-old retired soldier, Pa Joseph Owherhi who is married to eight women and blessed with 50 children and many grandchildren, has been arrested in Suleja area of Niger state by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA for dealing in illicit drugs.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi,the nonagenarian was arrested in his house at Rafin Sanyi area of Suleja on Saturday, 21st August, 2021 with three kilogrammes of skunk based on credible intelligence.

He said Owherhi, In his statement, confessed he has been living on the illicit trade since he retired from the military in 1982.

Babafemi said the ex-soldier also claimed he has eight wives and 50 children.

In another development, four trans-border drug traffickers have been arrested in Adamawa state while attempting to cross the Nigeria’s land border with Cameroon on motorcycle in Kolere village, Mubi North LGA on Sunday 22nd August with packs of Tramadol concealed inside noodles cartons.

The suspects, according to Babafemi, include Ibrahim Aliyu; Umar Mohammed; Aliyu Adamu; and Usman Adamu.

He said narcotic officers had during a raid the previous day arrested a drug dealer, Chimezie Okorie at Layin ‘Yan Gwanjo, Mubi market where assorted drugs such as 23kg of Tramadol and 32kg of Diazepam injection were recovered from him.

In Oyo state, a 35-year-old fashion designer, Abiodun Abubakar was on Monday 23rd August arrested at Bodija market, Ibadan North local government area with 24.2 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa.

Babafemi disclosed that in Lagos, coordinated sting operations across parts of the state especially Itedo community, Lekki and Petti in Lagos Island led to the arrest of 13 suspects namely: Eze Beckee; Lateef Habib; Olayemi Temitope; Abdullaziz Sheriff; Yakwan Michael; Nora Omoruyi; Hamson Igbokwe; Ugwu Augustine; Akin Lawanson; Ibrahim Isa; Emeka Nwafor; Obi Price and Daniel Chukwuebuka, with a total of 238 kilogrammes of cannabis and 2 grammes of cocaine recovered from them.

According to him, in Kogi state, one Chizoba Francis was also arrested at the weekend in Lokoja with 54 kilogrammes cannabis hidden in sacks and covered with used footwears.

He said the consignment was bought
at Emure, Ondo state with Kaduna as destination.

He said in another clampdown in Ondo state, operatives equally recovered 308 kilogrammes of compressed cannabis loaded into a Lexus car during a sting operation in Eleyewo area of Akure North local government area at the weekend.

Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig Gen. Buba Marwa
while commending the officers and men of Niger, Adamawa, Lagos, Ondo, Kogi and Oyo Commands of the agency for their relentless efforts, charged them and their counterparts across the country not to rest on their oars in the ongoing offensive action against all drug cartels in Nigeria.

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

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