The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, or NDLEA, agents have made several arrests in various parts of the nation over the past week, but two women and two men are wanted in connection with more than 16,000 kilograms (16 tons) of illicit drugs intercepted in Lagos, Abuja, and the Netherlands top the list.
According to a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA’s spokesman Femi Babafemi, 48-year-old Aro Aderinde was detained on Sunday, October 16, in Lagos by anti-narcotics police for his role in the export of 3,149 kg of cannabis sativa concealed in coconut fibers via container number MSKU 1820587.
In a similar vein, two women, Hauwawu Bashiru and Basirat Adebisi Yahaya, who were involved in an attempt to export 90 kilograms of methamphetamine through Pastor Anietie Okon Effiong of the Promise of Zion Church in Oron, Akwa Ibom state, were also detained in Lagos and transported to Uyo to stand trial alongside the clergyman. Pastor Effiong was previously detained on August 6th.
“A prominent drug dealer was caught Monday in Lagos’ Mushin-Isolo axis.” On Monday, October 17, Michael, 45, was also detained while transporting 365.7kg of cannabis in two Toyota Sienna space buses with the license plates FST 189 FD and FST 273 GF, the official added.
A second drug lord, Abdulkadir Mohammed, 47, who was wanted in connection with the seizure of 5,640 kg of cannabis from a warehouse in the Chukuku neighborhood of Kuje, Abuja, was apprehended on Sunday, October 16, following the arrest of his wife, Saadatu Abdullahi, 35, who was discovered inside the store when it was raided, according to Babafemi.
He added that a minimum of 10 individuals had been detained in Edo in connection with the discovery of 4,870.2kgs of cannabis in various parts of the state.
Operatives raided the Ohusu forest boundary in the Ovia south-west local government area on Wednesday, October 19th, where they found 3,159.7kgs of cocaine and detained three suspects: Effiong Udo, Daniel Asuquo Ebong, and Asuquo Effiong.
“Similarly, on Saturday, October 22, agents stopped a Toyota Sienna space bus traveling along Uwenusi road in the Uhunmonde LGA carrying 49 bags of C/S weighing 638.5 kg, while 36 kg of the same material hidden in a bush near Uromi/Ubiaja road were also found.
In a separate operation, three suspects, John Paul, Liberty Rolland, and Aboki Stephen were detained at Okpe in Akoko Edo with 55 kg of marijuana.
When agents searched Okpe woodland, where several cannabis farms were destroyed, they found 854 kg of the same material in addition to 127 kg of C/S that were found there and a suspect named Pius Okon John who was apprehended.
Odoh Sunday, Blessing Okechukwu, and David Obada were the three suspects that were apprehended with the 854kg C/S.
On Sunday, October 16, agents stormed the Aponmu forest in the Idanre LGA of Ondo state and found 52 bags of C/S weighing 676 kg, as well as the truck used to load the consignment. On Tuesday, October 18, agents arrested the trio of Christopher Amuzoga, Chikogu Samuel, and Ijeoma Okenna with 690 kg of cannabis at the Ipele forest.
Isah Suleman Mohammed and Sandra Okafor were captured with 538 blocks of C/S weighing 391.2kg, 259,000 tramadol tablets, 100 bottles of codeine-based syrup, and 150,000 pregabalin tablets by agents in Kano on Friday, October 21.
This followed the arrest of Abel John and Helen James with 328.7kgs C/S at Gonin gora area of Kaduna, while 5,000 tablets of tramadol and 25,000 tablets of Exol-5 were recovered along Abuja-Kaduna express road. In the same vein, a suspect, Yahaya Musa, was arrested on Sunday 16th October at Tashar Yari, Kaduna, with over 30,000 tablets of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5.
In Bauchi, a suspect, Ogbonna Ikechukwu, was arrested at Gadar Maiwa, Ningi LGA, with 67, 960 tablets of various types of psychotropic substances while in Akwa Ibom state, operatives raided the Marina market, Eket, where quantities of illicit substances along with One million one hundred and ninety-three thousand and sixty Naira (N1,193.060) cash and Eight hundred and forty-nine thousand (N849,000.00) fake currency were recovered from fleeing suspects,” Babafemi disclosed.
The anti-narcotics agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), praised the officers and personnel of the Lagos, Ondo, Edo, FCT, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Kaduna, and Apapa Port Commands for the arrests and seizures and said the arrest of the fleeing drug kingpins is a warning signal to those still engaged in the illegal drug trade.
He commanded all officers and soldiers to apply more pressure to the drug cartels until they are destroyed.
