By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized consignments of Cocaine and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in incense candles, game packs, dry hibiscus leaves and ladies’ native wears.
Disclosing this on Sunday, the anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said that the substances were seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos and some courier firms in the state, thus thwarting the operations of drug syndicates, some of whom have been arrested.
Babafemi revealed that a businessman, Abdulwahab Owolabi Alebiosu, was on Thursday 18th July 2024, arrested at his Horizon Court, Lekki, Lagos residence after a consignment of 40 parcels of Loud weighing 20.30 kilograms hidden in packs of chessboards, scrabbles, checkers, and poker sets, 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 the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
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 on Friday 19th July intercepted 2 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 1.360kg. Further investigations led to the arrest of a businesswoman, Eze Queen Ogechi who claimed she was sending the illicit consignment to Pakistan on the instruction of her brother, Eze Nnamdi Promise based in the South Asian country.
Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives attached to Terminal II, Departure Gate of the MMIA, on Thursday 18th July, intercepted a male Beninese passenger, Orobi Adoubi Amen, 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. A thorough search of the bag revealed eight parcels of Loud weighing 2.10kg 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.
Furthermore, not less than 4.5kg 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. Two suspects: Dada Kole and Alaba Oladewusi have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Abuja, two suspects: 60-year-old Ademola Elusakin and 34-year-old Nuhu Friday Adamu were arrested by NDLEA operatives on Monday 15th July with 30.0kg of the same psychoactive substance along Kwali-Gwagwalada-Abuja expressway on their way from Lagos to Nasarawa state. 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.
At least, 305 blocks of cannabis weighing 152.5kg 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 on Thursday 18th July with 60kg of same substance along Owerri – Onitsha expressway, Imo state,
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 312kg while his manager, Kelvin Onwutalu, 43, was arrested.
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 685kg, while In Nasarawa state, 38kg 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.
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, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) noted that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country were well appreciated.
He urged them not to rest on their oars but continue to intensify ongoing drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
