•Meth, skunk consignments concealed in tomato pastes, clothes at airport discovered
No fewer than 399 pieces of improvised explosive devices were recovered by operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) from one Asana Oluwagbenga Leke, 39, along Mokwa-Jebba road on Thursday, September 7.
This was just as the NDLEA operatives also intercepted consignments of skunk concealed in tins of tomato paste and methamphetamine hidden in used clothes, meant for export to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday , September 9, that the suspect found with the explosives reportedly said in his statement that they were given to him at a park in Ibadan to be delivered to someone in Kaduna.
Babafemi disclosed that Leke and the exhibits had since been transferred to the military authorities in Niger State.
The skunk in tomato pastes consignment weighing 20 kilogrammes was said to have been intercepted on Friday, September 8, at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, the meth shipment with a gross weight of 1.60kg was seized at a courier company in Lagos.
Another consignment of 556 grammes of Canadian Loud sent from Canada to one Tunji Adebayo in Ikorodu, Lagos was also intercepted by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms.
Though Adebayo was not home when operatives visited his house at 52, Aina Atoloye street, Ikorodu, Thenewsbearer learnt that he directed his younger brother to sign for the package on his behalf, leading to his arrest.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Monday, September 4, raided the enclave of a notorious drug lord in Akala, Mushin, Lagos, Abdul Rauf (aka ‘Na God’) where 1,101kg of Ghanaian Loud were recovered and three suspects arrested, while the wanted kingpin remains at large.
In Kogi, 22-year-old Agada Emmanuel was arrested with 77.400kg cannabis on Thursday, September 7,along Okene-Lokoja – Abuja expressway while a total of 369,980 pills of opioids were also recovered on the same road on Monday, September 4.
The NDLEA PRO said that the suspect linked with the seizure, one Kabiru Ahmad Abdullahi, was arrested in a follow-up operation in Gombe State.
In Ogun state, a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Yinka Azeez at Sabo Lafenwa, Abeokuta on Tuesday, September 5, following the seizure of 41kg cannabis from Titilayo Adetayo at Sagumu Interchange the previous day.
At least, two suspects – Muhammad Aliyu, 38, and Abdullahi Zakariya, 40 – were arrested on Zaria-Kano Road and at Haye Arewa, Hotoro, Kano, respectively over 426.5 kilogrammes of skunk seized from them on Tuesday, September 5.
While Onyeka Uzor, 25, was arrested at Idemili, Anambra State, with 64.8kg skunk and tramadol, another suspect, Destiny Irabor was nabbed on Friday, September 8, with over 180kg of opioids loaded in his Toyota Sienna bus.
In Kaduna, two suspects – Ahmed Yusuf and Rilwan Nura – were arrested on Wednesday, September 6, in connection with the seizure of 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 55kg along Abuja road.
In Edo State, operatives stormed the Ekudo forest, Onwude Local Government Area where they destroyed cannabis farms measuring 4.236347 hectares.
In the same vein, operatives on Thursday, September 7, raided the house of one Amuodu Egwehide, 40, in Iloje Okpuje, Owan West LGA, where they recovered 22 bags of skunk weighing 261.4kg, while a 60-year-old grandma, Mrs. Eunice Egwehide was arrested in the town same day with 17kg of same substance seized from her.
A suspect, Gapchiya Modu, 26, was arrested with 60kg of cannabis along Kano-Nguru Road, Nguru, Yobe State, while in Imo State, 200 blocks of the same substance weighing 57kg were recovered from Usim Orji, 45, along Aba-Owerri road on Wednesday, September 6.
After over two months of surveillance, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, September 6, arrested a wanted kingpin, Idoko Festus Ifesinachi, 40, linked to the importation of 76.9kg Canadian Loud intercepted in a container marked MSDU6686346 at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state on 2nd June.
He was said to have been arrested at his hideout in Lagos and taken to Port Harcourt.
Beside the various drug control efforts, the state commands and other formations also continued the Agency’s War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, worship places, palaces and local communities among others.
Among the activities were WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Highness, Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar Maji; the sensitization lectures conducted for members of Hairdressers Association, Ila Orangun; at RCCG, Dominion Tower, Port Harcourt, and for Muslim faithful at Harmony Estate central mosque, Ilorin, among others.
Commending all the operatives for their balanced efforts in reducing drug demand and supply, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to keep up the good work.
