Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have busted three major interstate drug cartels supplying illicit substances to some states in the North, with the recovery of skunk and cocaine weighing over 843 kilogrammes.
It also arrested at least seven of the drug kingpins behind the syndicates in separate raids carried out in Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue states.
The successful operation was disclosed on Tuesday, July 13, 2021, by the NDLEA
Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, from the
its headquarters in Abuja
Thenewsbearer learnt that in a bid to evade the frequent road interception efforts by officers of the Kogi State command of the Agency, a cartel, led by one Augustine Emmanuel, aged 45, had reportedly opted to move its consignments through the waterways between Edo and Kogi states.
They were however intercepted on Monday July 12 at a jetty in Idah, Kogi State, where a Toyota Avalon car with registration number Lagos SMK 345 CG, loaded with 487kg of cannabis and ferried across the waterways from Agenebode, Edo State to the jetty in Idah, was seized and the syndicate leader arrested.
Babafemi stated further that “in Nasarawa, a team of NDLEA operatives had on Thursday, July 8, raided one of the most hostile drug joints in the state capital.
About 356kg of cannabis and various psychotropic substances were recovered, with the arrest of four major drug dealers including the most notorious drug kingpin in Nasarawa state called ’Boogie,’ while his real name is Muhammed Umar.
According to the Director of Media, Boogie’s drug distribution tentacles cut across Kano, Plateau, Benue and parts of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
He said that some quantities of cocaine were intercepted in Benue on July 8, 9 and 13, while the first dealer, John Aondosoo, was arrested in Makurdi on Thursday with 28.6 grammes of crack cocaine.
Babafemi said: “After initial interrogation, it was discovered that his supplier, Henry Ezeomah, would bring more supplies in the early hours of Friday from Obosi, Anambra State. The supplier was arrested on Friday with 29.17 grammes of crack cocaine. In another raid on Tuesday, July 13, the Benue command also seized some quantities of cocaine.”
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd) had commended the Commanders, officers and men of Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue Commands of the Agency, for taking the war against illicit drugs in Nigeria to the doorsteps of the cartels.
He charged them not to relent but remain resolute in their commitment to rid every community of the drug scourge.
