Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a large consignment of ‘Loud’ concealed in giant loudspeakers tucked in a consolidated cargo imported from New York, United States of America.
‘Loud’ is a strong synthetic strain of cannabis sativa.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, February 18, 2024, said that when the giant wooden boxes dressed as sound speakers, seized by NDLEA officers at the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport, were opened, they were stuffed with 60 bags of the expensive but highly sought-after psychoactive substance weighing 33.5 kilogrammes.
Three suspects: a freight agent, Akeem Afeez; logistics company manager, Babalola Ayodeji Gboyega; and the receiver of the consignment, Taiwo Olusegun Anuoluwapo, were arrested in follow-up operations between Thursday and Friday, February 15 and 16.
While Afeez was arrested at the airport, Gboyega was nabbed at his office in Allen Avenue, Ikeja, while Taiwo traced to his residence at 13, Ayo Babatunde Crescent, Lekki Phase1, Lagos, where he was picked on Friday.
In Abia, a joint raid operation between the NDLEA and men of the State Homeland Security at 23, Arochukwu Street, Umuahia, at about 11pm on Wednesday, February 14, led to the arrest of a female lawyer, Adaobi Nweke, 36; her boyfriend, Emeka Nkemefola, 36; her mother, Mrs. Ngozi Nweke, 65; Dike Okpara, 43, who is herbalist to the family; Chukwudi Abel, 33, member of the family; Amarachi Paul, 18, another member of the family and their 22-year-old salesgirl, Blessing Jonathan.
Babafemi said: “Investigations revealed that members of the family had long been in the illicit drug business passed on to them by their now late father, Jonathan Nweke.
“Recovered from them as at the time of their arrest are various quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Loud, cannabis sativa and precursor chemical with a total weight of 1.670kg, as well as N578,400 monetary exhibit.
Attempt by a 25-year-old Uber driver, Joshua Henry to deliver a consignment of 26.2 grammes of Loud picked in Abuja to a customer in Keffi, Nasarawa State, on Monday, February 12, was thwarted by NDLEA operatives who intercepted him.
In the same vein, 54-year-old Dada Adedara was on Wednesday, February 14, arrested at Dan Bare area of Kano State with 468 blocks of cannabis weighing 246.4kg.
Same day, operatives in Ogun State arrested the duo of Kafayat Junaid and Sakirat Osoanu with 13kg cannabis sativa.
In Kogi State, a suspect, Charles Chike, 45, was arrested by NDLEA operatives in a hotel in Lokoja on Friday, February 16, with 290 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 116kg.
The exhibit was said to have been concealed in the boot of a blue Honda Accord car marked Abuja ABC 853 SL, which took off from Ekiti State enroute Abuja.
Not less than 227kg of same substance was recovered from Atoshi camp, Emure -Ile, Owo LGA, Ondo State, while two suspects — John Jonathan and Emmanuel Alex — were arrested.
Operatives in Edo State acting on intelligence on Wednesday, February 14, intercepted a consignment of methamphetamine taken from Onitsha, Anambra State to Lagos State, in a Toyota Sienna bus marked Anambra NZM 347 ZL.
The meth consignment weighing 0.966kg was reportedly concealed inside a cassava-made local food item, African salad, popularly called “Abacha”.
Arrested in connection with the seizure was the driver of the vehicle, Afamefuna Ibeawuchi Kingsley, aged 42.
On the same day, a team of NDLEA officers also intercepted a Peugeot 406 space wagon car driven by Akhere Fardam, aged47, along Uromi road in Esan Northeast LGA.
A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 865 bottles of codeine, 2,600 pills of tramadol and 600 tabs of swinol and rohypnol.
In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives conducted raid operations in Kubwa area, during which they arrested Tawa Wasiu, aged 47, and 18-year-old Iliya Ibrahim, with 10.5kg cannabis, 13.5 grammes of Diazepam and 2.9 grammes of Tramadol tablets.
Another suspect, Yaro Bala, aged 27, was arrested on Thursday, February 15, with 50.5kg cannabis during a stop-and-search operation along Abaji/Abuja highway on his way from Auchi, Edo State to Paiko, Niger State.
With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign in the past week.
Some of them include WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of St. Theresa’s College Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State; students and staff of Banma Girls Day Secondary School, Bida, Niger State; students of Dame High School, Abatete, Anambra State; students of Government Day Secondary School, Tudun Saibu, Soba LGA, Kaduna State; students of Community Comprehensive Secondary School, Obinagu, Udi LGA, Enugu State and students of Government Girls Secondary School, Garo, Kano State.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the Agency for their outstanding feats in the past week and intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures, thus creating a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
