Abuja – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 202 suspected drug traffickers in Kano, Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Anambra States and other parts of the country.
Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi confirmed this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.
He said the suspects were arrested with different quantities of illicit drugs, including Cocaine, tramadol, Indian hemp among others.
Babafemi disclosed that 160 of the suspects were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided two notorious drug joints, Zaro bunk in Bama road, Sabongari and the Sani Abacha indoor stadium, both in Kano metropolis.
They were arrested with different quantities of illicit substances, he said.
Babafemi said 25 suspects were also arrested by NDLEA operatives in Abuja.
He said the suspects were arrested in raids across Tora Bora, Gwarinpa village, 3rd avenue in Gwarinpa, Karamo, Garki market, Sabongari Bwari and New Kucigoro IDP camp, within the FCT.
In the statement, Babafemi said two of the suspects arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for cocaine ingestion excreted 193 pellets of the illicit drug after three days in observatory custody.
According to him, the suspects, Onoh Ebere, 49, and Christian Ifeanyi Ogbuji, 47, were intercepted at the Abuja airport on Wednesday 10th May upon their arrival from Uganda via Addis Ababa, onboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 951.
He said both suspects had businesses they managed in Nigeria, but their main source of income was drug trafficking.
“They both travelled to Uganda and from there crossed over to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where they picked the consignments before returning to Abuja with Lagos as their final destination.
“After days in excretion room, Ebere Onoh excreted a total of 100 pellets weighing 2.137kg while Christian Ifeanyi Ogbuji expelled 93 pellets hidden in his stomach with a gross weight of 1.986kg,” Babafemi disclosed.
The statement said that two suspects: ” Abubakar Sallau, 55, and Nazifi Abdullahi, 25, were arrested on Saturday 13th May, along Kano-Maiduguri road, with 5,000 pills of Tramadol 200mg, while a total of 65,200 tablets of tramadol and exol-5 were seized from the duo of Adamu Nagati, 30, and Ali Nasiru, 35.
“Another bid to smuggle into Lagos a consignment of 24kg cannabis indica concealed in imported used cars from Canada was again frustrated by NDLEA operatives who seized the illicit substance on Thursday 11th May during a joint 100 per cent examination of a container marked, MSMU 7412069, at the Prime Connection Bonded terminal, off Oshodi-Apapa expressway.
”Two clearing agents linked with the container, Chief G.O. Njokwu and Mr. Christopher Obialor, have been arrested in collaboration with men of Customs Service.
“In the same vein, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms have intercepted a Saudi Arabia-bound 398grams of cocaine hidden in native dresses during outward clearance of goods,” Babafemi stated.
He added that a female suspect, Fatima Hassan was arrested on Friday 12th May at Agege, Lagos with 33.5kg of cannabis sativa, while 44kg of the same substance was recovered same day from the Lagos Island warehouse of a fleeing drug dealer.
“The previous day, Thursday 11th May, another suspect, Peter Joseph was arrested along Lagos/ibadan expressway with 10,000 pills of Tramadol 250mg and 1,500 tablets of Rohypnol concealed inside his Toyota Sienna vehicle, with registration number NRK 961XB.
“Similarly, a total of 68, 300 pills of various opioids mainly tramadol were recovered from one Bello Nasiru Usman when the truck conveying the illicit drugs was intercepted in Awka, Anambra state.
In the same vein, 460,000mls of Akuskura in 7,800 bottles were seized from a dealer, Mohammed Kyari, 42, when he was arrested in Gamboru Ngala town, Jere LGA, Borno on Wednesday 10th May.
“While NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers raided the hideout of a notorious drug dealer, Jimoh Lekan (aka ‘komokomo’) in Owode, Ogun state where 134kg cannabis was recovered from his store on Thursday 11th May, their counterparts in Plateau state on Tuesday 9th May arrested a suspect Bashir Usman, 32, at the Gangare Area of Jos, with 43.951kg of cannabis,” the statement said.
In his reaction, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig -Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of NAIA, Tincan, Kano, FCT, Lagos, Ogun, Taraba, Borno, Plateau and Anambra Commands of the Agency as well as those of DOGI for their resilience.
Marwa urged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities. (vitalnewsngr.com)
