* intercepts N9.3billion worth of opioids in Rivers
By Kola Adeyemi
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji
Shugaba in Kano for allegedly being brains behind the sponsorship of some drug couriers to Saudi Arabia.
The kingpins were arrested on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano.
The arrest of the kingpins: Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba was a follow-up to the earlier arrest of two pilgrims; Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Monday 26th May.
Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado were arrested during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight ET 940 to Jedda, Saudi Arabia.
Mustapha and Shifado were intending pilgrims who also serve as couriers to move cocaine to Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage for their sponsors; Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba.
Spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrest of the drug kingpins and couriers in a statement in Sunday.
According to Babafemi, the interdiction of the intending pilgrims at the NDLEA final screening point at the Kano airport was based on credible intelligence.
“When they were taken for scanning, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances.
“They were subsequently placed on excretion observation during which they excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, bringing the total for both to 90 pellets with a total weight of 1.04kg.
“Investigation soon unraveled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specializes in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia.
“A swift follow-up operation was carried out, and the trio of Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba were arrested on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano,” he said
Also in a related development, the NDLEA has arrested a 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Leonard Okigbo at the Kano airport.
Okigbo was arrested on Wednesday 28th May during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1432 to Iran.
“His body scan confirmed he ingested illicit substances as a result of which he was placed on excretion observation during which he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg.
“At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than seven watch-listed containers were positioned for joint examination by NDLEA officers, men of Custom Service and other security agencies between Wednesday 28th and Friday 30th May, during which 825,200 bottles of codeine based syrup and trodol worth Five Billion Seven Hundred and Seventy Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N5,776,400,000) in street value were seized while a total of Five Million One Hundred Thousand (5,100,000) pills of opioids especially tapentadol 225mg worth Three Billion Five Hundred and Seventy Million Naira Only (N3,570,000,000) were recovered.
“This brings the combined street value of the opioids to Nine Billion Three Hundred and Forty-Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N9,346,400,000.00)
“In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kano- Maiduguri road Friday 30th May intercepted the duo of Abubakar Hussein, 42, and Sahabi Adamu, 53, with Nine Hundred Thousand US dollars ($900,000) cash suspected to be counterfeit.
“The suspects and the exhibit will be transferred to the appropriate agency for further investigation.
“While a total of 390 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 275.300kg were recovered from a parked Toyota Sienna vehicle marked YLA-408GG along Ngurore – Yola road, Adamawa state on Tuesday 27th May, NDLEA operatives in Kwara on Saturday 31st May arrested a notorious female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai at Oja Oba area of Ilorin where various quantities of opioids including tramadol, flunitrazepam and codeine-based syrup were seized from her,” the statement said.
Babafemi further said the War Against Drug Abuse, (WADA) social advocacy activities by the various commands of the NDLEA was equally intensified during the week under review.
According to him, some of them include WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kwasarawa, Katsina; Corpus Christi College, Achi, Enugu; Epignosis Standard College, Onitsha, Anambra; Government Girls Secondary School, Utai, Wudil LGA, Kano; and Government Girls Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River, among others.
While reacting to the arrests and seizures,the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA,retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of MAKIA,PHPC, Kano, Kwara and Adamawa Commands for their efforts and dedication to duty.
Marwa equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts. (vitalnewsngr.com)
