– Busts Katsina wedding drug party, arrests groom, 25 others; recovers illicit drugs going to illegal miners in Kano; nabs Beninoise, Nigerien, others

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Saturday 9th December 2023 intercepted at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, AIIA, Enugu, twelve (12) consignments of cocaine belonging to members of a Drug Trafficking Organisation.

A businessman, Augustine Justine Emeka, 44, who claims he deals in copper wire was arrested at the airport upon his arrival from Douala, Cameroon via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Ethiopia airline with the 12 consignments consisting of seven hundred and ninety-seven (797) pellets of cocaine weighing 17.6 kilograms. During preliminary interview, the suspect admitted the cocaine consignments were for delivery to 12 different persons in the country.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos on Friday 8th December arrested a fleeing suspect, Onyejiuwa Prince Ifeanyi, who has gone into hiding since 8th September following the seizure of a United Kingdom bound 20kg cannabis consignment concealed in tomato pastes tins at the SAHCO shed linked to him.

In the same vein, operatives of the Seaports Operations of the Agency on Monday 4th December arrested a 45-year-old Beninoise, Jamila Fatiu at Ebute Ero Jetty in Lagos Island with 398 bottles of codeine cough syrup on her way to Seme border via a boat service.

In Katsina state, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence disrupted a pre-wedding ceremony drug abuse competition in a community popularly known as Shola Quarters, Katsina and arrested 25 youths participating in the drug party. Operatives swooped on the suspects while they were busy taking turns abusing all sorts of illicit substances including a mixture of multiple drugs mixed in a plastic bucket. Though the groom, Musa Gwandi who organized the drug party along with his friends was not at the venue at the time the 25 others were arrested, he was however nabbed on Sunday 3rd December following a manhunt for him.

On the same day, Sunday 3rd December, operatives in Anambra state intercepted a truck marked BEN 302 YS (Edo) and after a search, 5,612 bottles of codeine-based syrup; 57,800 capsules of tramadol and 5,100 ampoules of pentazocine injection, among others were recovered. The driver, Ambrose Oyamedan, conductors – Samuel Otejere and Obey Jonathan as well as the truck were taken into custody for further investigation. Two ladies: Chiemenam Akusoba, 25, and Chidinma Ibenwa, 28, were also arrested on Saturday 9th December with 15.8503kg of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine and Cannabis sativa in Umuogbu, Nnobi and Onitsha respectively.

At least, three suspects: Monday John, 50; Maryam Adang, 48; and Mohammed Lawal Musa, 36, were arrested in different parts of Kaduna state. While John was arrested with 28.4kg cannabis on Thursday 7th December, Maryam was nabbed with 18.6kg of same substance on Saturday 9th December, same day Musa, an indigene of Damagaran, Niger Republic was arrested with 34 kilograms of cannabis sativa along Abuja- Kaduna highway while he was on his way to Niger Republic with the exhibit.

In Kogi state, a 20-year-old Adamu Nuhu was arrested on Monday 3rd December along Okene- Lokoja- Abuja expressway while coming from Onitsha, Anambra enroute Kaduna with 2,700 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 11,900 pills of tramadol 225mg and 100mg as well as 124,000 tablets of diazepam.

In Borno state, NDLEA operatives recovered a total of 81,975 pills of tramadol from three suspects: Mohammed Abubakar, 25; and Hassan Mohammed, 25, both in Response Area, Bayo town while Suleman Hamidu, 27, was nabbed by soldiers on a follow up operation in Mubi town, Adamawa state.

While Taye Ali, 43, and Okon Peter, 60 were arrested with 97kg cannabis at Kanisuru, Ipele area of Ondo state on Saturday 9th December, Nnabuke Christian, 29, was nabbed with 46,000 tabs of diazepam, 4,900 pills of tramadol and 6,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection at Gwagwalada area of the FCT Abuja. The suspect admitted that the consignment was for onward supply to illegal miners at Sabongarin Doguwa in Kano State.

The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign of the Agency continued in equal measure in schools, markets, worship places and others across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA town hall sensitization lecture by Zone N command in conjunction with the Rivers State command of NDLEA for principals of secondary schools in Rivers State; WADA sensitisation lecture at Community Basic School, Abojupa Idi Igba Ilora, Oyo state; WADA advocacy lecture for students of Obalaoye Junior and Senior Secondary School, Ede, Osun; students of Government Secondary School, Michika, Adamawa; WADA sensitisation town hall meeting with principals of secondary schools in Cross River; WADA sensitization lecture at Government Girls Day Secondary School, Gusau, Zamfara and same lecture for traders at Cow Market, Awka, Anambra state.

While commending the officers and men of the AIIA, MMIA, Katsina, Anambra, Kaduna, Kogi, Borno, Ondo, and FCT Commands as well as those of Seaports Operations for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across all formations of the Agency to maintain the offensive action tempo while creating a balance with their drug demand reduction efforts.

By Femi Babafemi

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