…NDLEA intercepts meth consignments in yoghurt packs, Mp3 speakers; raids Colos factory in Ibadan, arrests kingpin
A 62-year-old Lagos-based businessman, Nwabueze Nicholas Izueke, has been arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while heading to China with 95 jumbo-sized wraps of cocaine weighing 1.589 kilograms buried in his stomach.
Nwabueze was arrested on Saturday, 31st January 202,6 at the Kano airport during the outward clearance of passengers going to China via Addis Ababa on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940. When taken for a body scan, he tested positive for ingesting an illicit drug and was promptly placed under observation.
While under observation, the suspect, who claims he’s into the clothing and auto spare parts business in Lagos, expelled a total of 95 pellets of the class A drug in seven excretions.
In his statement, he claimed he decided to engage in illicit drug trafficking to raise enough money to complete the country home he’s building in his village, Iwollo, Enugu state.
While a total of 627.7 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from a makeshift warehouse within Fums Plaza in Kubwa, FCT, attempt by Ebube Okeke, Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze and Friday Michael to smuggle consignments of methamphetamine concealed in Mp3 speakers from Enugu to Abuja and Kaduna was on Friday 6th February foiled by NDLEA operatives in Abuja who intercepted the consignments in a bus. A follow up operation in Zuba, FCT led to the arrest of Ebube Okeke who is the owner of one of the parcels containing 173grams of meth, while the trio of Evans Ugwu, Mohammed Eze Arinze and Friday Michael were nabbed on Saturday 7th February in Kaduna when they showed up to collect the second consignment weighing 28grams of meth.
In a similar development, NDLEA operatives at Dan-anacha patrol point, Gassol local government area of Taraba state on Friday 6th February intercepted a suspect Yusuf Abubakar, 32, conveying packs of Hollandia Yogurt from Lagos heading to Mubi, Adamawa state. Acting on intelligence, the NDLEA officers searched the yogurt packs, some of which were used to conceal wraps of white powdery substance that tested positive to methamphetamine weighing 1.8 kilograms.
In Oyo state, NDLEA officers on Thursday 5th February arrested a Beninoise Shuaibu Abdulrahman, 29, at Ibudo-Igboho village, Sooro Kishi, where they recovered 149.6kgSkunk concealed in rice shafts. In a separate operation in Ibadan, a suspect Adeniyi Adeola (a.k.a Prince) was nabbed at Foko, Agbeni market on Wednesday 4th February. Recovered from his truck marked BDJ 767 YC include: 10,820 ampoules of pentazocine injection; and 117,820 capsules of tramadol.
Also in Ibadan, a drug kingpin Jimoh Nurudeen, 40, who owns a facility where he produces Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, was on Saturday 7th February arrested at Badeku area of Ibadan, along with his accomplice Ogundipe Yusuf, 27. Recovered from them include: 8 litres of precursor chemical; 14 grams of skunk and other paraphernalia of Colos production, as well as monetary exhibit of ₦7,408,400.00 and two vehicles: a Mercedes Benz SUV marked ABC 832 AZ and a Toyota Highlander with registration number RBC 243 BS.
In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 7th February intercepted a fuel tanker conveying petrol from Lagos to Maiduguri, Borno state. A search of the truck led to the recovery of 395,400 capsules of tramadol concealed in parts of the petrol-laden truck, while the driver was taken into custody.
While a couple: Izuchukwu Azubuike, 37, and Ifunaya Mmadueke, 32, was arrested at Umuaka, Njaba, Imo state with 203kg skunk on Saturday 7th February, operatives in Ondo state on Friday 6th February recovered 420kg skunk in a bush at Ikun Akoko.
No fewer than 31 wraps of cocaine hidden in a hand bag were seized by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA from a suspect, Eze Nodebechi Austin upon his arrival from Cote D’Ivoire in a passenger’s boat at Yekeme, Badagry, Lagos state on Friday 6th February.
A suspect Adekunle Oluwatosin Olajide was on Wednesday 4th February arrested at Lagos Island by NDLEA operatives who recovered 3.6 kilograms of Canadian Loud and Colorado from him. In Enugu, a drug dealer Emeka Okeke, 37, was nabbed in his hideout at Akuruka street, Asata, Ezeagu where various quantities of skunk, meth, cocaine and molly as well as N457,700 monetary exhibit were seized from him.
Meanwhile, across all Commands and formations of the Agency nationwide, NDLEA officers continued their War Against Drug Abuse, (WADA), sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Agulu Awka Community Secondary School, Awka, Anambra; Okeodo Community High School, Igboora, Oyo; and Wisdom Foundation Secondary School, Ado, Lagos while Niger State command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Suleja, Alhaji Mohammed Auwal Ibrahim, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the MAKIA, Marine, FCT, Taraba, Oyo, Kwara, Imo, Ondo, Lagos, and Lagos Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to maintain the current level of professionalism and commitment in all their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
