NDLEA arrests nonagenarian ‘drug supplier’, others

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday said its operatives arrested a 90-year-old retired soldier for supplying illcit drugs to bandits in Sokoto.

The suspect, Usman Adamu, was arrested last Wednesday at Mailalle, Sabon Birni Local Government Area (LGA) with 5.1kg of cannabis sativa, NDLEA said in a statement by its spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday afternoon.

It also said the agency arrested a Pastor, Anietie Okon Effiong, with three drums of crystal methamphetamine, locally called Mkpuru Mmiri, believed to have been imported from India.

Pastor Effiong, according to NDLEA, was arrested on Saturday at Oron Beach, after a consignment weighing 90 kilograms and loaded into a commercial bus with registration number RSH 691XC at Ojuelegba in Lagos was intercepted during a stop and search operation along Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene highway.

The drug alleged to be destined for Republic of Cameroon, was said to have been packed with 30kgs in each drum.

The agency further said it made four seizures of crystal methamphetamine weighing 4.07kgs that were for shipment to Australia, Indonesia and Philippines at some courier companies in Lagos, adding that another 3kgs of cannabis sativa bound for Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were also seized.

The consignments, it said, were concealed in body cream, hot burner iron and beads.

“At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, a 37-year-old indigene of Ovia LGA, Edo State and resident in Italy; Solo Osamede has been arrested for ingesting 41 wraps of heroin.

“He was nabbed and taken into custody for excretion while attempting to board a Turkish Airline flight to Milan, Italy via Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday 30th July.

“The swallowed wraps of the illicit drug were recovered in four excretions, which the suspect completed on Monday 1st August,” said NDLEA.

A woman, Jatau Lydia Lami, was also arrested at the Lagos Airport for allegedly attempting to export 1,700 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed in her luggage to Istanbul, Turkey via a Turkish Airline flight on July 31, said the agency.

Read Also:NDLEA arrests suspect over alleged possession of 5.1kg Cannabis Sativa in Sokoto

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, a mother of three, hails from Zango Kataf LGA, Kaduna State and lives in Istanbul, Turkey with her family. She blamed her action on pressure to raise N5million ransom to free her mother from the captivity of bandits who kidnapped her since June.
“Also at the SAHCO export shed of the airport, attempts by some freight agents to export two consignments of cannabis in a consolidated cargo to Dubai, UAE on Thursday 4th August were thwarted by NDLEA operatives who have arrested two of them in follow up operations. They are: Oladipupo Oladapo Fatai and Animashaun Qudus, while two others are still at large.
“In Zamfara, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 4th August intercepted a truck from Benin, Edo state enroute Sokoto with 50,000 tablets of Diazepam owned by a drug dealer, Umaru Attahiru, while in Kogi, 14 sacks containing 1,376 bottles of codeine based syrup weighing 190.4kg were seized along Okene-Abuja highway on Wednesday 3rd August.
” The exhibits were found in a delivery bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra and heading to Abuja. Follow up operation in Abuja same day led to the arrest of Jude Ikenna and Ozoemene Cornelius.
“In Kaduna, four suspects: Sulaiman Rabi’u; Sanusi Sha’aibu; Ma’aruf Habibu and Christian Nnachor, were arrested in Zaria, Tafa and Romi Kaduna with 106, 770 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, Diazepam, Exol-5 and 100 bottles of codeine cough syrup.
“In Enugu, 143.5kg cannabis sativa was recovered from locked up stores in new market area of the state capital on Saturday 6th August, while in Delta, a suspect, Ike Okparachi, 42, was arrested at Abraka Junction, Asaba with 10,550 tablets of Tramadol 225mg; Swinol; Rohypnol; and 3,105 bottles of codeine syrup as well as 69grams of Molly.
“Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the Akwa Ibom, MMIA, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kogi, Delta, Enugu, and Kaduna Commands of the agency as well as those of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation, DOGI for their recent feats. He charged them and others across the country to remain focused and vigilant,” it said.

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