NDLEA Seizes 22,160kg Hard Drugs •Dismissed DPO Caught With 168Kg Cannabis
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have, in two major operations, seized over 22,160kg of codeine syrup, methamphetamine and skunk at the Apapa Seaport and a notorious drug den, Akala, Mushin, Lagos.
A total of 14,080kg codeine syrup (8,080 litres) and 4,352.43kg cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40ft container imported from India, were intercepted, penultimate Wednesday, at the Apapa Port.
Cannabis/loud/skunk imported from Ghana and methamphetamine, weighing 3,727.72kg, were also seized in an early morning raid at Akala, Mushin where 17 suspects, including five females, were arrested on Thursday, 3 February.
As contained in a release, today, by Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Femi Babafemi, the seizure at the Lagos Seaport followed intelligence from foreign partners and cooperation of other port stakeholders.
Also, a dismissed Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr Monday George Chika (64), was arrested in Niger State for allegedly being in possession of hard drugs suspected to be 280 blocks of compressed cannabis, weighing 168kg.
Chika, a former DPO of Idanre Police Station Ondo State, who was dismissed from service from drug offences, was arrested with an accomplice, Emmanuel Eniola (40), on 30 January, after their Toyota Avalon car, marked EKY 429 BZ (Lagos) and loaded with the substance at Idanre and heading to Kanji, Borgu area of the state, was intercepted in Mokwa.
Another suspect Iliyasu Yushau Yushau, coming from Uganda, via Kenya, was caught at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport by operatives with 268 debit cards belonging to three banks.
“At Akala, NDLEA Strike Force operatives in their numbers, with support from the military, stormed fortified warehouses in the drug den and evacuated bags and bottles of cannabis, loud, skunk, skuchies and methamphetamine as well as the 17 suspects for further investigation,” the release stated.
A female drug kingpin, Mrs. Jemilat Seriki, one of the owners of 12,385 pellets of Loud, allegedly imported from Ghana and intercepted at Eko Atlantic beach, Victoria Island Lagos on Saturday 27th November 2021, has been arrested by narcotic officers after weeks of manhunt.
“Mrs. Seriki (aka Iya Ilorin) admitted being one of the owners of the consignments seized, adding that her bags of drugs had ‘Jah Bless’ written on them. When eventually identified and sorted, she has 16 bags with the inscription containing drugs weighing 668.85kg,” the release added.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, attempts by some traffickers to export different quantities of methamphetamine to Brazil and the United Kingdom were scuttled by narcotic officers at the airport.
The first bid, according to the release, was made on 28 January through the SAHCO Export Shed where operatives intercepted 0.80kg of meth concealed in relaxer plastic container heading to the UK.
The release also disclosed that a suspect, Akuta Chioma Lucy who presented the consignment for search, has been arrested for further investigation.
“The second attempt was on Friday, 4 February during the outward clearance of passengers at Gate ‘C’ Departure Hall of the airport when an intending male passenger on Ethiopian Airline going to Brazil, Onyeaghala Chidi, was intercepted with 500grams of meth concealed inside three plastic hair relaxer containers.
“Also at the airport, a male passenger, Iliyasu Yushau Yushau, coming from Kampala, Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya was by operatives with 268 debit cards belonging to Access Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank, during the inward clearance of passengers on the flight on Sunday, 30 January.
“In Edo State, operatives on Friday,4 February stormed the Igbogiri Forest, Orhionwon Local Government Area and destroyed four dry season cannabis farms, measuring 3.067718 hectares.
“[This is] following the evacuation of 20 bags of compressed blocks of Cannabis weighing 269.5kg stored in a bush at Uzebba, Owan West LGA, the previous day and the arrest of Afadama James, 42, with 348kg cannabis at Owan, Ovia North East LGA on Wednesday, 2 February,” the release stated.
In a another development, NDLEA operatives have arrested Kate Osagie, a 21-year-old student of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Delta State, over a 17.6grams designer drug she allegedly ordered from Onitsha, Anambra State.
Also in Borno State, operatives nabbed one Fatima Musa (30), on 2 February, for allegedly attempting to smuggle pentazocine injections into the camp of surrendered insurgents.
In Plateau State, operatives intercepted a truck marked LSD857XB, coming from Ekpoma, Edo State with 885 blocks of cannabis sativa that weighed 736kg.
“A N400,000 paid to bribe the arresting officers has also been warehoused as part of exhibits for prosecution, just as two suspects, Ebunoluwa Babalola [40] and Sulyman Sheu [3, were arrested at Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State with 90kg of cannabis.
“Similarly, 2kg of methamphetamine, being brought to Abuja by a 29-year-old Charity Omuche from Anambra State, was intercepted on Friday by operatives at Gwagwalada area of the FCT.
“This was as officers of the Kaduna Command of the agency also arrested a suspect, Buhari Isah Umar, with 300 shisha pens and 999 portions of synthetic cannabinoids with gross weight of 9.690kg,” the release added.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended officers and men of the Strike Force, Apapa seaport, MMIA, Lagos, Niger, Edo, Borno, Plateau, Kwara, FCT and Delta commands of the Agency for the successful interdiction operations that led to the seizure of thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs from across the country in the past week.
The NDLEA chief executive, however, admonished them and their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars, the release added.
