Two alleged drug kingpins: Victor Nwosa and Felix Obiegbu have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after consignments of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine being prepared for export to Europe and beyond were recovered from their Lagos homes after weeks of intelligence and surveillance on their criminal networks.
The duo were arrested by operatives of a Special Operations Unit (SOU) of the anti-narcotics agency.
The spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday said while 64-year-old Nwosa parades himself as a successful textile merchant, 49-year-old Obiegbu is known to many as a businessman who is into wine distribution but beneath their outward appearance is their hidden illicit drug business unearthed by NDLEA operatives after months of intelligence gathering on the two syndicates led by them.
Babafemi said at the time they were preparing their consignments for export, NDLEA-SOU operatives who have for months put them under surveillance, swooped on them in different parts of Lagos. Nwosa was arrested last at his 16 Femi Kila street, Okota home where 4.33 kilogrammes of heroin and 448 grammes of cocaine were recovered during a search of his house.
On the other hand, Obiegbu was arrested on Thursday 11th September at his 5 Shada Shonefun street, Aguda Surulere home where in the course of a search, 2.902 kilogrammes of methamphetamine were said to be uncovered and seized.
The spokesman said attempts by suspected suppliers of illicit drugs to terrorists and bandits in Borno and Yobe states to move illicit drugs concealed in engine compartment of a Mercedes Benz jeep and a lady’s travelling bag were thwarted by NDLEA operatives on stop and search operations in the two states.
In Borno state, following weeks of intelligence, NDLEA officers on Saturday m arrested Baba Kaka Ibrahim, 26, at Njimtilo village while driving a Mercedes Benz GLK marked JRE 987 AE towards Damaturu road. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 39,380 pills of tramadol 225mg and exol-5 stuffed in the engine compartment of the jeep.
Same day in Yobe state, NDLEA operatives intercepted a lady Halima Adamu along Damaturu-Maiduguri road, where 39 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 1.4 kilogrammes were found concealed inside the casing of her travelling bag. A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of another lady linked to the consignment, Habiba Muhammad, at her Baga road, Maiduguri home.
Babafemi said two suspects: Aliyu Sani, 27, and Yahaya Tata, 26, were on Saturday m arrested by NDLEA operatives along Zaria – Kano road, Gadar Tamburawa, Kano state with 30,030 pills of tramadol seized from them, while three suspects: Friday Elebechi, 35; Tobin Godgift, 30; and Aya Clement, 30, were arrested by NDLEA operatives at Swali jetty, Yenagoa, Bayelsa last Monday after 12 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis and 50 Diana AAA cartridges were recovered from them.
A 45-year-old ex-convict Femi Owoeye (aka Do Good) was last Thursday arrested by NDLEA officers at his 24 Oke-Igele street, Ikere Ekiti home. He was found in possession of 32 kilogrammes skunk and 10.5 grammes of tramadol. He had been convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment for a similar drug trafficking offence in 2016.
In Kaduna, a suspect Adedamola Olayeni, 56, was last Monday arrested with 404 blocks of skunk weighing 262.6 kilogrammes at the Abuja – Kaduna tollgate. The consignment was found in his Honda Pilot jeep marked MKA 499 TT, coming from Osogbo, Osun state and heading to Katsina state.
Another suspect, Zubairu Haruna, 30, was last Wednesday found with 506 grammes of methamphetamine at the Gwantu – Fadan Karshi check point, Kaduna while a follow up operation in Gombe state led to the arrest of the actual receiver of the consignment Babangida Mohammed, 25.
According to Babafemi, no fewer than 85,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids were seized from the trio of Dauda Abubakar; Abdullahi Umar and Ismaila Muhammed at Apapa area of Lagos last Monday, while NDLEA operatives in Abuja the following day arrested Opeyemi Ogundipe, 40, with 2.1 kilogrammes Colorado along Abaji- Gwagwalada expressway.
In Edo state, NDLEA officers last Tuesday destroyed a total of 12,115.6 kilogrammes skunk on 4.846244 hectares of cannabis plantation at Uromi forest in Esan West local government are where two suspects: Ernest Uche, 44, and Felix Mugorga, 31, were arrested and 345.5 kilogrammes processed substance was evacuated. At Ogu forest, Igueben local government area, no less than 12,031.245 kilogrammes of same psychoactive substance was destroyed on 4.438442 hectares of cannabis farm last Wednesday with 106.1 kilogrammes processed consignment evacuated.
A truck conveying 82 bags of skunk concealed in bags of charcoal with a total weight of 1,025 kilogrammes was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Wareke-Auchi road, Etsako West local government area last Friday while two suspects: Kabiru Abdulahi, 35; and Anas Safiyanu, 20, were apprehended in connection with the seizure.
Babafemi said in like manner, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of the SOU, Borno, Yobe, Edo, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, FCT, Ekiti and Bayelsa commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, enjoined them and their colleagues nationwide to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
He noted that “the success of the various operations across the country underscores our commitment to safeguarding Nigeria from illicit substances that threaten public health and national security. Every gramme of these dangerous drugs we seize and remove from our streets and communities, reinforces our determination to protect our youths, disrupt criminal networks, and strengthen national security.”
Michael Olugbode
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