Two ladies and two men wanted in connection with over 16,000 kilograms of illicit drugs intercepted in Lagos, Abuja and Netherlands top the list of arrests by operatives of the National Drug law Enforcement Agency, in parts of the country in the past week.
This was revealed in a statement released by the anti-narcotics agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday
According to him, in Lagos, NDLEA officers who have been on the trail of 48-year-old Aro Aderinde, for weeks arrested him on Sunday, October 16, over his involvement in the export of 3,149kgs cannabis sativa concealed in coconut fibres.
In the same vein, two women: Hauwawu Bashiru and Basirat Yahaya linked to the attempt to export 90 kilograms of methamphetamine through one Pastor Anietie Effiong of Promise of Zion Church, Oron, Akwa Ibom State, were equally arrested in Lagos and moved to Uyo to face charges along with the clergyman. Effiong was earlier arrested on Saturday, August 6.
A notorious drug dealer in the Mushin-Isolo axis of Lagos, Monday Michael, 45, was also arrested on Monday, October 17, while conveying 365.7kgs of cannabis in two Toyota Sienna space buses marked FST 189 FD and FST 273 GF.
Another drug lord, Abdulkadir Mohammed, 47, wanted over the seizure of 5,640kgs cannabis at a warehouse in Chukuku area of Kuje, Abuja, was nabbed on Sunday, October 16, following the arrest of his wife, Saadatu Abdullahi, 35, who was found at the store when it was raided.
In Edo, at least 10 suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 4,870.2kgs cannabis in parts of the state. On Wednesday, October 19, operatives stormed Ohusu Forest Boundary, Ovia South-West Local Government Area where they recovered a total of 3,159.7kgs and arrested three suspects; Effiong Udo, Daniel Ebong and Asuquo Effiong.
Similarly, on Saturday, October 22, operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna space bus conveying 49 bags of C/S weighing 638.5kg along Uwenusi road in Uhunmonde LGA, while 36kgs of the same substance stored in the bush along Uromi/Ubiaja road were equally recovered. In another operation, three suspects; John Paul, Liberty Rolland, and Aboki Stephen were arrested at Okpe in Akoko Edo with 55kg of cannabis.
No less than 127kgs of C/S were seized and a suspect, Pius John, arrested while 854kg of the same substance were recovered when operatives raided Okpe Forest where some cannabis farms were destroyed. Three suspects; David Obada, Blessing Okechukwu and Odoh Sunday, caught with the 854kgs C/S were arrested.
In Ondo State, operatives stormed the Aponmu Forest in Idanre LGA where 52 bags of C/S that weighed 676kg and the truck being used to load the consignment were recovered on Sunday, October 16, while the trio of Christopher Amuzoga, Chikogu Samuel and Ijeoma Okenna, were arrested with 690kg of cannabis at Ipele Forest on Tuesday, October 18.
In Kano, operatives arrested Isah Mohammed and Sandra Okafor at Dakata area on Friday, October 21, after they were caught with 538 blocks of C/S weighing 391.2kg, 259,000 tablets of tramadol, 100 bottles of codeine based syrup and 150,000 tablets of pregabalin.
This followed the arrest of Abel John and Helen James with 328.7kg C/S at Gonin Gora Area of Kaduna, while 5,000 tablets of tramadol and 25,000 tablets of Exol-5 were recovered along Abuja-Kaduna express road. In the same vein, a suspect, Yahaya Musa, was arrested on Sunday, October 16, at Tashar Yari, Kaduna, with over 30,000 tablets of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5.
In Bauchi, a suspect, Ogbonna Ikechukwu, was arrested at Gadar Maiwa, Ningi LGA, with 67, 960 tablets of various types of psychotropic substances while in Akwa Ibom state, operatives raided the Marina Market, Eket, where quantities of illicit substances along with N1,193.060 cash and N849,000.00 fake currency were recovered from fleeing suspects.
