Crime

Drug Trafficker Excretes 86 Wraps of Heroin

By Web News 349

By Olaolu Fawole

Operatives of the National Drug Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have recovered Fourteen Million, Four Hundred and Eighty One Thousand, Five Hundred and Nineteen (14, 481, 519) pills of Tramadol and bottles of codeine syrup worth over Thirteen Billion Naira (N13,000,000,000) in street value in three major busts of drug cartels operating in Amuwo Odofin, Idumota and the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos.

Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA in a statement on Sunday 5th November 2023, said that the three intelligence-led operations began with the raid of a building in Amuwo Odofin on Sunday 29th October, where 490,000 pills of tramadol and 81,519 bottles of codeine syrup measuring 4, 510, 000mls were recovered.

In a similar operation on Tuesday 31st October, NDLEA operatives swooped on a secret warehouse operated by a billionaire Idumota trader, Nwaoha Anayo located at Onitire, Aguda area of Surulere where Twelve Million Seven Hundred Thousand (12, 700, 000) pills of tramadol were recovered.

The statement said further that at least six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouse at the Lagos airport into the country have been arrested and One Million Two Hundred and Ten Thousand (1, 210, 000) pills of tramadol seized from them in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.

The six suspects already in NDLEA custody include: Oladele Sanya-Olu; Lawal Itunu Temitope; Sanamo Alla Daniel; Udeh Felix Monday; Musa Mutalib and Unege Evans Icibor, while three other suspects: Sarki Mubarak Salami; Abdullahi Aliyu (aka Aboki); and Monday Anwal, are now on the run and wanted by NDLEA.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 29th October intercepted yet another businessman, 50-year-old Nwokolo Ifeanyi Anthony during the outward clearance of Air France flight AF 878 to Amsterdam, Netherlands via Paris, France at the boarding gate and was body scanned. The result turned out to be positive for illicit drug ingestion.

The suspect who travelled from Lagos to board the flight was subsequently kept under observation for some days during which he excreted a total of 86 pellets of heroin weighing 1.330kilograms.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms on Monday 30th October intercepted 22 parcels of cocaine concealed in the walls of a carton containing sewn local fabrics popularly called Aso Oke, heading to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have arrested three blind men operating an illicit drug ring between Lagos and Kano, while another blind member of the syndicate is still at large. The lid was blown off the group following the arrest of a blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, 40, along Gwagwalada expressway Abuja with 12kgs of skunk on his way from Lagos to Kano on Saturday 28th October.

Investigations however established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano.

Follow up operations then led to the arrest of the arrowhead of the syndicate, Bello Abubakar, 45, who is also blind. In his statement, Bello who is married with five children said he has been living in Lagos for 30 years but started the illicit drug business five years ago.

Another suspect, Muktar Abubakar, 59, who is equally blind has been living in Lagos for 40 years and married to three wives with 14 children. Both Muktar Abubakar and Bello Abubakar are joint owners of the business, while the third suspect, Akilu Amadu, 25, also blind equally contributes money to the criminal trade and was indeed the one who delivered the consignment to Adamu at the motor park in Lagos to deliver in Kano. Another blind suspect who is the expected receiver of the consignment in Kano, Mallam Aminu is currently at large.

While operatives in Osun on Saturday 4th November stormed the Obada sawmill forest in Owena-Ijesa, Oriade LGA where they arrested a suspect, Monday Sylvester, 37, on a 6.01 hectares of cannabis farm which was destroyed and 489.8kgs already processed plant recovered, their colleagues in Edo raided a trans-loading point inside Avbiosi forest, Owan West LGA where 603 kilograms of the illicit substance were seized.

Also, NDLEA officers in Ogun state on Friday 3rd November recovered a Toyota Sienna bus from a ditch, at Ajebo Area, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 460kgs of the same substance, while a total of 116.5kgs of cannabis sativa belonging to a suspect at large were seized at Olagunju, Mushin area of Lagos.

While commending the officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, Lagos, Osun, Edo and FCT Commands as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain focused as the Agency expands its operations against drug cartels.

Crime

NDLEA Arrests India-bound Businessman with 9.40kg Heroin

By Web News 1013

By Olaolu Fawole

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a businessman, Kingsley Celestino at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos over 9.40 kilograms of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his two travelling bags.

Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA on Sunday, in a statement, said, Kingsley, a business class passenger on Qatar Airline flight was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday 4th March on his way to India. Though a native of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, the 49-year-old was travelling with a Guinean international passport.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets. He claimed he deals in clothing business between Nigeria and India. It was further established that he obtained the Guinean international passport in Guinea Bissau, where he said his mother came from.

In the same vein, a 24-year-old passenger travelling to Oman, Etounu Monday, was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday 27th February during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950 while attempting to export 1.924kg of skunk concealed in cream tubes.

At the Tincan seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 3rd March, recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kilograms concealed in medium size wooden sound system speakers packed inside two out of four used vehicles in a container marked CRSU9258348 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada. The imported vehicles used as cover for the drugs are a 2009 Jeep Wrangler and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline.

Similarly, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms in Lagos intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe.

No fewer than 778,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270kg Methylene Chloride were recovered by operatives from a suspect, Eric Pepe Yohanna, 33, in Jalingo, Taraba state on Monday 27th Feb following credible intelligence. Also seized from him is a Daylong tricycle used in distributing the illicit substances.

In Adamawa state, the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi at Sebore, Gyalla road Dougada ward, Mubi was raided in the early hours of Monday 27th Feb where he was arrested and drug exhibits recovered. The 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday 22nd Feb at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilized thugs to attack NDLEA officers and in the process escaped with exhibits.

While a suspect, Geoffrey Okpani, 31, was arrested at Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau state with 27.45kg of cannabis, Ajayi Tope, 30, was arrested on Saturday 4th March at Area 5 Ile-Ife, in Ife south local government area of Osun state with 18kg of same substance.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 3rd March raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole estate, Ojodu Ikeja where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them.

Reacting to the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers, men and women of MMIA, NAIA, Tincan, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Osun and Lagos Commands as well as DOGI for their efforts.

He charged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify the ongoing mop up operations to deny political thugs access to illicit substances ahead of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections this weekend.

Crime

NDLEA Intercepts N4.5b Heroin in Baby Food

By Web News 411

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted 22 blocks of heroin weighing 23.55kilograms concealed in packs of Nestle Cerelac baby food at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.

The consignment according to a statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi with a street value of over N4.5billion came from Johannesburg, South Africa on board South African Airways flight on Wednesday 29th June as part of a consolidated cargo that arrived at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport.

After a series of follow-up operations that led to the arrest of two freight agents, the actual receiver of the drug consignment, Chike Okeke Eweni who distributes the substance for his South Africa-based partner was arrested the following day, Thursday 30th June at a logistics warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja.

He explained that the suspected trafficker before the arrest, NDLEA officers at the airport had on Monday 27th June arrested a former driver with a public transport company, BRT, Muyiwa Babalola Bolujoko for ingesting 90 pellets of cocaine.

He was arrested at the screening point before boarding a Qatar Airways flight en route from Doha to Sharjah, with his trip expected to terminate in Dubai, UAE.

The 39-year-old suspect was placed under excretion observation after body scan result confirmed drug ingestion. While in custody, the suspect excreted all the 90 pellets in four excretions.

“He claimed he left his N60, 000 per month job as BRT driver in February and decided to work as a drug courier to raise funds to buy a shuttle bus popularly called ‘Korope’ in Lagos to continue his transport business”.

Giving a further breakdown of arrests, the NDLEA spokesman said, Operatives also on Thursday 30th June intercepted an inbound consignment of khat leaves, which arrived the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on a Royal Air Maroc flight from the Middle East.

“A total of 71 cartons of dried khat leaves with a gross weight of 2,434.3 kg were discovered in the cargo”.

In the same vein, anti-narcotic officers of the Agency also seized 36 parcels of Colorado, a variant of cannabis with a total weight of 19.30kg which arrived the NAHCO import shed from Los Angeles, US on a Delta Airlines flight.

“After a series of follow-up operations in which four persons were arrested, the actual owner of the drug consignment, Abibu Afis Sola was eventually nabbed on Friday 1st July in Gbagada area of Lagos”.

Nosa Aituamen / Omotola Oguneye

Crime

Checking Growing Use of Hard Drugs among Teenagers

By Web News 1643

The upsurge in the use of hard drugs remains a source of concern globally because of its effect on users, their families and loved ones.

In this report, Labizat Oduntan looks at the growing use of hard drugs among teenagers in the country.

Last year, a video went viral showing a young man drenched by dirty water as he rolled about in drainage.

It was the outcome of taking a hard drug with the street name “Colorado”.

Other illicit substances and drugs in common use include cocaine, heroin, cannabis, tramadol, codeine and diazepam.

A 2021 report by Statista indicates that over 270 million people engage in substance abuse globally.

In Nigeria, a study reveals that a lot of commercial bus drivers, farmers, sex workers, secondary school students who are obviously in their teens and undergraduates are on hard drugs.

A 2021 statistic by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, buttresses the study, showing that forty per cent of youths within the age range of 18 and 25 years are deeply involved in the abuse of drugs.

Ready sources include drug markets, hawkers, fellow drug abusers, friends and drug pushers.

Two youths in Ibadan expressed their views on the use of drugs among their peers.

“Such youths became disoriented such that at that period he/she may not know who they are, it is not a necessary thing to take hard drugs because it will not solve the problem.”

While another youth recounted the experience of a friend who got entangled in the web of illicit substances. 

“I am citing an example of a friend of mine who was under the influence of codeine. He wasn’t about to enjoy himself for like 40-45mins. He was so unconscious and started acting strange.”

A medical doctor, Olanrewaju Shomoye who said illicit substances use was prevalent among young people, highlights their injurious effects and equally outlined other impacts besides mental and bodily harm.

“It affects the way one thinks, feels and behave generally, also affects the way other people the abuser, sometimes they become depressed.”

“It affects their finances. They are not able to keep money, they spend too much money especially people on crack cocaine. They will need to do a lot of things to get money. Sometimes they go into stealing sometimes they go into robbery.”

Dr Shomoye pointed out that medical lifelines such as psycho-social methods exist for people who fall prey to hard drugs.

Labizat Oduntan