Crime

NDLEA Busts Kingpin, Recovers Massive Skunk Loads

By Web News 617

By Maxwell Oyekunle

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug baron, Mr. Frank Chijioke Ibemesi, alias Chisco Bee, after weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance.

According to a statement issued in Abuja by the Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr Femi Babfemi, operatives of the agency’s Special Operations Unit picked up the 42-year-old suspect, who is the Managing Director of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nig. Ltd., at his Daisy Garden Hotel on Ago Palace Way, Isolo, Lagos, in the early hours of 15 November.

NDLEA officers later led him to his warehouse on Pius Ezeobi Street, where they recovered 42 jumbo bags and four cartons of “Loud” cannabis weighing 1,762.8kg.

They also seized foreign currency found on him, including $11,600, £2,000, €2,200, and 50 Canadian dollars.

The agency also disrupted a major cannabis-processing syndicate in the Orita-Apeje and Araromi-Okeodo forest reserve in Ife South LGA, Osun State.

Operatives seized 11,135kg of skunk, two trucks used for distribution, and arrested seven suspects: Lucky Abiodun, Julius Amos, Victor Ngbikili, Sunday Oduegwu, Ibrahim Akanni, Eze Godstime, and Fred Ifeanyichukwu.

Across Edo State, NDLEA officers recovered 1,902.1kg of skunk, including 184.1kg along Oza/Igbanke road, 672kg from Utese forest, and 494kg from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle on the Benin–Akure road where a suspect, Felix Edah, 45, was arrested.

Another suspect, 51-year-old Lucky Abagha, was caught with 552kg of cannabis in a separate vehicle.

In Ogun State, operatives arrested four suspects—Micheal Okoh, Offor Agada, Raphael Nkemjika, and Nwabueze Franklin—with 68kg of skunk and 3.150kg of methamphetamine along the Ijebu-Ode Expressway.

In Taraba State, the agency arrested 50-year-old Danjuma Tukura, with 172kg of skunk at Sunkani in Ardo Kola LGA, and 24-year-oldWisdom Titus, 24, with 84kg at Takum.

NDLEA officers in Adamawa recovered 396,000 tramadol capsules from Ahmed Isyaku Nda, 50, at Aliyu Mustapha International Airport in Yola.

In Nasarawa, they evacuated 785kg of skunk from the warehouse of a dealer still at large in Asob Maraba Karu.

Multiple seizures were also recorded in Lagos where two suspects, Jamiu Kunle Kardoso and Oriyomi Waliu, were arrested in Surulere with 65.150kg of Canadian Loud, while Taofeek Moraina was arrested in Oyingbo with 141kg of Ghana Loud.

In Kwara State, operatives intercepted a truck conveying 197 blocks of skunk weighing 78.565kg and 155 cartons of rubber solutions on the Ilorin–Jebba Expressway and the driver, Umar Yakubu, was detained.

A commercial bus was also intercepted at Eiyenkorin with 20 blocks of skunk concealed in a 50-litre jerrycan, leading to the arrest of the driver, Ibrahim Bello.

Meanwhile, NDLEA commands across the country continued War against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities in Zamfara, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Enugu, Lagos, and Ogun States.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the commands involved and urged officers nationwide to sustain the agency’s push for a drug-free Nigeria.

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Security

U.S Assists NDLEA With Forensic, Intelligence, Prosecution Tools

By Web News 432

The United States government has announced a project that will strengthen the forensic and chemical analysis capacity of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, as well as its intelligence gathering and prosecution capabilities.

This is according to a statement on Monday by the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi.

According to him, the latest support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) comes on the heels of an award of N500 million grant to fund selected projects in the Agency by the Abdul Samad Rabiu Initiative (ASR Africa).

The award followed requests by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) during a series of meetings with top U.S. officials both in Abuja and in Washington DC.

An official letter announcing the U.S. project grant to the NDLEA, stated that the project will be implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria.

Aside from the support for the forensic and chemical analysis capacity of the Agency, the U.S. government also said the project will further support NDLEA efforts to conduct intelligence-led investigations through diverse resources as well as legal books and an e-library for prosecution and other legal needs of the Agency.

“Through all this, the NDLEA will be better equipped to prosecute cases with reliable evidence, using improved collection, handling, and custodial procedures.

“We appreciate our strong and continued working relationship and believe this project will be an important step in advancing our shared goal of a united, peaceful, and stable Nigeria”, the letter added.

Culled / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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The 2 suspects, Ofijeh John Mova, a SAHCO driver and Nyam Gazu Alex arrested in connection with the Tramadol shipment
Crime

NAFDAC Seizes Multiple Tramadol, Codeine Shipments

By Web News 828

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have seized over 1.9 million tablets of Tramadol and Codeine imported into the country from Pakistan and United Kingdom through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.

Of the total seizures, 40 cartons of Co-Codamol, a brand of paracetamol with Codeine, which is classified as Opioid, were seized from a freight agent, Eraikhueme Ehis. 

According to the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the seizure which was made on Thursday, March 10, translates to 349, 800 tablets weighing 336kg.

Mr Babafemi explained that the consignment came from London, UK as a consolidated cargo through the SAHCO Import Shed of the airport. 

The consolidated cargo was declared as personal effects but was discovered to contain some medications.

In the same vein, no less than 1,584,000 tablets of Tramadol were recovered on Tuesday 15th March by NDLEA operatives in collaboration with Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Customs service personnel at the airport. 

The seizure includes 17 cartons of 250mg Tramadol branded as “Tamra” weighing 669.70kg and five cartons of 225mg Tramadol under the brand name “Royal” with a gross weight of 217.15kg.

The psychotropic substance, which was imported into the country from Pakistan was smuggled through the airport tarmac using one of the vehicles of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) and was intercepted at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Personnel Yard. 

Tramadol Bust: Multiple arrests in follow up operations

The 2 suspects, Ofijeh John Mova, a SAHCO driver and Nyam Gazu Alex arrested in connection with the Tramadol shipment.

Two suspects: Ofijeh John Mova, a SAHCO driver and Nyam Gazu Alex who is a security guard with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) have so far been arrested in connection with the seizure.

The previous day, Monday 14th March, a total of 2,160 tablets of Co-codamol weighing 1.95kg and 240 tablets of Tramadol were also intercepted in a consolidated cargo from the UK at the SAHCO import shed of the airport.

Follow up operations led to the arrest of the importer of the consignment, Omonijo Temidayo the following day Tuesday 15th March.

Similarly, follow up operations have also led to the arrest of Hajiya Mariam Saliu in Edo state on Monday 14th March after investigations uncovered her as the brain behind an attempt to export 1.55kg cannabis to Dubai through the Lagos airport on 5th March.

NDLEA Officers Nab Drug Smugglers At Land Border

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have arrested one of the kingpins behind the attempt to smuggle 11.93 kilograms of Cocaine to Accra, Ghana through the Seme land border, Lagos.

The 50-year-old suspect, Oyewunmi Ademola Ahmed was arrested on Tuesday 15th March at Mile 2 area of Lagos after a series of follow up operations following the arrest of a driver, Osagie Anthony with the 11.913kg cocaine at Gbaji, Seme-Badagry expressway on January 23.

In Kwara State, a drug dealer, Hope John, 30, was arrested on Saturday 19th March at Goodness Area of Offa with different quantities of cannabis, methamphetamine, designer drug and cocaine.

Nosa Aituamen