IEDs: NDLEA intercepts 399 bombs heading to Kaduna from Ibadan

NDLEA says it intercepted no fewer than 399 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) being transported to Kaduna by a suspect.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it intercepted no fewer than 399 pieces of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) being transported to Kaduna by a suspect.

The NDLEA identified the transporter as 33-year-old Oluwagbenga Leke.

The 33-year-old suspect was arrested on September 7 along Mokwa-Jebba road.

This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi.

According to NDLEA, the suspect claimed that the explosives were handed to him at a park in Ibadan to be delivered to someone in Kaduna.

The statement added that the suspect and exhibits were transferred to the military authorities in Niger.

In Kaduna, two suspects, Ahmed Yusuf and Rilwan Nura, were arrested on September 6 in connection with the seizure of 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 55kg along Abuja road.

Meanwhile, a suspected drug dealer in Ogun, Yinka Azeez, was arrested at Sabo Lafenwa, Abeokuta, on September 5. His arrest followed the seizure of 41kg of cannabis from an individual, Titilayo Adetayo, at Sagamu Interchange on September 4.

Similarly, two suspects, Muhammad Aliyu, 38, and Abdullahi Zakariya, 40, were arrested on September 5 along Zaria-Kano Road and at Hayin Arewa Hotoro in Kano, respectively.

The two had over 426.5kg of skunk in their possession, NDLEA said, noting that another suspect, Onyeka Uzor, 25, was arrested at Idemili, Anambra state, with 64.8kg skunk and tramadol.

“Destiny Irabor was nabbed on Friday 8th September with over 180kgs Opioids loaded in his Toyota Sienna car,” said the statement.

The NDLEA statement added, “In Edo, operatives stormed the Ekudo forest, Onwude LGA, where they destroyed cannabis farms measuring 4.236347 hectares. The operatives on Thursday, September 7, raided the house of one Amuodu Egwehide, 40, in Iloje Okpuje, Owan West LGA, where they recovered 22 bags of skunk weighing 261.4kg.”

The anti-narcotics agency also mentioned that its operatives arrested a 60-year-old grandma, Eunice Egwehide, in the town with 17kg of skunk.

“A suspect, Gapchiya Modu, 26, was arrested with 60kg of cannabis along Kano-Nguru road, Nguru, Yobe. While in Imo, 200 blocks of the same substance weighing 57kg were recovered from Usim Orji, 45, along Aba-Owerri Road on 6th September,” the statement said.

It added, “After over two months of surveillance, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, September 6, arrested a wanted kingpin, Idoko Festus Ifesinachi, 40, linked to the importation of 76.9kg Canadian Loud. It was intercepted in a container marked MSDU6686346 at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers on 2nd June.”

SOURCE: NAN

Drugs are transported to Abuja concealed in cows – NACAT

The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) has revealed that hard drugs from neighbouring states are concealed in cows and transported to the Federal Capital Capital (FCT) to evade arrest.

According to the organisation, other methods used by the drug traders included concealing the illicit substances in bags of garri, rice, beans, among others.

NACAT Operational Manager, Stanley Ugagbe, disclosed this during a road sensitisation walk against the use of hard drugs in a community abattoir around Karu axis of Abuja, yesterday.

The road walk sensitisation, which started at ECWA junction in Karu, saw the group in company of the personnel of the Abuja command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) walk through the abattoir to the ended of Abacha Road, Karu.

Ugagbe said that the revelation came on the heel of an investigation carried out by his organisation in the community which shared boundary with Nasarawa State.

According to him, the ‘notorious’ Abuja community is a major hub for the sales of illicit drugs like crack, codeine, molly, tramadol, refnol, rochi, canadian loud, among others.

Quoting a drug dealer, Ugagbe revealed that the drugs are mainly bought in bulk from Delta State, Benin City in Edo State, and Ibadan.

With banners and placards that read “Friends Don’t Let Friends Do Drugs,” “Spot the sign, break the chain,” “Your Potential is Limitless Without Drugs,” “Love Yourself: Break Free from Substance Abuse.”

“Say no to drug trafficking,” among others, the group walked through the area while sensitising the residents against the use of hard drugs.

Ugagbe, who cited Section 11, Part II of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act which prohibits anyone without any lawful authority from importing, manufacturing, producing, processing, planting, or growing, drugs like cocaine, heroin, or any form of illegal drugs, warned the residents against the use of hard drags.

He noted that hard drugs are “not only dangerous to the people using them but also their families and the society at large. When able-bodied men who ought to be contributing meaningfully to the project of nation building resort to hard drugs, we will lose them to those drugs.”

On his part, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command’s officer, NDLEA in charge of sensitisation, Nduka Augustine, lauded NACAT for sensitising residents against the dangers of getting involved in drug use, drug trafficking and drug peddling.

He said that the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, has graciously said the war against illicit drug use is not something the government can do alone.

“That is why he is happy when organisations take the initiative to collaborate with the agency as they talk to all segments of the society and sensitise them against the dangers of getting involved in illicit drug use and trafficking.”

SOURCE: The Guardian

Lady, 5 others bag 141 years imprisonment for drug trafficking in Edo, Ogun

A 25-year-old lady, Chioma Okocha and five men: Ndubuisi John, Haruna Aliyu, Saddam Abdullahi, Bashir Usman, and Usman Ibrahim have been sentenced to a total of 141 years imprisonment for trafficking in Cocaine and Cannabis Sativa by Federal High Courts sitting in Benin, Edo and Abeokuta, Ogun state respectively.

Chioma Okocha was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in jail by Justice AC Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Benin for trafficking 200grams of crack cocaine following her arrest in the Edo state capital on 24th September, 2021 by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA and her subsequent arraignment in suit no. FHC/B/136c/2021. The convict pleaded guilty to a one-count charge when her case came up in court on Monday 15th November.

The judge however granted her the option of paying N2million fine or spend 15 years in jail effective from 24th September when she was arrested while trying to deliver 200grams of Crack Cocaine to a customer at an eatery in Benin city.

The five men: Ndubuisi John; Haruna Aliyu; Saddam Abdullahi; Bashir Usman, and Usman Ibrahim were also convicted and sentenced to 126 years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abeokuta presided over by Justice Ogunremi Omowunmi Oguntoyinbo in suit no. FHC/AB/105c/2021.

The convicts were arrested on 14th of September 2021 along Lagos -Ibadan expressway conveying 46 bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 552 kilograms in a truck and subsequently charged on three counts of transportation, possession and dealing in the illicit drug.

In her judgment delivered on 9th November, Justice Oguntoyinbo sentenced the 1st, 2nd and 3rd accused persons to 30 years imprisonment each while the driver of the truck bagged 21 years and the motor boy/driver’s assistant 15 years in jail.

While Ndubuisi, Haruna and Saddam were sentenced to 10 years on each count charge, Bashir got seven years on each count charge and Usman 5 years on each count charge. The jail terms are to run concurrently.

FEMI BABAFEMI
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Tuesday, 16th November 2021