By Sodiq Adelakun
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully prevented members of transnational drug trafficking organizations from exporting methamphetamine and skunk through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and courier companies in Lagos.
One individual, Ugwu Peter Tochukwu, was arrested while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Oman with 7.50 kilograms of skunk concealed in crayfish mixed with dry bitter leaf.
Also, NDLEA officers intercepted 2.9 kilograms of skunk and 14 grams of methamphetamine bound for Dubai, concealed in bags of semovita and the soles of ladies’ high heel shoes, respectively.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi similarly stated that NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations attached to some courier companies also intercepted Dubai-bound 2.9 kilograms of skunk and 14 grams of methamphetamine concealed in bags of semovita and soles of ladies’ high heel shoes, respectively.
He further disclosed that NDLEA operatives on patrol along Aba-Owerri expressway on Wednesday intercepted five pregnant teenage girls suspected to be victims of child trafficking used as baby factory.
According to him, they were picked up while being relocated from their hideout in the Naze area of Owerri to Ikenegbu.
The statement gave the names of the victims as: Chioma Emmanuel, 15; Uma Faith, 15; Divine Adimonye, 17; Opara Gift, 15; and Amarachi Mbata, 16.
The NDLEA spokesman explained that the victims in their statements claimed they didn’t know the men who impregnated them.
However, he noted that the Imo State Command of the Agency has since been directed to hand them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, for further investigations.
The statement added, “Two suspects: Moses Akowe, 32, and Sunday Gabriel, 31, were arrested with 227.1kgs of cannabis on Tuesday at Ikebe village, Ankpa LGA, Kogi state, a female suspect, Bilikisu Salako, 35, was nabbed with 108kgs of same substance on Saturday 16th September in Ifo area of Ogun state.
“A total of 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 55kgs and 600 bottles of codeine-based syrup seized from the duo of Salisu Murtala and Shafi’u Dahiru on Tuesday 11th September along Abuja road have been traced to two other suspects: Muntari Nasiru and Yusuf Ali who were arrested in follow up operations in Kano.
“In FCT Abuja, a 27-year-old Kingsley Chimaobi was arrested with 6,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup along Lokogoma-Abuja road on Tuesday 11th September.”
Meanwhile, the anti-narcotic agency said a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, sentenced a drug dealer, Segun Odeyemi, to five years imprisonment for trafficking and dealing in 3,842 kilograms of skunk.
NDLEA said Odeyemi was arrested on Saturday 1st July while conveying 89 jumbo bags of the illicit substance in his truck around Eleganza area of Ajah, Lekki and subsequently charged in suit number FHC/L/388C/2023 presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko.
However, the statement noted that the various commands of the Agency have continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in the past week taking advocacy messages to the stakeholders.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, (Retd), commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Imo, Kaduna, Ogun, Kogi, FCT and Lagos Commands, as well as those of DOGI, for intensifying their drug control efforts.
Marwa equally applauded the commitment of all the commands across the country to work with other stakeholders to take the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to the communities, schools, worship centres, work places and traditional institutions.