…One-legged man, Beninese National among top arrest
By Adeyanju Esther
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large shipments of cocaine and “Loud,” a potent synthetic cannabis strain, thwarting attempts to smuggle these illicit substances into and out of Nigeria. The extensive crackdown has led to several significant drug seizures and multiple arrests across the country.
On July 18, 2024, NDLEA operatives arrested Abdulwahab Owolabi Alebiosu, a 49-year-old businessman, at his residence in Horizon Court, Lekki, Lagos. Alebiosu was apprehended following the interception of a consignment containing 40 parcels of Loud, weighing 20.30 kilograms.
The drugs were concealed in packs of chess boards, scrabble games, checkers, and poker sets, and had arrived from Canada on a British Airways flight. The consignment was intercepted at the SAHCO import shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) during a joint cargo examination with Customs Service officials.
A subsequent search of Alebiosu’s home led to the recovery of drug paraphernalia, including a weighing scale and a cannabis potency test kit. Additionally, four vaping machines were seized from his business premises on Admiralty Way, Lekki, and a Mikano black truck with registration number FST 657 HP was also confiscated.
The following day, July 19, 2024, NDLEA agents at the NAHCO export shed of MMIA intercepted two jumbo bags that were purportedly containing dried hibiscus leaves and other food items destined for Pakistan.
A thorough examination revealed that the bags actually contained four parcels of cocaine and 14 parcels of Loud, totaling 1.360 kilograms. Eze Queen Ogechi, a 32-year-old businesswoman, was arrested in connection with the shipment. Ogechi claimed she was sending the drugs on the instruction of her brother, Eze Nnamdi Promise, who is based in Pakistan.
On July 18, 2024, at MMIA’s Terminal II Departure Gate, Orobi Adoubi Amen, a 30-year-old Beninese national, was arrested. Amen was travelling to Dubai via Accra, Ghana, on an Air Peace flight, with a connecting Emirates Airline flight to Dubai. During a search, NDLEA operatives discovered eight parcels of Loud weighing 2.10 kilograms concealed within ladies’ native dresses. Amen admitted he was paid N600,000 to deliver the drugs to Dubai.
In a separate operation on July 14, 2024, NDLEA operatives at Tincan Port in Lagos recovered 4.5 kilograms of Loud hidden inside the door panels and boot of an imported Toyota RAV4 vehicle. The vehicle arrived from Canada in a container marked MSDU 5656394. Two suspects, Dada Kole, 36, and Alaba Oladewusi, 40, were arrested in connection with this seizure.
In Kebbi State, a 48-year-old one-legged man, Amadu Garba, was arrested on July 16, 2024, at his residence in Yawuri town. Garba was found with six bags of cannabis weighing 67 kilograms.
In Abuja, on July 15, 2024, NDLEA operatives arrested 60-year-old Ademola Elusakin and 34-year-old Nuhu Friday Adamu. The two men were apprehended along the Kwali-Gwagwalada-Abuja Expressway with 30 kilograms of cannabis. Elusakin claimed they were transporting the drugs from Lagos to Nasarawa State for illegal miners.
On July 14, 2024, in Yobe State, Sale Bukar, 39, was arrested in Geidam with 152.5 kilograms of cannabis intended for Diffa in Niger Republic. Also on July 18, 2024, Aham Regal Chinemeze, 43, was apprehended with 60 kilograms of cannabis along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State. Additionally, on July 17, 2024, Adamu Abdullahi, 24, was caught with 40.5 kilograms of cannabis along the Obajana-Kabba Expressway in Kogi State.
In Plateau State, a raid on July 14, 2024, on a notorious drug dealer’s storehouse on Rukuba Road, Jos, led to the recovery of 34 bags of cannabis weighing 312 kilograms. The dealer, Choji Gyang (aka Pararam), remains at large, but his 43-year-old manager, Kelvin Onwutalu, was arrested.
In Osogbo, Osun State, two suspects, Ifabiyi Johnson, 27, and Adeleke Musiliu, 54, were arrested on July 19, 2024, with various strains of cannabis sativa weighing 30.4 kilograms.
In Jigawa State, on July 19, 2024, Tukur Yahaya, 55; Idris Haruna, 28; and Tanimu Umar, 29, were arrested at Roni Junction, Kazaure LGA, with 90 blocks of cannabis weighing 116.8 kilograms. They were en route to supply the drugs to Kazaure, Yankwashi, and Katsina States.
In Kaduna State, Ibrahim Abdulkadir, 29, and Suleman Mohammed, 22, were arrested with 336 bottles of codeine syrup in Amingo, while Auwalu Hashimu, 35, was nabbed with 45 kilograms of cannabis along the Zaria-Kano Highway.
On July 14, 2024, a joint NDLEA and military operation in Akure, Ondo State, led to the seizure of 652 parcels of cannabis weighing 685 kilograms from a Toyota Hilux Van with registration number EE 328 EKY. In Nasarawa State, 38 kilograms of cannabis and a locally made AK-47 rifle were recovered from Christopher Ombugadu, 32, during a raid on his residence in Akwanga.