NDLEA intercepts fake $4.7m cash in Abuja

…Arrests nursing mum 3 weeks after bail for same drug offence

By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has intercepted a consignment of fake $4, 760,000 around Abaji, Abuja.

The huge fake dollar said to have been sent from Lagos but intercepted last week Friday at Abaji, Abuja was said to be an attempt by a syndicate to steal at least N2.7 billion from the Nigerian economy by pushing into circulation the fake $4.7 million cash.

A principal suspect, one 52-year-old Abdulmumini Maikasuwa was said to have been arrested in allegedly connection with this criminal offence.

Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday.

The breakthrough according to NDLEA Spokesman followed intelligence received by the FCT Command of the Agency detailing the movement of the cash and the vehicle conveying it.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) has directed that both the cash and the suspect in custody be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation.

In another development, barely three weeks after a nursing mother, Mrs. Rashidat Adebayo, 38, was granted administrative bail following her arrest for dealing in illicit drugs, operatives of NDLEA have again arrested her in Offa, Kwara State with assorted drugs such as Tramadol, Swinol, Diazepam and Pentazocine injection ampules.

Before her latest arrest on Thursday 17th February, the nursing mother was said to have been arrested and granted bail on 24th January 2022 for dealing in similar drugs.

In the same vein, NDLEA officers have equally arrested two drug dealers: Sani Isa (aka Bilaz) and Bala Yerima in Hong, Adamawa state with 239 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 209kg, just as operatives of the Bauchi state Command have intercepted a truck marked FFF 422 XB coming from Lagos to Maiduguri, at Azare, Bauchi. A total of 164.8kg of cannabis sativa concealed in peak milk cartons was recovered from the truck.

The NDLEA Chief Executive has however lauded the officers and men of the FCT Command for their vigilance and preventing counterfeit $4.7 million from going into the streets.

He charged them and their counterparts in Adamawa, Kwara, Bauchi and others across the country not to rest on their oars.