The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a former two-term councillor at Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council in Lagos State following credible intelligence linking him to illicit drug sales and trafficking.
This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the 45-year-old former local council chief, who currently serves as a legislative aide, was arrested on Monday, March 2, at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
According to him, a search conducted at the residence led to the recovery of 40 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, from one of the rooms in the house.
“In his statement, the suspect admitted to ownership of the exhibit and the property where it was recovered.
“He said he had previously served two terms as a councilor representing Orimedu community in Ibeju-Lekki local government council,” Babafemi said.
Meanwhile, in the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA officers on Tuesday, March 3, intercepted a 32-year-old businessman travelling in a vehicle from Obollo-Afor in Enugu State to Zuba in Abuja.
Babafemi said a search of the suspect’s luggage revealed 1,000 pills of tapentadol 250mg concealed inside baby diapers.
He said the suspect admitted ownership of the drugs and disclosed that he was transporting the consignment to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, where he owns a provision store.
“On the same day, March 3, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kabba/Obajana highway, Kogi, intercepted a consignment of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
“The drugs weighing 1.550kg were concealed inside a standing fan carton belonging to a 36-year-old Cameroonian.
“The suspect was travelling on a commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon via Lokoja, Kano, and Maiduguri,” he added.
Also in Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Mokwa-Jebba road on Wednesday, March 4, intercepted a commercial bus travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State.
Babafemi said at least 500 pieces of improvised explosive device components concealed inside a white sack meant for delivery to a recipient at Pelegi were recovered.
“A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of the recipient, Osama Abdullahi, 21, at Pelegi, Mashegu local government area of the state,” he said.
In another development, NDLEA operatives in Yola, Adamawa State, on Wednesday, March 4, recovered at least 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700g of methamphetamine from the false bottom of a truck with registration number ENU 645XX conveying 2,000 cartons of local drinks.
“A suspect was nabbed at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano, on Tuesday, March 3, with 11,283 tramadol pills.
“NDLEA officers in Ogun state conducted a raid operation in Ogere, where they arrested two suspects in possession of 46 kg of skunk,” he said.
Similarly, in Delta State, two suspects were arrested on Saturday, March 7, at Ogwashi-Uku with 18.63 kg of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based syrup, and 4,268 pills of tramadol and swinol.
Babafemi said a 48-year-old suspect and his accomplice, aged 49, were arrested at Egbisi forest in Uhumwonde Local Government Area of Edo State, where NDLEA operatives destroyed 1,910.25 kg of skunk on two farms.
He added that another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, aged 47, was apprehended with 176.50 kg of skunk at Ikhin town in Owan East Local Government Area.
Babafemi also noted that commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse awareness activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the past week.
These activities included enlightenment lectures for students and staff of Government Senior College, Apata, Ibadan in Oyo State; Government Girls Secondary School, Katcha in Niger State; and Government Girls Day Secondary School, Tsafe in Zamfara State.
Others included Sango Junior Secondary School, Agege in Lagos State; Government Day Secondary School, Illelah in Sokoto State; Archbishop Akinola International Secondary School, Afikpo in Ebonyi State; and Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School, Abagana in Anambra State.
Babafemi quoted the Chairman of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, as commending officers and personnel of the Lagos, FCT, Kano, Niger, Kogi, Edo, Ogun, Delta and Adamawa commands for the arrests, seizures and their operational efficiency.
Marwa urged them and other personnel across the country to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts through enforcement operations and preventive awareness campaigns.
