Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 48-year-old businessman who liquidated all his assets to fund an illicit drug deal, while simultaneously seizing over N3.6 billion worth of Colorado and codeine-based syrup in a series of major operations across Lagos.
Mr Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi, a marble trader based in Lagos, was apprehended at the departure hall of Terminal II of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India. A search of his check-in bag uncovered 1.550 kilogrammes of cocaine cleverly concealed within the side walls and railings of the luggage.
In a candid confession that laid bare the desperation fuelling the illicit drug trade, Femi Babafemi
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, in a statement on Sunday, said Nwankwo revealed that he had sold off his marble business and every asset he owned to raise the ₦23 million he paid for the consignment, with the expectation of selling it in India for as much as ₦100 million. With his assets gone and his dream of transiting from a marble trader to a drug kingpin effectively shattered, the suspect remains in custody awaiting prosecution.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse within a residential compound at 20 Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos, where a massive stockpile of codeine-based syrup was discovered. A total of 3,776 cartons, comprising 377,600 bottles of the controlled substance, valued at over ₦2.6 billion, were recovered between Friday 7th and Saturday 8th August.
In yet another intelligence-led operation, operatives on Wednesday 14th August raided the residence of a 55-year-old kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, at 37 Ogundare Street, Ipaja Estate, Ipaja area of Lagos, recovering 324 kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a street value of ₦972 million. Also recovered from the suspect were a Mercedes-Benz car and a Toyota Corolla car.
Major Seizures Across Multiple States
In Kwara State, two suspects – Abubakar Adamu, 50, and Bilyaminu Nuhu, 30 – were arrested on Thursday 13th August at Kam Wire area of Ilorin with 55.96 kilogrammes of skunk recovered from a truck marked DKA 350 XL. Meanwhile, two other suspects – 70-year-old Abdulfatai Oyelaran and Abdulrauf Ajadi, 50 – were nabbed by NDLEA officers on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Oyo State on Wednesday 12th August. Recovered from their Toyota Sienna vehicle (FFA-115KA) included 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection.
A total of 124,100 pills of tramadol; 786 bottles of codeine syrup; 2,598 tablets of rohypnol; 4,800 tablets of diazepam; 470 ampoules of pentazocine injection; and 200 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from two suspects – Osaro Ikpoba, 43, and Samuel Godbless, 18 – along the Onitsha/Asaba expressway on Thursday 13th August. Another suspect, Emeka Tony, 50, was nabbed with 1,244 pieces of cartridges and ₦8 million in cash along the Kwale/Ozoro expressway on Wednesday 12th August.
In Plateau State, a Toyota Corolla with registration number MKD 341 EA was intercepted along the Riyom/Jos road, where 239,490 capsules of Tramaforce (a brand of tramadol) were recovered and a suspect, Kasum Sherif, arrested.
In Kano State, six suspects were arrested on Monday 10th August during patrols along the Zaria-Kano road. They include Okodili Ibeabuchi, 60; Onyeka Vincent, 47; Nwanko Wisdom, 36; Success Chigozie, 30; Emmanuel Jude, 27; and Chinedu Peter, 39. Recovered from them were 728,958 pills of tramadol, rohypnol and other opioids, along with 360 grammes of cocaine, 99.8 grammes of methamphetamine, 50 bottles of codeine syrup and 2.7 kilogrammes of Loud.
In a separate Kano operation on Friday 14th August, operatives raided Zawaciki Gida Dubu in Kumbotso Local Government Area, recovering 171 blocks of skunk weighing 106.8 kilogrammes and arresting two suspects: Mustapha Iliya, 30, and Abdulwahab Abdulrashid, 24.
Cannabis Farms Destroyed in Edo
A total of 4,628.9775 kilogrammes of skunk was destroyed on two cannabis farms measuring 1.851591 hectares at the Ugboku/Igbanke forest in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, Edo State, during a raid on Wednesday 12th August. A suspect, Agholor Elebojie, 40, was arrested at one of the farms. Another suspect, Kingsley Anigala, 28, was nabbed with 25.857 kilogrammes of Loud and 93 grammes of methamphetamine during a raid of drug joints at Oluku area of Benin City on Friday 14th August.
WADA Advocacy Continues
The Agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities continued across the country in the past week, with sensitisation lectures delivered to students and staff of Madarasatu Sheikh Muhammad Rabi’u Arabic School in Kano and Olomu Junior Secondary School in Ajah, Lagos State, among others.
While commending the officers, men and women of the MMIA Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta Commands for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired), also praised their counterparts in all commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
