NDLEA Arrests 4 Women for Drug Trafficking in Imo, Edo

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested four women for drug trafficking  in Edo and Imo States.

The arrested suspects are Chioma Okeke, 32; Chioma Igba, 24; Precious Ozomah, 22; and Anita Abraham, 21.

The Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to ThelensNG on Sunday.

According to the statement, Okeke was apprehended by the Agency’s operatives following a successful raid on a drug enclave in Umulolo, Orlu, Imo State. The operatives also recovered 8 kilograms of skunk from her.

Babafemi revealed that an intensive sweep of notorious drug hotspots across Benin City, Edo State, on June 2 led to the arrest of four key traffickers, including Igba, Ozomah, and Abraham.

Igba and Ozomah were arrested at Uyosa, Benin City, with a variety of illicit substances, including 176 grams of skunk, 65 grams of Loud, and 5 grams of methamphetamine. Abraham was apprehended along Agbor Road with 95 grams of Scottish Loud and 329 grams of regular Loud.

A male suspect, Henry Okey, 43, was also arrested at Upper Mission with a cache of psychotropic substances, including Loud, Colorado, Swinol, and methamphetamine.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives intercepted a large consignment of various opioids and illicit substances concealed in building materials, leading to the arrest of a 75-year-old grandfather, Okebe Samuel, in Okposi, Ebonyi State. The septuagenarian was found in possession of 300 grams of skunk, which he allegedly sold in retail sachets to youths in his community.

The seizure followed credible intelligence that led to the interception of a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Jalingo, Taraba State, on June 6. A thorough search of the vehicle by NDLEA operatives at the Nukkai Timber Shade, Jalingo, led to the discovery of a massive stash of illicit drugs concealed beneath the cargo, while a 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was promptly arrested.

The illicit substances recovered from the truck included 320,840 capsules of tramadol; 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 4,500 tablets of Rohypnol; and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.

A swift operation by NDLEA operatives led to the arrest of a 19-year-old suspect, Saifullahi Lawan, in the Kafi area of Madobi, Kano State, on June 4, as well as the recovery of 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilograms.

Operatives also intercepted 28-year-old Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of Gombe State on June 1 and recovered 15,000 capsules of tramadol from him.

In the same vein, the Agency’s Commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities across the country during the past week.

The activities included WADA sensitisation lectures delivered to students and staff of Holiness Foundation Primary School, Saki, Oyo State; Dorras High School, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State; Ado Girls Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra State; and Army Day Secondary School, Kano State.

Commenting on the arrests and seizures, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended the officers of the Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano, and Gombe Commands for their resilience and vigilance.

Marwa equally praised their counterparts in Commands across the country for maintaining a fair balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

He reiterated NDLEA‘s commitment to dismantling drug supply chains, adding that the Agency would continue to target traffickers regardless of age, gender, or concealment methods.