Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 20-year-old hair stylist, Josephine Odunu and a dispatch rider, Edesemi Ikporo, 30, for selling and distributing illicit drug-laced chin-chin to students in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The duo of Josephine and Edesemi were also reportedly selling the prohibited items at ‘social parties’ across the state.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
According to the statement, NDLEA officers on patrol around Opolo area of Yenagoa had on Sunday 10th March 2024 intercepted the motorcycle dispatch rider, Edesemi and recovered 200grams of chin-chin produced with cannabis sativa, which he was on a mission to deliver to a buyer.
The statement also revealed that ‘a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the hairdresser, Josephine, who distributes the drugged chin-chin from the salon where she works in Kpansia area of Yenagoa – and a search of the salon also led to the recovery of 3.00kilograms bringing the total weight of the illicit substance seized from the duo to 3.2kg’.
“Investigations revealed that they distribute the chin-chin often laced with cannabis and tramadol to students and at birthday parties. While Edesemi handles the delivery to buyers, Josephine is a major distributor to a wanted suspect who produces the drugged chin-chin,” it added.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa State on Wednesday, March 13, nabbed two wanted suspects named Ajim Samuel (aka Boss), 30, and Davidson John Joshua (aka Dantala), 36, while on their way from Onitsha, Anambra State where they had gone to buy a consignment of tramadol containing 14, 428 pills of the opioid which they tucked in the body compartments of their black Honda Civic car marked YLA 623 SL.
The law enforcement agency said that they were arrested along Numan-Jalingo road – and 21grams of cannabis and monetary exhibits totaling N19, 280 were also recovered from them.
Similarly, a commercial bus driver, Ogunleye Adegoke, 49, was arrested along Gbongan-Ibadan road in Osun State after NDLEA operatives discovered 2,000 capsules of tramadol, 60 tablets of rohypnol and 10 bottles of codeine syrup concealed in the spare tyre compartment of his vehicle.
NDLEA also stated that a total of 343,000 pills of opioids were seized by its officers from a suspect, Lawan Abubakar, 33, in Azare town, Katagum, Bauchi State on Friday, March 15 – and the Nigerian Army same day transferred a suspect, Muhammadu Rabiu, 37, with 64,000 pills of tramadol recovered from him to the Bauchi State command of its agency.
“At least, 24kg of cannabis was seized from the driver of a transport company, Ikechukwu Obialo, at Sagamu Interchange, Ogun State by NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 13th March, while in Kano, two suspects: Ali Amadu, 27, and Adamu Hassan, 33, were nabbed with a total of 125.3kg cannabis; 3,400 pills of tramadol; and 30 bottles of codeine syrup.
“They were arrested on Monday 11th March at Gadar Tamburawa area, and Friday 15th March at Tsamiya Babba, Hotoro respectively.”
Elsewhere, 118 kilograms of cannabis were recovered from a warehouse in Masaka area of Nasarawa State on Saturday, March 16 – and NDLEA operatives in Edo State on Thursday, March 14 nabbed a suspect, Kole Samuel, 50, with 75kg of same psychoactive substance at market area, Otuo, Owan East Local Government Area (LGA).
The operatives said it raided the Oloma-Okpe forest in Akoko Edo LGA same day, and they destroyed 3,944.2075 kilograms of cannabis on 1.577683 hectares of farmland.
“With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.
“Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Day Secondary School, Michika, Adamawa; students and staff of Nana Aisha Secondary School, Damaturu, Yobe; students of Dee Unique International School, Abesan, Ipaja, Lagos and students and staff of Purple Crown Secondary School, Uwani, Enugu as well as a WADA advocacy visit to the paramount ruler of Alesa -Eleme kingdom, Emperor JD Nkpe 11, Rivers State.”
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the Bayelsa, Adamawa, Osun, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Edo, Kano, and Ogun Commands of the Agency for their outstanding feats in the past week.
Gen. Marwa also lauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures thus creating a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
