NDLEA Nabs 2 Wanted Kingpins for Drug Trafficking, Intercepts Ex-convicts’ US, UK-bound Consignments

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday, September 25 arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Ajiboye Damilare Samuel (a.k.a Na God) after a year of evading following the raid of his warehouse in Akala, Mushin area of Lagos State.

A total of 1,101 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a strong strain of cannabis was recovered on September 4, 2023, and the arrest of Ajiboye in a bank in Ogun State followed well-coordinated efforts by the Agency’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigation, which traced 20 bank accounts linked to the suspect and blocked them.

According to a statement issued by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the Agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi on Sunday, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Friday, September 27 took into custody a wanted community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, upon the arrest of his two wives: Hauwa and Asma’u and son, Sadat as well as the seizure of a total of 226.2kg cannabis at their homes in Badagry on September 18.

“In another operation in Lagos, no less than 9.7kg cannabis sativa and 50 litres of monkey tail, a fermented combo of cannabis and dry gin, were recovered from a suspect Florence Moses at Badore area of Ajah, Lekki on Tuesday 24th September,” Mr. Babafemi stated.

The anti-narcotics agency also apprehended an automobile spare parts dealer, Ejiofor Nnaemeka Chiwuzie over attempt to export consignments of heroin and loud, a strain of cannabis, concealed in LED rechargeable lamps and sofa metal legs through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Ejiofor was apprehended on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at the Trade Fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos where he sells automobile spare parts following the seizure of his cargo containing auto parts, rechargeable lamps, sofa metal legs and electronics going to Liberia at the export shed of the Lagos airport.

“Concealed inside the LED lamps and sofa legs were 37 parcels of heroin weighing 1.10 kilograms and four blocks of loud with a total weight of 1.20kg. A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of two freight agents and then Ejiofor who sent the consignment.”

Similarly, attempts by drug trafficking networks to export consignments of loud, tramadol pills, co-codamol tablets, pentazocine injection, dihydrocodeine and promethazine tabs through some courier companies to the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Thailand and Oman were foiled by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation (DOGI) attached to the logistics firms.

“While 2.3kg of loud hidden in a carton was going to Thailand, 749 grams of tramadol concealed in soles of locally made footwears were heading to Oman, with 60 ampoules of pentazocine injection going to the United States.

“No less than 200 pills of co-codamol were meant for Australia while a total of 700 tablets of dihydrocodeine, promethazine and tramadol as well as 20 ampoules of pentazocine injection concealed in soles of footwears were heading to the United Kingdom. Going to Canada were 58 ampoules of pentazocine injection hidden in female cloths. All the seizures in the courier houses were made between Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th September in Lagos.”

Elsewhere (Kogi State), three suspects: Owolabi Dele, 42; Ayodele Monday, 40; and Olawale Ojo, 22, were nabbed by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway while conveying 132 sacks of cannabis weighing 2,062.00kg in a Mercedes container truck from Osun State to Dei Dei in Abuja.

The agency disclosed that another suspect, Benedict Simire, 57, was arrested at Ayetoro road, Kabba, conveying 33.40kg of same psychoactive substance and a pump action gun with six cartridges on Wednesday, September 25.

The statement added: “On the same Wednesday, operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA intercepted a two 40HP Yamaha engines boat bearing 71 bags of Ghana Loud weighing 2,982kgs along Alfa beach, Lekki area of Lagos. Men of the Nigerian Customs Service Western Marine Command were on hand to support the NDLEA officers to recover the boat and exhibits after the two suspects in the boat dived into the water.

“Also, on Wednesday 25th September, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers State intercepted 1,500 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup containing a total of 150,000 bottles during a joint examination of a targeted 40ft container, with men of Nigerian Customs and other security agencies.

“While NDLEA operatives in Niger State recovered 6,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection from Chukwudi Nwanoche, 38, at the former Minna city gate, their counterparts in Kano arrested Aminu Danmanya, 31, with 15,530 capsules of tramadol at Kano residential hotel, Katsina road.

“In Plateau State, operatives on Friday 27th September arrested a female suspect Jummai Luka, 58, behind Jehovah Witness junction, Kabong, Jos North LGA, in possession of 12,000 pills of tramadol while NDLEA officers in Oyo State on Tuesday 24th September nabbed Segun Asogba, 50, with 601kg cannabis sativa and a Dane gun at Igangan town.”

In another operation, two ex-convicts: Muhammad Machido, 44, and Zakari Ya’u Buhari, 32, were again arrested by NDLEA operatives with illicit substances in Katsina State.

Muhammad was nabbed along Kano-Katsina highway, Kankia, on Monday, September 23 with 51,000 pills of opioids, while Zakari was apprehended in Daura with 14 blocks of cannabis weighing 7kg.

The statement noted that Zakari was first arrested on February 8, 2024 and sentenced by court to 15 months imprisonment with an option of 15,000 fine, which was eventually paid by him.

However, Muhammad had earlier been arrested with 45kg cannabis sativa and 2.5kg tramadol on December 12, 2022 – and was sentenced to two years imprisonment.

The statement further read: “While Benjamin Benjamin Ebei, 33, was arrested at Biase LGA Cross River State, with 38kg cannabis recovered from his vehicle, operatives in Edo State on Tuesday 24th September raided a house along Okpuje road, Uzebba in Owan West LGA where they arrested a suspect Idonuan Ajilo, 53, and seized 112.5kg cannabis from his store.”

The NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities across the country all through the past week.

The activities include visits to WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Girls Secondary School, Kafur, Katsina; Students and teachers of Akinlade Primary School, Ajah, Lagos; Students of St. Patrick’s Secondary School, Ikot Ansa, Calabar, Cross River; and WADA advocacy lecture at the palace of Aree of Iree town, Osun State, Oba Muritala Oyelakin, among others.

Reacting to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of DOGI, DAFI, MMIA, Onne, Marine, Lagos, Kogi, Katsina, Oyo, Plateau, Niger, Kano, Edo, and Cross River Commands of the Agency.

Gen. Marwa also lauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.