The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has in a serious clamp down on illegal drug trafficking syndicates operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, arrested an Airport staff said to be a clerical officer at the airport.
The operatives apprehended the suspect, Ohiagu Sunday, who is alleged to be the leader of a strong clandestine drug gang at the international wing of the airport.
The raid by the agency saw the seizure of the car shop, while several illicit drugs were retrieved.
The agency equally launched a manhunt on the owner of the Auto Shed, who fled the shop when the operatives stormed the place.
It was revealed that tons of narcotics were equally confiscated in Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Yobe, Edo, Delta, and other states.
The Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said that the ringleader of the syndicates at the MMIA was nabbed on Tuesday, August 23, 2022.
He stated that his arrest was possible following the arrest of an intending passenger on an Air Peace flight to Dubai, UAE, and Obinna Jacob Osita.
Osita was arrested with three bags, two of which contained eight blocks of cannabis Sativa weighing 4.25kg concealed in cassava product, gari, and crayfish.
Babafemi stated that one other member of the airport syndicate who works with Ohiagu was also arrested while operatives are after another suspect.
“Investigations revealed that a Dubai-based drug dealer recruited Obinna, a 42-year-old native of Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State to traffic the drugs and equally contracted Ohiagu, a 34-year-old airport cleaner from Orlu West Local Government Area of Imo State to create access for the unhindered passage of the trafficker.
“The drug syndicate bust, which is the first drug arrest at the new terminal of the MMIA comes on the heels of the seizure of a consignment of bottles of Fiji and fearless energy drinks used to conceal skunk for export to Dubai, UAE through the NAHCO export shed on Monday, August 15.
“A freight agent has already been arrested in connection with the seizure.
In the same vein, an attempt by a syndicate to export illicit drugs through the Lagos airport on Wednesday, August 24 was foiled during an outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline to Oman via Addis Ababa.
“A suspect Jonah Chukwuemeka was arrested with a total of 1,995 Tramadol tablets with a gross weight of 900 grams hidden in locust beans in his luggage. The bag containing the illicit substance was handed over to him at the airport by one Olagunju Abbas who was promptly arrested.
“Packs of Tramadol 225mg containing 119,500 capsules were Thursday, August 25 transferred to NDLEA by the Nigeria Customs, cargo wing of MMIA. The consignment had come in through Ethiopian Airlines from Pakistan.
“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Saturday raided a car shop, Bolak Motors at Ewela bus stop, Oshodi where bags of 615.2kg cannabis were recovered along with nine vehicles.
“Efforts are ongoing to track the car dealer, Alhaji Ismail who is currently at large.” The statement further clarified.
According to the statement, about eight suspects were arrested and bags of illicit drugs were seized from them.
It was gathered that the operatives in multiple raids on Akerele area of Agege, Shogunle, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Fagba, Ogba, Ipodo, Ikeja, and Iyana Ipaja parks, were also raided in Lagos State.
“In Yobe state, two suspected fake security agents taking 14kg cannabis to Maiduguri, Borno state were intercepted along Potiskum- Damaturu road. While Adetula Olarenwaju was arrested with four blocks of the substance on Thursday, August 25, on his way from Lagos. Also, Sadiq Garba, who was returning from Gombe was nabbed with 22 blocks of the substance on Saturday, August 27.
“In Edo, Abu Segun Sunday was arrested with 48.4kg cannabis at Idk quarter, Ibilo, while Rosemary Afekhuai was caught with 1,130 tramadol caps, among others at Oluma quarters, Otuo, Owan East LGA.
“In Delta, Mustapha Isah was arrested at Oko Market with 9, 800 Tramadol caps weighing 6.4kg while NDLEA operatives in Kaduna also nabbed Chinedu Onnuka, at Narayi Kaduna with 33,000 tablets of Bromazepam.
“No fewer than 80 blocks of Cannabis Sativa were recovered from an abandoned tricycle with reg. no: BAU 70 WL while 25,000 tablets of exon-5 were seized from a dealer, Usman Muhammed who was nabbed along the Bauchi-Gombe road.
“A raid operation at a market in Mubi, Adamawa state on Wednesday, August 24 led to the seizure of 62,360 tablets of tramadol, diazepam, and excel-5 while two suspects, Sirajo Idris and Anas Abubakar were arrested the same day with 107 pallets of cannabis at Kamba, a border town in Kebbi State. The skunk weighing 90kg was smuggled in from the Benin Republic.
“In Kano, a drug dealer Lawal Adamu, 31, was arrested along Zaria-Kano road, Kwanar Dangora, with 203 blocks of cannabis weighing 136kg, while another suspect, Taheer Abdullahi was nabbed on Friday, August 26 at Gadar Tamburawa, with 3000 ampules of tramadol injection.
“A raid operation at Kara Masaka, back of Mararaba market and Zamani estate on Saturday, August 27 led to the arrest of 26 suspects, while 25.7kg cannabis, 4.5kg codeine, and 300 tablets of Rohypnol tablets were seized from the drug joints raided.
“In Sokoto state, the village head of Ruga, Shagari LGA, Alhaji Umaru Mohammed (aka Danbala), a notorious drug dealer who was arrested on Monday, August 22, will be facing charges any moment from now.
“Earlier, he was arrested during which 436.381kg cannabis and 1kg diazepam were recovered from his house, an earlier raid on his home on July 20, had also led to the seizure of 11.5kg cannabis, 2.259kg exol5, and 500grams of diazepam.” The statement said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), has commended the officers and men of the MMIA, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Bauchi, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Edo, Delta, and Lagos Commands for the arrests and seizures.
He charged them and their compatriots across the country not to rest on their oars.
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