11th September 2023

By Abiodun Sanusi

No fewer than 399 pieces of improvised explosive devices were recovered by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency from one Asana Leke, 39, along Mokwa-Jebba Road on Thursday, September 7.

The suspect, who said the explosives were handed to him at a park in Ibadan, Oyo State, to be delivered to someone in Kaduna, had since, alongside the exhibits, been transferred to the military authorities in Niger State.

Apart from the various drug control efforts, the Ndlea state commands and other formations also continued the anti-narcotics agency’s war against drug abuse advocacy campaigns in schools, worship places, palaces and local communities amongst others.

The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, made the development known on Sunday in an official email received by PUNCH Metro.

He also noted that NDLEA operatives intercepted consignments of skunk concealed in tomato pastes, and methamphetamine hidden in used clothes meant for export to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

“While the skunk in tomato pastes consignment weighing 20kgs was intercepted on Friday, September 8, at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, the meth shipment with a gross weight of 1.60kg was seized at a courier company in Lagos.

“Another consignment of 556 grammes of Canadian Loud sent from Canada to one Tunji Adebayo in Ikorodu, Lagos, was also intercepted by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, attached to courier firms.

“Though Adebayo was not home when operatives visited his house at 52, Aina Atoloye Street, Ikorodu, he, however, directed his younger brother to sign for the package on his behalf. The brother was promptly Arrested,” Babafemi said.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Monday, September 4, raided the enclave of a notorious drug lord in Akala, Mushin, Lagos, Abdul Rauf, aka ‘Na God’, where 1,101kgs of Ghanaian Loud was recovered and three suspects arrested, while the wanted kingpin remains at large.Related News

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In Ogun State, a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Yinka Azeez at Sabo Lafenwa, Abeokuta on Tuesday, September 5, following the seizure of 41kgs of cannabis from Titilayo Adetayo at Sagumu Interchange the previous day.

Also, at least, two suspects: Muhammad Aliyu, 38, and Abdullahi Zakariya, 40, were arrested in Zaria-Kano Road and Haye Arewa, Hotoro, Kano, respectively with over 426.5 kilogrammes of skunk on Tuesday, September 5.

While Onyeka Uzor, 25, was arrested at Idemili, Anambra State, with 64.8kgs skunk and Tramadol, another suspect, Destiny Irabor, was nabbed on Friday, September 8, with over 180kgs of opioids loaded in his Toyota Sienna bus.

In Kaduna, two suspects; Ahmed Yusuf and Rilwan Nura, were arrested on Wednesday, September 6, in connection with the seizure of 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 55kgs along Abuja road.

In Edo State, NDLEA operatives stormed the Ekudo forest in Onwude Local Government Area where they destroyed cannabis farms measuring 4.236347 hectares.

In the same vein, operatives on Thursday, September 7, raided the house of one Amuodu Egwehide, 40, in Iloje Okpuje, Owan West LGA, where they recovered 22 bags of skunk weighing 261.4kgs, while a 60-year-old grandma, Mrs Eunice Egwehide, was arrested in the town same day with 17kgs of same substance seized from her.

A suspect, Gapchiya Modu, 26, was arrested with 60kgs of cannabis along Kano-Nguru Road, Nguru, Yobe State, while in Imo State, 200 blocks of the same substance weighing 57kgs were recovered from Usim Orji, 45, along Aba-Owerri road on Wednesday, September 6.

After over two months of surveillance, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, September 6, arrested a wanted kingpin, Idoko Ifesinachi, 40, linked to the importation of 76.9kgs of Canadian Loud intercepted in a container marked MSDU6686346 at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State on June 2.

He was arrested at his hideout in Lagos and taken to Port Harcourt.

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