Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday 3rd July arrested a youth corps member, Yusuf Abdulrahman, 25, at Corpers Lodge, Sumaila area of Kano state with 1.250kg of Loud.
In Osun state, the agency also arrested the head of Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Baale Ige Babatunde, 50, on Friday 5th July with fresh cannabis plants that weighed 5kg.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement issued Sunday said NDLEA operatives also raided the Lagos base of a high-profile cocaine syndicate headed by a couple: Agbakoba Mmadu, and Agbakoba IChinwe as well as their associate, Okoye Maryjane, where large consignments of the class A drug meant for export and local distribution were recovered.
The raid carried out by a special operations unit of the agency followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance on the syndicate notorious for packaging, distributing and trafficking of cocaine within and outside Nigeria.
Babafemi said: “The 54-year-old Agbakoba John Mmadu was arrested at Ago palace way, Okota while his wife, Agbakoba Ijeoma Chinwe, 39, and associate, Okoye Ifeoma Maryjane, 31, who doubles as their stash keeper, were nabbed at Plot 2205 Eugene Ndubisi close, Lilly Estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, all on Wednesday 3rd July 2024.
“While seven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 7.652 kilograms were recovered from Mmadu at Ago palace way, not less than one hundred and twenty-two (122) compressed pellets of the same drug weighing 2.42kg were seized from the duo of Ijeoma and Ifeoma at Lilly Estate, bringing the total seizure to 10.1 kilograms valued at over N2.1 billion in street value.”
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Benue state on Thursday 4th July intercepted a consignment of 350 grams of cocaine at a check point along Enugu road, Otukpo.
Babafemi stressed that the illicit drug was concealed in an MP3 speaker sent as a waybill parcel.
A swift follow up operation at Flight motor park in Otukpo led to the arrest of the owner, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony.
Babafemi stressed that in Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 6th July arrested the duo of Sanusi Mamman, 28, and Usaini Ibrahim, 20, in a vehicle along Abaji- Gwagwalada with 1,132 bottles of codeine syrup; 13,540 pills of tramadol; 50,000 pills of diazepam and 59 pills of rohypnol.
He noted that the suspects claimed they were bringing the opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state.