NDLEA Intercepts Drugs, Gadgets Heading to Bandits’ Den

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A man suspected to be a fake soldier, Mr. Hayatu Galadima, and his accomplice, Mr. Hamisu Adamu, have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA while allegedly conveying drugs, ammunition and communication equipment to bandits in Kaduna State.

Spokesman of the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the duo were arrested by a patrol team of NDLEA officers along Gwagwalada expressway, Abuja on Friday, October 1, 2021, and recovered from them include 21 RLA 7.45mm ammunition concealed in water bottle; 16 packs of new two-way radio (Walkie talkie); four army coloured head masks; wallet containing army ID card.

“Also 1 USD, 2 FCMB, 1 First Bank, 1 Ecobank, 1 UBA, 1 Skye Bank ATM cards; wraps of cannabis sativa; tablets of tramadol; three MTN, two 9mobile and one airtel sim cards packs; one iPhone 12 pro; one Samsung A31; and one Nokia phones; seven NA pass letters; five handbags and one bagco bag containing personal belongings, as well as a gallon of palm oil,” he said.

He said while Galadima claimed to be a Lance Corporal serving in Ibadan, and with his accomplice taking the exhibits to Kaduna and Kano.

Babafemi said that preliminary investigations, however, indicated that the suspects might have contact with bandits in the North West and were possibly moving the ammunition and the two-way radios to bandits who are presently excommunicated due to the suspension of telecommunications services in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna States.

The spokesman said the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, (Retd) has directed the FCT Command of the Agency, which made the arrest to transfer the suspects to authorities of the Nigerian Army and another intelligence agency, which had earlier placed the two men on its watch list for further investigation.

Meanwhile, in Rivers State, a final year student of Fine Arts and Design, University of Port Harcourt, Mr. Mario Okiwelu, has been arrested for importing from the US five variants of liquid cannabis weighing 49.6 grammes. He was arrested through controlled delivery along with his accomplice, Ms. Precious Awuse, on Monday, September 27, 2021 around NIPOST in Port Harcourt.

In another clampdown, narcotic officers attached to some courier firms in Lagos have seized different sizes of illicit drugs including 40 grammes of cocaine concealed in a University of Uyo degree certificate going to Australia; 280 grammes of cannabis hidden in body cream bottles going to Cyprus; 400 grammes of tramadol tucked in plastic bottles heading to Australia and 1 kilogramme of methamphetamine concealed in auto parts with Hong Kong as destination.

Babafemi said attempts by some traffickers to import into Nigeria 20 cartons of khat weighing 126.900 kilogrammes through the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, were thwarted and the consignment seized.

He further revealed that on Wednesday, September 29, one Mr. Ibrahim Sulyman, was arrested during cargo search operations at SAHCO export shed and sachets of tramadol weighing 76 grammes concealed inside black soap heading to Dubai, UAE, recovered from him.

In Kaduna, operatives arrested a widow, Ms. Aliya Idris, on Saturday, September25, in the house of a wanted drug dealer, Shamsu Boda at Joji Road, Tudun Wada Zaria.

She was arrested during an operation at Shamsu Boda’s house. Found in her possession were 30 bottles of cough syrup with codeine and 20 sachets of rophynol with gross weight of 4.2 kilogrammes and 77.5 grammes respectively.

He said in raids across Lagos State on Wednesday, September 29, at least two drug dealers were arrested and over 1,213.2kg drugs seized. At Ikosi, Ketu, Kosofe L.G.A.
A 22-year-old Peter Prosper Onome from Isoko, Delta State, was arrested with 442 grammes of different types of drugs including: 426 grammes of Cannabis Sativa; 15 grammes of Colorado; 6 grammes of Cocaine; 4 grammes of Rohypnol and one gramme of methamphetamine.

In Lekki, one Justin Clement, from Michika, Adamawa State, was arrested with 500 grammes of cannabis sativa. Also on the same day, officers of the Lagos Command of the agency raided another notorious hideout in Petti, Lagos Island where they recovered an abandoned 1,213.2 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa.

In his reaction, Gen. Marwa commended officers and men of the FCT, Rivers, DOGI, MMIA, Kaduna and Lagos Commands of the agency for an outstanding performance in their areas of responsibility in the past week.
He, however, charged them and their counterparts in other commands to remain vigilant and continue to exhibit the spirit and determination of the new NDLEA.