NDLEA Busts Snake-guarded Shrine Loaded with Drugs in Edo

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted a snake-guarded shrine used to store illicit drugs in Igor community in Benin-city, Edo State.

A statement issued esterday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, said operatives of NDLEA detected a specially constructed large hole storage in a wall covered with wallpapers and fetish objects during a raid on a shrine where different quantities of illicit substances such as methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743 kilogrammes, were pulled out from the deep hole dug in the wall of the shrine building.

He said at least, two ladies-Sonia Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani-were arrested during the intelligence-led operation last Tuesday after the big black snake guarding the shrine was demobilized.

He also said two suspects, Obi Ferguson,45, and Ernest Abanum, 46, were arrested on Saturday when NDLEA operatives raided the Usen forest in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State where 209 kilogrammes of cannabis and a motorcycle were recovered.

In another clampdown, NDLEA officers in Lagos have intercepted a carefully packaged consignment of 8.2 kilogrammes of methamphetamine at a motor park in Mazamaza, Ojo area of the state.

He said the highly addictive illicit substance, also called ice or crystal meth was packed in imported Dunkin’ turtle love chocolate wraps and then concealed in the casing of three loud speakers.

Babafemi disclosed that a 39-year-old suspect, Michael Odiomume, who was sending the consignment to Owerri, Imo State, was promptly arrested last Wednesday at the park.

In Abuja, operatives last Tuesday intercepted a white Nissan Frontier pick up vehicle with amber lights and fake registration number of a security agency at Kiyi village in Kuje area of the FCT. He said the vehicle was loaded with 454 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing 340.8 kilogrammes procured at Uzeba, Edo state. He said a 76-year-old grandfather, Mr. Francis Omofa, who claimed to have been in the illicit drug business for 10 years, linked to the consignment was arrested.

 Babafemi said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency’ across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of Edo, Lagos, and FCT commands, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), noted the balance in their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts as well as those of their compatriots across the country. He, however, charged them to maintain the ongoing offensive action against drug cartels as they continue to intensify their war against drug abuse (WADA), social advocacy campaign.