The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a former two-term councilor at Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council in Lagos State following credible intelligence linking him to illicit drug sales and trafficking.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said the 45-year-old ex-local council chief, who currently serves as a legislative aide, was arrested on Monday, March 2, at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki Lagos.
This, he said, was where a search was conducted and 40 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, was recovered from one of his rooms.
“In his statement, the suspect admitted to ownership of the exhibit and the property where it was recovered.
“He said he had previously served two terms as a councilor representing Orimedu community in Ibeju-Lekki local government council,” Babafemi said.
Meanwhile, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, NDLEA officers on Tuesday, March 3, intercepted a 32-year-old businessman on a vehicle coming from Obollo-Afor in Enugu state to Zuba, Abuja.
Babafemi said when his luggage was searched, 1,000 pills of tapentadol 250mg were found concealed inside baby diapers.
He said the suspect admitted ownership and revealed that he was taking the consignment to Guduwa village in Gurara local government in Niger, where he owns a provision store.
“On the same day, March 3, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kabba/Obajana highway, Kogi, intercepted a consignment of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
“The drugs weighing 1.550kg were concealed inside a standing fan carton belonging to a 36-year-old Cameroonian.
“The suspect was travelling on a commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon via Lokoja, Kano, and Maiduguri,” he added.
Also, in Niger, operatives on patrol along Mokwa-Jebba road on Wednesday, March 4, intercepted a commercial bus coming from Ibadan, Oyo state.
Babafemi said no fewer than 500 pieces of improvised explosive device (IED) components concealed inside a white sack meant for delivery to a recipient at Pelegi were recovered.
“A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of the recipient, Osama Abdullahi, 21, at Pelegi, Mashegu local government area of the state,” he said.
In another development, at least 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700g of methamphetamine were recovered from the false bottom of a truck with registration number ENU 645XX conveying 2,000 cartons of local drinks by NDLEA operatives in Yola, Adamawa on Wednesday, March 4.
“A suspect was nabbed at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano, on Tuesday, March 3, with 11,283 tramadol pills.
“NDLEA officers in Ogun state conducted a raid operation in Ogere, where they arrested two suspects in possession of 46 kg of skunk,” he said.
Similarly, in Delta, two suspects were arrested on Saturday, March 7, at Ogwashi uku with 18.63 kg skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based syrup, and 4,268 pills of tramadol and swinol.
Babafemi said a 48-year-old suspect and his accomplice, 49, were arrested at Egbisi forest, Uhumwonde LGA, Edo state, where 1,910.25 kg of skunk was destroyed by NDLEA operatives on two farms.
He added that another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was apprehended with 176.50 kg skunk at Ikhin town, Owan East LGA.
With the same vigour, commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) awareness activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week.
These include WADA enlightenment lectures to students and staff of Government Senior College, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo state; Government Girls Secondary School, Katcha, Niger; and Government Girls Day Secondary School, Tsafe, Zamfara.
Others are; Sango Junior Secondary School, Agege, Lagos; Government Day Secondary School, Illelah, Sokoto; Archbishop Akinola International Secondary School, Afikpo, Ebonyi; and Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School, Abagana, Anambra state, among others.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of Lagos, FCT, Kano, Niger, Kogi, Edo, Ogun, Delta, Adamawa, and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures, and their dexterity.
Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
