NDLEA arrests 2 wanted drug barons, nabs 2 others for ingesting 175 wraps of heroin.
NDLEA By: Kingsley Omonobi – Abuja
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested and taken into custody, two wanted heads of transnational criminal organisations with multi-billion-naira worth of illicit drugs and assets seized from them, after weeks of intelligence-led operations across the country and outside Nigeria.
The agency said the arrest of the wanted drug lords came on the heels of the interception of consignments of cocaine and heroin buried in the bellies of two traffickers heading to Paris, France and Doha, Qatar by NDLEA officers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja.
It added that, “Operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos on Tuesday 10th October succeeded in taking into custody, Hakeem Babatunde Salami, the arrowhead of “Tajudeen Babatunde Abioye Transnational Criminal Organization” involved in the illicit trade of several narcotics including Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Ephedrine between Nigeria and a host of countries
The countries include Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.
“Hakeen Salami fled Nigeria to South Africa upon the arrest of a member of his syndicate, Suleiman Babatunde Oba at the Lagos Airport on August 25 over attempt to export 25.10kgs of ephedrine to South Africa.
“Hakeem Babatunde Salami was however smoked out of hiding through partnership with South African authorities and other intelligence and investigative mechanisms.
“While some of his luxury vehicles have been seized and his home in Surulere Lagos sealed, other members of the cartel already in custody include Suleiman and Godwin Edet Mathew” NDLEA said.
In his statement, he claimed he was into the importation of building materials from China to Nigeria and used to sell gold in South Africa before delving into the illicit drug trade about two years ago.
“The head of another cartel, Okafor Ikechukwu Williams (aka Jantu) and his wife, Okafor Ifeyinwa Grace were also taken into custody on Thursday 5th October when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout at 9 Awa Street, Ago Palace, Okota area of Lagos where they recovered 27.566 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in a blue box and two sacks, ready for export to Europe and Asia. “Their Lexus RX350 marked ABJ 512 AY parked in the house was also seized during the operation. “Their arrest followed weeks of intelligence gathering about the activities of the criminal network.
“At the Abuja airport, operatives on Friday 6th October arrested a drug trafficker, Nwofor Ejiogu Charles, 45, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Doha.
“After body scan revealed he ingested cocaine, he was placed under observation during which he excreted 75 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.653kgs.
“At the point of his arrest, Nwofor who was the last passenger to board his flight offered to compromise an NDLEA officer with $3,000 to free him”.
The following day, Saturday 7th October, another trafficker, Nwufo Charles Okwudili, 45, was also arrested while attempting to board Lufthansa Airlines flight LH 0595 to Paris, France via Frankfurt, Germany.
“After being put through body scanner, he was taken into recovery room where he excreted 96 wraps of heroin he ingested with a total weight of 1.413kgs.
“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene -Lokoja-Abuja expressway on Tuesday 10th October intercepted a commercial bus coming from Lagos to Kano.
“A search of the bus led to the seizure of Four Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty Thousand US Dollars ($4,880,000), and Fifty-Seven Million Céfa, (CFA57,000,000) suspected to be counterfeits.
“In Sokoto, the Federal High Court in the state capital presided over by Justice Ahmad Mahmud sentenced an acting district head, Alhaji Umar Mohammed (aka Dan Bala) to five and a half years in jail on four count charges of possession and dealing in 436.38kgs cannabis and 7kgs psychotropic drugs brought against him by NDLEA in October 2022.
He was convicted and sentenced to two years on each of counts 1 and 2 with an option of N1million fine, and eight months on each of counts 3 and 4 without an option of fine.
“Operatives in Edo state on Wednesday 11th October stormed the Orue forest, Owan West LGA where they arrested Happy Akashili, 37, and Solomon Uwesue, 40 in a hut located inside a cannabis farm measuring 2.367,308 hectares which was destroyed, with 92kgs already processed skunk recovered, while 49kgs of same substance were also seized at Ogbeturu camp.
“The Commands across the country balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities.
Some of these include: WADA sensitisation lecture on Drug Use and Mental Health for students of 15 secondary schools in Ibadan metropolis at the University of Ibadan, Oyo state; WADA sensitisation lecture for students of Ascension College, Iworo Imeke, Badagry Lagos; WADA sensitisation lecture at Modern Comprehensive College, Amokwe, Udi LGA, Enugu.
Others are WADA sensitisation lecture for students of National Secondary school, Awka; Students of JIBWIS Islamic Science Secondary school, Herwagana, Gombe; students of Government College, Makurdi, Benue; students of Government secondary school (Boys), Kafin Maiyaki, Kano and students of JNI Special Model primary School, Gusau, Zamfara.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the efforts of the NAIA, MMIA, Kogi, Sokoto and Edo Commands of the Agency as well as the Special Operations Unit targeting the drug cartels, for jobs well done in the past week,
He assured that officers and men of the Agency will never let down their guards no matter the tricks and distractions orchestrated against it by criminal networks
igwebuike01: You don't know him very well. He said that ugwuanyi was building Nsukka without building his village in Nara. Imagine comparing a zone with 7 local government with his tiny village
Well, I think Spyder is in better position to put things in proper perspective. But it's time to move Enugu and Ala Igbo forward
Usonkwu: How many industries did government run before? How many survived? Government have no business running any business. They have been very, very bad in it. Let's not keep deceiving ourselves.
Apparently we're saying the same thing but you seems to not understand me
highness25: which enabling environment have they created for private sector investment?
Enabling environment could mean tax holidays for certain period, certain percentage of state investment probably in the form of free land allocations to investors, or cash incentive, road constructions, rehabilitations and dualization, fastractking business registration processes and removing bottlenecks in land acquisition for investment purposes and many more. To that effect, Enugu State Government is doing her best.
highness25: Na only these kind thing these people Sabi do? Build factories, make una employ guys. People are hungry
government doesn't run business.
All over the world, what sensible government does is to create enabling environment for private sector investment.
Yes government can go into partnership with private sectors to create investment opportunities, but no sole government investment has successed, the success rate is 0.5/10
meum: You see that 24 months? Mbanu. E fit finish am for 2nd term. I don’t have anything against him by the way.
yes it might end in his second term, but the most important thing is that he started early, and if enough commitment is given towards it, it will end up being his signature project
MXrep: Spyder is over biased. He is the reason why ugwuanyi has negative media image. Sullivan focused on the city so it's normal for ugwuanyi to attend to rural areas. Come and see rapid growth in Nsukka town because of ugwuanyi small upgrade. A town abandoned by the state for decades despite it's potentials. See how mba want to dualize owo village to ikem village instead of Abakpa to Opi that already has many estates and a university. After enjoying their turn they start crying on another person's turn
The picture you painted here about Spyder doesn't look like him
MXrep: We missed you. You just hated ugwuanyi because he is not your brother. Now your brother is there, enjoy. But stop crying during another person's turn
Stop this, Spyder has always been one of the exceptional Igbos I have great regards for here.
He is Opinionated and unbiased in his views.
Please let's support him to give us good feeds from Enugu.
Mrs Ugwuanyi performed below average. I don't have stake in Enugu, I'm simply Igbo, so what will you accuse me of?
meum: Ok. I don’t want to argue it. Let’s wait & see the between now & 24 months magic with these skyscrapers, London eye & Eiffel Tower with dedicated power project, and “hardly anything you will find in any modern smart city”
Bro, Ever heard that governance is continuum?. It's ad infinitum. E no dey finish.
How do you know that a government is ready to execute a project?. Check the time of commencement of the project.
Is it towards the end of the administration?. If yes, he probably wants to steal.
But any project started at the beginning of an administration is most likely a signature project. They would see to it's completion
Artscollection: What happened to the old enugu city that you are building a new one oga?
Nothing happened to 'old' Enugu City.
Here in Owerri, we have New Owerri.
It's not because anything happened to Old Owerri. It's simply congested. Again, a new Enugu City will have all Modern facilities lacking in the 'old'Enugu City
Politics › Re: NDLEA Arrests 45-Year-Old Business Man For Ingesting Cocaine Wraps by Supremos(op): 9:46pm On Oct 16, 2023
