*Arrests 76-Year-Old Grandfather With 340.8kg Drug Consignment In Abuja

BY GODWIN IJEDIOGOR

OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have detected a specially constructed large hole storage in a wall covered with wallpapers and fetish objects during a raid at shrine guarded by snake used to store illicit drugs in Igor community, Benin city, the Edo State capital.

During the operation, different quantities of illicit substances, including 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.

At least, two ladies- Sonia Chinonso Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani- were arrested during the intelligence-led operation on Tuesday, June 18, after the big black snake guarding the shrine was demobilised.

In a related development, two suspects- Obi Ferguson, 45, and Ernest Abanum, 46, were arrested on Saturday, June 22, when NDLEA operatives raided the Usen Forest in Ovia South West Local Council of Edo State, where 209 kilogrammes of cannabis and a motorcycle were recovered.

According to a statement on Sunday, June 23, in Abuja, by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the agency’s officers in Lagos on Wednesday, June 19, 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, while one Michael Odiomume, 39, who was sending the consignment to Owerri, Imo State, was promptly arrested at the park.

In the update on the agency’s operations within the week, Babafemi added that In Abuja, operatives, on Tuesday, June 18, intercepted a white Nissan Frontier pick up, with amber lights and fake registration number of a security agency at Kiyi village in Kuje area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), loaded with 454 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing 340.8 kilogrammes procured at Uzeba, Edo State.

A 76-year-old grandfather, Mr. Francis Omofa, linked to the consignment, who confessed to have been in the illicit drug business for 10 years,was arrested. 

Across the country, NDLEA Commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities  in the past week.

These include WADA enlightenment lecture for students and teachers of St. Peters College, Nibo, Anambra State; students and staff of Apostolic Grammar School, Ilesa, Osun State; students and teachers of Immanuel Baptist High School, Oyo town, Oyo State; students and staff of Federal Government Science and Technical College, Otukpa, Benue State; WADA advocacy lecture for Muslim faithful during their Juma’at prayer in Umuahia, Abia State and a WADA advocacy visit to the wife of the governor of Enugu State, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, by the state Command.

“While commending the officers and men of Edo, Lagos, and FCT Commands, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), noted the balance in their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts and those of their compatriots across the country.

“He charged them to maintain the ongoing offensive action against drug cartels, as they continue to intensify their WADA, social advocacy campaign,” the statement added.