NDLEA nabs 75-year-old grandpa with 26.7kg of skunk

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced a major bust in Anambra State, arresting a 75-year-old man, Uchelue Ikechukwu, and six others suspected of possessing illegal drugs.

In a statement released to Persecondnews on Sunday, August 31, by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, Uchelue was arrested on Thursday, August 28, in Umudioka, Dunukofia Local Government Area, with 26.7kg of skunk.

In a separate operation in Anambra State, the Agency arrested Eneh Makuo, Emmanuel Chiemeli, Uwakwe Matthew, Chukwujekwu Ehirim, Ifeanyichukwu Olisa, and Odoh Chukwuma with various quantities of opioids and skunk in the Nkwelle and Amichi areas of the state.

The statement reads: “NDLEA operatives took a 30-year-old man, Alfa Andrew, into custody following the destruction of 178,750 kilograms of skunk and his 71.5 hectares of cannabis farm in the Mayodoga forest, Sardauna local government area of Taraba state.

“In another raid, the NDLEA arrested one Andrew with a Dane gun on Tuesday, August 26, when NDLEA operatives, supported by personnel from the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Forest Security Service, Mambila Youth Vanguard, and Vigilante, stormed his 71.5-hectare cannabis farm located in the Mayodoga forest, Mayosabere ward, in Sardauna LGA, Taraba State, where they destroyed 178,750 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis.

“No fewer than 104,900 capsules of tramadol concealed in the driver compartment of a fuel tanker, suspected to be an illicit consignment going to insurgents in parts of Borno state, were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Abuja/Kaduna tollgate in Kaduna on Friday, August 29, while a suspect Hassan Buba was immediately taken into custody.

“Another suspect Kabir Sulaiman, 45, was nabbed with 34.150kg skunk by NDLEA officers at Gwargwaje – Zaria check point on Saturday, August 30.

“Following intelligence and surveillance, NDLEA operatives in an interdiction operation on Saturday, August 30, arrested a major supplier of illicit opioids in Borno state, 33-year-old Uchenna Umeh shortly after he received his supplies from Onitsha, Anambra state.

“Recovered from his apartment at Chescon, Pompomary area of Maiduguri include 30,640 pills of tramadol 225mg; 7,940 tablets of rohypnol and a cash of Seven Million Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred Naira (N7,999,200.00) only in N200 new notes.”

It also stated: “In Nasarawa state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, August 28, arrested a suspect Abubakar Dauda, 36, with 79,040 pills of tramadol and diazepam at Abacha park, Mararaba Karu.

“This followed the arrest of Babangida Tungura, 47, in Lafia, with 30,410 pills of tramadol and Rohypnol as well as 38 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup concealed in a deep freezer from Asaba, Delta state on Tuesday, August 26.

“A 23-year-old suspect Mohammed Ali was on Wednesday, August 27, arrested in a follow up operation at Ngorore, Adamawa State following the interception of his way billed consignment of 15,000 capsules of tramadol concealed in sacks of animal feed at the Gombe mega park.

“In Kano, the duo of Ashiru Garba, 20, and Aminu Abdu, 22, were arrested on Tuesday, August 26, along Kano-Hadeja road, with 1.5kg skunk and 25,000 pills of exol-5 while two other suspects: Ali Muhammad, 37, and Muhammad Maishanu, 42, were nabbed by NDLEA officers on Thursday, August 28, along Zaria-Kano road, Gadan Tamburawa, with 8,080 bottles of a New Psychoactive Substance and 25.7kg skunk in their possession.

“No fewer than 250,000 tablets of exol-5 were seized from a suspect Alhasaan Musa, 25, in Zango area, Ungogo LGA, Kano by NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 30.

“A suspect Hamisu Abdullahi was on Monday, August 25, arrested in a follow up operation in Yola, Adamawa state after NDLEA operatives on patrol along Mararraba Lamurde intercepted a golf saloon car marked GME 253 HP driven by Sani Suleiman and coming from Gombe state loaded with sacks of pepper, used to conceal 79 blocks of skunk weighing 58kg belonging to Hamisu.”

The statement added: “In Edo state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Ewu-Auchi road, Etsako West LGA intercepted 64,250 pills of opioids mainly tramadol in a commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra state and going to Okene, Kogi state, while a suspect Mohammed Halidu, 36, was arrested in connection with the seizure.

“Two suspects: Elves Odogwu, 45, and David Jeremiah, 35, were arrested on Wednesday, August 27, when NDLEA operatives raided Queen Elizabeth, Aponmun Reserved Camp, Ondo in Ondo state where 117.5kg processed cannabis and seeds were recovered from them.

“A total of 164 kilograms of skunk were recovered from the base of a suspect Michael Ayodele in Mushin area of Lagos where he was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 30.

“‎In what appears to be the single largest seizure of Loud and Colorado, two strong strains of cannabis, in Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Friday, August 29, raided Nova street, behind New Creation School, Ado-Ekiti where 5.3 kilograms of Loud and Colorado as well as 2.5grams of Methamphetamine were seized from a 42-year-old drug kingpin Ajayi Ayodeji Idowu (a.k.a Atiku).”

Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse(WADA) sensitisation lectures and advocacy visits to places of worship, schools, workplaces, traditional rulers’ palaces, and communities throughout the past week.

Instances include: a WADA sensitisation lecture for secondary school students in Onitsha during their annual holiday lessons at Ezechima Primary School, Onitsha, Anambra State, and for the youths of the Anglican Church Diocese in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Also visited for WADA advocacy are HRM De Wheno Aholu Menu-Toyi, the Akran of Badagry, Lagos State; the MD/CEO of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr Abubakar Dantsoho and his management team in Lagos; the First Lady of Ogun State, Her Excellency Mrs Bamidele Abiodun; and the Olofin of Isheri, HRM Oba Suleiman Adekunle Bamgbade Ayodele III, Lagos, among others.

The NDLEA Chairman/CEO, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Kano, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo, and Edo Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures made in the past week.

He also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitisation lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.