After months of surveillance, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully arrested 40-year-old Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, a wanted drug lord, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
Azeez, who was attempting to leave the country for the Umrah pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, had a history of evading the law, having jumped bail in the United Kingdom following drug offense charges before escaping to Nigeria.
Upon settling in Lagos, the kingpin immediately set up a substantial secret laboratory in Lekki dedicated to the production of ‘Colorado,’ a dangerous synthetic cannabis, and various other illicit drugs, as confirmed by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi.
The statement emailed to Persecondnews on Sunday, November 9 reads: “At about 6:30am on Thursday, November 6, Yussuf walked into the waiting hands of NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to board his flight to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
“He was swiftly driven to his 17 Vincent Eku street, Ogombo, Lekki, clandestine laboratory which has been under surveillance for a while.
“At the time of his arrest, Yussuf was found in company of another suspect, 43-year-old Abideen Kekere-Ekun.
“Inside the massive building, operatives from the Agency’s Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring were able to dismantle all installed laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals and already produced illicit substances including Colorado, all weighing 148.3 kilograms.
“In another operation, NDLEA operatives, in conjunction with men of the Customs Service and other security agencies, on Friday, November 7, discovered 105.5 kg of ‘Molly,’ a designer drug, and 500 grams of methamphetamine during a joint examination of a shipment at the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, Lagos.
“In Niger state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, November 6 intercepted Ibrahim Mohammed, 35, in a Volvo truck marked GRZ 872 XA along Kainji-Wawa road while conveying 87,000 pills of tramadol and 72kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis.”
It also reads: “Not less than 34,520 capsules of tramadol were found concealed in different compartments
of a Toyota Corolla car marked GAN 102 AR intercepted along Zaki-Biam – Wukari road on Monday, November 3 while the driver Aliyu Samaila, 25, was arrested.
“The opioids were loaded from Onitsha, Anambra State, and heading to Cameroon.
“In another operation in Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday, November 6 arrested a suspect Felix Tanko Chinedu, 28, with 15,020 capsules of tramadol at Kasuwabera ATC in Ardo Kola LGA.
“In Kogi state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway on Wednesday, November 5 intercepted a consignment of 7.600kg Loud, a strong strain of cannabis.
“A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of the owner, Chukwunonso Anieze, 40, while no fewer than 175,000 pills of opioids were recovered from another consignment at the location same day.
“Three suspects: Olayide Oyidiran, 39; Abdulsalam Abdulsalam, 28; and Opeyemi Tijjani, 39, were on Wednesday, November 5 nabbed at Abuja/Kaduna tollgate with 769kg skunk
being conveyed in a truck marked TRE 897 BE, coming from Lagos en route Owo, Ondo state and heading to Kano.”
It added: “A 73-year-old grandpa James Ugbedo was on Friday, November 7 arrested in a cannabis plantation at Igbeshi forest, Imiakebo, Etsako East LGA, Edo state where 1,459.75kg skunk was destroyed and 5.6kg of same substance evacuated.
“Also, A 70-year-old grandma Comfort Odudu was nabbed at Onopa, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state with 5kg skunk on Tuesday, November 4.”
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Transfiguration Seminary Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Day Secondary School, Sabonkasuwa Kontagora, Niger state; Immanuel College High School (Snr), Ibadan, Oyo State; Government Girls Secondary School, Ilelah, Sokoto; Government Day Secondary School, Namtari, Adamawa and NURTW leaders and members in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman/CEO, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the SOP, DFCM, Tincan, Edo, Taraba, Kaduna, Kogi, Niger and Bayelsa Commands for the various successful operations during the week.
He enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
He said: “The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for the production of Colorado and other dangerous synthetic substances and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming barely a week after similar actions were taken against another cartel in Ajao estate Lagos shows that these are no doubt the first in the series of what will be many strikes against merchants of death who prey on the weak in our communities.
“Let it be known to those still hiding in the dark that the NDLEA supported by our local and international law enforcement partners will continue to hunt them and bring them to justice.”
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