The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has achieved another successful counter-narcotics operation with the arrest of Frank Chijioke Ibemesi, alias Chisco Bee, a wanted drug baron operating under the guise of a businessman and hotelier.
The 42-year-old Ibemesi, who serves as the MD/CEO of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nig Ltd, was apprehended at his Daisy Garden Hotel in Isolo, Lagos, following weeks of intensive intelligence-gathering and surveillance.
According to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the agency subsequently recovered a massive haul from his warehouse in Isolo: 1,762.8 kilograms of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, packed in 42 jumbo bags and four cartons.
Babafemi, in a statement emailed to Persecondnews on Sunday said also seized from him at the point of his arrest were: $11,600 US dollars; £2,000 British pounds; €2,200 euros and 50 Canadian dollars, all in cash.
The statement reads: “Attempt by a drug syndicate operating at Orita-Apeje, Araromi-Okeodo forest reserve, Ife South LGA, Osun state to load and distribute across the country large quantities of processed skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 11,135 kilograms were thwarted on Tuesday, November 11 by NDLEA operatives after days of surveillance in the forest.
“Two trucks being used to transport the illicit consignments: a Volvo truck marked WWR 29 XA and a Mercedes truck with registration number AWK 713 YZ were seized and seven suspects arrested.
“Those in custody in connection with the seizure are: Lucky Abiodun; Julius Amos; Victor Ngbikili; Sunday Oduegwu; Ibrahim Akanni; Eze Godstime; and Fred Ifeanyichukwu.
“A total of 1,902.1 kilograms of skunk were recovered in parts of Edo state. While 184.1kg was recovered along a bush path at Oza/Igbanke road, Igbanke, in Orhionmwon LGA on Thursday, November 13, 672kg was evacuated from Utese forest, Ovia North East LGA on Friday, November 13.
“494kg of skunk was recovered from a Mercedes Benz car marked DE311BEN along Benin-Akure road where a suspect Felix Edah, 45, was arrested on Friday, November 13, just as Lucky Abagha, 51, was nabbed in another Mercedes Benz car marked JJJ 56 JW conveying 552kg.
“While four suspects: Micheal Okoh; Offor Agada; Raphael Nkemjika and Nwabueze Franklin were arrested with 68kg skunk and 3.150kg methamphetamine along Ijebu-Ode expressway in Ogun state, Danjuma Tukura, 50, was nabbed with 172kg skunk at Sunkani area of Ardo Kola LGA, Taraba state on Friday, November 14 and Wisdom Titus, 24, with 84kg of same substance at Takum area of the state.”
It also stated: “In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives on Friday, November 14 recovered 396,000 capsules of tramadol from a suspect Ahmed Isyaku Nda, 50, at Aliyu Mustapha International Airport Yola, while 785kg of skunk was evacuated from the warehouse of a drug dealer currently at large at Asob Maraba Karu, Nasarawa state.
“Two suspects: Jamiu Kunle Kardoso and Oriyomi Waliu were on Friday, November 14 arrested with 130 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 65.150kg in Surulere area of Lagos, just as Taofeek Moraina was nabbed same day with 282 blocks of Ghana Loud with a gross weight of 141kg at Otto, Oyingbo area of Lagos.
“In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, November 13 intercepted a truck marked T- 0262KT along Ilorin – Jebba expressway conveying 197 blocks of skunk weighing 78.565kg and 155 cartons of rubber solutions. The truck driver Umar Yakubu was taken into custody.
“In another operation, a commercial bus with registration number KJA- 657CY was intercepted at Eiyenkonrin, Ilorin on Wednesday, November 12 with 20 blocks of skunk concealed in a 50-litre jerry can recovered and the driver Ibrahim Bello arrested.”
In like manner, commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Government Day Secondary School, Birnin Ruwa Gusau, Zamfara; Holy Ghost Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Government Science Technical School, Ringim, Jigawa; City Girls Secondary School, Enugu; Randle Junior Secondary School, Surulere, Lagos; and Anglican Girls Grammar School, Obalende, Ijebu Ode, Ogun state, among others.
The NDLEA Chairman/CEO, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the SOU, Osun, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Taraba, Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Kwara commands for the arrests, and seizures of the past 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.
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