NDLEA Arrests Man With Cannabis In Palm Oil Keg

A suspect has been arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency with cannabis.

The man was nabbed for concealing 600 grammes of cannabis sativa inside a jerry can of palm oil.

The agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

According to Babafemi, operatives at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Wednesday, March 15, intercepted the jerry can of palm oil going to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

He noted that at the point of examination, it was discovered that 600 grams of cannabis sativa were concealed inside the jerry can.

He said, “A suspect, Tunde Ogunbowale, who presented the consignment for export to Dubai was immediately arrested. This is even as an attempt to export 2.7kg cannabis packaged as part of dried onions to Dubai through a postal service firm was frustrated by NDLEA officers attached to the courier company, who seized a carton filled with colourful sachets of dried onions, used to conceal the illicit consignment.

“In Kogi State, a total of 530,160 pills of tramadol and 99,000 tabs of diazepam were seized along Okene-Abuja highway from a bus driver, Suleiman Oyedokun, 41, coming from Onitsha, Anambra state and going to Kontagora in Niger State on Monday, March 13.

“On the same day, 576, 100 pills of tramadol concealed in bags of rubber slippers were intercepted by NDLEA officers at a trailer garage, old Mile 3 Road area of Gombe metropolis, Akko Local Government Area, Gombe State. Four suspects Usman Suleiman, Ya’u Yusuf, Saidu Suleiman and Abubakar Umar have so far been arrested in connection with the seizure.”

Operatives, also on Monday, March 13, intercepted a member of a drug syndicate, Ejezie Ifeanyi, during the screening of inward passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight from Malawi via Addis Ababa at the arrival hall.

Babafemi said, “During the preliminary interview of the suspect, he confessed that a member of the syndicate was waiting at the airport car park to pick him up.

“An immediate follow-up operation led to the arrest of Chukwu Bright, who was waiting in a grey colour Mercedes Benz C180 coupe, marked EKY 973 GQ to receive the drug consignment.

“Following his arrest, a proper search of the bag was conducted before the two suspects leading to the recovery of 3.00 kilograms of heroin.

“Findings revealed that the drug syndicate networks between Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique in East Africa and Europe. While Chukwu who lives in Lagos is responsible for the recruitment and coordination of the activities of mules on behalf of other members of the cartel based in Mozambique and Malawi, another set operates from the South-Eastern part of Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, no fewer than 1,205,260 pills of opioids were seized in two interdiction operations in Kogi and Gombe states by operatives of the NDLEA.

Also in Kaduna, 367Kg of cannabis sativa were recovered from a vehicle with registration number FKJ141DX.

Two suspects Monday Suleiman, 62, and Sama’ila Mohammed, 30 were arrested while a bribe of N1.2m offered to NDLEA officers was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects.

Also, operatives in Delta State on Wednesday, March 15, arrested a local female distiller of cannabis sativa and dry gin, Ebi Akpotudua, 52, who produces a cocktail drink popularly known as monkey tail.

She was arrested at Ugboroke by River Road, Warri with 19.5 litres of monkey tail and 22.2kg cannabis.