THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an ex-convict and Malaysian returnee, Ndubuisi Udatu, with two giant music speakers, used in concealing four large parcels of methamphetamine.
This is contained in a statement by the agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi yesterday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the drugs weighing 2.700kilograms, were meant for distribution in Yola and Mubi, in Adamawa and across the border into Cameroon.
He said that the suspect, also known as Richard, was arrested inside a commercial transport bus at an NDLEA checkpoint at Namtari, along Ngurore -Yola road in the state on Monday, April 7. He added that the suspect was found with two new music speakers, used to conceal four packages of methamphetamine and a monetary exhibit of N22,300.
“In his statement, he claimed he returned to Nigeria to continue his illicit drug trade after serving out his jail term in Malaysia, where he had been arrested, convicted and sent to prison for drug trafficking offences,” Babafemi said.
In another interdiction exercise, NDLEA officers in a joint border operation with Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) personnel at the Nigeria/Cameroon border, Mfum, in Cross River, arrested a trans-border drug trafficker.
Babafemi said that the suspect, 35-year-old, Peter Odoh, was arrested with 8,740 ampoules of assorted opioids, weighing 395kg. “They include: 1,080 ampoules of fentanyl injection, 2,160 ampoules of morphine sulphate injection, 3,010 ampoules of phenobarbital sulphate injection.
“Others are 2,160 ampoules of pethidine injection, and 330 ampoules of midazolam injection,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Kano, NDLEA operatives on Friday, April 11, arrested 27-year-old Aliyu Ibrahim with 20 ATM cards and 25,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 250mg at Bachirawa area of Kano.
Babafemi also added that a 48-year-old Gambo Lawan, was nabbed in a follow up operation at Wazobia motor park, Gwagwalada FCT Abuja.
This, he said, followed the seizure of a consignment of 8,960 pills of tramadol by NDLEA officers on routine check, along Gwagwalada expressway on Monday, April 7.
Similarly, not less than 124 kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in 11 jumbo bags were on Friday, April 11, recovered from the boot of a Lexus car, marked KTU 54 CU, driven by a suspect, Ademiluyi Adedapo, 58, along Mokwa-Jebba road, Niger.
Babafemi said that the NDLEA commands across the country had continued to balance their drug supply reduction operations, with their ‘War Against Drug Abuse’ (WADA) social advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities.
“Some of these include: the WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of New Era Secondary School, Nteje, Anambra; Promise Land College, Ikotun Egbe, Lagos and Cherryfield College, Jikwoyi, FCT.
“Others include; the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede, Ogbomoso, Oyo, as well as the Nurul Faruq Islamic Academy, Gombi, Adamawa,” he said.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa commending the efforts of the officers and men of Adamawa, Cross River, FCT, Kano and Niger commands of the agency for jobs well done.
Marwa tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on their oars, but continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug cartels, with an equal measure of drug demand reduction efforts.
