‘Fake police inspector’ arrested as NDLEA razes cannabis warehouses in Edo forest

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have razed over 317,417 kilograms of cannabis stored in warehouses across forests in Opuje, Edo state.

Femi Babafemi, the agency’s spokesperson, announced this in a statement on Saturday.

Opuje is a community in Owan West LGA in Edo.

The agency said on January 18, hundreds of its men stormed the forests in Opuje community, in a two-day operation to destroy cannabis warehouses.

It added that during the operation, Omoruan Theophilus, a 37-year-old man, who parades himself as a police inspector, alongside three others, were arrested.

“At least, a police impersonator, Omoruan Theophilus, 37, who parades as a police inspector to convey the drugs from the forests to the cities and three others: Aigberuan Jacob, 42; Ekeinde Anthony Zaza, 53, and Naomi Patience Ohiewere, 42, were arrested in connection with the drugs,” the statement reads.

The agency also said its officials “were ambushed with a bonfire by armed youths on their way out of the community the following day but were able to successfully leave the area without any casualty, except the heavy investment losses inflicted on the cartels”.

In a similar operation, the NDLEA in collaboration with operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), busted a criminal syndicate involved in the trafficking of fake dollars in Lagos.

According to the statement, the operation, which took place on January 19, followed intelligence from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the United States.

“During a combined operation carried out by NDLEA operatives with their EFCC colleagues, a total of $269,000 counterfeit US dollars were recovered from the syndicate at Oniru Shoprite area of Lekki, Lagos, where three suspects were arrested,” reads the statement.

The NDLEA commended the efforts of the officers involved in the two special operations.

Buba Marwa, chairman and chief executive officer of NDLEA, has directed the transfer of the fake dollars and arrested suspects to the EFCC for prosecution.