NDLEA arrests 8 ‘bandits’ in Ondo forest, recovers explosives

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested eight suspected bandits in a forest in Akure north LGA of Ondo state.

Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of NDLEA, disclosed the arrest in a statement on Sunday.

The agency said the suspected bandits were arrested when operatives were combing the forest in search for a drug dealer.

“In Ondo, NDLEA operatives combing the Ala forest in Akure North LGA for a drug lord have intercepted eight suspected bandits terrorising farmers in the area,” Babafemi said.

“Those arrested include: Austin Dickson, 47, who is the gang leader; Sunday Adekunle, 31; Kayode Oluwaseun, 29; Kolawole Kazeem, 33; Oladimeji Makinde, 37; Emeka Charles, 46; Ojo Oluwadare, 40; and Lanre Oluwajana, 44.

“The suspected bandits were nabbed on Friday, 2nd September 2022. Recovered from them include twenty five (25) bags of cannabis sativa weighing 296kgs; six (6) explosive devices; six (6) cartridges; four (4) motorcycles and assorted charms used in terrorising farmers in the forest.”

In another development, the agency said its operatives arrested Ehiarimwiam Emmanuel, identified as a 53-year-old man, with 5,000 tablets of 225mg tramadol concealed in his luggage at the Lagos airport.

Ehiarimwiam was said to have been arrested on August 28 en route Italy via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.

In another development, the agency said compact disc loader players with 5.5kg of cannabis were discovered inside a commercial bus along Sokoto-Bodinga road.

Meanwhile, in Niger state, the NDLEA said its operatives intercepted a truck conveying animal feed from Lagos to Kaduna with “449 compressed blocks and 111 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,531kg belonging to a dealer in Zaria”.

“The drug consignment was said to have been loaded into the truck in Akure, Ondo state,” the agency said.

“The truck driver, Yahaya Sani; his assistant, Samaila Rabiu; his motor boy, Bilal Ibrahim; representative of the cannabis owner, Awolu Isyaku; and a passenger, Mustapha Abdulrahman, were all arrested.”

In another operation in Gombe state, the NDLEA said 811,000 tablets of tramadol, diazepam and exol 5, weighing 150kg, were found in a vehicle at Ahmadu-Kafi area of the state.