NDLEA arrests 90-year-old retired soldier for ‘supplying drugs to bandits’

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested a 90-year-old retired soldier for supplying bandits with illicit drugs.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, in a statement on Sunday, said the suspect, identified as Usman Adamu, was arrested on August 3 in Mailalle, Sabon Birni LGA, Sokoto.

The spokesman said at the time of his arrest, the suspect was caught with 5.1kg cannabis sativa.

Babafemi said in a separate operation, Anietie Okon Effiong, identified as a pastor, was arrested over links to three drums of crystal methamphetamine, locally called ‘mkpuru mmiri’, believed to have been imported from India.

“The consignment weighing 90 kilograms and loaded into a commercial bus with registration number RSH 691XC at Ojuelegba in Lagos was intercepted during a stop and search operation along Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene highway on Saturday 6th August 2022,” the statement reads.

“The dangerous drug packed 30kg in each drum was meant for Pastor Anietie Okon Effiong, who was arrested in a follow-up operation at Oron beach in Oron. The recovered Meth drums were meant for onward delivery to the Republic of Cameroon.

“This comes on the heels of four seizures of the same illicit substance weighing 4.074kg going to Australia, Indonesia and Philippines with a 3kg cannabis sativa heading to Dubai, United Arab Emirates at some courier companies in Lagos. The consignments were concealed in body cream, hot burner iron and beads.”

Babafemi also said Solo Osamede, a 37-year-old indigene of Ovia LGA, Edo state, and resident in Italy, was arrested on July 30 at the Murtala Muhammed international airport, Lagos, for ingesting 41 wraps of heroin.

The suspect was arrested while attempting to board a Turkish Airline flight to Milan, Italy via Istanbul, Turkey.

“The swallowed wraps of the illicit drug were recovered in four excretions, which the suspect completed on Monday 1st Aug,” the statement reads.

“In the same vein, a female passenger, Jatau Lydia Lami, was arrested at the Lagos airport for attempting to export 1,700 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed in her luggage to Istanbul, Turkey via a Turkish Airline flight on Sunday 31st July.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, a mother of three, hails from Zango Kataf LGA, Kaduna State and lives in Istanbul, Turkey with her family. She blamed her action on pressure to raise N5million ransom to free her mother from the captivity of bandits who kidnapped her since June.

“In Zamfara, NDLEA operatives on Thursday, 4th Aug, intercepted a truck from Benin, Edo state enroute Sokoto with 50,000 tablets of Diazepam owned by a drug dealer, Umaru Attahiru, while in Kogi, 14 sacks containing 1,376 bottles of codeine based syrup weighing 190.4kg were seized along Okene-Abuja highway on Wednesday 3rd Aug.

“The exhibits were found in a delivery bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra and heading to Abuja. Follow-up operation in Abuja same day led to the arrest of Jude Ikenna and Ozoemene Cornelius.”

The NDLEA also said in Kaduna, it arrested four suspects with 106,770 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, Diazepam, Exol-5 and 100 bottles of codeine cough syrup.

The agency said it also recovered 143.5kg cannabis sativa from locked-up stores in Enugu.

On his part, Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the officers of the Akwa Ibom, MMIA, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kogi, Delta, Enugu, and Kaduna commands of the agency for their recent feats.

He also urged them and others across the country to remain focused and vigilant.