NDLEA arrests Osun monarch, corps member for ‘drug trafficking’

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Ige Babatunde, the Ba’ale of Akarabata in Ile-Ife, for alleged drug trafficking.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said 50-year-old Babatunde was apprehended on Friday with 5kg of “fresh cannabis plants”.

The agency also said Yusuf Abdulrahman, a 25-year-old youth corps member, was arrested at Corpers Lodge in the Sumaila area of Kano, with 1.250kg of Loud. 

He added that the NDLEA also raided the Lagos base of a “high-profile cocaine syndicate” headed by Agbakoba John Mmadu and his wife. 

He said large consignments of cocaine meant for export and local distribution were recovered during the raid.

“Seven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 7.652 kilograms were recovered from Mmadu at Ago Palace Way,” the statement reads. 

“One hundred and twenty-two (122) compressed pellets of the same drug weighing 2.42kg were seized from Ijeoma and Ifeoma at Lilly Estate, bringing the total seizure to 10.1 kilograms valued at over N2.1 billion in street value.”

Babafemi added that NDLEA operatives in Benue intercepted a consignment of 350 grams of cocaine at a checkpoint along Enugu Road on Thursday.

“The illicit drug was concealed in an MP3 speaker sent as a waybill parcel. A swift follow-up operation at Flight motor park in Otukpo led to the arrest of the owner, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony,” the statement added.

“Meanwhile, NDLEA officers on a stop-and-search operation along Ngurore-Yola road in Adamawa state on Wednesday, July 3, arrested a Chadian, Yves Ahmat Gali, in a commercial bus coming from Kano to Yola.

“The suspect was found with a loudspeaker used to conceal 20 compressed blocks and nine plastic containers of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 5.200kg.

“In Kano, operatives on Wednesday, July 3, arrested a youth corps member, Yusuf Abdulrahman, 25, at Corpers Lodge, Sumaila area of the city, with 1.250kg of Loud, while in Osun state, the head of Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Ba’ale Ige Babatunde, 50, was on Friday, July 5, arrested with fresh cannabis plants that weighed 5kg.

“Two suspects, Monday Ali, 49, and Jimoh Alewi, 37, were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided Ikota forest in Ifedore LGA, Ondo state, where a total of 42,500kg of cannabis was destroyed on 17 hectares of farmland while 73.5kg of the same substance was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects during a five-day operation that ended on Monday, July 1.

“In Abuja, the FCT, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, July 6, arrested the duo of Sanusi Mamman, 28, and Usaini Ibrahim, 20, in a vehicle along Abaji-Gwagwalada with 1,132 bottles of codeine syrup; 13,540 pills of tramadol; 50,000 pills of diazepam; and 59 pills of rophynol. The suspects claimed they were bringing the opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state.

“With the same drive, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities among others in the past week.

“These include WADA enlightenment lecture for students of Community Grammar School (Junior), Aroro, Ibadan, Oyo state; students of Candy Secondary School, Agu Awka, Anambra state; students of Community High School, Umuida, Enugu Ezike, Enugu state; students of School for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Kofar Nasarawa, Kano state; and WADA sensitisation lecture organized by Zone M Zonal Command of NDLEA at Sabo motor park, Kaduna, among others.”

The statement said Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers and men of the special operations unit in Osun, Benue, Ondo, Kano, and FCT commands for the arrests and seizures, while charging them to “maintain the tempo”.