NDLEA arrests Sokoto village head over ‘possession of 4,000 tablets of illicit drug’

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Abubakar Ibrahim, the head of Gidan Abba village in Bodinga LGA of Sokoto state.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, announced the development in a statement on Sunday.

The agency said the village head was among 11 suspects apprehended in operations across seven states in the country.

A total of 4,000 tablets of “Exol-5”, an illicit drug, and three kilogrammes of cannabis sativa were reportedly recovered during the arrest of the Sokoto village head.

Babafemi added that during an operation on October 26, at the Murtala Muhammed international airport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives “intercepted a total of 15 cartons containing 802,000 pills of Tramadol imported from Dubai, UAE and Karachi, Pakistan, while 10 cartons of Tramadol 225mg came in from Dubai on Ethiopian Airlines flight”.

He added that the agency also recovered “four cartons of 100mg and a carton of 225mg Tramadol [which] came from Karachi, Pakistan on another Ethiopian Airlines flight”.

“On the same day, operatives at the SAHCO export shed intercepted cans of tomato paste going to the United Kingdom. A thorough search of the consignment revealed that the tomato cans were used to conceal 36 pellets of cannabis with a gross weight of 21.30 kilograms while a cargo agent, Sodehinde Akinwale has been arrested in connection with the seizure,” the statement reads.

“Two days after, Friday 28th October, operatives attached to the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport seized five cartons of dried khat leaves, weighing 107.70kgs that came in from Bangkok, Thailand, through Dubai on an Emirates Airline flight.

“A follow-up operation on the seizure of 11.90kgs Meth concealed in the heads of dried fish going to Dubai, UAE on 5th August has led to the arrest of a 30-year-old bricklayer, Babatunde Quadri Mamowora, on Thursday 27th Oct in Sango Ota area of Ogun state in collaboration with men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the area.”

Reacting to the arrests and seizures, Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers of the various commands.

He also charged them to remain steadfast and upright at all times.