Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two drug dealers with 24.5 kilogrammes of assorted drugs meant for consumption of suspected bandits in Niger State.
A statement on Wednesday by spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said two drug dealers, Martins Okwor Ejiofor, 31, and Bala Mohammed, 33, were arrested by the operatives of the agency with a total of 24.450 kilogrammes of assorted substances meant to be delivered in Gwada, Shiroro Local Government of Niger State where bandits in neighbouring forest buy their illicit drugs.
According to him, Gwada has one of the two functional markets bordering the forest where bandits and kidnappers hibernate in Niger State.
He disclosed that the drugs seized from the two suspects include Codeine – 7.100kg, Diazepam – 6.400kg and Exol 5 – 10.950kg.
Babafemi said the Kwara State NDLEA Command’s Highway Patrol Team made the interception along Okolowo (Ilorin) – Jebba Highway in a Hiace bus, with registration number: Niger 14 B.40NG, belonging to Niger State Transport Authority on Saturday 5th June, 2021.
He said Martins Ejiofor had travelled to Lagos with the second suspect to procure the drugs and deliver to dealers in Gwada.
Babafemi said Ejiofor during interrogation, confessed that he had once been arrested in 2020 by the Niger State Command of the agency with over 50 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa and subsequently charged to court.
He was found guilty and jailed for a year, a term which he completed in March this year, but resumed his nefarious illicit drug business.
In a related development, a suspect, Usman Abass, 38, was arrested with 6.8 kilogrammes cannabis sativa concealed in a sack containing used clothes, which the suspect claimed he bought at Alaba International Market in Lagos.
Babafemi said the suspect upon interrogation claimed that one Baba gave him the exhibit to deliver to one Lawali in Daura, Katsina State before his arrest by a team of the Command’s operatives attached to Jebba Area Command during a routine stop and search operation.
Abass, was said to have confessed that he had transported cannabis sativa once to Katsina and that the latest trip was his second.
Earlier on Friday 4th June, operatives of the Delta State Command of the agency arrested 20-year-old Chukwujeku Lucky at Ogwashi Uku, Delta State with multiple drugs weighing 38.9 kilogrammes.
The drugs alleged to have been seized from his apartment where he serves as a salesman include: 68 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 38.7 kilogrammes; 498 pinches of cocaine (50.9 grammes); 33 pinches of heroin (4.4 grammes); 304 capsules of Tramadol (91 grammes); 72 tablets of Swinol (27 grammes), and 26 grammes of Methamphetamine.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the Commanders, officers and men of both Kwara and Delta State Commands for the arrests and seizures, said the development would in no small measure reduce the availability of illicit substances available to bandits and other criminal elements who take them as enhancers of their evil enterprise.
He charged them to remain vigilant and continue to acquaint themselves with the latest disingenuous modes of concealment and transportation of illicit drugs by defiant traffickers.
