THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two alleged drug barons in Lagos after uncovering consignments of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine destined for Europe.
The suspects, identified as Victor Nwosa, 64, and Felix Chika Obiegbu, 49, were apprehended in separate operations following weeks of surveillance by operatives of the agency’s Special Operations Unit (SOU).
NDLEA, in a statement on Sunday, September 28, by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said Nwosa, who posed as a textile merchant, was arrested on September 17 at his residence on Femi Kila Street, Okota, where 4.33 kilograms of heroin and 448 grams of cocaine were recovered.
According to the agency, Obiegbu, who ran a wine distribution business, was picked up on September 11 at Shada Shonefun Street, Aguda Surulere, with 2.9 kilograms of methamphetamine seized from his home.
In separate operations in Borno and Yobe, the NDLEA said it intercepted suspected drug couriers believed to be supplying narcotics to terrorists and bandits.
In Borno, officers arrested 26-year-old Baba Kaka Ibrahim on September 27 at Njimtilo village while driving a Mercedes-Benz GLK. A search of the vehicle revealed 39,380 pills of tramadol and exol-5 hidden in the engine compartment.
On the same day, in Yobe, operatives stopped Halima Adamu along the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway with 39 parcels of Colorado weighing 1.4kg concealed in her luggage. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of another woman, Habiba Muhammad, at her residence on Baga Road, Maiduguri.
Seizures across states
The agency reported further arrests in other states. In Kano, two suspects, Aliyu Sani, 27, and Yahaya Tata, 26, were caught with 30,030 tramadol pills along the Zaria-Kano road. In Bayelsa, three men were arrested at Swali jetty, Yenagoa, with 12kg of skunk and 50 cartridges.
In Ekiti, an ex-convict identified as Femi Owoeye, alias “Do Good,” was arrested at his home in Ikere Ekiti on September 25 with 32kg of skunk and 10.5 grams of tramadol. He had previously served a three-year jail term for drug trafficking.
In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives intercepted a Honda Pilot vehicle at the Abuja-Kaduna tollgate on September 22 carrying 262.6 kilograms (kg) of skunk. The driver, Adedamola Olayeni, 56, was arrested. Another suspect, Zubairu Haruna, 30, was caught with 506 grams of methamphetamine at a checkpoint in the state, while a follow-up operation in Gombe led to the arrest of Babangida Mohammed, 25, said to be the intended recipient.
In Lagos, three suspects were arrested in Apapa with 85,100 opioid pills, while in Abuja, a 40-year-old man, Opeyemi Ogundipe, was arrested with 2.1kg of Colorado along the Abaji-Gwagwalada expressway.
Large-scale cannabis destruction in Edo
NDLEA officers also destroyed over 24,000kg of cannabis in Edo State. At Uromi forest, Esan West Local Government Area, 12,115kg was destroyed on nearly five hectares of farmland, while 345kg of processed cannabis was recovered. Two suspects were arrested.
At Ogu forest in Igueben Local Government Area, another 12,031kg of cannabis was destroyed on over four hectares, with 106kg evacuated.
The agency also intercepted a truck loaded with 1,025kg of cannabis hidden in charcoal bags along Wareke-Auchi road in Etsako West Local Government Area, arresting two suspects in the process.
The NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the various operations across Lagos, Borno, Yobe, Edo, Kano, Kaduna, Ekiti, Bayelsa, FCT, and Gombe.
He said the seizures and arrests highlighted the agency’s commitment to disrupting drug networks and protecting communities.
The agency also reported that its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns continued across schools, worship centres, and communities nationwide during the week.
A reporter with the ICIR
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