The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 80-year-old woman, Mrs Mary Adebayo, alongside her 19-year-old grand daughter, Funmilola Adebayo, with 192 kg of assorted drugs in Akure, Ondo state.
NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made on Wednesday, in Abuja.
Babafemi said that two other ladies were also arrested along side the duo for selling assorted illicit drugs that included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, swinol and skuchies.
He said that the arrest came after intelligence-based raids and follow up operations on their locations on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
The NDLEA director added that the 192 kgs of cocaine and other psychotropic substances were recovered from the suspects, as they were arrested at 6:30am, on Sunday, at Ayeyemi Street, Akure South Local Government Area.
“During the early morning raid, the following were recovered from them: Skuchies – 149kg, cocaine – 11gm, methamphetamine 17gm, heroin – 3 gm, cannabis sativa – 4.914kg, swinol – 8gm and tramadol – 49 gm.
“Also recovered from them were two deep freezers and a TVS motorcycle.
“On the same date, at about 1:30pm, a raid carried out at Rate Hotel, Care Street, in Akure South LGA, also led to the arrest of 25-year-old Tessy Mathew, from whom 33 kgs of skuchies were recovered,’’ he said.
According to him, following preliminary interrogation of Mathew, a follow up operation was immediately launched leading to the arrest of another 25-year-old, Blessing Adesida, in Oshinle area of the LGA, from whom 3kg of skuchies and 7gms of cannabis were recovered.
Babafemi quoted the acting NDLEA commander, Callys Alumona, as saying that other members of the two drug gangs had been on a watch list and efforts to arrest them were ongoing.
In a related development, Babafemi said that operatives of the Adamawa Command of the NDLEA had also arrested two men, Victor Chinedu Anwanya, 58, and Femi Abiodun, 47.
Babafemi said that the suspects were found with 80 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa, weighing 76kgs and concealed in three white sacks tucked in the booth of a Toyota Avalon car with registration number: LAGOS DC 997 FST.
He quoted the state Commander of the NDLEA, Idris Bello, as saying that the suspects were arrested on Monday, 3rd May, 2021, at about 6am in Mayo Belwa town, Mayo Belwa LGA, Adamawa State.
“They took off from Auchi, in Edo State. Also recovered from them was a fake Police Warrant Card bearing the name of Chinedu Anwanya with the rank of a DSP,’’ he said.
Reacting, the Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig.- Gen. Buba Marwa, directed the acting Commander, Ondo State Command, Callys Alumona to launch a manhunt for other members of the drug gang who were on the run.
Marwa commended the officers and men of the Ondo and Adamawa State Commands of the Agency for their vigilance and commitment to work.
He charged them and their counterparts in other Commands to continue the nationwide offensive against the illicit drug trade.
“I recognise and commend the great work our officers and men in Ondo and Adamawa states have done in these operations.
“However, I still want to encourage them and their counterparts across the country that we must raise the ante in fighting drug criminality in Nigeria.
“We must now go beyond seizures and arrests, and dismantle the cartels because there are cartels behind each of the drugs, be it cocaine, heroin, tramadol or cannabis, and we must identify them and rein them in; that is the next phase of this war as we continue with our maxim of offensive action,’’ Marwa said.
