13th August, 2023
Three major illicit drug syndicates were taken down by operatives of a special unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in intelligence-led operations across parts of Lagos State, leading to the arrest of a baroness and four other kingpins with multi-billion naira worth of cocaine. Opioids and Loud recovered from their hideouts.
A female head of one of the syndicates, Faith Ebele Nwankwo, was arrested on Wednesday, August 9th, at her residence, House 6, C Close, 3rd Avenue, Festac area of Lagos. Shortly after, she returned from a warehouse at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin, where she loaded eight cartons of tramadol 225mg into an unmarked white Honda Pilot SUV.
A search of her residence and the warehouse led to the recovery of two million seven hundred and fifty thousand (2,750,000) pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg packed in 39 cartons weighing 1,916 kilogrammes. The drugs and the SUV were recovered while the suspect was taken into custody.
In another operation targeted at a group of transnational syndicates involved in importation, exportation, distribution, and dealing in cocaine and Canadian liquor, operatives of the same Special Unit of the Agency tracked the drug syndicate to Atlantic Nominee Estate in the Lekki-Ajah area of Lagos, where a blue Toyota Highlander SUV was loaded with 8.49kg of cocaine and 10.3 kg of Canadian liquor for distribution by the duo of Urama Chinemelum Precious, 32, and Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade, 55.
A follow-up operation at the residence of Chinemelum at House 7, Road 7, Lagra estate, Eti-Osa, Lagos led to the recovery of an additional 18 blocks of Loud weighing 18.5kg.
The following day, Saturday, August 5, operatives of the Special Unit went after another syndicate involved in the importation, distribution, and diversion of ephedrine hydrochloride, a precursor chemical used for the production of methamphetamine, following intelligence that members of the cartel were planning to divert 25 kilogrammes of the substance.
Two members of the syndicate, Udeh Vincent Ogbonna, 53, and Okonkwo Ifeanyi Uzozie, 50, were arrested at a commercial bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos, where they were attempting to send the concealed substance to the South East. A body search conducted on the two suspects led to the recovery of three thousand ($3,000) US dollars found on Udeh Vincent Ogbonna.
In operations across the four other states of Ogun, Ondo, Edo, and Nasarawa, NDLEA operatives recovered over 13,391.8 kilogrammes of skunk. No fewer than 1,955 kg of the illicit substance packed in 139 jumbo bags and stored in the warehouse of a notorious drug dealer, Lekan Jimoh (aka Konmo Konmo), in the Ado Odo Ota area of Ogun State were recovered in the early hours of Saturday, August 12th, in collaboration with officers and men of the Nigerian Army.
In Ondo, Ogbu Paul Odey, 30; Daniel Osidi, 34; John Iyage, 41; Friday Simon, 28; and Friday James, 24, were arrested in connection with the seizure and/or destruction of over 10,325.5 kg of cannabis sativa in the Iju and Ala forests in the Akure area of the state between Wednesday, August 9th, and Thursday, August 10th.
While 22-year-old James Aga was arrested during the raid of an uncompleted building on the outskirts of Utese town in Ovia North East LGA of Edo State on Friday, August 11th, with a 10kg skunk, 976kg of the same substance were recovered from the building in addition to the recovery of four motorcycles. In an earlier operation in Utese Forest on Tuesday, August 8th, at least 46.545 kg of skunk were recovered and 1.581146 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed.
while two suspects, Onyelunisue Azuka, 48, and Abraham Ayomide, 30, were arrested.
In Nasarawa State, 49-year-old Umar Abdullahi was arrested on Friday, August 11th, with 64.8 kg of cannabis sativa in Doma LGA, while NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, intercepted a 4.5kg consignment of Loud coming from the United States at a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday, August 9th.
In his reaction to the clinical dismantling of the three drug syndicates and the arrest of their kingpins, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the Special Unit for being pro-active and pragmatic in the operations. He also applauded their colleagues in Ogun, Ondo, Edo, and Nasarawa Commands, as well as those of DOGI, for their zeal and professionalism. He charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant and focused.