17th September, 2023
By Ibironke Ariyo
A 27-year-old man Kingsley Chimaobi has been arrested with 6,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup in the Lokogoma area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Chimaobi was arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA on Tuesday 11th September, according to Femi Babafemi, the spokesperson of the agency.
However, he was not the only one recently that day with bottles of codeine. Also arrested in Abuja were the duo of Salisu Murtala and Shafi’u Dahiru on Tuesday 11th September who were caught with 600 bottles of codeine-based syrup and a total of 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 55kgs.
However, according to the agency, the ownership of the prohibited items seized from Murtala and Dahiru was traced to Muntari Nasiru and Yusuf Ali who were arrested in follow-up operations in Kano.
Babafemi said that a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, Sept. 13, sentenced a drug dealer, Segun Odeyemi to five years imprisonment for trafficking and dealing in 3,842 kilograms of skunk.
He said that the suspect was arrested on Saturday, July 1, while conveying 89 jumbo bags of the illicit substance in his truck around the Eleganza area of Ajah, Lekki.
“He was subsequently charged in suit number FHC/L/388C/2023 presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko,” he said.
Babafemi said various commands of the agency continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), sensitisation activities in the past week taking advocacy messages to the stakeholders.
“Instances of this include WADA advocacy visit to the head of Kadiria Islamic Sect of Africa, Sheikh Qaribullah Nasiru Kabara in Kano.
“WADA sensitisation lecture for men and officers of Nigerian Army, Sobi Barracks, Ilorin, and lecture for the Muslim community in Kaduna.
“WADA sensitisation lecture at Enugu State College of Health and Technology, Oji- River; advocacy lecture for members of Ram Sellers Association, Osogbo as well as officers and men of the Nigerian Navy School of Music, Ota, Ogun, among others,” he said.