Abuja: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a former two-term councillor at Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Council in Lagos State following credible intelligence linking him to illicit drug sales and trafficking.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said the 45-year-old ex-local council chief, who currently serves as a legislative aide, was arrested on Monday, March 2, at his residence in Ilado, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.
He stated the recovery of 40 kilograms of skunk, a cannabis strain, during a search of one of the rooms.
“In his statement, the suspect admitted to ownership of the exhibit and the property where it was recovered.
“He said he had previously served two terms as a councillor representing the Orimedu community in the Ibeju-Lekki local government council,” Babafemi said.
Meanwhile, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, NDLEA officers on Tuesday, March 3, intercepted a 32-year-old businessman in a vehicle coming from Obollo-Afor in Enugu state to Zuba, Abuja.
Babafemi said a search of his luggage revealed 1,000 pills of tapentadol 250mg. The drugs were concealed inside baby diapers.
He said the suspect admitted ownership and revealed that he was taking the consignment to Guduwa village in Gurara Local Government Area, Niger, where he owns a provision store.
On March 3, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kabba/Obajana highway in Kogi intercepted Colorado, a synthetic cannabis.
The drugs, weighing 1.55kg, were hidden inside a standing fan carton belonging to a 36-year-old Cameroonian. The suspect was travelling by commercial bus from Lagos to Cameroon via Lokoja, Kano, and Maiduguri.
Also, in Niger, operatives on patrol along the Mokwa-Jebba road intercepted a commercial bus on Wednesday, March 4, en route from Ibadan, Oyo State. Babafemi said officers recovered at least 500 pieces of improvised explosive device (IED) components.
The items were concealed in a white sack for delivery to a recipient at Pelegi. A swift follow-up led to the arrest of Osama Abdullahi, 21, at Pelegi in Mashegu, the intended recipient.
In another development, at least 122,000 pills of tramadol and 700g of methamphetamine were recovered from the false bottom of a truck with registration number ENU 645XX conveying 2,000 cartons of local drinks by NDLEA operatives in Yola, Adamawa, on Wednesday, March 4. A suspect was caught at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano, on March 3.
He had 11,283 tramadol pills. NDLEA officers in Ogun raided Ogere, arresting two suspects with 46 kg of skunk.
Similarly, in Delta, two suspects were arrested on Saturday, March 7, at Ogwashi Uku with 18.63 kg of skunk, 10.8 litres of codeine-based syrup, and 4,268 pills of tramadol and Swinol.
Babafemi said a 48-year-old suspect and his 49-year-old accomplice were caught at Egbisi forest, Uhumwonde, Edo State. NDLEA destroyed 1,910.25 kg of skunk at two farms there.
He added that another suspect, Alaba Adeboye, 47, was apprehended with 176.50 kg of skunk at Ikhin town, Owan East LGA.
With the same vigour, the Agency’s commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) awareness activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past weekEvents included lectures at Government Senior College, Apata, Ibadan, Oyo; Government Girls Secondary School, Katcha, Niger; and Government Girls Day Secondary School, Tsafe, Zamfara.ra.
Others are: Sango Junior Secondary School, Agege, Lagos; Government Day Secondary School, Illelah, Sokoto; Archbishop Akinola International Secondary School, Afikpo, Ebonyi; and Nnamdi Azikiwe Secondary School, Abagana, Anambra state, among others.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of the Lagos, FCT, Kano, Niger, Kogi, Edo, Ogun, Delta, and Adamawa Commands for the arrests, seizures, and their dexterity.
Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue the Agency’s balanced approach to drug control efforts.
