By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Mr Egwu Phillip Inya, a building engineer, while attempting to take delivery of illicit consignments concealed in pressure machines imported from South Africa.
According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the 42-year-old Egwu was arrested on Monday, December 2, 2024, at Okeyson Motor Park in Enugu when he showed up to collect three units of pressure machines inside which were hidden parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 7.40 kilograms.
Mr Babafemi stated that the consignments had arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos import shed on November 29, 2024.
“Following credible intelligence, officers of the MMIA Strategic Command of the Agency had monitored the shipment pass through clearing processes up to a logistics company’s warehouse outside the airport where it was to be collected by the consignee.
“The importer however changed the point of collection to Enugu at the last minute. As a result, NDLEA operatives in a follow-up operation in Enugu arrested Egwu when he showed up to collect the consignments.
“No fewer than 511,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Siena vehicle at Hildi, Askira Uba way in Adamawa state by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the road in the early hours of Friday 6th December.
“The occupants of the vehicle had made a detour upon sighting the NDLEA team and, after a distance, abandoned the vehicle with the consignments after noticing the operatives were on their trail,” the statement said.
It also added that in Ekiti State, two suspects, Mr Olanrewaju Alale, 48, and Mr Babatunde Kayode Ijadahun, 55, were arrested along Ise- Emure road in a J5 bus marked EPE 958 XJ while transporting 108 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1, 323 kilograms to Owo, Ondo state from where they claimed the consignment will be moved to the North for distribution.
It further read, “Another suspect, Adekunle Yusuf, 33, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives with 704 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance, concealed in white sacks on Friday 6th December at Idere road, Igboora, Oyo state.
“In Lagos, a grandmother, 65-year-old Ramata Bola Adeyemo was on Friday 6th December arrested by NDLEA operatives at 62 Odunfa Street, Lagos Island, where 20.6 litres of codeine-based syrup was recovered from her. Also arrested in Lagos was Alhaji Lawan Manga who was picked up at Ogundana Street, Ikeja on Thursday, December 5 while 4.7kg cannabis and 1.3kg tramadol were recovered from him.
“With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities among others in the past week. These include WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Progressive Secondary School, Ado Awaye, Oyo state; Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Osun state; Government Girls College, Maiduguri, Borno state; Community Secondary School, Ogale, Rivers state; Santa Maria Secondary School, Igogoro, Enugu state; and Chiranci Upper Basic Junior Secondary School, Bichi, Kano state while Lagos State command of NDLEA organised WADA enlightenment lecture for leaders and members of NURTW, Orile Agege, Lagos, among others.
The chief executive of NDLEA, Mr Buba Marwa, stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.