The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Bariu Aliu, also known as “Malo,” a traditional chief priest of the Igunuko Shrine in the Alpha Beach area of Ajah, Lekki. The arrest follows a three-month manhunt after 2,760 kilograms of skunk were recovered from his shrine on October 25, 2024.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday that while two of Bariu’s accomplices were apprehended, charged, and convicted last year, Bariu was identified as the leader of the drug syndicate operating from the shrine.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a 40-foot trailer loaded with 2,217.6 kilograms of skunk in Kagini, Kubwa, Abuja. The consignment was being distributed into six vehicles at an abandoned fuel station for delivery to northern states. The operation resulted in the arrest of a suspect, Isaac Monday Desmond, 42, and the seizure of six vehicles, including a Toyota Camry and Toyota Sienna.
In another raid in Abuja, two suspects, Anthony Nnamdi, 42, and Abba Ali, 27, were arrested in Nyanya with 1.398 kilograms of cocaine and precursor chemicals for crack cocaine.
Additional seizures included 20 wraps of cocaine weighing 330 grams, hidden in face cream containers bound for Australia, and 338,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at over ₦1.19 billion, discovered in flagged containers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex.
In Kano, a 23-year-old suspect, Habibu Ya’u, was arrested on January 9 during a raid on Zaria Road. Officers recovered 45 blocks of cannabis (24.2 kilograms) and 40,800 pills of opioids, including tramadol.
The NDLEA continues its aggressive crackdown on drug trafficking, with significant seizures and arrests across multiple states.
