Some officers from the Special Operation Unit of Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency, NDLEA, have arrested two drug kingpins—Kelechi Monday Nwaobasi, 49, and his 50-year-old elder sister, Chinwe Rose Nwaobasi.
This follows a drug bust of the cartel and the seizure of cocaine and methamphetamine consignments worth over N4.1 billion in street value from their hideout in Aba, Abia State, Southeast Nigeria.
According to a statement released by NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy in Abuja on Sunday, June 16, 2024:
The special operation, conducted on Thursday, June 13, and Friday, June 14, 2024, at 3B Boundary Avenue, Aba, and a residence along Ohia Road, Ohia, Abia State, followed months of intelligence gathering, leading to the arrest of the ringleaders and the combined seizure of 20.76 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine from them.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Lagos State uncovered an expansive warehouse stocked with a large consignment of codeine-based syrup, located at Comfort Oboh area of Kirikiri, where four persons connected with the importation and distribution of the opioid were arrested during an intelligence-led raid on the facility.
Those arrested include: Kingsley Amanambu Obumneke, 38; Emeka Emmanuel, 48; Bonaventure Ugochukwu, 59; and Martin Dike, 56. A total of 82,000 bottles of the opioid worth more than N600 million in street value, a Toyota Tacuma truck, and two buses used for distributing the substance were recovered from the premises on Monday, June 10, 2024, when NDLEA officers conducted the operation.
On Wednesday, June 12, the agency also intercepted another suspect, Ibrahim Abdulhamid, with 29,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 3.9 liters of codeine syrup at Alaba Suru, Ojo local council area of the state.
A total of 230,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg were recovered from Yasir Rabi’u, 23, and Abubakar Ado, 30, who are major distributors of illicit drugs in Kano and Jigawa States, when they were arrested on Monday, June 10, at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano.
In the same vein, another suspect, Hassan Abdullahi Ali, 25, was nabbed with 150 bottles of codeine syrup at Kofar Nassarawa area of Kano on Tuesday, June 11.
In Ogun State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, June 10, seized 390kg of cannabis and arrested Muhammad Sani, Nura Mohammad, and Samaila Rabe during an early morning raid at Ibese area of the state. On Wednesday, June 12, officers busted a skuchies-making factory at Sabo area of Shagamu town, where seven suspects were arrested.
They include Kareem Jamiu; Oriyimi Ayo; Bamidele Wasiu; Rasheed Olarewaju; Ramota Lawal; Amudalat Olarewaju; and Adeniyi Omotosho. Exhibits recovered from them include 387 liters of skuchies, 70 liters of industrial codeine, 25kg of cannabis, and different quantities of tramadol, rohypnol, diazepam, as well as various equipment used in the production of the new psychoactive substance.
The operatives further destroyed over 10,534.78 kilograms of cannabis on 4.213912 hectares of farmland on Wednesday, June 12, when NDLEA officers stormed Uhen forest in Ovia North East council area of Edo State.
They arrested four suspects: Frank Ishoku, 38; Clifford Ossai, 49; Vanger Timothy, 30; and John Peter Oluwaseyi, 30, and 16kg of processed cannabis was recovered for the purpose of prosecution.
In a related operation, 18,425kg of cannabis on 7.37 hectares of farmland was destroyed by NDLEA operatives supported by personnel of other security agencies in the thick forest of Ise Ekiti, Ekiti State on Friday, June 14.
In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, two suspects, Muhammad Abba, 33, and Samson Ehizogie, 42, were arrested with 3,550 bottles of “Akuskura,” a new mixture of psychotropic substances, by operatives during a raid on Friday, June 14, at Garki Area 10 and Dutse Suokale, both within the FCT.
Emmanuel Ogechi, 24, was nabbed with 11,200 pills of tramadol on Wednesday, June 12, along Otukpo-Enugu Road by NDLEA operatives in Benue State, and Anayo Onwe, 40, was arrested with 62.4kg of cannabis sativa at Nteje. Additionally, 1kg of methamphetamine belonging to a fleeing suspect in Oraifite, both in Anambra State, was seized. In Kwara State, Muhammed Musa, 24, was arrested with 33kg of cannabis at Bode-Saadu, Jebba, while Shokuro Adeola, 59, was nabbed with 11.5kg of the same substance along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Oyo State.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week. These include WADA enlightenment lectures for students and teachers of Mind Builder College, Oyo town, Oyo State; students of Demonstration Secondary School, Kabba, Kogi; students of Government Secondary School, Bunkure, Kano; students of Command Day Secondary School, Ede, Osun; students and teachers of Khulafau-Rashideen Islamic School, Babanna, Niger State; and students of Aggrey Memorial Modern School, Arochukwu, Abia State, among others.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men of the Special Operation Unit, Anambra, Benue, Ekiti, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and FCT Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa noted that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country are well appreciated. He urged them not to relent but to intensify efforts at stemming drug-related crimes and substance abuse.