By Uzor Odigbo
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a trans-border trafficker, one Emeka Okoro and another drug dealer, Ibrahim Bello, in Abuja, with cocaine weighing 1.1kilogramme, which has a street value of N264 million.
The spokesperson of the Agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Wednesday said that Okoro was intercepted with 900grammes of cocaine in a commercial bus along Abuja-Gwagwalada road on Monday, 26th April, 2021 based on intelligence, while Bello was nabbed with 200grammes of the illicit drug in Zuba area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), through a controlled delivery operation same day.
According to Mohammed Mallami Sokoto, Commander of the FCT Command of the Agency, Okoro was an intending traveler to Libya through Kano and Agadez in Niger Republic, with wraps of cocaine weighing 900grammes, while the other seizure of 200grammes was equally made following intelligence.
“The wraps of cocaine were not to be swallowed as has always been the case, but to be concealed in jerry cans of palm oils and transported through the border in Kano to Agadez and Libya. The suspect, Emeka Okoro revealed that this has been the trend in the past months”, Sokoto said.
Similarly, the Kogi State Command of the Agency also intercepted and seized 157.5kilogrammes of skunk concealed in the false panels of a Peugeot J5 bus with registration number, Lagos AGL 641 XW, while a 43 year-old suspect, identified as Christian Godwin was arrested alongside the consignment.
According to Adewunmi Alfred, Commander of the Agency’s Kogi Command, the suspect and his consignment were intercepted at a patrol point in Lokoja, the state capital.
He added that the skunk was sourced from Ikire in Osun state and heading to Masaka in Nasarawa state before officers of the command arrested the suspect, seized the illicit drug and the vehicle used as means of conveyance.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) commended officers and men of the FCT and Kogi State Commands for their vigilance and commitment to the task of ridding the country of illicit drugs.
“These seizures and arrests in FCT and Kogi state point to the fact that we will continue to destroy and dismantle the drug supply networks of these unconscionable elements and deny them the benefit of their illegal trade”, Marwa added
