… Seizes 4,560kg Skunk in Lagos, Adamawa, Osun, Ogun
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), has arrested four drug syndicate members, two church officials, female courier company staff, and another lady involved in trafficking the lethal opioid fentanyl in Delta.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued today in Abuja by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, two officials of the said Church located in Warri, Mr Adewale Ayeni, 39, and Ebipakebina Appeal, 41, were linked to two intercepted consignments of the illicit drug.
The statement alleged that Ayeni is one of those managing the prayer call centre of the Church, while Ebipakebina is in charge of the movement of international guests from the airport to the Church.
Babafemi stated that the bust of the fentanyl cartel operating from Warri, Delta State, came after intelligence-led investigation of the syndicates behind the dangerous drug.
He added that about a month ago the agency had arrested two members of another syndicate, Odoh Collins Oguejiofor and Oliver Chigozie Uzoma, at Ogbogwu market in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Two female accomplices were also arrested in the course of investigating the intercepted shipments include Naomi David, 28, a staff of United Parcel Services (UPS), and Stacy Njideka, also known as Nkiruka, 27, who is a business associate of Ayeni.
In a related development, operatives of the anti- narcotic agency on Wednesday intercepted a Toyota Hilux vehicle marked EPE 863 XD along Ngurore-Mayo Belwa road, Adamawa State.
It also stated that not less than 4,560 kilograms of skunk have been seized in a prohibition operations in Lagos, Adamawa and Osun by operatives who raided a ‘skucchies’ factory in Ogun.
Babafemi stated that the arrest followed a search of the van with two occupants: Kelvin Efe, 51 and Christian Ogaga, 42, conveying 118 noodles cartons used to conceal 544 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa, weighing 408kg hidden in a false compartment and meant for distribution in Yola, Mubi and Gombe.
It also stated that NDLEA operatives on Saturday in Lagos and Osun States, arrested one Segun Odeyemi, conveying 89 jumbo bags of skunk with a total weight of 3,842kg in his truck around the Eleganza area of Ajah, Lekki area of Lagos and an abandoned J5 Peugeot bus marked AAA 521 SQ with bags of fresh pepper used to conceal 25 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 300.5kg was recovered along Akure-Ilesa expressway in Osun after its occupants sighted NDLEA officers on patrol on Friday.
The statement also reported that the agency’s operatives in Ogun State on Thursday raided a ‘skucchies’ factory at Ajaka, Sagamu, where a suspect, Adekunle Adekola, was arrested. Exhibits recovered from the premises include 10kg cannabis; 1,356 litres of ‘skucchies’; 20 litres of codeine; seven deep freezers; a Fireman generator; and two gas cylinders, among others.
