The Ondo State command of by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested one Mrs Mary Adebayo, 80, and her 19-year-old granddaughter, Funmilola Adebayo with over 192 kg of assorted drugs.
Mr Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, disclosed this in a statement made available to the Newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to Babafemi, two other women were arrested alongside the duo for selling various illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, swinol, and skuchies.
He stated that the arrest occurred as a result of intelligence-based raids and follow-up operations on their locations on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
The NDLEA director also stated that the suspects were arrested at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday on Ayeyemi Street in Akure South Local Government Area with 192 kgs of cocaine and other psychotropic substances.
“During the early morning raid, they recovered the following: Skuchies – 149kg, cocaine – 11gm, methamphetamine – 17gm, heroin – 3 gm, cannabis Sativa – 4.914kg, swinol – 8gm, and tramadol – 49 gm.
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“Two deep freezers and a TVS motorcycle were also recovered from them.
“On the same date, at about 1:30 p.m., a raid at Rate Hotel, Care Street, in Akure South LGA, also resulted in the arrest of 25-year-old Tessy Mathew, from whom 33 kgs of skuchies were recovered,”
Following Mathew’s preliminary interrogation, a follow-up operation was immediately launched, resulting in the arrest of another 25-year-old, Blessing Adesida, in the Oshinle area of the LGA, from whom 3kg of skuchies and 7gms of cannabis were recovered.
According to Babafemi, the acting NDLEA commander, Cally’s Alumona, says other members of the two drug gangs were on a watch list, and efforts to apprehend them were ongoing.
In a related development, Babafemi stated that NDLEA agents from the Adamawa Command had also apprehended two men, Victor Chinedu Anwanya, 58, and Femi Abiodun, 47.
According to Babafemi, the suspects were discovered with 80 blocks of compressed cannabis Sativa weighing 76kgs and hidden in three white sacks tucked in the booth of a Toyota Avalon car with the registration number: LAGOS DC 997 FST.
He cited the state Commander of the NDLEA, Idris Bello, as saying that the suspects were apprehended on Monday, May 3, 2021, at around 6 a.m. in Mayo Belwa town, Mayo Belwa LGA, Adamawa State.
“They took off from Auchi, in the state of Edo. A fake Police Warrant Card with the name Chinedu Anwanya and the rank of DSP was also recovered from them,” he said.
In response, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, directed the acting Commander of the Ondo State Command, Callys Alumona, to launch a manhunt for other members of the drug gang who were on the run.
Marwa praised the officers and men of the Agency’s Ondo and Adamawa State Commands for their vigilance and dedication to their jobs.
He charged them, as well as their counterparts in other Commands, with continuing the nationwide offensive against the illegal drug trade.
“I recognize and applaud the outstanding work of our officers and men in Ondo and Adamawa states during these operations.
“However, I want to encourage them and their colleagues across the country that we must up the ante in the fight against drug criminality in Nigeria.
“We must now go beyond seizures and arrests and dismantle the cartels because there are cartels behind each of the drugs, whether it is cocaine, heroin, tramadol, or cannabis, and we must identify and rein them in; that is the next phase of this war as we continue with our offensive action,” Marwa said.
