By Sunday Oyinloye
There seems to be no more hiding place for Nigerians who deal in illicit drugs as the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), have burst three major interstate drug cartels supplying illicit substances to some states in the Northern part of the country.
The Agency recovered skunk and cocaine weighing over 843 kilograms and arrested at least seven of the drug kingpins behind the syndicates in separate raids carried out in Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue states.
According to the Director, Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Femi Bafemi, in a bid to evade the frequent road interdiction efforts by officers of the Kogi State Command of NDLEA, a cartel led by one Augustine Emmanuel, 45, opted to move its consignments through the waterways between Edo and Kogi states.
He disclosed that the suspects were however intercepted on Monday at a Jetty in Idah, Kogi State, where a Toyota Avalon car with registration number: Lagos SMK 345 CG, loaded with 487kg of cannabis and ferried across the waterways from Agenebode, Edo State to the Jetty in Idah, was seized and the syndicate leader arrested.
In a related development, a team of NDLEA operatives in Nasarawa State has raided one of the most hostile drug joints in the state capital.
About 356kg of cannabis and various psychotropic substances were recovered, with the arrest of four major drug dealers including the most notorious drug kingpin in Nasarawa state called “Boogie” whose real name is Muhammed Umar.
His drug distribution tentacles cut across Kano, Plateau, Benue and parts of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Curiously, some quantities of cocaine were intercepted in Benue on 8th, 9th and 13th July. The first dealer, John Aondosoo was arrested in Makurdi on last Thursday with 28.6grams of crack cocaine and after initial interrogation, it was discovered that his supplier, Henry Ezeomah would bring more supplies in the early hours of Friday from Obosi, Anambra. The supplier was later arrested last Friday with 29.17grams of crack cocaine.
In another raid, the Benue Command also seized some quantities of cocaine.
Babafemi quoted the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) as commending the Commanders, officers and men of Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue Commands of the Agency for taking the war against illicit drugs in the country to the doorsteps of the cartels.
He charged them not to relent but remain resolute in their commitment to rid every community of the drug scourge
