Raids cannabis warehouse, black spots in Nasarawa, Abuja
By Kasim Sumaina
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday disclosed that few days after three cocaine cartels were busted at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, another trafficker, Ukaegbu Bright Onyekachi, has been nabbed with 3.30 kilogrammes of the illicit drug.
The suspect, it was disclosed, was arrested on February 1 during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline at the E arrival hall of the MMIA.
According to the Commander of MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Garba, Onyekachi arrived in Nigeria on board Ethiopian airways from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa.
Garba said the hard drug was cleverly concealed in T-shirts stickers, but that the suspect could not escape the eagle eyes of their detectives.
This is even as operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the agency have raided a number of drug spots in Abuja, where 14 persons, including three men in military uniform suspected to be fake soldiers, were arrested, and different quantities of cocaine, codeine, rohypnols and Indian hemp were recovered.
A statement made available to journalists in Abuja by the Principal Staff Officer, Public Affairs of NDLEA, Jonah Achema, noted that: “In FCT, some of the drug spots raided at the weekend included Wuse Zone 4 and 5; Wuse by Banex plaza and Garki by Torabora.
“Also raided were Area 1 by Gwagwalada park; Dagwa village and Abattoir in Karu. The 14 persons arrested are being investigated in connection with the recovery of 34.8kg cannabis sativa.
“Also seized were other quantities of cocaine, codeine and rohypnols. Three of the arrested persons, who were in military camouflage, are still being profiled, but are suspected to be fake soldiers.”
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa Command of the agency has also discovered a cannabis warehouse in Lafia, the state capital, where 45 bags of illegal drug weighing 474kg were recovered.
According to the state Commander of the NDLEA, Justice Arinze, the recovery was the biggest singular seizure since the inception of the command in 1999.
He said: “We are grateful to our new Chairman, Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), who made the feat possible for us by empowering us with the needed logistics to go all out.”
He said the command is continuing with its operation in Hana Kwaya, in collaboration with other security agencies to raid drug joints and markets.
At the interval, the NDLEA Chairman, Marwa, has commended the men and officers of the MMIA, FCT and Nasarawa State Commands of the agency for taking the war to the doorsteps of traffickers and peddlers of illicit drugs in their areas.
“I have told the commanders at the meeting with them that our maxim is offensive action, and I am glad they are following up on the strategies outlined for them,” the NDLEA statement quoted him as saying.
