Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a Lekki-based artistes’ manager and his Ikoyi businessman accomplice who specialise in distributing illicit drugs to fun seekers at VIP night clubs and lounges in Lekki and Island areas of Lagos State, South-West Nigeria.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, says the arrest of the suspects followed an intelligence about a shipment of Colorado, a synthetic strong strain of cannabis sent to them from Los Angeles, United States.
Oseni Abdulraheem Ayodeji Babatunde, also known as Papalampa was the first to be arrested in his house at No. 3 Ope Daniel Taiwo Street, off Chisco Bus-Stop, in Lekki when the consignment arrived on Sunday, July 23, 2023. It was a total of ten (10) parcels of Colorado weighing 2.50 kilogrammes concealed inside large tins of coffee and duvets linked to him which were intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja. During a follow-up search of his residence, operatives recovered some quantities of the same substance, a digital weighing scale and other paraphernalia.
During preliminary interview with the suspect, he confessed he started the illicit trade three years ago and has been selling to patrons of clubs and lounges in Lekki and Lagos Island, some of which he identified as Quilox, Silver Fox, DNA and Hot box. Oseni said that besides the drug business, he also organises shows for artistes around Lagos and outside Nigeria.
An Ikoyi-based businessman, Nnadi Kingsley Ikenna also linked to the shipment was away in South Africa when the consignment arrived. While operatives maintained surveillance around his 18 Okotie Eboh Close, Ikoyi residence, they also set their dragnet for him at the airport. He eventually arrived into the waiting arms of NDLEA officers on Thursday, July 27 when he returned to the country on a Kenya Airlines flight at the Lagos airport. Kingsley, in his statement accepted ownership of a part of the consignment.
Babafemi added that, in the same vein, NDLEA operatives attached to the NAHCO export shed of the MMIA intercepted a cargo going to Nairobi, Kenya. A search of the consignment revealed that various quantities of MDMA (Ecstasy) popularly known as “Molly” and Rohypnol were concealed in a bag consisting of foodstuff.
An agent, Onydem Chinwe Florence who presented it for export was arrested. Also, an attempt by another suspect, Igboma Ifeanyi to export quantities of Loud, a variant of Cannabis, Tramadol and Rohypnol all weighing 7.8 kilogrammes concealed in 66 bottles of skin lightening lotion was thwarted by vigilant operatives who intercepted him while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Muscat, Oman at the Lagos airport.
Another suspect, Ekpenisi Wisdom Pious was equally arrested while trying to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Oman with 6.00 kilogrammes skunk hidden in a bag of food stuff. A follow-upp operation led to the arrest of a staff of Toprano Hotel, Ikeja, Ibigbami Temitope Oluwatobi who was fingered in the drug trafficking scheme.
A consignment of 5.70 kilogrammes of Codeine syrup going to the United Kingdom was on Thursday, July 27 seized from a 51-year-old widow, Adewunmi Taiwo Atinuke by NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA Ikeja.
Equally, a consignment of 8.5 kilogrammes of skunk well concealed in a vehicle engine block going to Dubai, UAE was on Tuesday, July 18 intercepted by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier companies in Lagos.
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, another container load of Nitrous Oxide popularly known as Laughing Gas, linked to a 30-year-old businessman, Stephen Eze, was seized on Tuesday, July 25. Two containers of the same substance imported from China by the suspect was earlier seized on July 13 at the Apapa port. The third shipment was intercepted during a joint examination of the container marked SUDU7431605 containing 8,336 cannisters of Nitrous Oxide and pressure release Nozzles.
In Ondo State, South-West Nigeria two suspects, namely Francis Diamond, 26, and Adekunle Damilola, 26, were arrested in Ita Ogbolu forest with 247.5 kilogrammes of cannabis while a Golf Car conveying the same substance weighing 308 kilogrammes was intercepted at Airport Junction along Akure-Ogbese Road on Wednesday, July 26 with a suspect Farouk Umar, 38, arrested.
A 32-year-old suspect, Chukwuma Nnaji was also arrested with 47 kilogrammes skunk in a warehouse at Onuogba Eke, Ishielu LGA, Enugu state on Saturday, July 29, while 12 kilogrammes of the same substance was recovered from a lock up shop during the raid.
A grandfather, Boniface Ogwurlobi, 62, and Chimezie Onyenjuru were arrested at Uli town Ihila LGA, in Anambra State, South-East Nigeria with a total of 49.415 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, 127.7 grams of methamphetamine and 15 grams of cocaine during a raid operation on Friday, July 28, while men of 9th Brigade, Nigerian Army transferred three suspects including Olasande Olutosin, Oleh Chiagozie and Obamuro Baiyeri arrested with 2,608.3 kilogrammes cannabis sativa and the truck conveying the substance to the Lagos state Command of NDLEA on Tuesday, July 25.
In Ogun State, operatives on Thursday, July 26 uncovered another skuchies factory in Sagamu where a suspect Femi Isiaka was arrested.
Recovered from the factory include 37 kilogrammes of Cannabis; 195 pills of Tramadol; 5,000 tabs of Diazepam; 216 tabs of Rophynol 216;
204 litres of skuchies; four fridges; four gas cylinders and one industrial cooker among other items.
No fewer than 156,380 pills of Tramadol and other opioids were seized from two suspects, namely Abdulrazak Bala and Lawal Salisu when they were arrested along Gwagwalada-Abaji Road in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on Saturday, July 29.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
