NDLEA arrests Wanted drug kingpin, others over drug shipment
Operatives of Nigeria’s Anti-narcotic Agency, the National Drugs Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Obiorah Chigozie Samuel, for attempting to ship illicit drug consignments to the United Kingdom (UK).
This tops the list of arrests made by the Anti-narcotic Agency through interdiction operations that led to the seizure of four tons of illicit substances in the past week.
The spokesperson of the agency, Mr. Femi BabaFemi said Obiorah Chigozie Samuel has been on the wanted list of the Agency since 15th September 2023, when a consignment of 1.500kg skunk concealed in flour going to London, UK was intercepted at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos and his freight agent, Nworah Adaugo Precious arrested.
“Convinced that the 1.500kg consignment had sailed through, Obiorah walked into the Agency’s dragnet on Thursday 28th September when he personally brought another tranche of 2.00kg concealed in cartons to the airport for shipment to the UK.”
In his interview, Obiorah claimed he was into shoes sales in Lagos before venturing into the illicit drug business.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Agency on Friday 29th September, intercepted a container truck with registration number BD G41 XM coming from Lagos to Kano at the Gwagwalada area of the FCT.
Also, 1,188 kilograms of skunk loaded at Owo, Ondo state and hidden under cartons of tooth paste were recovered from the truck and its driver, Amafan Fattison, 28, arrested.
Similar arrests and seizures were made by operatives of NDLEA in Bayelsa, Borno, Kogi, Kwara, Cross River, Borno and Enugu states.
While commending the officers and men of the affected commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Meanwhile, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), advocacy activities equally continued across the country in the past week.
Some places visited includes, Nigeria French Village, Badagry, Lagos, Ar-Rahmania College of Health Sciences, Minna, Niger state, WADA advocacy lecture at Pentecostal Academy, Aba, Abia state and WADA sensitisation lecture for students and staff of School of Nursing, Eket, Akwa Ibom state among others.