No less than five kingpins of an international drug trafficking organization were apprehended by the personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, divulged that the individuals were taken into custody through a prolonged, specialized operation.
A considerable amount of skunk, meth, ephedrine, and air compressors utilized for hiding and disseminating the drugs worldwide were reportedly confiscated during the raid.
It was revealed that the cartel leaders were situated in various regions, including Dubai, UAE; Cotonou, Benin Republic; Togo; Oman; Thailand; Europe; as well as Nigerian cities like Lagos, Imo, Onitsha, and Anambra State.
The NDLEA further disclosed that during recent interdiction operations across various states in Nigeria, such as Plateau, Edo, Delta, Taraba, Kogi, Kano, Lagos, and Adamawa, they managed to seize a minimum of 2,601.5 kilograms of marijuana and 102,500 pills of pharmaceutical opioids.
The statement reads in part: “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have successfully dismantled a trans-border drug cartel and arrested five leaders of the syndicates operating in parts of the world in a special operation that lasted weeks during which different quantities of skunk, methamphetamine and ephedrine as well as air compressors used to conceal and distribute them globally were recovered.”
“The special operation came on the heels of a warning by the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) that drug barons and cartels will have it rough in 2023 if they fail to back out of the criminal business.”
“Leaders of the cartel which spreads across Dubai, UAE; Cotonou, Benin Republic; Togo; Oman, Thailand and Europe as well as Lagos, Imo and Onitsha in Anambra state, had while on Christmas and New Year holidays in their villages were still coordinating efforts to send their illicit consignments to Dubai and other parts of the world.”
“Their lid was blown open on Thursday 29th December 2022 when their freight agent, Onyeisue Collins Chukwudi was arrested by NDLEA officers at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos for attempting to export three big automobile air compressors to Dubai. A quick follow-up operation led to the recovery of additional five compressors at his home at 24 Legacy road, Ayobo area of Lagos.”
“A total of 27.50kg of skunk were taken out of the air compressors after welding equipment was used to cut them open.”
“Further investigations revealed that the freight agent was working for a bigger organized criminal group. As a result, extensive operational tools were deployed to track the first kingpin, Onuoha Peter Obioma who lives in Benin Republic and Togo but comes occasionally to do business in Lagos.”
“The efforts paid off on Saturday 7th January 2023 when Obioma walked into the waiting arms of NDLEA operatives with a bag containing additional air compressors used to conceal 15.7kg skunk and a crystalline substance that later tested positive to methamphetamine after the Agency’s sniffer dogs identified compressors with drug concealment.”
“Obioma’s statement led to the unravelling of two other leaders of the cartel: Dubai-based Ugo Kelechi Alex (aka KC) and Iwueke Ugochukwu (aka Odugwu), an Onitsha, Anambra-based businessman, who were at that point still enjoying the Christmas and New Year holidays in their village in Imo state.”
“A well-coordinated operation was thereafter carried out on Tuesday 10th January at their ancestral homes in Umuobi village, Igbejere community, Ihitti-Uboma LGA, Imo State, while the arrowhead of the cartel identified as Ezenwekwe Obinna Nicodemus, an automobile parts dealer at Alaba International market, Lagos was put under surveillance. A Lexus SUV and a Toyota jeep were immediately recovered from Kelechi and Iwueke.”
“After so many dramatic bids to evade arrest, NDLEA operatives eventually pinned Obinna down at a bar in Mazamaza, Mile 2 area of Lagos on Saturday 14th January. A search of his home led to the recovery of 607 grams of ephedrine, a handful of Cannabis weighing 20 grams as well as other paraphernalia, including 271 grams of dimethyl sulfone used as a cutting agent for ephedrine, a chemical precursor and an active ingredient for the production of methamphetamine. A weighing scale and an International passport were equally recovered from his house.”
“Meanwhile, no fewer than 2,601.5 kilograms of cannabis and 102,500 pills of pharmaceutical opioids were seized during interdiction operations across Plateau, Edo, Delta, Taraba, Kogi, Kano, Lagos and Adamawa states in the past week. While 309kg of cannabis were recovered from a Bauchi-bound Toyota Camry car marked KUJ 218 BS driven by a suspect, Godwin Ojo, 37, on Saturday 28th Jan. along Bauchi road, Jos, Plateau state, 718kg of the same substance were seized in an uncompleted building in Sabongida-Ora, Owan West LGA, Edo state.”
“In Delta state, at least 250.3kg of C/S were recovered from three suspects: Wilson Ejougo, 43; Okpor Charles Chuks, 33; and Grace Isaiah, 51, in raids across Abbi town, Ndokwa West LGA, and Asaba, the state capital. A suspect, Umar Halidu, 35, was arrested with 18kg of cannabis at Mutum Biyu, Gassol LGA, Taraba State, while the trio of Ali Abdulwahab, 48; Bashir Musa, 31, and Ibrahim Shuaibu Abdullahi, 38, were nabbed with 532kg of the psychoactive substance in their truck in Kogi state.”
“Not less than 189 blocks of C/S weighing 131kg were seized from a suspect, Shafi’u Abubakar, 29, in Mariri area of Kano and a total of 119.4kg of the same substance recovered from four suspects in parts of Lagos state, while additional 523.8kg were seized in a bus heading to Port Harcourt along Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the early hours of Sunday, 22nd Jan.”
“Four suspects: Okechukwu Umen; Lanre Adebayo Ismaila, 47; Adeshina Adigun Fatai, 50; and Emmanuel Omijeh, 42, have been arrested in connection with the seizure and three million naira (N3,000,000) offered as bribe kept as part of the exhibits for their prosecution. In Adamawa, 102,500 pills of opioids were recovered from the store of a mobile dealer at the old park, Mubi in a joint operation with military personnel.”
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