Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of 32 pieces of Improvised Explosive Devices allegedly being taken to bandits’ camp in Niger State, bordering the Federal Capital Territory, ahead of today’s presidential inauguration.
The Chairman of the anti-narcotics agency, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd.) has since ordered the immediate transfer of a suspect, Musa Muhammadu, who was caught with the explosives on Monday, 22th May, along Wawa Road, Kainji, Niger State, to the military.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA’s spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi said: “As the NDLEA intensifies operations at drug joints and routes nationwide ahead of the 29 May inauguration of new administrations across the country, its operatives have intercepted a consignment of 32 pieces of IEDs, being taken to bandits’ camp in Niger State”.
Meanwhile, a shipment containing 379grams of methamphetamine concealed in the false bottom of six black soap containers, packed in a carton containing local hand fans, heading to Cyprus in Europe, has been recovered at a courier company in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation of the NDLEA.
Babafemi said: “In Adamawa State, operatives on stop-and-search patrol along Michika- Bazza Road on Friday, 26 May, arrested a Cameroonian, Ndawai Ngalou, with a pair of Nigerian Army camouflage uniform bearing ‘Sunday U’ and two ATM cards belonging to one Turaki Mohammed and Ekene Izuegunam.
“Two ladies, Bilkisu Yusuf, 33, and Kauna Katsina, 25, were on Monday, 22 May, arrested in Ningi town, Bauchi State with 11,080 pills of tramadol, while Uche Shadrach, 22, was arrested with 20,480 pills of the same pharmaceutical opioid on Wednesday, 24 May, along Okene-Lokoja Highway, Kogi State on his way from Onitsha, Anambra State to Minna, Niger State.”
The NDLEA spokesman added that two suspects, Surajo Adamu and Muhammad Ali, were arrested on Friday, 26 May, with 379,200 tablets of Diazepam in the Alimosho area of Lagos State, while the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command of the agency took custody of 22 cartons of Tramadol 225mg weighing 1,144.30 kg and 12 cartons of Tramadol 120mg with a total weight of 320kg, all containing 2, 317, 400 pills transferred to the agency by the Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, on Thursday, 25th May.
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives supported by men drawn from the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Police on Wednesday, 24 May, raided the notorious Abbi town, Ndokwa West Local Government Area where three suspects: Eunice Eneh, 52, Animan Ifeoma, 26, and Chuks Webema Dennis, 35, were arrested with a total of 343.9kg cannabis recovered from them.
“A similar mop-up operation in Bayelsa has led to the arrest of a wanted suspect, Ozoemena Egbochue, 38, at the Swali market in Yenagoa on Monday, 22 May, following the earlier arrest of his sales boy, Morgan Eredeowei with 11,748 pills of tramadol and diazepam”, Babafemi added.
