Police detectives in Ondo state have arrested a 17-year-old, Usman Muhammad and one other, Usman Bashir, for alleged drug trafficking, along Ikare junction in Owo, Ondo State. The two suspects were arrested while transporting 51 bags of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, each weighing approximately 9kg.
Spokesperson for the state police command, Deputy Superintendent Ayanlade Olayinka, said in Akure, the state capital, that the crackdown followed ‘the renewed drive by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to combat the menace of illegal drug trafficking and dismantle criminal enterprises across the country.
‘In strict compliance with the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, officers of the Command have continued to intensify intelligence-led operations targeted at criminal financiers and drug peddlers sponsoring cult-related violence and other criminal activities.
Ayanlade said that ‘acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Tactical Intelligence Response Squad (TIRS) of the Command, on 19th June, 2025 at about 0950hrs, intercepted and arrested two suspected drug traffickers along Ikare Junction in Owo, Ondo State.
‘The suspects have been identified as Usman Bashir, 27 years old, male, from Kaduna State, and Usman Muhammad, 17 years old, male, also from Kaduna State. They were apprehended while transporting fifty-one (51) bags of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, each weighing approximately 9kg.
‘The exhibits have been recovered and secured as evidence. The suspects are currently in custody, and investigations are ongoing to uncover the broader criminal network involved in the distribution of these illicit substances’.
The police image maker, said that the police Commissioner, commended the swift and coordinated effort of the operatives involved in the arrest, reiterating the Command’s commitment to flushing out criminal elements from the state. He assured the public that the state police Command will continue to pursue and dismantle all forms of organized crime threatening the peace and safety of residents.
