Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a Qatar-based businessman, Mr Agu Evidence Amobi, and one other, Mr Uchegbu Onyebuchi Obi, with consignments of psychoactive substances at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
The Director for Media & Advocacy at the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, disclosed that Mr Amobi was arrested on Saturday at the departure point of terminal 2 of the MMIA on his way to Doha, on a Qatar Airways flight.
On his part, Mr Obi was taken into custody the same day following the seizure of a consignment of 72,000 pills of tramadol 225mg, which he attempted to ship to Kano on a local flight.
Mr Amobi who claimed he has been living and working in Doha, Qatar for over 10 years was caught with 1.30kg cannabis sativa concealed in a bag of foodstuff.
He claimed he bought the substance in Enugu to deliver in Doha to enable him to raise enough funds to pay his rent in Doha and Nigeria and the school fees of his three children.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the domestic wing of the airport intercepted a carton containing a total of 72,000 pills of tramadol 250mg with a gross weight of 38.50kg.
This was closely followed with the arrest of Mr Obi who brought the consignment to the airport for shipment to Kano.
On Christmas Day, December 25, in Yobe state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Nguru-Gashua road intercepted the trio of Mr Musa Sani, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim and Mr Adamu Usman in a truck conveying 39 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 15.7kg and 128,500 pills of opioids.
The enforcement agency also revealed that fin follow-up operations the following day, December 26, led to the arrest of the actual owner of the cannabis consignment, Mr Ali Ibrahim (a.k.a Ramos) in Geidam where an additional 208 blocks of the same substance were recovered from his house, bringing the total to 247 blocks weighing 94.74kg, while the owner of the seized opioids, Mr Mustapha Goni (a.k.a Lolo) was equally arrested.
In Imo state, its operatives on Christmas Eve, while on patrol along Owerri – Onitsha expressway intercepted a commercial bus driven by Mr Peter Orji, 42, with 400 bottles of codeine syrup; 7,590 pills of opioids including tramadol 225mg heading to Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.
While Mr David Michael, 52, was arrested at Unguwa Ukku area of Kano on Sunday, December 24, with 49 blocks of cannabis weighing 42.6kg, Mr Umar Abdullahi, 27, was nabbed with 27, 350 pills of opioids at Gadar Tamburawa area of the city same day.
While commending the efforts of the officers and men of MMIA, Yobe, Kano, Kwara and Imo Commands of the Agency for jobs well done in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mr Mohamed Buba Marwa tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on the achievements of 2023 but to continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug barons and cartels with an equipoise of intense WADA advocacy campaigns in the new year.
He wished all officers and men as well as their families, stakeholders and the general public a rewarding and fulfilling new year.
