June 23, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a specially constructed large hole storage in a wall covered with wallpapers and fetish objects during a raid on a snake-guarded shrine used to store illicit drugs in Igor community, Benin City, Edo State.
The agency, in a statement issued on Sunday, by its Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said different quantities of illicit substances, including methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona and “all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743 kilograms, were pulled out from the deep hole dug in the wall of the shrine building”.
At least, two ladies: Sonia Chinonso Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani were arrested during the intelligence-led operation on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, after the big black snake guarding the shrine was demobilized.
In the same vein, two suspects: Obi Ferguson, 45, and Ernest Abanum, 46, were arrested on Saturday, June 22 when NDLEA operatives raided the Usen forest in Ovia South West LGA, Edo State where 209kg cannabis and a motorcycle were recovered.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers in Lagos have intercepted a carefully packaged consignment of 8.2 kilograms of methamphetamine at a motor park in Mazamaza, Ojo area of the state.
The highly addictive illicit substance, also called ice or crystal meth, was packed in imported Dunkin’ turtle love chocolate wraps and concealed in the casing of three loudspeakers.
A 39-year-old suspect, Michael Odiomume, who was sending the consignment to Owerri, Imo State was promptly arrested on Wednesday, June 19 at the park.
In Abuja, operatives, on Tuesday, June 18 intercepted a white Nissan Frontier pickup vehicle with amber lights and a fake registration number of a security agency at Kiyi village in the Kuje area of the FCT.
The vehicle was loaded with 454 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing 340.8kg procured at Uzeba, Edo State. A 76-year-old grandfather, Mr. Francis Omofa, linked to the consignment, was arrested. He claimed to have been in the illicit drug business for 10 years.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities among others in the past week.
These include WADA enlightenment lectures for students and teachers of St. Peters College, Nibo, Anambra; students and staff of Apostolic Grammar School, Ilesa, Osun state; students and teachers of Immanuel Baptist High School, Oyo town, Oyo state; students and staff of Federal Government Science and Technical College, Otukpa, Benue state, as well as WADA advocacy lecture for Muslim faithful during their juma’at prayer in Umuahia, Abia state and a WADA advocacy visit to the First Lady of Enugu state, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, by the state Command of NDLEA.
While commending the officers and men of Edo, Lagos, and FCT Commands, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), noted the balance in their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts as well as those of their compatriots across the country.
He charged them to maintain the ongoing offensive action against drug cartels as they continue to intensify their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign.
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