By Peter Jene
Four others declared wanted; vigilante commander, grandfather, and others apprehended for trafficking in illegal substances; shipments of cocaine and ecstasy headed for the UK and Cyprus in canvas shoes and headgear intercepted by NDLEA operatives.
TINCAN ISLAND, Lagos — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is in the process of identifying the members of an organised criminal network that is responsible for the recent importation of two containers from Durban, South Africa, to the Tincan Harbour in Lagos. The containers were loaded with illegal substances along with various weaponry and ammunition.
Anjorin Idowu, a dock worker, Falowo Samuel Kayode, the clearing and notify party for the two containers, and Uzairu Ahmed Iguda, the port’s supervisor of the Five Star terminal, are among those who have previously been detained as syndicate members. Mohammed Muktar Sule, also a dock worker at the terminal and alias organiser, is now at large and has equal ties to the syndicate.
According to a statement by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency had asked for a 100% joint assessment of two South African containers with the markings MSCU 4581770 and TRHU 7968071, based on reliable intelligence. Therefore, on January 18 and 19, 2024, an exercise including additional stakeholders was carried out, during which 56.39 kg of cocaine and 795 kg of Colorado—a synthetic, potent type of cannabis—among other illicit products were discovered.
After a combined team of specialised units of the agency was given a task by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), to investigate the individuals responsible for the large consignments of illicit drugs being imported, more 192.7 kg bags of Colorado, a pistol, and rounds of ammunition were found hidden in an empty container before the 100 percent joint examination at the Five Star terminal. Consequently, two suspects have been taken into custody: Anjorin Idowu, a dock worker at the terminal, and Uzairu Ahmed Iguda, who oversees the placing and stacking of containers at the terminal.
Another suspect who is now at large is Mohammed Muktar Sule, also known as the organiser, who works on the terminal’s dock. According to investigations, the three suspects planned to relocate the 192.7 kg Colorado handgun and rounds of ammunition from the container to an empty container at the terminal with the help of the agent and notify party, Falowo Samuel Kayode.
With the most recent seizure, the total weight of the two containers that was discovered was 1,044.29 kg, consisting of 987.9 kg of Colorado and 56.39 kg of cocaine. Three kingpins who are thought to be based in South Africa and involved in the importation of the containers have also been identified through investigations. Those on the Agency’s wanted list are Odeyemi Taiwo Emmanuel, Akinyemi Olayinka, and Adebayo Adewole Emmanuel.
NDLEA officers in Edo state raided a drug joint under a powerline off Etete road, GRA Benin city on Tuesday, February 20. They found various illicit narcotics and detained a 24-year-old sales girl named Jessica Destiny. The next day, a follow-up operation resulted in the 36-year-old joint owner Ibrahim Sani, also known as Commander Arewa Association Vigilantes in the area, being taken into custody.
While authorities seized a shipment of 179 kg of cannabis on Wednesday, February 21 at Badagry Waterside, Lagos, on Thursday, February 22, in Magbon, Ogun state, they also apprehended a 67-year-old grandfather, Rafiu Ogunro, who was carrying 57 kg of cannabis, 2,700 tramadol pills, and 231 bottles of codeine syrup, totaling 2.31 litres.
Tuesday, February 20, saw the arrest of 25-year-old Zara Mele in Borno at the Baga checkpoint with quantities of heroin and cocaine. That same day, Mohammed Lawan, 22, and Usman Shuaibu, 26, were also apprehended in Maiduguri at the Meri and Babban Layi areas with quantities of the same class A drug.
NDLEA officers in Kebbi state stopped Tasiu Mohammed, 25, and Abubakar Tanko, 54, as they were transporting 44,820 opioid pills to Zamfara state along the Jega-Sokoto road. Meanwhile, Ali Abdulhamid, 35, was detained at his farm in Bakin Kasuwa village, Birnin Yero area of Igabi LGA, Kaduna state, where he grows tomatoes and some stems of cannabis sativa weighing 73 kilogrammes.
On Monday, February 19, NDLEA officers stopped two suspects, Shuaibu Ahmed, 38, and Tanimu Abdullahi, 29, who were travelling from Lagos to Kano in a commercial bus carrying 99 blocks of cannabis weighing 37 kg. Additionally, Michael Okefi was detained at the Upper Iweka area of Onitsha, Anambra state, with 483 bottles of cough syrup containing codeine hidden in two 50-liter kegs. After a follow-up, Osinachi Jasper, the real owner, was taken into custody.
On Friday, February 23, at a courier business in Lagos, NDLEA agents from the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation, DOGI, seized at least 540 grammes of cocaine that were hidden in canvas shoes and were on their way to the UK. Similarly, the same day at the courier house, a shipment of tramadol 225 mg disguised as women’s headwear headed to the UK was discovered, and a package containing ecstasy stashed within a body lotion container intended for Cyprus was also discovered.
At least 12 young men were detained in various sections of Kano between Monday, February 19 and Friday, February 23, and during that time, various amounts of opioids and other illegal narcotics were found on their person. Yusuf Abdullahi (20), Usman Muh’d (18), Sadiq Jibrin (20), Ibrahim Lawan (25), Ukasha Usaini (19), Sahabi Lamini (15), Isiyaka Mohd (28), Bashir Ayuba (36), Ahmad Idris (18), Abubakar Sani (29), Bashir Mohd (21), and Udochukwu Ezekiel (35) are a few of the suspects.
Accordingly, WADA advocacy talks and the War Against Drug Abuse were stepped up by commands around the nation. These include: WADA advocacy visits to the Emirs of Fika, Alhaji Muhammadu Abali Idrissa, and Potiskum, Alhaji Umar Bubaram Ibn Wuriwa Bauya, among others, by the Yobe state command; sensitization lectures for students at Fatahur Rahman Academy, Gumel, Jigawa state; and Boys High School, Nawfia, Anambra state; and Government Senior and Junior College, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, praised the officers and men of the Tincan, Lagos, Edo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Anambra, Kebbi, Borno, and FCT Commands of the Agency for their well-balanced efforts over the past week. He also commended their counterparts nationwide for stepping up their WADA advocacy lectures to establish parity between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction initiatives.
