Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Ba’ale Ige Babatunde, the head of the Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Osun State, with fresh cannabis plants weighing 5kg.
In a significant operation, NDLEA agents also dismantled a high-profile cocaine syndicate in Lagos, led by a couple, Agbakoba Mmadu and Agbakoba Chinwe, along with their associate, Okoye Maryjane. The raid resulted in the recovery of large consignments of cocaine intended for both export and local distribution.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi detailed the operations, noting that the raid followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance on the notorious syndicate. “The 54-year-old Agbakoba Mmadu was arrested at Ago Palace Way, Okota, while his wife, Agbakoba Chinwe, 39, and associate, Okoye Maryjane, 31, who also served as their stash keeper, were apprehended at Plot 2205, Eugene Ndubisi Close, Lilly Estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, all on July 3, 2024,” Babafemi said.
From Mmadu, seven parcels of cocaine weighing 7.652 kilograms were seized. An additional 122 compressed pellets weighing 2.42kg were recovered from Chinwe and Maryjane, bringing the total seizure to 10.1 kilograms, valued at over N2.1 billion.
In another operation on July 4, NDLEA operatives in Benue State intercepted 350 grams of cocaine at a checkpoint along Enugu road, Otukpo, concealed in an MP3 speaker sent as a waybill parcel. A follow-up operation at Flight motor park in Otukpo led to the arrest of the parcel’s owner, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony.
Meanwhile, on July 3, NDLEA officers conducting a stop-and-search operation along Ngurore-Yola road in Adamawa State arrested a Chadian national, Yves Gali, who was found with a loudspeaker concealing 20 compressed blocks and nine plastic containers of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 5.200kg.
In Kano, on the same day, a youth corps member, Yusuf Abdulrahman, 25, was arrested at Corpers Lodge in the Sumaila area with 1.250kg of Loud. Additionally, NDLEA operatives raided Ikota forest in Ifedore LGA, Ondo State, arresting Monday Ali, 49, and Jimoh Alewi, 37. The raid resulted in the destruction of 42,500kg of cannabis on 17 hectares of farmland and the recovery of 73.5kg for prosecution purposes.
In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives on July 8 arrested Sanusi Mamman, 28, and Usaini Ibrahim, 20, in a vehicle along Abaji-Gwagwalada with 1,132 bottles of codeine syrup, 13,540 pills of tramadol, 50,000 pills of diazepam, and 59 pills of rophynol.
