Female drug dealer, 12 others arrested as NDLEA seizes cannabis concealed under bags of fertilizer and cassava flours

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a female drug dealer, Mrs. Kudirat Bello, 12 other suspects and seized tonnes of illicit drugs including Cannabis Sativa concealed under bags of fertilizer and cassava flour. 

Spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, March 25, 2023, said Bello was arrested in Igbesa area of Ogun State with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis and rophynol along with N119, 600.00 monetary exhibit on Monday, 20th March. 

In Edo, operatives on Friday 24th March intercepted in Auchi, Etsako West LGA, a DAF trailer marked ZUR 378 XJ (Kebbi) with 69 bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 700kg concealed under bags of fertilizer. While the bags of fertiliser were to be delivered in Funtua, Katsina state, the cannabis consignment was to be dropped in Kaduna. Both the driver of the truck, Babangida Mande and his assistant Mandir Abdullahi are already in custody. Another suspect, Ijarekhai Ogbewee was arrested on Thursday 23rd March at Ishokha Quarters, Otuo, Owan East LGA, with 32kg of the same substance.

In Delta, 96 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 82kg concealed inside jumbo bags of cassava flour were recovered at Basket Market, Asaba, while a total of 164, 750 pills of opioids mainly tramadol were seized from two suspects: Henry Abuchi and Daniel Ugwoke, in parts of Taraba state. No fewer than 45 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 23kg were recovered along Okene – Abuja highway from Abubakar Muhammad, in a Toyota Hiace bus coming from Lagos and going to Maiduguri on Tuesday 21st March in Kogi state.

In Lagos, a total of 1,030.6 kilograms of cannabis were recovered from at least three suspects: Bolaji Adesina; Femi Ojo and Jamiu Useni during raid operations in Mushin area of the state.

On Tuesday 21st March, operatives of the Tincan Port command of the Agency also intercepted 107 kilograms of Cannabis Indica popularly known as Colorado hidden in a container bearing four used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada. Few days later, Friday 24th March, Apapa Command of Customs Service was able to apprehend and hand over to NDLEA two suspects: Ademola Adekunle and Dayo Olatunji linked to the consignment.

Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, has commended the officers and men of Tincan, Edo, Ogun, Delta, Taraba, Kogi, and Lagos Commands of the Agency for their vigilance and excellent working relationship with other security agencies in their areas of responsibility. 

He charged them and their colleagues across the country not to rest on their oars.