NDLEA apprehends seven-man drug syndicate at MMIA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has revealed series of intelligence activities leading to apprehension of many drug cartels across the country, including the arrest of a fleeing drug kingpin, leader of a syndicate operating at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, as well as six other members of the syndicate gang.

The director of public affairs of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Wednesday, revealed that a professional methamphetamine (Mkpuru Mmiri) cook, and a lawyer, were arrested in Owerri, Imo State, and Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, respectively.

Babafemi disclosed that the Lagos airport drug syndicate was behind the smuggling of 1, 584,000 tablets of Tramadol intercepted on Tuesday 15th March by NDLEA operatives in collaboration with Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Customs service personnel at the airport.

He revealed that the confiscated items include 17 cartons of 250mg Tramadol branded as “Tamra” weighing 669.70kg and five cartons of 225mg Tramadol under the brand name “Royal” with a gross weight of 217.15kg.

Babafemi emphasized that the psychotropic substance, which was imported into the country from Pakistan was smuggled through the airport tarmac using one of the vehicles of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) and was intercepted at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Personnel Yard. He said that two suspects: Ofijeh John Mowa, a SAHCO driver, and Nyam Gazu Alex, security guard with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), were initially arrested in connection with the seizure.

According to Babafemi, further investigations by NDLEA operatives, led to the arrest of five other persons involved in the crime, including the ringleader, Yunana Fidelis, who fled Lagos to Kaduna the moment their lid was blown open. Others include Adesanwo Temitope; Owoseni Taiwo Temidayo; Fasoranti Shola and Bamigbade Jonathan.

Yunana Fidelis who is also a staff of NACHO had escaped and fled to Kaduna after depositing N19, 800,000.00 cash with a BDC operator to be paid later into his bank account, NDLEA said.

The agency narrated that after tracking him for days in Kaduna, on Friday 25^th, Fidelis relocated to Abuja where he was eventually arrested by NDLEA operatives at 7.00pm on Sunday 27th March while he was trying to collect N1, 000, 000.00 cash from an undercover agent who posed as a BDC operator.

In addition to recovering the cash Fidelis deposited with the BDC operator in Lagos, the Agency had also placed a post no debit order on his identified bank accounts.

Also, a professional methamphetamine (Mkpuru Mmiri) cook, Reuben Bekweri, 34, was arrested in Owerri, Imo State, while trying to distribute one kilogram of the illicit drug he cooked and packaged in seven nylon sachets in the Irete Area of Owerri on Saturday 26th March.

In Ado Ekiti, narcotic officers of the NDLEA on Monday 28th March also arrested a 42-year-old lawyer, Mayowa Oluwanisomo, in Zone 4, Embassy Island, Moferere area of the Ekiti State capital following credible intelligence that he deals in psychotropic substances.

A total of 11, 570 tablets of Tramadol, weighing 7.3kilograms, were recovered from him when his residence was searched. He admitted ownership of the drug exhibits, adding that he graduated from Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, and Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School in 2016.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) , has commended the officers and men of MMIA, Imo and Ekiti states Commands for sustaining the offensive action against drug cartels in their respective areas of responsibility.