NDLEA arrests fake soldier with drugs, ammunition

… recovers imported liquid cannabis from final year UNIPORT student, cocaine hidden in UNIUYO degree certificate

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested fake soldier, Hayatu Galadima and his accomplice, Hamisu Adamu while conveying drugs, ammunition, and communication equipment to bandits in Kaduna.

A statement issued by the Director, Media & Advocacy of the agency, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, said the duo was arrested by a patrol team of NDLEA officers along Gwagwalada expressway, Abuja on Friday, September 30, 2021.

Babafemi said the items the agency recovered from the suspects are 21 RLA 7.45mm ammunition concealed in a water bottle; 16 packs of new two-way radio (Walkie talkie); four army coloured head masks; wallet containing army ID card, 1USD, 2 FCMB, 1 First Bank, 1 Ecobank, 1 UBA, 1 Skye Bank ATM cards; wraps of cannabis Sativa; tablets of tramadol; three MTN, two 9mobile and one Airtel sim cards packs; one iPhone 12 pro; one Samsung A31; and one Nokia phones; seven NA pass letters; five handbags and one Bagco bag containing personal belongings, as well as a gallon of palm oil.

According to the statement, Hayatu Galadima claimed to be a Lance Corporal serving in Ibadan, adding that they were taking the exhibits to Kaduna and Kano.

Preliminary investigation however indicates that the suspects may have contact with bandits in the North-West and were possibly moving the ammunition and the two-way radios to bandits who are presently excommunicated due to the suspension of telecommunications services in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna states.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has directed the FCT Command of the Agency, which made the arrest to transfer the suspects to authorities of the Nigerian Army and another intelligence agency, which had earlier placed the two men on its watch list for further investigation.

In Rivers State, a final year student of Fine Arts and Design, University of Port Harcourt, Mario Okiwelu has been arrested for importing from the US five variants of liquid cannabis weighing 49.6grams.

He was arrested through controlled delivery along with his accomplice, Precious Awuse on Monday, September 27, 2021 around the NIPOST area, Port Harcourt.

In the same vein, narcotic officers attached to some courier firms in Lagos have seized different sizes of illicit drugs including 40grams of cocaine concealed in a University of Uyo degree certificate, going to Australia; 280 grams of cannabis hidden in body cream bottles going to Cyprus; 400grams of tramadol tucked in plastic bottles heading to Australia and 1kg of Methamphetamine concealed in auto parts with Hong Kong as the destination.

Attempts by some traffickers to also import into Nigeria 20 cartons of khat weighing 126.900 kilograms through the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, were thwarted and the consignment seized. Similarly, on Wednesday 29th Sept, one Ibrahim Kale Sulyman was arrested during cargo search operations at SAHCO export shed and sachets of tramadol weighing 76grams concealed inside black soap heading to Dubai, UAE, recovered from him.

In Kaduna, operatives arrested a widow, Aliya Idris on Saturday 25th September in the house of a wanted drug dealer, Shamsu Boda at Joji road, Tudun Wada Zaria. She was arrested during an operation at Shamsu Boda’s house. Found in her possession were 30 bottles of cough syrup with codeine and 20 sachets of Rohypnol with a gross weight of 4.2kg and 77.5 grams respectively.

The statement added: “In raids across Lagos state on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at least, two drug dealers were arrested and over 1,213.2kg drugs seized.

“At Ikosi, Ketu, Kosofe L.G.A, 22-year-old Peter Prosper Onome from Isoko, Delta State was arrested with 442 grams of different types of drugs including 426 grams of Cannabis Sativa; 15 grams of Colorado; 6 grams of Cocaine; 4 grams of Rohypnol and 1 gram of Methamphetamine.

“In Lekki, one Justin Clement, from Michika, Adamawa State was arrested with 500 grams of Cannabis Sativa. Also on the same day, officers of the Lagos Command of the Agency raided another notorious hideout in Petti, Lagos Island where they recovered an abandoned 1,213.2kg of Cannabis Sativa.”

Babafemi in the statement noted that Gen. Marwa commended officers and men of the FCT, Rivers, DOGI, MMIA, Kaduna and Lagos Commands of the agency for outstanding performance in their areas of responsibility in the past week.

He said Marwa urged them and their counterparts in other commands to remain vigilant and continue to exhibit the spirit and determination of the new NDLEA.