National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said its special operation unit has taken down a drug cartel controlled by 49-year-old Kelechi Monday Nwaobasi, and his 50-year-old elder sister, Ms Chinwe Rose Nwaobasi.
The agency said the development followed the arrest of the suspects siblings and the seizure of cocaine and methamphetamine consignments worth over N4.1 billion in street value from their hideout in Aba, Abia State.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, stated this in a statement yesterday.
He noted that the special operation conducted on Thursday, June 13 and 14 at 3B Boundary Avenue, Aba, and a residence along Ohia Road, Ohia, Abia State, followed months of intelligence gathering, leading to the arrest of the ring leaders and the combined seizure of 20.76 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine from them.
Babafemi also announced that NDLEA operatives in Lagos State uncovered an expansive warehouse stocked with a large consignment of codeine-based syrup, located in Comfort Oboh area of Kirikiri. Four persons connected with the importation and distribution of the opioid were arrested during an intelligence-led raid on the facility.
According to him, those arrested include Kingsley Amanambu Obumneke, 38; Emeka Emmanuel, 48; Bonaventure Ugochukwu, 59; and Martin Dike, 56.
He said 82,000 bottles of the opioid worth more than N600 million in street value, along with a Toyota Tacuma truck and two buses used for distributing the substance, were recovered from the premises on Monday, June 10 when NDLEA officers conducted the operation.
“Two days later, on Wednesday, June 12, operatives intercepted another suspect, Ibrahim Abdulhamid, with 29,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 3.9 liters of codeine syrup at Alaba Suru, Ojo Local Council Area,” he said.
Announcing other interceptions and seizures, Babafemi said: “A total of 230,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg were recovered from Yasir Rabi’u, 23, and Abubakar Ado, 30, who are major distributors of illicit drugs in Kano and Jigawa States, when they were arrested on Monday, June 10 at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano.
In the same vein, another suspect, Hassan Abdullahi Ali, 25, was nabbed with 150 bottles of codeine syrup at Kofar Nassarawa area of Kano on Tuesday, June 11.
“In Ogun State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, June 10 seized 390kg of cannabis and arrested Muhammad Sani, Nura Mohammad and Samaila Rabe during an early morning raid at Ibese area, while officers on Wednesday, June 12, busted a skuchies making factory at Sabo area of Shagamu town where seven suspects were arrested. They include Kareem Jamiu; Oriyimi Ayo; Bamidele Wasiu; Rasheed Olarewaju; Ramota Lawal; Amudalat Olarewaju; and Adeniyi Omotosho. Exhibits recovered include 387 liters of skuchies, 70 liters of industrial codeine, 25kg cannabis, different quantities of tramadol, rohypnol, diazepam, as well as various equipment used in the production of the new psychoactive substance.
