Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 45-year-old mechanic, Matthew Ossai, for allegedly using his workshop as a hideout for illicit drugs in Benin City, Edo State.
The NDLEA said Ossai was arrested at his workshop along Agbor Road, where its personnel allegedly recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152 grammes of methamphetamine concealed inside a metal box.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the arrest was part of a series of operations carried out by the agency in different parts of the country.
OTHER ARRESTS
Babafemi also disclosed that NDLEA personnel arrested a 49-year-old man, Innocent Ekpe, after allegedly finding 292.48kg of skunk concealed inside his Toyota Sienna bus.
Ekpe was arrested along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, after allegedly posing as a police officer while transporting the consignment.
“Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments,” Babafemi said.
He added that a 39-year-old alleged accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested during the operation.
In Lagos, the agency said it intercepted 200 parcels of Canadian Loud concealed inside a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived at the Tin Can Island Port on September 12.
According to the NDLEA, the drugs were packed in 31 black bags and hidden inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles loaded into the container.
The agency also reported the interception of seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg at a logistics company in Lagos. A suspect, Luke Ugokwe, was arrested in connection with the consignment.
“In Lagos, a suspect Onyeka Ofor was arrested on Friday 18th September at his residence in Aguda, Surulere with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg,” the statement reads.
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The NDLEA further said Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbo, Lagos, on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, a combined 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects, Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19.
The suspects were arrested separately at the Barunde area and Gombe Main Market on Friday, September 18.
In Imo State, a 25-year-old suspect, Ifesinachi Godwin, was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday, September 18.
The agency also reported a raid on a cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu Forest, Ondo State, where four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested.
The operation, conducted on Tuesday, September 15, also led to the destruction of 5,000kg of skunk cultivated on a two-hectare cannabis farm.
“No less than 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered from the location for the prosecution of the suspects.”