CRIME
NDLEA Nabs Wanted Drug Baron After 7 Years On The Run
Operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended Okpara Chigozie, a 60-year-old alleged drug kingpin, who had been wanted and on the run for seven years.
According to a statement by NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, Okpara was caught attempting to ship large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country.
Babafemi disclosed that Okpara had been on the NDLEA’s wanted list since 2019 and was eventually apprehended at his hideout at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, in the Ojo area of Lagos State on Sunday, July 13, 2024.
This followed the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45 a.m. that same day in Ilasamaja along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.
Babafemi stated that, during the early morning operation, an NDLEA team acting on credible intelligence arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Nnamdi, while he was en route to Onitsha, Anambra State, in a white Toyota Sienna vehicle.
He added that the agency’s sniffer dogs were then used to search the vehicle, leading to the discovery of 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine hidden in body compartments of the vehicle.
A follow-up operation was promptly carried out at Okpara’s hideout in Isheri, where an additional 1.8 kilograms of cocaine and 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine were recovered from his residence.
Babafemi also reported that at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives, in a joint operation with Aviation Security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) last Wednesday, recovered 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol from the luggage of Omoregie Nice Uyiosa, an Italy-bound passenger.
The suspect, who was traveling to Italy via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight, claimed he purchased the drugs with the intention of selling them in Italy at higher prices.
In another arrest at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives at the export shed last Thursday intercepted 17 parcels of skunk (a strain of cannabis), weighing 1.7 kilograms, concealed in packs of the popular cereal, Golden Morn.
The shipment was destined for Pakistan as part of a consolidated cargo. A suspect, Chioba Uchenna, who presented the consignment for shipment, was arrested.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday raided Sarah Sam Hotels, located at 115 Ogudu Road in Kosofe, where various party drugs were being distributed and sold.
The raid followed credible intelligence and surveillance that identified Obayemi Oyetade as the ringleader of the drug network.
Babafemi said that at the time of the operation, 1.3 kilograms of Chocolate Cannabis, 900 grams of gummies, and 22.9 grams of skunk were recovered from Obayemi’s room in the hotel.
The 20-room facility is run as a family business, housing his mother and siblings. Three vehicles were also recovered from the hotel.
He also said that three suspects – Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi, and Emmanuel Madu – were arrested on Saturday during an intelligence-led raid in the Narayi High Cost area of the Chikun local government area, Kaduna State.
During this operation, 742.866 kilograms of skunk and Colorado (a synthetic strain of cannabis) were seized.
In Kano, Lawan Rabiu was apprehended with 36,000 pills of tramadol along the Danbatta-Kazaure road last Wednesday.
He said that while a total of 25,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect, Aliyu Abubakar, at the Gombe roundabout last Friday, Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were arrested the same day with 49 blocks of compressed skunk, weighing 29 kilograms, at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba local government area, Gombe State.
In Borno, NDLEA officers on patrol along Baga Road, Maiduguri, on Saturday intercepted 74,360 pills of opioids in a Mercedes Benz C180 car marked GUB 409 AA and arrested Audu Modu, 44, in connection with the seizure.
In Bayelsa State, a 63-year-old woman, Akuna Nelson, was arrested last Thursday in the Osiri area of Yenagoa in connection with the seizure of 163 liters of “skuchies” (a local concoction).
He added that four suspects – Ikechukwu Abugu, 42; Sunday Ani, 18; Chukwu Christian, 46; and Emmanuel Olisakwe, 55 – were arrested last Thursday by NDLEA operatives along the Okene-Lokoja highway, Kogi State, in connection with the seizure of 2 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The drugs were recovered during a search of their vehicle, which was traveling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Minna, Niger State.
In Abia State, NDLEA officers last Monday raided the base of a notorious drug dealer, Nduka Obi, 39, at 4 Niger Street, Ugwa Road, Aba, where various quantities of tramadol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and a total of N736,000 in cash were recovered.
While a total of 45,000 pills of tramadol were seized from Chisom Okpalaeke, 30, by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Onitsha-Enugu expressway, Enugu State, last Wednesday, officers of the Taraba State command of the agency apprehended Ngwokwoka Thomas, 44, and Mohammed Audu, 44, with 10,000 capsules of tramadol and a gram of cannabis at Dan Anacha, Gassol local government area, the same day.
The spokesman said that the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands also continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men of MMIA, SOU, Lagos, Kaduna, Osun, Bayelsa, Gombe, Borno, Abia, Kogi, Enugu, and Taraba commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.
He also praised their counterparts in all commands across the country for intensifying a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
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