. Arrests siblings in Aba, uncovers skuchies factory in Ogun
Officers of the Special Operation Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted a cartel controlled by a 49-year-old drug baron, Kelechi Monday Nwaobasi and his 50-year-old elder sister, Ms Chinwe Rose Nwaobasi.
This followed the arrest of the siblings and seizure of cocaine and methamphetamine consignments worth over N4.1 billion in street value from their hideout in Aba, Abia State.
Spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, confirmed that the special operation was conducted on Thursday and Friday, June 13 and 14, at 3B, Boundary Avenue, Aba, and at a residence along Ohia road, Ohia, Abia State, following months of intelligence gathering.
According to him, the operation led to the arrest of the ring leaders and the combined seizure of 20.76kg of cocaine and methamphetamine.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Lagos State uncovered an expansive warehouse stocked with a large consignment of codeine-based syrup, located at the 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.
Those arrested are: Kingsley Amanambu Obumneke, 38; Emeka Emmanuel, 48; Bornaventure Ugochukwu, 59; and Martin Dike, 56.
A total of 82,000 bottles of the opioid worth more than N600 million in street value, Toyota Tacoma 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 after, Wednesday, June 12, operatives intercepted another suspect, Ibrahim Abdulhamid, with 29,100 pills of tramadol and other opioids as well as 3.9 litres of codeine syrup at Alaba Suru, in Ojo local council of the state.
Also, 230,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg were recovered from the duo of Yasir Rabi’u, 23, and Abubakar Ado, 30, who are major distributors of illicit drugs in Kano and Jigawa states.
The arrest happened on Monday, June 10, at the Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano.
In the same vein, another suspect, Hassan Abdullahi Ali, 25, was nabbed with 150 bottles of codeine syrup at the Kofar Nasarawa area of Kano on Tuesday, June 11.
In Ogun State, NDLEA operatives on Monday, June 10, seized 390kg of cannabis and arrested the trio of Muhammad Sani, Nura Mohammad and Samaila Rabe during an early morning raid at the Ibese area of the state.
Officers, on Wednesday, June 12, busted a scrunchies-making factory at the Sabo area of Sagamu town where seven suspects were arrested.
They are Kareem Jamiu; Oriyimi Ayo; Bamidele Wasiu; Rasheed Olarewanju; Ramota Lawal; Amudalat Olarewanju; and Adeniyi Omotosho.
Exhibits recovered from them include: 387 litres of skuchies; 70 litres of industrial codeine; 25kg of cannabis and different quantities of tramadol, rophynol, and diazepam, as well as various equipment used in production of the psychoactive substance.
