Abia drug kingpin arrested with over 100kg cocaine, cannabis

A notorious major supplier of illicit drugs in Abia State, Chibuike Apolos, was yesterday arrested during an early morning raid of his hideout at Mbausi in Isialangwa North area of the state.

Apolos had been on the wanted list of the Abia State Command of the NDLEA since February following the arrest of one Chima Ukeleonu, the suspect behind the video that went viral in January 2021, showing a young man hawking illicit drugs on the street. As a result, 38-year-old Apolos was put on the wanted list.

Following his arrest in the early hours of Wednesday, the state government has already marked his house that served as his hideout for demolition.

According to the commander, Abia State Command of the NDLEA, Bamidele Akingbade, “The command has been on his trail since February this year. Fortunately, we got a tip-off that he just received some quantities of cannabis from Edo State. Notwithstanding the tense security situation in the southeast, especially Abia State, the command embarked on the operations, which culminated in the arrest of one Chibuike Apolos with 10 bags of cannabis weighing 100kg, 1.6 grammes of cocaine, 1 gramme of heroin and 5 grammes of methamphetamine

“The suspect is one of the major suppliers of illicit drugs in Abia State, especially in the Isialangwa communities. The state governor has been notified and his building has been marked for demolition.”

In a similar development, the Taraba State Command of the agency has arrested 61-year-old Lawan Gambo Umar for trafficking 58.50kg of cannabis sativa.

According to the state Commander of the NDLEA, Suleiman Ajadi, “The suspect was taking the skunkweed concealed inside sacks of beans chaff used to feed animals to Fune in Yobe State when our men intercepted him.”

Reacting to the two developments, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the Abia and Taraba commands of the agency for the seizure and arrests and urged them to sustain the action to rid the country of illicit substances.

“No doubt, the volume that has been seized in these two operations is less the kilogramme meant for our towns and communities. I, therefore, urge our officers and men across all the commands all over the country to continue to smoke out all the elements involved in this criminal trade of their hiding places,” Marwa added.