NDLEA arrests female lawyer, mum, boyfriend, others over illicit drugs offences

Intercepts large consignment of Loud concealed in loudspeakers at Lagos airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a female lawyer, Adaobi Nweke, 36; her boyfriend, Emeka Nkemefola, 36; her mother, Ngozi Nweke, 65; and Dike Okpara, 43, who is a herbalist for the family during a joint raid in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

The raid was carried out in conjunction with men of the State Homeland Security, at 23 Arochukwu Street, Umuahia, at about 11:00 p.m., on Wednesday, February 14.

It also led to the arrest of Chukwudi Abel, 33, a member of the family; Amarachi Paul, 18, another member of the family, and their 22-year-old salesgirl, Blessing Jonathan.

Spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, said investigations revealed that members of the family had long been in the illicit drug business, passed on to them by their late father, Jonathan Nweke.

He said some illicit drugs recovered from them at the time of their arrest include: various quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Loud, cannabis sativa and precursor chemicals with a total weight of 1.670kg as well as N578,400 monetary exhibit.

Also, an attempt by a 25-year-old Uber driver, Joshua Henry, to deliver a consignment of 26.2grammes of Loud he picked in Abuja to a customer in Keffi, Nasarawa State, on Monday, February 12, was thwarted by NDLEA operatives who intercepted him.

In the same vein, 54-year-old Dada Adedara was on Wednesday, February 14, arrested at the Dan Bare area of Kano State with 468 blocks of cannabis weighing 246.4kg.

Same day, operatives in Ogun State arrested the duo of Kafayat Junaid and Sakirat Osoanu with 13kg cannabis sativa. Also, NDLEA operatives intercepted a large consignment of Loud, a synthetic strong strain of cannabis, concealed in giant loudspeakers tucked in a consolidated cargo imported from New York, United States of America.

When the giant wooden boxes dressed as sound speakers, seized by NDLEA officers at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) import shed of the Lagos airport, were opened, they were found stuffed with 60 bags of the expensive but highly sought-after psychoactive substance, weighing 33.5kg.

At least, three suspects: a freight agent, Akeem Afeez; logistics company manager, Babalola Ayodeji Gboyega; and the receiver of the consignment, Taiwo Olusegun Anuoluwapo, were arrested in follow-up operations between Thursday and Friday, February 15 and 16, 2024.

Afeez was arrested at the airport, Gboyega was nabbed at his office at Allen Avenue, Ikeja. Taiwo was traced to his residence at 13 Ayo Babatunde Crescent, Lekki, Phase1, Lagos, where he was picked on Friday.

In Kogi State, a suspect, Charles Chike, 45, was arrested by NDLEA operatives at a hotel in Lokoja on Friday, February 16, with 290 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 116kg.

The exhibit was concealed in the boot of a blue Honda Accord car, marked Abuja ABC 853 SL, which took off from Ekiti State enroute Abuja. Also, operatives in Edo State, acting on intelligence on Wednesday, February 14, intercepted a consignment of methamphetamine coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Lagos, in a Toyota Sienna bus, marked Anambra NZM 347 ZL.

The consignment weighing 0.966kg was concealed inside a cassava-made local food item (African salad) popularly called ‘Abacha’. The driver of the vehicle, Afamefuna Ibeawuchi Kingsley, 42, was arrested in connection with the seizure. On the same day, a team of NDLEA officers also intercepted a Peugeot 406 space wagon car driven by Akhere Fardam, 47, along Uromi road, in Esan North East Local Council. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 865 bottles of codeine; 2,600 pills of tramadol, and 600 tabs of swinol and rohypnol.

In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives conducted operations in the Kubwa area during which they arrested Tawa Wasiu, 47, and Iliya Ibrahim, 18, with 10.5kg cannabis, 13.5gm of diazepam and 2.9gm of tramadol tablets.

Another suspect, Yaro Bala, 27, was arrested on Thursday, February 15, with 50.5kg cannabis during a stop and search operation along Abaji/Abuja highway, on his way from Auchi, Edo State, to Paiko, Niger State.