76-Year-Old Grandfather Caught With 340kg Drugs In Abuja; 2 Arrested In Edo

76-Year-Old Grandfather Caught With 340kg Drugs In Abuja; 2 Arrested In Edo

NDLEA operatives conducted a successful raid on a shrine in Igor community, Benin city, Edo state, following credible intelligence. The shrine, guarded by a large snake, was found to be a hiding place for illicit drugs. During the operation, a concealed storage area within a wall, covered with wallpapers and fetish objects, was discovered. Femi Babafemi, spokesperson for the agency, reported the seizure of various illicit substances including methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado, and Arizona strains of cannabis, totaling 8.743 kilograms.

The raid also led to the arrest of two women, Sonia Chinonso Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani, after neutralizing the snake guarding the shrine. Additionally, NDLEA operatives apprehended two suspects, Obi Ferguson (45) and Ernest Abanum (46), in a separate operation in Usen forest, Edo state. The raid yielded 209 kilograms of cannabis and a motorcycle.

In another interception in Lagos, NDLEA intercepted 8.2 kilograms of methamphetamine disguised within imported chocolate wraps and concealed in three loudspeakers. Michael Odiomume, aged 39, was apprehended while attempting to transport the drugs to Owerri, Imo state.

Furthermore, in Abuja, NDLEA intercepted a vehicle loaded with 454 blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing 340.8 kilograms, at Kiyi village. The vehicle bore fake registration numbers and amber lights purportedly from a security agency. A 76-year-old man, Francis Omofa, linked to the drug shipment, was arrested.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the operatives across Edo, Lagos, and FCT Commands for their effective efforts in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction. He urged them to sustain the momentum in combating drug cartels and intensifying the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through social advocacy and enforcement actions.