An Eighty years old grandpa, Jeremiah (surname withheld), has again been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for returning to the illegal trade.
Jeremiah was first arrested by NDLEA, on December 14, 2022, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail by a Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Jeremiah reportedly returned to the illicit drug trade and following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives, on Saturday, tracked him to his Mmanta – Abak village, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, where he was arrested with 5.7 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis in his residence.
A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, said in another interdiction operation in the state, operatives on patrol along Oron-Ibaka road in Oron LGA, on Friday, intercepted a 37-year-old businessman, Romans (surname withheld), while travelling with full body mannequins for his clothing business in Cameroun.
A search of the mannequins revealed that they were stuffed with pills of tramadol weighing 5.3 kilogrammes.
The suspect claimed he resides in the neighbouring country, and was reportedly returning to his base after the Christmas and New Year holidays, when he was apprehended.
It was revealed that he bought the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra State and was trafficking them to Cameroun, using two mannequins to conceal the opioids.
In Oyo State, raids across different locations led to the seizure of dangerous illicit drugs and arrest of notorious dealers, including 45-year-old Remi (alias ‘Aluko the Mafia’) at Sasa, Ibadan, where a total of 10.696 kilograms of Colorado, Scottish Loud, Ghana Loud, Canadian Loud and skunk, all strains of cannabis were recovered.
At the time of his arrest on Thursday, two vehicles, Toyota Venza and Toyota Yaris were recovered from him.
At Adegbayi area of Ibadan, NDLEA officers, on Friday, arrested Adeola (surname withheld) with various quantities of Colorado, Ghana Loud and skunk, while Habeeb (surname withheld), was nabbed at Ring Road, Ibadan with 1.264kg Colorado, Scottish Loud and skunk.
The statement said, not less than N1,307,100 cash exhibit was also recovered from him at the point of his arrest on Saturday.
A dispatch rider, Edigin (surname withheld) and two other suspects were, on Friday, arrested at Ihama/Airport road, GRA, Benin City, Edo State in connection with the seizure of 118grams of Canadian Loud and a wrap of Colorado.
While Jimoh (surname withheld), was arrested at Irrua with 17.552kg Colorado, Loud and skunk, another suspect, Evelyn (surname withheld), was nabbed at Ubiaja with 930 grams of skunk on January 7.
In Niger, no fewer than 4,000 pills of tramadol 225mg were recovered from a suspect at Dakwa town, Tafa Local Government Area, while another suspect was nabbed with 100 blocks of skunk weighing 47kg Lankaviri, Yorro LGA Taraba State on January 7.
According to the NDLEA spokesman, not less than 30,950 capsules of tramadol were recovered from the home of a suspect, Ugwoke (surname withheld) in Bachure area of Yola South LGA, Adamawa State following his arrest at the Lamido Aliyu Mustapha International Airport, Yola on January 6.