Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted three major interstate drug cartels supplying illicit substances to some states in the North.
The agency says it has recovered skunk and cocaine weighing over 843 kilograms and arrested at least seven of the drug kingpins behind the syndicates in separate raids carried out in Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue states.
In a bid to evade the frequent road interdiction efforts by officers of the Kogi state command of the NDLEA, a cartel led by one Augustine Emmanuel, 45, opted to move its consignments through the waterways between Edo and Kogi states, Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director, Media & Advocacy, said in a statement on Tuesday.
“They were, however, intercepted on Monday 12th July, 2021 at a Jetty in Idah, Kogi State, where a Toyota Avalon car with registration number: Lagos SMK 345 CG, loaded with 487kg of cannabis and ferried across the waterways from Agenebode, Edo State, to the Jetty in Idah, was seized and the syndicate leader arrested,” he said.
In Nasarawa state, a team of NDLEA operatives on Thursday 8th July also raided one of the most hostile drug joints in the state capital, where about 356kilograms of cannabis and various psychotropic substances were recovered.
Four major drug dealers, including the most notorious drug kingpin Nasarawa State, Muhammed Umar (aka Boogie), was arrested.
“His drug distribution tentacles cut across Kano, Plateau, Benue and parts of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
“Curiously, some quantities of cocaine were intercepted in Benue on 8th, 9th and 13th July. The first dealer, John Aondosoo was arrested in Makurdi on Thursday with 28.6grams of crack cocaine and after initial interrogation, it was discovered that his supplier, Henry Ezeomah, would bring more supplies in the early hours of Friday from Obosi, Anambra.
“Indeed, the supplier was arrested last Friday with 29.17grams of crack cocaine.
“In another raid on Tuesday, 13th July, the Benue command also seized some quantities of cocaine,” Babafemi said.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has commended the commanders, officers and men of the Kogi, Nasarawa and Benue commands of the agency for taking the war against illicit drugs in Nigeria to the doorsteps of the cartels.
He charged them not to relent but to remain resolute in their commitment to rid every community of the drug scourge.
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