In an effort to combat drug trafficking and illicit drug activities in Nigeria, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have made significant arrests in several operations conducted across various states. On Friday, 5th July 2024, the NDLEA apprehended Ba’ale Ige Babatunde, the head of Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, with approximately 5kg of fresh cannabis plants. Additionally, operatives conducted a raid in Lagos, targeting a prominent cocaine syndicate led by Agbakoba John Mmadu and Agbakoba Ijeoma Chinwe, along with their associate, Okoye Ifeoma Maryjane.

According to Femi Babafemi, the spokesperson for the Agency, the raids were the result of months of meticulous intelligence gathering and surveillance on the syndicates known for their involvement in the packaging, distribution, and trafficking of cocaine both domestically and internationally.

During the operation in Lagos, Agbakoba John Mmadu, aged 54, was apprehended at Ago Palace Way, Okota, with seven parcels of cocaine weighing a total of 7.652 kilograms. His wife, Agbakoba Ijeoma Chinwe, 39, and their associate, Okoye Ifeoma Maryjane, 31, were arrested at Plot 2205 Eugene Ndubisi Close, Lilly Estate, Amuwo Odofin area, where law enforcement seized 122 compressed pellets of cocaine weighing 2.42kg. The total seizure amounted to 10.1 kilograms of cocaine valued at over N2.1 billion.

In Benue state, operatives intercepted a consignment of 350 grams of cocaine disguised within an MP3 speaker sent as a waybill parcel. The owner, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony, was apprehended at Flight Motor Park in Otukpo. Additionally, in Adamawa state, NDLEA officers arrested a Chadian, Yves Ahmat Gali, with cannabis concealed in a loudspeaker during a stop and search operation along Ngurore – Yola road.

Further arrests were made in Kano, where a youth corps member, Yusuf Abdulrahman, was caught with Loud weighing 1.250kg. In Ondo state, suspects Monday Ali, 49, and Jimoh Alewi, 37, were apprehended in Ikota forest, where a significant amount of cannabis was destroyed, and another substance was recovered for prosecution.

In Abuja, the FCT, NDLEA operatives arrested Sanusi Mamman, 28, and Usaini Ibrahim, 20, in a vehicle along the Abaji-Gwagwalada route on Saturday, 6th July 2024.