According to reports from DAILY POST, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully dismantled a high-profile cocaine syndicate in Lagos, leading to the arrest of several individuals, including an Osun monarch and a serving corps member.
According to Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, the agency's special operations unit carried out the raid following months of intelligence gathering and surveillance on the syndicate, which was notorious for packaging, distributing, and trafficking cocaine within and outside Nigeria.
The raid resulted in the arrest of 54-year-old Agbakoba John Mmadu at Ago Palace Way, Okota, while his wife, Agbakoba Ijeoma Chinwe, 39, and their associate, Okoye Ifeoma Maryjane, 31, were apprehended at Plot 2205 Eugene Ndubisi Close, Lilly Estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.
The arrests took place on Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024.
Babafemi stated that the operatives seized a total of 10.1 kilograms of cocaine, valued at over N2.1 billion in street value.
Seven parcels of cocaine weighing 7.652 kilograms were recovered from Mmadu, while 122 compressed pellets of the same drug, weighing 2.42 kilograms, were seized from Ijeoma and Ifeoma.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers in Benue state intercepted a consignment of 350 grams of cocaine concealed in an MP3 speaker, which was being transported as a waybill parcel.
The owner of the consignment, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony, was arrested at the Otukpo Flight Motor Park.
In Adamawa state, a Chadian national, Yves Ahmat Gali, was apprehended with 5.2 kilograms of a strong strain of cannabis, hidden in a loudspeaker.
In Kano, a youth corps member, Yusuf Abdulrahman, was arrested with 1.250 kilograms of the same drug.
Additionally, the head of Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Osun state, Ba'ale Ige Babatunde, 50, was arrested with 5 kilograms of fresh cannabis plants.
In Ondo state, two suspects, Monday Ali, 49, and Jimoh Alewi, 37, were arrested, and 42,500 kilograms of cannabis were destroyed on a 17-hectare farmland.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, NDLEA operatives arrested Sanusi Mamman, 28, and Usaini Ibrahim, 20, in a vehicle along the Abaji-Gwagwalada road, seizing 1,132 bottles of codeine syrup, 13,540 pills of tramadol, 50,000 pills of diazepam, and 59 pills of rohypnol.