NDLEA arrests suspected drug dealer in church

By ABBAS JIMOH

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a major drug dealer at a church in the Ojodu area of Lagos State.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said the drug baron had been declared wanted for attempting to export 69.65kg of cocaine, heroine and cannabis to the United Kingdom.

According to him, NDLEA officers had traced the wanted drug dealer, Stephen Afam Ikeanyionwu, on Sunday 15th August, 2021, to a popular pentecostal church at Mike Ajari street, Ojodu Berger, where they arrested him.

“His arrest followed the interception of a consignment of illicit drugs weighing 69.65kg going to the UK through the Lagos Airport on Thursday, 12th August, 2021.”

“The illegal baggage had been sent to the airport for export through a freight forwarding company, which in turn gave a driver to deliver at the NAHCO export shed.

“Following the arrest of the driver, follow up operations and investigations later revealed the true identity of the actual owner of the consignment, Stephen Afam Ikeanyionwu, who was arrested three days later in a sting operation,” Babafemi said.

Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives arrested an Italy-bound passenger, Abibu Miminu, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airways flight to Italy via Addis-Ababa for ingesting illicit drugs.

While under observation at the agency’s facility between Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th August, 2021, the trafficker excreted 68 wraps of heroin in three excretions, all weighing 800grams.

In the same vein, narcotic officers of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation intercepted at two courier companies in Lagos, 840 grams of Methamphetamine going to Australia and concealed in bolts; 340 grams of Meth hidden in locally made footwears and also going to Australia; 1kg of cocaine coming from Ghana with UK as destination and concealed in four local guitars.

Also seized from one of the courier firms is another 480grams of Meth concealed in footwears and going to Australia.

Meanwhile, a South Africa returnee, Obi Chigozie Samuel, was also last Sunday arrested at the Lagos airport during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines from Addis-Abbaba, for importing 58grams of skunk into Nigeria.

During preliminary interrogation, he admitted ownership and claimed to be a cannabis smoker.

Also in strings of operations in Edo, Ondo, Kaduna, Kano and Kogi states, at least 2,504.8kg of diverse illicit drugs were seized from multiple suspects in the past week.

In Kogi, 60-year-old Mrs. Comfort Uzor was arrested with 62.1kg cannabis on Tuesday 17th August, 2021 in Lokoja, where one Dayyabu Usman was also caught with 8kg of same substance.

While Uzor sourced hers from Bolorunduro in Ondo State and was heading to Abuja, Usman got his from Lagos and was taking it to Kano for sale. (Daily Trust)