The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 60-year-old drug kingpin, Okpara Paul Chigozie, after seven years of evading arrests.
Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, broke the news in a statement yesterday. He said Chigozie was arrested while attempting to ferry large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the Southeast and other parts of the country.
Babafemi said the suspect, who had been on the wanted list of NDLEA since 2019, was eventually nabbed at his hideout at 72 Michael Ojo Street, Isheri, Ojo, Lagos State on July 13, following the interception of some of his consignments at 5:45am same day at Ilasamaja.
Babafemi also said in the operation, a team of NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence arrested one of Okpara’s couriers, 51-year-old Achebe Kenneth Nnamdi while heading to Onitsha, Anambra State in a white Toyota Sienna.
The spokesman said the agency’s sniffer dogs were brought in to search the vehicle after which 7.6 kilograms of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine were found hidden in body compartments of the bus.
He said a follow-up at Okpara’s hideout led to the recovery of additional 1.8kg cocaine and 1.3kg methamphetamine from his residence.
Babafemi said at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, the operatives in a joint operation with Aviation Security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on July 16 recovered 7,790 pills of tramadol and rohypnol from the luggage of an Italy-bound passenger, Omoregie Nice Uyiosa.
He said the suspect who was going to Italy via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight claimed he purchased the drugs, hoping to sell them in Italy at higher prices.
Babafemi said in another arrest at the Lagos airport, the agency’s operatives at the export shed on July 17 intercepted 17 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 1.70kg concealed in packs of popular cereal, Golden Morn, going to Pakistan as part of a consolidated cargo.
He said a suspect, Chioba Robert Uchenna, who presented the consignment for shipment, was arrested.
The statement reads: “In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 19th July raided Sarah Sam Hotels at 115 Ogudu Road in Kosofe where different party drugs are being distributed and sold. The raid followed credible intelligence and surveillance which confirmed a suspect Obayemi Oyetade as the arrowhead of the drug network. At the time of the operation, 1.30kg Chocolate Cannabis, 900grams of gummies and 22.9grams of skunk were recovered from Obayemis room in the hotel, which is a 20-room facility run as a family business, housing his mother and siblings. Other items recovered from the hotel include three vehicles.
“Three suspects: Onyeka Madu, Monday Nwadishi and Emmanuel Madu were on Saturday 19th July, arrested during an intelligence-led raid at Narayi High Cost area of Chikun LGA, Kaduna State, where 742.866 kilograms of skunk, and Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis were seized from them. In Kano, Lawan Rabiu was nabbed with 36,000 pills of tramadol along Danbatta-Kazaure road, on Wednesday 16th July.
“While a total of 25,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect Aliyu Abubakar, at Gombe roundabout on Friday 18th July, the duo of Mohammed Adamu and Furaira Idris were arrested same day with 49 blocks of compressed skunk that weighed 29kg at Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba Local Government Area, Gombe State.’’
