Qatar-based businessman, others to spend New Year in custody over drug trafficking

*As NDLEA intercepts drug consignment going to bandits in Kebbi, Zamfara, arrests supplier

Barely hours to the new year, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a Qatar-based businessman, Agu Evidence Amobi, and one other, Uchegbu Onyebuchi Obi with consignments of psychoactive substances at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos.

While Amobi was arrested on Saturday 30th December at the departure point of terminal 2 of the MMIA on his way to Doha, Qatar on a Qatar Airways flight, Obi was taken into custody same day following the seizure of a consignment of 72,000 pills of tramadol 225mg, which he attempted shipping to Kano on a local flight.

Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, disclosed this in a statement dated Sunday 31st December 2023 and copied to The DEFENDER.

According to the statement, Amobi, who claimed he had been living and working in Doha, Qatar for over 10 years, was caught with 1.30kg cannabis sativa concealed in a bag of foodstuff.

He claimed that he bought the substance in Enugu to deliver in Doha to enable him raise enough funds to pay his rents in Doha and Nigeria and school fees of his three children.

“In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the domestic wing of the airport intercepted a carton containing a total of 72,000 pills of tramadol 250mg with a gross weight of 38.50kg. This was closely followed with the arrest of Uchegbu Onyebuchi Obi who brought the consignment to the airport for shipment to Kano.

“On Christmas day 25th December in Yobe state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Nguru-Gashua road intercepted the trio of Musa Sani, Mohammed Ibrahim and Adamu Usman in truck conveying 39 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 15.7kg and 128,500 pills of opioids.

“Follow up operations the following day 26th December led to the arrest of the actual owner of the cannabis consignment, Ali Ibrahim (a.k.a Ramos) in Geidam where additional 208 blocks of the same substance were recovered from his house, bringing the total to 247 blocks weighing 94.74kg, while the owner of the seized opioids, Mustapha Goni (a.k.a Lolo) was equally arrested.

“In Imo state, NDLEA operatives on Christmas eve, Sunday 24th December while on patrol along Owerri – Onitsha expressway intercepted a commercial bus driven by Peter Orji, 42, with 400 bottles of codeine syrup; 7, 590 pills of opioids including tramadol 225mg heading to Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

“While David Michael, 52, was arrested at Unguwa Ukku area of Kano on Sunday 24th December with 49 blocks of cannabis weighing 42.6kg, Umar Abdullahi, 27, was nabbed with 27, 350 pills of opioids at Gadar Tamburawa area of the city same day.

“This is even as 45-year-old Yusuf Yahaya was arrested same Christmas eve along Lagos-Ilorin expressway with 31.00kg of compressed cannabis in a commercial bus coming from Ibadan, Oyo state to Kebbi State. Preliminary investigation revealed that he supplies illicit drugs to bandits in Kebbi and Zamfara axis.

“The Commands across the country balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities. Some of these include: WADA sensitisation lecture organised by Kano state command of NDLEA in collaboration with Kibiya LGA and District Head of Kibiya; WADA sensitisation lecture for students and staff of Ansar-ud-deen Grammar School, Surulere, Lagos as well as WADA advocacy lecture for muslim faithful at Iworo Central Mosque, Ajido Olorunda LCDA, Lagos state, among others,” the statement said.

While commending the efforts of the officers and men of MMIA, Yobe, Kano, Kwara and Imo Commands of the Agency for jobs well done in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on the achievements of 2023 but continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug barons and cartels with an equipoise of intense WADA advocacy campaigns in the new year.

General Marwa wished all officers and men as well as their families, stakeholders and the general public a rewarding and fulfilling new year.