BREAKING: Osun Monarch, Corps Member, Others Arrested For Drug Trafficking (See Photos)

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested the head of Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Ba’ale Ige Babatunde, 50, with fresh cannabis plants that weighed 5kg.

Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Sunday, July 7.

He said two suspects: Monday Ali, 49, and Jimoh Alewi, 37, were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided Ikota forest in Ifedore LGA, Ondo state where a total of 42,500kg cannabis was destroyed on 17 hectares of farmland.

Babafemi added that 73.5kg of same substance was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects during a five-day operation that ended on Monday 1st July.

Babafemi said the raid carried out by a special operations unit of the Agency followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance on the syndicate notorious for packaging, distributing and trafficking of cocaine within and outside Nigeria.

He said the 54-year-old Agbakoba John Mmadu was arrested at Ago palace way, Okota while his wife, Agbakoba Ijeoma Chinwe, 39, and associate, Okoye Ifeoma Maryjane, 31, who doubles as their stash keeper, were nabbed at Plot 2205 Eugene Ndubisi close, Lilly Estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, all on Wednesday 3rd July 2024.

Babafemi said while seven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 7.652 kilograms were recovered from Mmadu at Ago palace way, not less than 122 compressed pellets of the same drug weighing 2.42kg were seized from the duo of Ijeoma and Ifeoma at Lilly Estate, bringing the total seizure to 10.1 kilograms valued at over N2.1 billion in street value.

He also said NDLEA operatives in Benue state on Thursday 4th July intercepted a consignment of 350 grams of cocaine at a check point along Enugu road, Otukpo.

The spokesman said the illicit drug was concealed in an MP3 speaker sent as a waybill parcel.

A swift follow up operation at Flight motor park in Otukpo led to the arrest of the owner, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony, he said.

He added that NDLEA officers on a stop and search operation along Ngurore – Yola road in Adamawa state on Wednesday 3rd July arrested a Chadian, Yves Ahmat Gali in a commercial bus coming from Kano to Yola.

According to the statement, the suspect was found with a loud speaker used to conceal 20 compressed blocks, and nine plastic containers of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 5.200kg.

Babafemi said in Kano, operatives on Wednesday 3rd July arrested a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Yusuf Abdulrahman, 25, at Corpers Lodge, Sumaila area of the city, with 1.250kg of Loud.

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