Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, first Africa-owned, US-based newspaper published on the Internet.
Nigerian drug kingpin behind Ghana-bound Cocaine, hard drugs trafficking arrested.
A suspected narcotics and hard drugs baron has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, according to the statement it issued today March 23, 2022. The law enforcement agency said its operatives apprehended the 50-year-old suspect, Oyewunmi Ademola Ahmed, while the Nigerian man was attempting to smuggle 11.93 kilograms of cocaine to Accra, Ghana through the Seme land border, Lagos.
The NDLEA stated that the Ahmed was arrested on Tuesday March 15, 2022, at Mile 2 area of Lagos after a series of follow-up operations including the arrest of a car driver, Osagie Anthony with the 11.913kg cocaine at Gbaji, Seme-Badagry expressway on January 23. NDLEA operatives have seized more than 1.9 million tablets of tramadol and codeine (imported into the country from Pakistan and United Kingdom through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos).
Of the total seizures, 40 cartons of Co-Codamol, a brand of paracetamol with codeine, which is classified as Opioid, were seized from a freight agent, Eraikhueme Ehis. The seizure made on Thursday March 10 translates to 349, 800 tablets weighing 336kg. The consignment came from London, UK as a consolidated cargo through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Import shed at the airport.
The consolidated cargo was declared as personal effects but was discovered to contain some medicaments. About 1, 584,000 tablets of tramadol were recovered on March 15, by NDLEA operatives in collaboration with Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Customs service personnel at the MMIA.
The seizure includes 17 cartons of 250mg Tramadol branded as “Tamra” weighing 669.70kg and five cartons of 225mg Tramadol under the brand name “Royal” with a gross weight of 217.15kg. The psychotropic substances were imported into Nigeria from Pakistan and smuggled through the tarmac of the airport using one of the vehicles of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) and was intercepted at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Personnel Yard.
Two suspects, Ofijeh John Mova (SAHCO driver) and Nyam Gazu Alex (security guard) with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) have been detained in connection with the scheme.
On March 14, a total of 2,160 tablets of Co-codamol weighing 1.95kg and 240 tablets of Tramadol were also intercepted in a consolidated cargo from the UK at the SAHCO import shed of the airport. Additional operations led to the arrest of the importer of the consignment, Omonijo Temidayo, the next day.
Also, NDLEA operations the same day led to the arrest of Hajiya Mariam Saliu in Edo state of Nigeria. Investigations “uncovered her as the brain behind an effort to export 1.55kg cannabis to Dubai through the Lagos airport on March 5, 2022.”
In Kwara State, a drug dealer, Hope John, 30, was arrested on Saturday March 19, at the Goodness area of Offa with quantities of cannabis, methamphetamine, designer drug and cocaine.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, has commended the officers and operatives of the NDLEA “for their commitment, dedication to duty and maintaining cordial working relationship with other stakeholders in their areas of responsibility.”
The NDLEA statement was issued by its Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
