NDLEA smashes cocaine syndicate, arrests Osun monarch, corps member for drug trafficking

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, announced its operatives have raided the Lagos base of a high-profile cocaine syndicate allegedly headed by a couple: Agbakoba John Mmadu, and Agbakoba Ijeoma Chinwe as well as their associate, Okoye Ifeoma Maryjane, where large consignments of the class A drug meant for export and local distribution were recovered.

The NDLEA 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.

This was made known in a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday.

Babafemi 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.

He explained that while seven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 7.652 kilograms were recovered from Mmadu at Ago palace way, not less than one hundred and twenty-two (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.

Babafemi also said that the NDLEA operatives in Benue state on Thursday 4th July intercepted a consignment of 350 grams of cocaine at a checkpoint along Enugu road, Otukpo.

Babafemi in the statement explained that the illicit drug was concealed in an MP3 speaker sent as a waybill parcel, adding that a swift follow up operation at Flight motor park in Otukpo led to the arrest of the owner, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony.

“Meanwhile, 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. The suspect was found with a loudspeaker used to conceal 20 compressed blocks, and nine plastic containers of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 5.200kg.

“In Kano, operatives on Wednesday 3rd July arrested a youth corps member, Yusuf Abdulrahman, 25, at Corpers Lodge, Sumaila area of the city, with 1.250kg of Loud, while in Osun state, the head of Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Ba’ale Ige Babatunde, 50, was on Friday 5th July arrested with fresh cannabis plants that weighed 5kg.

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

“In Abuja, the FCT, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 6th July arrested the duo of Sanusi Mamman, 28, and Usaini Ibrahim, 20, in a vehicle along Abaji- Gwagwalada with 1,132 bottles of codeine syrup; 13, 540 pills of tramadol; 50,000 pills of diazepam and 59 pills of rohypnol. The suspects claimed they were bringing the opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state,” Babafemi said.

Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, Osun, Benue, Ondo, Kano, and FCT Commands for the arrests and seizures.

Marwa noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the tempo.