Agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested a 20-year-old stylist named Josephine Odunu and a 30-year-old delivery person named Edesemi Ikporo for selling and distributing illegal drug-laced chin-chin to students at school and at social events in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
This information was shared by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, providing details about the weekly apprehensions of suspects and drugs confiscated by the anti-narcotics agency.
Babafemi mentioned, "NDLEA officers patrolling the Opolo area of Yenagoa intercepted the delivery person, Edesemi, on Sunday, March 10, 2024, and found 200 grams of chin-chin made with Cannabis Sativa, which he was going to deliver to a buyer."
"A quick subsequent operation led to the arrest of the hairdresser, Josephine, who distributes the drugged chin-chin from the salon where she works in the Kpansia area of Yenagoa."
"A search of the salon also led to the discovery of 3.00kg, bringing the total weight of the illegal substance seized from the two to 3.2kg."
"Investigations reveal that they often distribute the chin-chin laced with cannabis and tramadol to students and at birthday parties. While Edesemi handles the delivery to buyers, Josephine is a major distributor to a wanted suspect who produces the drugged chin-chin."
The statement also mentioned that NDLEA agents in Adamawa State arrested two wanted suspects – Ajim Samuel (also known as Boss), 30, and Davidson Joshua (also known as Dantala), 36, while they were returning from Onitsha, Anambra State where they had gone to buy a shipment of tramadol containing 14, 428 pills of the opioid which they hid in the body compartments of their black Honda Civic car with license plate YLA 623 SL.
"They were apprehended along the Numan-Jalingo road. Also recovered from them were 21 grams of cannabis and a total of N19,280 in cash."
The anti-narcotics agency spokesperson added that in Osun State, "a 49-year-old commercial bus driver, Ogunleye Adegoke, was arrested along Gbongan-Ibadan road after NDLEA agents found 2,000 capsules of tramadol, 60 tablets of Rohypnol, and 10 bottles of codeine syrup hidden in the spare tire compartment of his vehicle."
"In addition, a total of 343,000 pills of opioids were seized by NDLEA officers from a suspect, Lawan Abubakar, 33, in Azare town, Katagum, Bauchi State on Friday, March 15, as the Nigerian Army handed over a suspect, Muhammadu Rabi’u, 37, with 64,000 pills of tramadol recovered from him to the Bauchi State command of the NDLEA on the same day."
Babafemi also stated that "24kg of cannabis was seized from the driver of a transport company, Ikechukwu Obialo, at Sagamu Interchange, Ogun state by NDLEA agents on Wednesday, March 13, while in Kano, two suspects – Ali Amadu, 27, and Adamu Hassan, 33, were caught with a total of 125.3kg cannabis; 3,400 pills of tramadol; and 30 bottles of codeine syrup."
"They were arrested on Monday, March 11, at Gadar Tamburawa area, and on Friday, March 15, at Tsamiya Babba, Hotoro, respectively."
“While 118 kilograms of cannabis were found in a warehouse in Masaka area of Nasarawa state on Saturday, March 16, NDLEA operatives in Edo state on Thursday, March 14, arrested a suspect, Kole Samuel, 50, with 75kg of the same psychoactive substance at market area, Otuo, Owan East LGA. Same day, operatives raided the Oloma-Okpe forest in Akoko Edo LGA, where they destroyed 3,944.2075 kilograms of cannabis on 1.577683 hectares of farmland,” the statement read.
