A 38-year-old notorious major supplier of illicit drugs, Chibuike Apolos, and 61-year-old drug trafficker, Lawan Umar, have been held by the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly distributing drugs across the country.
While Apolos was arrested with 10 bags of cannabis weighing 100kg, 1.6 grammes of cocaine, 1 gramme of heroin and 5 grammes of methamphetamine in Abia State, Umar, a 61-year-old man, was apprehended by the anti-drug trafficking agency in Taraba state Command for trafficking 58.50kg of Cannabis Sativa.
The arrest of the two suspected drug dealers was confirmed by the NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday.
In the statement made available to The Guild, the law enforcement agency stated that Apolo, who specialises in supplying illicit drugs in Abia state, was caught during an early morning raid of his hideout at Mbausi in Isialangwa North area of the state.
While explaining how the suspect was arrested, the commander, Nasarawa state command of the NDLEA, Suleiman Ajadi said “Umar was taking the skunk concealed inside sacks of beans chaff used to feed animals Fune in Yobe state when our men intercepted him.”
NDLEA stated that Apolo has been on the wanted list of the state Command of the agency since February “following the arrest of one Chima Ukeleonu, the suspect behind the video that went viral in January 2021, showing a young man hawking illicit drugs on the street. As a result, 38-year-old Apolos was put on a wanted list.”
According to the commander, Imo state command of the NDLEA, Bamidele Akingbade, explained,
“The Command has been on his trail since February this year. Fortunately, we got a tip-off that he just received some quantities of cannabis from Edo state.
“Notwithstanding the tense security situation in the southeast especially the Abia state, the Command still embarked on the operations which culminated in the arrest of one Chibuike Apolos with ten (10) bags of cannabis weighing 100kg, 1.6 grammes of cocaine, 1 gramme of heroin and 5 grammes of methamphetamine.”
The agency noted that after Apollo arrest in the early hours of Wednesday, the Abia state government has already marked his house that serves as his hideout for demolition.
While commending the Abia and Taraba state Commands of the agency for the seizures and arrests of the drug supplier and trafficker, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. General, Buba Marwa (Retd) charged the officers and men involved in the operations and across other commands to sustain the current tempo of offensive action to rid the country of illicit substances in the country.
“No doubt, the volume that has been seized in these two operations is less the kilogramme meant for our towns and communities. I, therefore, urge our officers and men across all the Commands all over the country to continue to smoke all the elements involved in this criminal trade out of their hiding places”, he added.
