A trans-border drug trafficker, Basiru Ibrahim, and two other drug dealers, Ezema Sunday and Nehemiah Isa, have been held by the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly distributing drugs across the country and to neighbouring country, Benin Republic.
While Ibrahim was arrested with 140kg of skunk and another 140kg of Diazepam in Kebbi State, Sunday, a 27-year-old man, was apprehended by the anti-drug trafficking agency in Suleja, Niger State with 2,800 bottles of diverse cough syrups.
The arrest of the two suspected drug traffickers was confirmed by the NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday.
In the statement made available to The Guild, the law enforcement agency stated Ibrahim, who specialises in trafficking illicit drugs from Benin Republic through Lagos to Sokoto state, was caught at about 8.30pm last Saturday conveying the drugs to Sokoto State.
NDLEA stated that the suspect was arrested while conveying 140 kilograms of skunk and another 140 kilograms of Diazepam in his personal Peugeot 406 saloon car with registration number Lagos KSF 60 BE at Kingakwai checkpoint, Kamba, Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi state.
According to the state Commander of the NDLEA, Peter Odaudu, the claim by the suspect, 38-year-old, of being a senior official of the Sokoto state Command of a law enforcement agency is still being investigated.
During interrogation, the suspect confessed to have trafficked drugs three times in the past from Benin Republic for a notorious dealer known as Queen.
On Sunday, the agency alleged that he was intercepted while smuggling 1,020 bottles of CS cough syrup with codeine, 390 bottles of CSP cough syrup with codeine, and 1,390 bottles of barcadin cough syrup with codeine from Suleja, Niger state to Abuja.
The Commander, NDLEA Niger Command, Haruna Kwetishe, said that the illicit substances meant for drug joints in Abuja were procured from Onitsha, Anambra state, and diverted to Morada market motor park in Suleja to avoid security scrutiny in Abuja.
The statement reads: “A 27-year-old Ezema Sunday who was to take delivery of the consignment was arrested on Tuesday 7th April, 2021 along with another suspect, Nehemiah Isa who was caught with 1.3kg of cannabis and 7gramme of Nitrazepam”.
