NDLEA bursts snake-guarded shrine storing illicit drugs in Edo
A snake guarded shrine used to store illicit drugs in Igor community, Benin city, Edo state, has been raided by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
The operatives detected a specially constructed large hole storage in a wall covered with wallpapers and fetish objects which contained different quantities of illicit substances such as methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743 kilograms.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that two suspects, Sonia Chinonso Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani were arrested during the intelligence-led operation on June 18 after the big black snake guarding the shrine was demobilized.
In the same vein, two suspects, Obi Ferguson, 45, and Ernest Abanum, 46, were arrested on June 22, when NDLEA operatives raided the Usen forest in Ovia South West LGA of Edo state, where 209 kg cannabis and a motorcycle were recovered.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives have intercepted a carefully packaged consignment of 8.2 kilograms of methamphetamine at a motor park in Mazamaza, Ojo area of the state.
The highly addictive illicit substance, also called ice or crystal meth was packed in imported Dunkin’ turtle love chocolate wraps concealed in the casing of three loud speakers.
A 39-year-old suspect, Michael Odiomume who was sending the consignment to Owerri, Imo state was promptly arrested on Wednesday 19th June at the park.
In Abuja, operatives on June 18 intercepted a white Nissan Frontier pick up vehicle with amber lights and fake registration number of a security agency at Kiyi village in Kuje area of the FCT loaded with 454 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing 340.8kg.
The cannabis was procured at Uzeba, Edo state, and a 76-year-old grandfather, Francis Omofa, linked to the consignment was arrested. He allegedly claimed to have been in the illicit drug business for 10 years.
While commending the officers and men of Edo, Lagos and FCT Commands, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) charged them to maintain the ongoing offensive against drug cartels in the country.
