NDLEA Destroys Hectares of Cannabis Farmland, Arrest Fleeing Auto Spare Parts Dealer
An automobile spare parts dealer, Levi Ubodoeze, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) barely three weeks after a manhunt was launched for him over a recent attempt to export two kilograms of cocaine concealed in vehicle propellers to Angola.
A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi on Sunday read: Following the seizure of the cocaine consignment at a logistics company in Aspanda, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos on 21st February 2025, swift contacts were made with Angolan authorities who in turn arrested the supposed recipient of the illicit drug in Angola, after which the identity of the sender was unraveled.
He said this resulted in NDLEA operatives tracking Ubodoeze to his house in Ago palace way area of Isolo, Lagos where he was caught in a KIA Sport Utility Vehicle trying to escape last Thursday.
According to Babafemi, a search of the vehicle led to the recovery of a large quantity of phenacetin, a cutting agent for cocaine weighing 75.5 kilogrammes, packaged and branded as semolina. In contrast, a digital scale used in weighing illicit drugs was recovered from his house.
The NDLEA spokesman said in his statement that Ubodoeze admitted to dealing in cocaine while selling motor spare parts at Ladipo market, Mushin area of Lagos. He stated that the supposed recipient of the illicit consignment in Angola alerted him the moment he was arrested in Angola, hence his bid to evacuate his house and flee from the area shortly before NDLEA officers swooped on him.
In another clampdown, NDLEA operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted a cargo of cannabis candies imported from the United Kingdom and meant for sale at a Kiddies Mart located at 46 Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos.
According to Babafemi, the consignment was seized on 27th February upon its arrival as a consolidated cargo on Allied Airways. He said preliminary field tests and subsequent forensic analysis of the candies established that the substance was laced with a strong strain of cannabis, and as a result, the recipient of the shipment, Adedamola Taylor, was arrested last Tuesday after the initial arrest of a freight agent.
Babafemi said in his statement that Adedamola claimed the consignment was sent to him by his UK-based brother Babatunde Alabi to deliver to Musurat Lawal, who operates the Kiddies shop owned by Alabi in the Surulere area of Lagos. A follow-up operation at the shop led to Musurat’s arrest.
Two suspects, China Michael and Igbo Ekene, were arrested last Friday when NDLEA operatives intercepted their commercial truck at the Shibiri area of Ojo, Lagos. A search of the vehicle revealed 248 compressed blocks of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 128 kilogrammes, concealed in the underbelly of the truck.
In another interdiction operation in Lagos, three suspects, Osinachi Nwachukwu, Tochukwu Okafor and John Mbakwe, were arrested last Friday at Mosalasi junction, Mushin, with 301,600 pills of tramadol and other opioids.
In Kano, 65-year-old Yahaya Haruna was nabbed with 19.2 kilogrammes of skunk along Gadar Tamburawa road last Thursday. At the same time, 60-year-old Musa Bello (a.k.a Jajere) was arrested with 212 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Medile, Kumbotso local council area.
No fewer than 442,594 pills of tramadol and other opioids as well as 1,274 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered by NDLEA operatives who raided the house and warehouse of a 37-year-old suspect, Blessing Okoronkwo at 19 Ubani Street, Aba, Abia state last Tuesday.
In Benue state, 50,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from two suspects, Nwaeze Onyeabor, 47, and Tombo Thomas, 23, last Wednesday when NDLEA operatives intercepted their vehicle at Ugbema junction, Katsina Ala area of the state.
In Osun state, a suspect, Asimiyu Muibi, 50, was arrested last Tuesday with 162 kilogrammes of skunk at Modakeke, Ife East local government area, while 95 kilogrammes of the same substance was recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KSF 72 GW during a raid in Ede the same day.
A suspect, Etim Stephen, 55, was arrested when NDLEA officers raided the Amahor community forest in the Igueben area of Edo State last Wednesday. There, 9,514.625 kilogrammes of skunk were destroyed on 3.805846 hectares of cannabis farmland.
Babafemi said that with the same vigour, commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week.
Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of the agency’s MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Abia, Benue, Osun, and Edo Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, are well appreciated.
