The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 40 year old Yussuf Abayomi Azeez, a wanted drug trafficker, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday morning while he was preparing to board a flight en route to Saudi Arabia for Umrah pilgrimage.
Acting on months of investigations into the suspect’s alleged drug-trafficking network, NDLEA operatives intercepted Azeez at about 6:30 a.m. at MMIA as he attempted departure for Umrah.
Azeez had reportedly been arrested and charged with drug offences in the United Kingdom but fled after jumping bail and returned to Nigeria, where he settled in Lagos.
In a statement issued by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, Azeez was immediately transported to his property at 17 Vincent Eku street, Ogombo, Lekki, where a clandestine laboratory had been under surveillance.
“At the time of his arrest, Yussuf was found in company of another suspect, 43 year old Abideen Kekere-Ekun.
“Inside the massive building, operatives from the agency’s directorate of forensic and chemical monitoring were able to dismantle all installed laboratory equipment, precursor chemicals and already produced illicit substances including Colorado, all weighing 148.3 kilograms,” the statement read.
On Friday, November 7, at the Sifax bonded terminal in Okota, Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working in partnership with the Nigeria customs service and other security agencies uncovered 105.5 kg of Molly (a designer drug) and 0.5 kg of methamphetamine during a joint inspection of a shipment.
In Niger state, a 35 year old man, Ibrahim Mohammed, was arrested November 6 while conveying 87,000 tramadol pills and 72 kg of skunk cannabis in a truck along Kainji-Wawa road.
Ibrahim Mohammed
On Monday, November 3, 25 year old Aliyu Samaila was detained when 34,520 tramadol capsules were discovered hidden in a Toyota Corolla headed from Onitsha to Cameroon.
Aliyu Samaila
In Taraba state, 28 year old Felix Tanko Chinedu was arrested on November 6 with 15,020 tramadol pills.
Felix Tanko Chinedu
In Kogi state on November 5, agents intercepted 7.6 kg of Loud cannabis along the Okene/Lokoja highway and a follow-up operation led to the arrest of the owner, 40 year old Chukwunonso Anieze, and 175,000 opioid pills were also seized the same day.
Chukwunonso Anieze
Three suspects identified as Olayide Oyidiran (39), Abdulsalam Abdulsalam (28) and Opeyemi Tijjani (39) were apprehended on November 5 at the Abuja/Kaduna tollgate with 769 kg of skunk en route from Lagos to Kano.
Olayide Oyidiran, Abdulsalam Abdulsalam, Opeyemi Tijjani
In Edo state, a 73 year old man, James Ugbedo, was arrested on November 7 in a cannabis plantation in Igbeshi forest, Imiakebo, Etsako east LGA where 1,459.75 kg of skunk was destroyed and 5.6 kg seized.
James Ugbedo
In Bayelsa state on November 4, a 70 year old woman, Comfort Odudu, was arrested at Onopa with 5 kg of skunk.
Comfort Odudu
NDLEA chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), applauded officers involved and warned remaining syndicate actors.
“The dismantling of yet another clandestine laboratory for the production of Colorado and other dangerous synthetic substances and the arrest of the kingpin behind it in Lekki, coming barely a week after similar actions were taken against another cartel in Ajao estate Lagos.
“This shows that these are no doubt the first in the series of what will be many strikes against merchants of death who prey on the weak in our communities.
“Let it be known to those still hiding in the dark that the NDLEA supported by our local and international law enforcement partners will continue to hunt them and bring them to justice,” he said.
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