NDLEA arrests 60 suspects at Abuja drug party

No fewer than 60 persons have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency during a drug party organised in the Federal Capital Territory on Friday.

The suspects that were arrested at the party, which was said to have been organised by one Stanley Ikechukwu, comprised 25 males and 35 females.

A statement on Sunday by the NDLEA's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, noted that at least six suspects were arrested at the venue with different drugs

The statement read in part, "In Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Friday night disrupted a drug party dubbed 'Go hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison,' where 60 suspects comprising 25 males and 35 females were arrested at an apartment in Sun City estate in the Federal Capital Territory. The raid followed credible intelligence about the drug party organised by one Stanley Ikechukwu who was arrested at the venue.

"At least six of the suspects: Victoria Adoga, Hamza Yari, Joanne Joy, Socchima Valentine, Jago Imole and Charles Indobuibisi were arrested with different quantities of ecstasy and cannabis."

Babafemi said the Chairman of the anti-narcotics agency, Brig. Gen Buba Marwa (retd.) directed that 20 of the suspects who tested negative for drugs be released unconditionally.

He stated that 33 others who tested positive for illicit drugs were to be released on bail and would report at the agency's FCT command on Monday to begin treatment and counselling.

Babafemi also said operatives of the agency intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine worth N7.3 billion.

The statement added, "NDLEA has intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth over N7,350,000,000 in street value, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers State.

"The seizure made from six containers on Saturday, June 29, 2024, was the third of such in the past four weeks following credible intelligence and diligent tracking of the consignments from their ports of departure by a special operations unit of the NDLEA, which worked in partnership with the Port Harcourt Ports Command of the agency and other security agencies including the Customs Service for a 100 per cent joint examination of the targeted containers.

"At the end of the joint examination of the six containers, a total of 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 157,500 kilogrammes were recovered on Saturday."

The NDLEA spokesperson also stated that its officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos State arrested two passengers travelling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight at the screening point of terminal 2 after they tested positive for ingestion of illicit substances on June 21, 2024.

"The suspects - Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji were thereafter taken into observatory custody.
While Daniel excreted a total of 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022kg in six excretions, Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps of the same Class A substance with a total weight of 662 grams in five egestion," the statement added.

Babafemi said further investigation revealed that Daniel stole the identity of his late uncle who was once based in Germany, to get a Schengen visa to enable him free access to Europe, while his real name is Oladapo Olanrewaju.

He added, "No less than 40.32kg of Loud, an imported strong strain of cannabis was on Friday 28th June recovered in a black Toyota Tacoma truck along Lekki-Ikoyi road when the driver jumped off the vehicle after noticing that NDLEA operatives were on his trail."

In Edo State, Babafemi said four suspects were arrested in a deep forest where they cultivated cannabis, saying, "No fewer than four suspects: Endurance Okon, 24; Joseph Michael, 23; Ovoco Bright, 43; and Goday Abanum, 23, were arrested in the deep forest of Ugun, Igueben LGA, Edo State on Saturday 29th June when NDLEA operatives raided and destroyed 18,632.22 kg of cannabis."