NDLEA Arrests Two Wanted Drug Barons, Seizes Illicit Drugs and Fake Currencies

In a significant victory against transnational drug cartels, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended two wanted drug lords involved in the illicit drug trade. This operation, marked by weeks of intelligence-led efforts, has resulted in the seizure of multi-billion-naira worth of illicit drugs and assets across Nigeria and beyond.

The breakthrough came following the interception of consignments of cocaine and heroin concealed within the bodies of two traffickers attempting to smuggle drugs to Paris, France, and Doha, Qatar, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Hakeem Babatunde Salami, the mastermind behind the “Tajudeen Babatunde Abioye Transnational Criminal Organization,” was taken into custody at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos. Salami’s criminal network extended across several countries, including Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe. He had fled to South Africa after the arrest of a syndicate member in Lagos in August.

Furthermore, Okafor Ikechukwu Williams (aka Jantu) and his wife, Okafor Ifeyinwa Grace, were apprehended in Lagos, where NDLEA operatives uncovered a substantial 27.566 kilograms of methamphetamine intended for export to Europe and Asia.

At the Abuja airport, another trafficker, Nwofor Ejiogu Charles, was arrested for ingesting cocaine. He attempted to compromise an NDLEA officer with a $3,000 bribe but was detained after excreting 75 pellets of cocaine.

On the following day, Nwufo Charles Okwudili was arrested while trying to board a flight to Paris, France, via Frankfurt, Germany, carrying 96 wraps of heroin ingested in his body.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated operation along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway, NDLEA operatives intercepted a commercial bus coming from Lagos to Kano, leading to the seizure of a staggering $4.8 million and CFA57 million in suspected counterfeit currencies.

In Sokoto, the Federal High Court sentenced an acting district head, Alhaji Umar Mohammed (aka Dan Bala), to five and a half years in jail for possession and dealing in narcotics. He was convicted on four counts and faced stiff penalties.

Further operations in Edo state saw the arrest of two individuals, Happy Akashili and Solomon Uwesue, inside a cannabis farm with a significant quantity of processed skunk.

Throughout these operations, the NDLEA also conducted “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) advocacy campaigns, raising awareness on drug use and its effects on mental health among students, markets, worship centers, and communities in various regions of Nigeria.

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the tireless efforts of the agency’s commands and special units in dismantling drug cartels and assured the public that NDLEA officers will remain vigilant against the tactics and distractions employed by criminal networks.

This is a significant blow against drug trafficking and a testament to the relentless dedication of NDLEA operatives in safeguarding the nation from the scourge of illicit drugs and counterfeit currencies.