Crime
NDLEA smashes cocaine syndicates, recovers multi-billion-naira drugs in nationwide raids
..Seizes US, UK-bound large consignments in automobile parts, cloths, arrests 4; intercepts shipments of Loud from Canada at Tincan, Lagos airport
Multi-billion-naira worth of cocaine concealed in heavy duty automobile pivot shafts, and Ghanaian fabric, Kente, among others have been recovered in a nationwide intelligence-led operation by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
While 2.32 kilograms of cocaine concealed in Ghanaian traditional kente materials going to the United Kingdom were intercepted at a courier firm in Lagos on Monday 5th August 2024, 10.494kg of same class A drug buried in heavy duty pivot shafts heading to the United States were recovered at the same logistics company after the NDLEA sniffer dogs fished out the automobile spare parts containing the illicit drug, bringing the total weight of cocaine seized in the two shipments to 12.814 kilograms.
In the same vein, five other consignments going to the US, UK and Canada were also intercepted at the courier firm in Lagos on Friday 9th August 2024.
They include 517 grams of cocaine in clothing materials; different quantities of pentazocine injection, promethazine injection and cocodamol pills, all heading to the UK as well as 297 pills of tramadol 225mg going to Canada.
In a different logistics company in Lagos, NDLEA operatives recovered 21 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 10kg coming from the US and meant for delivery in Abuja.
In another intelligence-led operation, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 7th August arrested a member of a cocaine trafficking network, Obiora Joseph Agudosi, at Alafia Orile, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos while attempting to move 9.00kg of cocaine to Onitsha, Anambra state.
Two members of another cocaine syndicate based in Nnewi and Oba town, Anambra state were also arrested on Thursday 8th August in a follow up operation following the seizure of their consignments in a GUO transport company bus at Benin, Edo state same day.
While the bus driver, Harrison Mbachu, 44, was arrested at Benin tollgate with a total of 2.865kg cocaine, Izuchkwu Arinze, 40, was picked at Nnewi town while attempting to collect his own consignment of 1.748kg cocaine and 514 grams sodium bicarbonate, with Ameachi Okoro, 39, arrested while trying to pick his own 1.117kg cocaine at Oba town.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at Tincan seaport Lagos on Wednesday 7th August intercepted 532 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 265.25kg in a black Toyota Sienna bus, which is one of the three vehicles in a container marked MSMU 6029570 coming from Montreal, Canada.
The seizure was made during 100% joint examination with men of Customs Service and other stakeholders.
The following day, Thursday 8th August, the operatives recorded yet another seizure of 75 parcels of same substance weighing 37.5kg in a container marked FSCU-9274613, that came from Canada.
In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 8th August with the support of men of operation Farauta Sector 3, Mayo Belwa arrested 49-year-old Joseph Peter with 425 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 291.200kg in his Toyota Camry car marked Lagos KSF 381 HM. He claimed he was bringing the consignment from Edo state to deliver in Yola, Adamawa State.
While two suspects: Adekunle Sunday Adebayo, 50, and Yahaya Mamuda, 35, were arrested at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano on Tuesday 6th August with 29.5kg cannabis, NDLEA operatives in Lagos recovered 1,169 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance from a bus along Orchid road, Ajah on Sunday 4th August.
No less than 1,230.00kg cannabis was destroyed on three hectares of farmland at Ikeje forest, Edimogo village, Igalamela/ Odolu LGA, Kogi state on Friday 9th August by NDLEA officers supported by men of the Nigerian Army while the owner, Danjuma Maji, 40, was arrested.
With the same drive, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA enlightenment lecture for women at Fowewe Sofuwa Islamic Centre, Saki, Oyo state; WADA sensitisation lecture and inauguration of community drug control committee at Nnando community, Anambra state; WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Ilorin, HRH Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gambari, Kwara state; and WADA sensitisation lecture to members of Ansaru-ud-deen Muslim Society of Nigeria in Ado Ekiti, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Unit, Tincan, Lagos, Edo, Kano, Kogi, and Adamawa Commands as well as those of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to continue with their current balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja
Sunday 11th August 2024
Crime
NDLEA intercepts UK-bound opioid shipment at Lagos airport, arrests businesswoman, freight agent
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested two suspects for attempting to smuggle opioids and cocaine to the United Kingdom (UK) and Congo Brazzaville.
In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s spokesperson, named the suspects as Adewunmi Dorcas, an Oyo-based businesswoman, and Arinze Ora, an auto parts dealer.
Babafemi said operatives foiled the UK-bound shipment at Lagos International Airport’s export shed on September 6.
He added that a detailed inspection revealed 924 bottles of codeine-based syrup, weighing 135.70 kg, and 5,250 rohypnol tablets, secretly hidden in food containers.
He said Owojori Sunday, a freight agent, was promptly arrested, adding that further investigation led to the arrest of one Adewunmi Temitope, another suspect.
The NDLEA spokesperson said a follow-up operation on September 7 led to the arrest of Adewunmi in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, where she deals in foodstuffs and cargo exports.
“The agent Owojori confessed that he has been working for Mrs Adewunmi to export cargoes to the UK, adding that he was paid N2,411,000.00 for the job, while he was paid N2.1 million for a similar consignment handled for the businesswoman earlier,” the statement reads.
“In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the same export shed of the Lagos airport on Wednesday, 11th September intercepted some cartons of auto spare parts and checkers powder custard going to Congo Brazzaville on Ethiopian Airlines.
“A diligent search of the cargo led to the discovery of 300 grams of cocaine concealed in the containers of checkers powder custard packed together with some auto parts.
“A follow up operation led to the arrest of the sender of the consignment, Arinze Ora, who deals in auto parts at Shop 12, Block 7 Aspanda Trade Fair Auto Parts Wing, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos.”
Crime
NDLEA arrests drug baron linked to Saudi cocaine smuggling attempts
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested Suleiman Aremu, a suspected drug baron, over attempts to smuggle cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s spokesperson, said Aremu, also known as Barryshine, came under the agency’s watch after four failed attempts to export drugs to Saudi Arabia and Qatar through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, between 2022 and 2024.
In a statement on Friday, Babafemi said Ajisegiri Kehinde Sidika, a female passenger on Qatar airlines flight to Saudi Arabia, was arrested at the airport on November 13, 2022, in possession of 400g of cocaine concealed in female shoes.
The agency said upon investigation, it was found that one Abdullahi Olarenwaju Ramon, Aremu’s brother, hired Sidika.
“Further facts emerged that the flight tickets and other travel expenses of the suspect were sourced by Alhaji Suleiman Ganiu Aremu,” the statement reads.
“A few days after the arrest of Ajisegiri Kehinde Sidika, another drug mule, Lawal Lateef Oyenuga was also arrested on November 24, 2022, with the same quantity of cocaine, 400 grams, concealed in male footwears while going to the same destination, Saudi Arabia.
“The suspect, Lawal Lateef Oyenuga confessed that one Wasiu Sanni Gbolahan (a.k.a Teacher) who was later arrested and convicted by the court, hired him for Suleiman. Lawal further alleged that Wasiu Gbolahan linked him up with the baron through one Igbono, who was later unveiled through investigation as Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye (a.k.a Igbono, Murphy, Femi Iwaya, Ade Iwaya, Baba Eje and Ejeoto).
“While investigation of the two cases subsisted and the manhunt for the baron was ongoing, two drug mules were arrested at the MMIA on June 21, 2024 on their way to Doha, Qatar.
“One of the suspects who was later identified as Aikhomoun Daniel (a.k.a Oladapo Olanrewaju) expelled in observation custody a total of 90 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.022kg, which he ingested, while the second suspect, Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji excreted 60 wraps of cocaine with a total weight of 662 grams.
“Further investigation later revealed that the two arrested couriers, Aikhomoun Daniel and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji were recruited by the same Igbono who works for the baron and featured in 2022 during the arrest of Ajesegiri Kehinde Sidika and Lawal Lateef Oyenuga.
“Financial investigation conducted by the Agency also linked the baron Suleiman to the arrested suspects and two of his associates who recruit traffickers for him: Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye and Olanrewaju Abdullahi Ramon, both currently at large.”
Babafemi said the agency blocked the bank accounts linked to members of the cartel after which Suleiman was eventually taken into custody on August 26, 2024 for further investigation.
The NDLEA said Suleiman, who resides in Lagos and Paris, claimed he is into property development and hotel management.
He also claimed that his regular visits to Saudi Arabia was to perform the lesser hajj.
The agency said Dipeolu Isaac, judge of the federal high court in Lagos, has granted an application by the NDLEA for the extension of Suleiman’s detention for 30 days.
The judge also granted the agency’s request to declare Suleiman’s — associates Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye and Olanrewaju Abdullahi Ramon — wanted.
Crime
US court sentences Tyrese Haspil to 40 years for killing, dismembering Gokada founder
A US district court in New York has sentenced Tyrese Haspil to 40 years in prison for the murder of Fahim Saleh, founder of Gokada, a Nigerian ride-hailing company.
Although Haspil was sentenced on Friday, the 25-year-old American man had been convicted by a New York state supreme court jury two months ago.
He was found guilty of first-degree murder, second-degree grand larceny and other charges.
The convict, who was Saleh’s personal assistant, had stolen tens of thousands of dollars (estimated total of $400,000) from him before resigning in 2019.
The district attorney’s office said that Haspil repaid Saleh using funds obtained through a PayPal scheme, but “the embezzlement continued reaching an estimated total of $400,000”.
Prosecutors say surveillance footage captured Haspil entering Saleh’s apartment building in Lower Manhattan on July 13, 2020, and following him into the elevator.
They said that upon exiting the elevator which led directly into Saleh’s apartment, Haspil deployed a taser against Saleh’s back and then repeatedly stabbed him in the neck and torso with a knife, resulting in his death.
The next day, Haspil returned to the apartment where he “dismembered and decapitated Mr. Saleh’s body using the saw and placed the body parts in pre-ordered construction bags,” as stated in a press release.
Saleh’s cousin made the discovery after visiting his apartment having not received any communication from him in 24 hours. She immediately notified the police.
Haspil was arrested four days later at an Airbnb location he had rented to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.
The Gokada founder had discovered Haspil’s embezzlement of thousands of dollars from his accounts, to which Haspil had access as his executive assistant since 2018.
The prosecutors say Haspil had plotted to murder Saleh “at least three times” before ultimately carrying out the crime in July 2020.
They say the murder was committed to hide the embezzlement and prevent Saleh from potentially serving as a witness against him.
Gokada is a ride-hailing service in Nigeria which launched in 2017 before diversifying into logistics and food delivery in 2020.
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