Personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA have arrested a wanted drug kingpin, known as Ngene Emmanuel Onyedikachi, at his residence in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria.
It was learnt that the kingpin was picked up at his residence at Akoka in Lagos after a 25-day surveillance.
The kingpin was accused of recruiting a fake couple – Ilonzeh Kingsley Onyebuchi and Ilonzeh Roseline Nonyelum –arrested by the agency for ingesting 1.822kg and 1.50kg of cocaine respectively at the Lagos airport on August 1, 2023, while on their way to India.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, adding that NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 25 succeeded in arresting him.
He said, “During his interview, Onyedikachi confessed that the two suspects: Ilonzeh Kingsley Onyebuchi and Ilonzeh Roseline Nonyelum were introduced to him by another member of his syndicate, whom he claimed he met at Zion Church in Cele area of Lagos. He explained that the drug was sourced from Guinea Conakry.
“The suspect revealed that when he got information about the arrest of the fake couple, he threw away his old mobile phone along with the SIM cards to avoid being traced, adding that he became relaxed and refused to leave his house because the two couriers do not know his house since they have only met twice at different locations.
“He said he was living in India before he returned to Nigeria in 2022 after the Indian authorities discovered that he was using Ivory Coast International passport. A blue Acura Legend car was part of items recovered from his home during his arrest.
“While operatives of the Lagos state Command of the Agency on Monday 28th August, arrested a suspect, Peter Iwebema, at Ikorodu with 79 and a half bags of cannabis sativa, weighing 864.5kg, their counterparts at Tincan port command intercepted 27 parcels of Colorado, weighing 13.5kg.
“The seizure was made from a container, MSMU 5664550 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada during a joint examination with men of Customs Service.
“The synthetic substance was discovered concealed in a bag hidden a Ford Edge SUV, which was part of three units of used vehicles and motor parts in the container.
“In Sokoto, operatives on Tuesday 29th August arrested two male suspects: Nafiu Arzika, 30, and Jamilu Aminu, 35, with 330kg skunk, while another suspect, Ismaila Razak, 38, was nabbed with 34.5kg of the same substance and 9.5 grams of methamphetamine on Saturday 2nd September at Olodo area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
“Across the states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, NDLEA Commands intensified the Agency’s War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, worship places, palaces and local communities among others. For instance, the sensitization lectures were conducted at Holy Trinity Gospel Church, Ogbomoso, and for Muslim faithful at Jammatul Nasirul Islam mosque, Ilorin; members of the Association of Hair Stylists in Ado Ekiti; leaders of road transport union in Abeokuta; traders at Kwata market, Awka; pregnant women at primary health care centre, Bonny; Dekara district palace, Babana community in Borgu LGA and at Noorul Huda Islamiyya school, Kafin Maiyaki.”
“While commending the officers and men of the Agency across the Commands for their efforts in drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them to remain steadfast,” the statement added.