What You Need to Know:
Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested three workers from Lagos’ Tincan Seaport for attempting to import over 2000 lbs of drugs as well as arms and ammunition.
A dock worker, Falowo Samuel Kayode and terminal supervisors Anjorin Idowu and Uzairu Iguda were taken into custody, while a third worker, Mohammed Sule, is on the run.
The seizures occurred between the 18th and 19th of January and uncovered 124 lbs of cocaine and 1752 lbs of ‘Colorado’, a strong strain of cannabis. Additional seizures include 423 lbs of Colorado, a pistol, and ammunition.
Following investigations resulted in a raid of a ‘drug joint’ in Benin city, leading to the arrest of two. Additional raids were conducted across Lagos, Borno State, Maiduguri, Kebbi State, Kaduna State, and Kano State and resulted in the confiscation of a vast amount of prescription pills, heroin, cocaine and cannabis.
The Details:
On February 21st, Ibrahim Sani, a commander of the Arewa Association Vigilantes, a civil society group fighting bandits in the area, was arrested in connection with the bust.
The kingpins behind the port bust, Odeyemi Taiwo Emmanuel, Akinyemi Olayinka, and Adebayo Adewole, are believed to be based in South Africa and utilizing Durban port to smuggle drugs to Nigeria and elsewhere.
In October last year, South African Police uncovered $362,000 worth of drugs at the port, leading to some experts claiming the port’s lack of controls are allowing the country’s drug trade to thrive.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi stated, “Following a tasking order by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) to a combined team of specialized units of the agency to unravel those behind the importation of the large consignments of the illicit drugs, ongoing investigations have led to the discovery of more bags of Colorado weighing 192.7kg, a pistol, and rounds of ammunition removed from the container, MSCU 4581770 and hidden in an empty container before the 100 per cent joint examination at the Five Star terminal.
As a result, two suspects: Uzairu Iguda, who is in charge of the terminal’s container positioning and stacking, and Anjorin Idowu, who is a dock worker in the terminal, have been arrested. Another suspect, Mohammed Sule (alias Organiser) now at large, is also a dock worker in the terminal. Investigations reveal that the three suspects conspired with the agent and notify party, Falowo Samuel Kayode, to remove the 192.7kg Colorado, pistol and rounds of ammunition from the container to an empty container in the terminal.
The latest seizure brings the total recovered from the two containers to 56.39kg of cocaine and 987.9kg of Colorado with a combined weight of 1,044.29kg. Investigations have also revealed three kingpins believed to be based in South Africa and connected with the importation of the containers. They include: Odeyemi Taiwo Emmanuel; Akinyemi Olayinka and Adebayo Adewole Emmanuel, who are now on the agency’s wanted list.”