By Seyi Odewale
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday had what appeared to be the biggest drug seizure in a single operation in its history since it was created when it raided a warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos State where about 1.8tons (1,855 kilogrammes) of the illicit drug worth more than $278, 250,000 equivalent of about N194, 775,000,000 in street value were seized.
According to the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, five drug barons, including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager, were arrested in the well-coordinated and intelligence-led operation that lasted two days in different locations in Lagos State.
He said: “Kingpins of the cocaine cartel in custody include Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra State; Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo State; Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo State and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica. They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the Agency has been trailing since 2018.
“Located at 6 Olukuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, the warehouse was raided on Sunday, September 18, 2022, while the barons were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between Sunday night and Monday, September 19.”
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Preliminary investigation, according to Babafemi, revealled that class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums.
While commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation including those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA), the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) said the bust was a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed.”
