By Lawrence Enyoghasu
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) agents in Akure have arrested an 80-year-old woman, her 19-year-old granddaughter and two other ladies for selling an assortment of illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, swinol and skuchies.
Grandma Mary Adebayo and granddaughter Funmilola Adebayo were both arrested during ‘intelligence based raids’, according to a press statement made available to Daily Sun and signed by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
The statement reads:
‘Following intelligence-based raids and follow up operations on their locations on Sunday 2nd May, 2021, over 192 kilogrammes of cocaine and other psychoactive substances were recovered from the suspects, while the octogenarian, her granddaughter and two other ladies – Tessy Matthew and Blessing Adesida – were arrested.
‘As a result of the bust, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) has directed the acting Commander, Ondo State Command of the Agency, Callys Alumona, to launch a manhunt for other members of the drug cartel now on the run.
‘The grandma and her granddaughter were arrested at 6:30 am on Sunday at Ayeyemi Street, Akure South Local Government Area. During the early morning raid, the following were recovered from them: Skuchies – 149 kg; Cocaine -11 grammes; Methamphetamine -17 grammes; Heroin – 3 grammes; Cannabis Sativa – 4.914 kg; Swinol – 8 grammes; and Tramadol – 49 grammes. Also recovered from them were two deep freezers and a TVS motorcycle.
On the same date, at about 1:30 pm, a raid carried out at Rate Hotel, Care Street, in Akure South LGA, led to the arrest of 25-year-old Tessy Mathew, from whom 33 kilogrammes of skuchies were recovered. Following her preliminary interrogation, a follow up operation was immediately carried out, leading to the arrest of 25-year-old Blessing Adesida in Oshinle area of Akure South LGA.
‘Recovered from her include: Skuchies – 3 kg; and Cannabis – 7 grammes. According to the state’s acting Commander of the Agency, Callys Alumona, other members of the two drug cartels have been watch-listed and efforts to arrest them ongoing.’
In a related development, operatives of the Adamawa Command of the NDLEA have arrested a 58-year-old Victor Chinedu Anwanya, and 47-year-old Femi Abiodun, with 80 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 76 kilogrammes, concealed in three white sacks tucked in the booth of a Toyota Avalon car with registration number: LAGOS DC 997 FST.
According to the state Commander of NDLEA, Idris Bello, the suspects were arrested on Monday May 3, at about 6 am in Mayo Belwa town, Mayo Belwa LGA, Adamawa State.
‘They took off from Auchi in Edo State. Also recovered from them was a fake Police Warrant Card bearing the name of Chinedu Anwanya with the rank of a DSP,’ the commander stated.
Reacting to the development, Gen Marwa commended officers and men of the Ondo and Adamawa state Commands of the Agency for their vigilance and commitment to work. He charged them and their counterparts in other Commands to continue the nationwide offensive action against the trade in illicit substances.
‘I recognise and commend the great work our officers and men in Ondo and Adamawa states have done in these operations. However, I still want to encourage them and their counterparts across the country that we must raise the ante in fighting drug criminalities in Nigeria. We must now go beyond seizures and arrests and dismantle the cartels, because there are cartels behind each of the drugs, be it cocaine, heroin, tramadol or cannabis. There are cartels behind each of these drugs and we must identify them and rein them in, that is the next phase of this war as we continue with our maxim of offensive action,’ Marwa charged his agents.