By Emma Njoku

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested one Lami Mai Rigima, a notorious queen of drug cartel supplying psychoactive substances to traffickers in Taraba State, months after she was declared wanted by the agency.

Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, in a statement, yesterday, said the 40-year-old queen of the drug world came under the anti-narcotic agency’s searchlight when a number of traffickers arrested in the state in 2021 and early this year fingered her as their supplier.

“The manhunt for Lami paid off on Monday, April 4, when operatives tracked her to her hideout in Iware village, in Ardo Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Related News

“The search for Lami began in October 2021 following the arrest, prosecution and conviction of a drug dealer, Abdullahi Madaki, 50. After serving his brief jail sentence, Madaki returned to the illicit trade, with Lami still as his supplier. He was, however, rearrested on February 13, 2022, while another trafficker, Jamilu Hassan, 20, who is also a member of Lami’s supply chain, was nabbed on  February 24,” the statement read.

Babafemi also said NDLEA operatives arrested a cross border drug trafficker, Emeka Okiru, 40, with 32,700 tablets of tramadol 225mg under the brand name: Royal and Tramaking, at Garden City, Mubi, Mubi North LGA in Adamawa state, on Tuesday. Okiru was arrested while preparing to supply his customers who came from Republic of Cameroon. The drugs were found concealed in cartons of paintbrush.

Also in Oyo state, different quantities of cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis were recovered from four suspects: Adetola Tosin; Akeem Kazeem; Korede Ahmed, and Abdulgafar Nureni who were arrested in Omi-Adio, Ido LGA; Oje area of Ibadan North LGA; Iwo Road, Ibadan North East LGA, and Sabo, Mokola, Ibadan North West LGA, when operatives raided parts of the state on Tuesday.  At least, 172 kilograms of cannabis was recovered from two suspects: Zaidu Mohammed Kamba and Hussaini Dauda, in the Kamba area of Kebbi state, on Monday, by NDLEA operatives.

Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) has commended the officers and men of the Taraba, Adamawa, Kebbi and Oyo state Commands of the agency for their efforts and charged them and their compatriots in other commands to sustain the tempo of offensive action against the drug cartels across the country.