How NDLEA Operatives Busted Drug Cartels Led By 80-Year Old Woman

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

Facts have emerged on how the operatives of National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, busted a drug cartels led by an 80-year old woman, Mrs. Mary Adebayo, her granddaughter, Funmilola Adebayo, 19 and others in a sting operation.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspects were arrested in Akure, the Ondo State capital by operatives of the NDLEA, for selling assorted illicit drugs like cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, swinol and skuchies.

This was disclosed by the Director of Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi. 

Babafemi stated that it was an intelligence-based raid and follow up operations on their locations on Sunday 2nd May, 2021, over 192kilogrammes 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 busting, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), 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 6:30am on Sunday at Ayeyemi Street, Akure South Local Government Area. During the early morning raid, the following were recovered from them: Skuchies- 149kg, cocaine-11grammes, methamphetamine-17grammes, heroin-3grammes, cannabis sativa- 4.914kg, swinol -8grammes and tramadol -49grammes. Also recovered from them were two deep freezers and a TVS motorcycle.

On the same date, at about 1:30pm, a raid carried out at Rate Hotel, Care Street, in Akure South LGA, led to the arrest of 25-year-old Tessy Matthew from whom 33kilogrammes 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.

Things recovered from her included: skuchies-3kg and cannabis-7grammes.
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 76kilogrammes, 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 3rd May, 202 at about 6am 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 of Narcotics 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 illicit trade.

“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.