Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Afolabi Kazeem aka Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed), alleged to be a wanted drug baron.
Kazeem was arrested on November 10, nine days after the agency declared him wanted following his refusal to obey a court order and invitation to submit himself to authorities for interrogation over alleged exportation and trafficking of illicit drugs as well as money laundering.
He was alleged to have been the sponsor of some traffickers arrested by the NDLEA in their recent attempt to export cocaine to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other destinations outside Nigeria.
According to Babafemi, the suspected kingpin’s cover was blown after the arrest of a mule, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver on June 27, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, who ingested 900 grams of cocaine. Babalola, he said, named Kazeem as the owner of the drugs and the socialite was invited for questioning but failed to honour the invitation.
“The agency approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with three prayers: to attach and seal his identified properties in choice areas of Lagos island and Ibadan; declare him wanted and block his bank account with a cash balance of N217 million all of which were granted,” said Babafemi. Also, the Commission arrested a businesswoman, Okefun Darlington Chisom, alleged to have links to a Pakistani cocaine syndicate.
Chisom was alleged to be linked to two Pakistanis, Asif Muhammed, 45 and Hussain Naveed, 57, arrested at the Lagos airport with 8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a sound system while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Lahole, Pakistan via Doha on Saturday, November 5.
The agency also said that they arrested an auto spare parts dealer, Omeje Oliver, alias David Mark allegedly linked to 1.580kg Methamphetamine seized on February 6, 2018 from one Victor Nwobodo Friday, who was arrested at the MMIA during his aborted trip to Jakarta, Indonesia.
At the SAHCO import shed in Lagos, operatives intercepted a consignment of Tramadol from Karachi, Pakistan, adding that a total of six cartons comprising 497,900 tablets of Royal Tramaking brand of Tramadol 225mg with a gross weight of 304.90 kilograms were recovered after a joint examination by stakeholders on Friday November 11.
Meanwhile, over 7.7 tons of Cannabis were recovered from Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Edo States with 20 suspects arrested within the week under review, said Babafemi.
“This came on the heels of the seizure of 176kgs of C/S at Ogere trailer park on Wednesday November 9 and the destruction of 15 hectares of cannabis plantation in Gbamgbam area of the state,” he said.
At Osun State, the operatives raided a cannabis plantation at Obada sawmill, Owena Ijesa in Oriade LGA where they destroyed 1.2hectares, recovered 2,823kgs of processed Cannabis and arrested 13 suspects on Sunday, November 6.
Operatives in Ondo State seized 78kgs of cannabis from a dealer, Beauty Godwin at Ofosu along Benin-Ore express road, and another 264kgs from Abdul Rasheed Mohammed, and Abdul Rasheed Haruna at Sanusi camp 2 in Owo.
In Edo state, operatives located and destroyed 10 clusters of cannabis sativa farms measuring 14 hectares at Igwalor forest, Uhunmwonde LGA where five bags of processed Cannabis weighing 47.7kgs were recovered.
“A raid at Obadan village, in the same LGA also led to the recovery of 11 bags of cannabis sativa seeds weighing 399kgs and 34 bags of processed substance weighing 431kgs, bringing the total weight to 830kgs. Two suspects: Enododia Sunday and Osayaba Paul were arrested at the scene,” said Babafemi.
Continuing, he said anti-narcotics officers of the agency in Rivers State arrested one Damion Onuoha during a raid at Elele Alimini community, Emuoha LGA, who was found with 1.6kgs of Methamphetamine as well as monetary exhibit amounting to N650,700.
A joint operation with the military at Habour Road, Port Harcourt City also led to the arrest of Sandra David and seizure of different quantities of cocaine and heroin as well as N2,055,750 cash exhibit from her home, he said.
(thenationonlineng.net)
