By, Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided a relaxation centre, popularly called Garden in Abuja and arrested six persons for selling drug cookies and noodles.

The raid, according to a statement by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi followed credible intelligence, which led to the raid of the Garden at Wuse Zone 5 behind Shoprite.

He said during the raid a woman, Rachael Famiyesun, 29, who deals in drug cookies was arrested along with her salesgirl, Stella Sunday, 20, and beside the cookies, they were also caught selling bottles of black currant drink popularly called Zobo prepared with cannabis.

Also in case the Garden, another business operator, Moses Obi, 30, was arrested with his salesgirl, Aisha Abdulrahman, 19, for selling indomie noodles prepared with cannabis.

A barman, Ahonye Jonah, 31, who works with the owner of the Garden, was equally arrested while one of their customers, 38-year-old Ngozi Emelogu during the raid last Wednesday.

Babafemi said two days earlier, officers of the FCT command of the agency had raided the Zuba Yam Market, where a drug dealer, Haruna Hassan was arrested with 19.3 kilogrammes cannabis.

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In other interceptions, attempts by drug traffickers to export 1.53 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden inside hair cream to London, and another 880 grammes of cocaine concealed inside synthetic hair to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as well as 3 grammes of cocaine and 5 grammes of cannabis to Cyprus packed inside locally made shoes through two major courier companies in Lagos have been foiled by narcotic officers attached to the firms.

Babafemi said in Edo State, operatives last Tuesday intercepted a Toyota Camry car with Reg. No. FKJ 897 DG (LAGOS) loaded with 360.4 kilogrammes cannabis sativa heading to Abuja and arrested the driver, Nurudeen Subaru, 42, in Auchi, Etsako West area of the state.

He said the following day, the Edo command officers also evacuated 111 kilogrammes cannabis stored in a bush at Iruekpen, Esan West local government area while 276 compressed blocks of the same substance weighing 248.4 kilogrammes were recovered from one Austin Okongwu (a.k.a Igwe), 45, at Agenebode, Etsako East while moving the drug in a Lexus saloon car with registration number ABC 583 MJ (ABUJA).

He said last Wednesday, a raid on a drug joint in the Edo state capital, Benin, led to the arrest of three drug dealers: Kelly Ogbebor, 38; Daniel Oviawe, 35, and Kelly Kenmakonam, 29 with different quantities of cocaine and heroin seized from them.

In Plateau State, attempt by 29-year-old Ifeoma Sade, wife of a drug dealer, Ifeanyi Onyeasi, 34, to swallow 12 grammes of cocaine found in their house at Agingi, Rukuba road, Jos, during an arrest operation was scuttled by operatives who retrieved the drug from her throat on Sunday 16th January.

He said also recovered from them was a monetary exhibit of N234,650.

Babafemi also disclosed that different quantities of cannabis, methamphetamine and tramadol were seized from two suspects; Aliyu Abdullahi and Ishaya Emmanuel, when a commercial bus with registration number GME 711 YX bringing them from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State was intercepted along Abuja road by officers of the Plateau state command last Wednesday.

In Adamawa State on Wednesday 19th January the long arm of the law eventually caught a notorious drug dealer, Adamu Musa who has been on the run for nine months. His 31-year-old elder sister, Mrs. Hannatu Sini had been arrested on 16th April 2021, at Gombi local government area of the state with 14.4 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa and admitted keeping the exhibit for her younger brother, Adamu Musa who was subsequently placed on the wanted list of the command.

He added that an ex-convict, Mrs. Modinat Lawal, was arrested in Kano last Wednesday with 22 kilogrammes cannabis sativa she brought into Nigeria from Benin Republic. She had earlier been arrested, prosecuted and jailed for the same offence, he said the Ogun State born trafficker claimed then that her name was Bola.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while commending the officers and men of the FCT, Edo, Plateau, Adamawa, Kano and Directorate of Investigation and General Investigations for the arrests and seizures, however charged them and their counterparts in other commands to remain vigilant and always proactive..