The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug baron, Sami Ashoko, with 100 bags of drugs weighing 1,095.3 kilogrammes in Nasarawa State.
The Nasarawa NDLEA commander Justice Arinze said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Mr Arinze said it was, indeed, a bleak Easter for the most wanted drug baron in Nasarawa State, adding that he spent the festive season in custody.
Mr Ashoko, 39, who hails from Ibilo in Akoko Edo area of Edo State, was arrested in Shinge, Lafia, based on actionable intelligence.
Mr Arinze noted that a team of operatives had stormed Mr Ashoko’s warehouse in Lafia and recovered 100 bags of cannabis weighing about 1.1 tons or 1095.3 kg.
According to him, Mr Ashoko is the most wanted drug baron who has been on our watch list in Nasarawa State.
“This seizure has beaten the previous record of 45 bags weighing about half a ton recovered in January 2021 as the highest singular seizure of cannabis since the inception of the command in 1999.
“The seized consignment was meant for Easter sales, and which he expected to sell out in two weeks,” he said.
In another development, the Edo NDLEA commander Buba Wakawa said members of another cartel were arrested in Iyamho, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo state.
Mr Wakawa said their illicit consignment weighing 1,330kg and meant for Bauchi State was equally seized.
He added that both syndicates were busted on Friday, April 2 while trying to distribute their illegal substances for the Easter sales.
“Two members of another drug cartel, Adamu Badamasi and Adamu Abba were also arrested the same day in Edo State,” said Mr Wakawa.
He explained that the arrest and seizure disrupted the Easter sales plan of the cartel, which tried to escape arrest through hinterland routes in their white coloured Peugeot J5 space bus with registration number Lagos JJJ 722 XC.
In the same vein, the NDLEA FCT commander of NDLEA, Mohammed Sokoto, said the FCT operatives arrested another trafficker who supplied drugs to some notorious drug joints in Abuja.
Mr Sokoto said the suspect was arrested along Gwagwalada expressway, FCT while bringing 46 compressed blocks of cannabis for drug dealers in Mabushi and Banex areas of the capital city.
He said the notorious drug supplier had confessed to being a major supplier of illicit substances to major drug joints in Abuja.
In his reaction to the Easter operations, the Chairman, NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers and men of Nasarawa, Edo and FCT Commands of the agency for their efforts.
Mr Marwa added that the drugs seized was certainly less illicit substances available on the streets.
