Wale Jagun
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, recorded a very big success in its campaign against drugs in the county by bursting a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos where 1.8tons (1,855 kilograms) of the illicit drug were seized.
The seized drug is worth more than Two Hundred and Seventy Eight Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($278, 250,000) equivalent of about One Hundred and Ninety Four Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy Five Million (N194, 775,000,000) Naira in street value were seized.
The sting operation by the NDLEA which took place at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, extended till Monday, when barons were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos
In a statement Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, on Monday, September 19, 2022, he said that at least, four suspected drug barons including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager have been arrested in the coordinated and intelligence led operation that lasted two days across different parts of the state.
“Kingpins of the cocaine cartel in custody include: Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo state; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra state; Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo state; Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo state and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica. They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the Agency has been trailing since 2018”, it stated.
“Preliminary investigation reveals the Class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums.
“While commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation including those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the bust is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed”.
Meanwhile, residents of Ikorodu were shocked with the development as news of the burst appeared online. They expressed disappointment that such illegal acts being perpetrated by foreigners and non – residents of Ikorodu would further spotlight one of the fastest growing cities in Africa in a bad light.
A senior police officer confirmed the operation to our reporter when contacted. “It’s true, we are fully aware of it. They were around for about three days and it also involved military men too”, he said. “It was at Solebo estate that the operation took place. They came with about 10 vehicles for the operation”, he added.
