Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a suspected drug kingpin, Ngene Onyedikachi, who allegedly recruited a fake couple, Kingsley and Roseline Ilonzeh, for drug trafficking.

The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja that the fake couple was arrested for allegedly ingesting 1.822kg and 1.50kg of cocaine, respectively, at the Lagos airport on August 1, while on their way to India.

According to Mr Babafemi, the operatives arrested Mr Onyedikachi on August 25 at his residence at No. 28 Afolabi Brown Street, Akoka, Yaba, after an intensive surveillance that lasted 25 days.

He said Mr Onyedikachi confessed that the suspects were introduced to him by another syndicate member, whom he claimed he met at Zion Church in the Cele area of Lagos.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect explained that the drug was sourced from Guinea Conakry.

He said Mr Onyedikachi disclosed that he threw away his mobile phone and SIM upon hearing that the couple had been arrested. 

“He said it was done so as to avoid being traced, adding that he became relaxed and refused to leave his house because the two couriers did not know his house since they have only met twice at different locations.

“He said he was living in India before he returned to Nigeria in 2022 after the Indian authorities discovered that he was using an Ivory Coast International passport.

“A blue Acura Legend car was part of items recovered from his home during his arrest,” he said.

In another development, operatives of the agency’s command in Lagos on August 28 also arrested a suspect, Peter Iwebema, in Ikorodu with 79 and a half bags of cannabis sativa.

Mr Babafemi said the drugs weighed 864.5kg, adding that their counterparts at the Tincan port also intercepted 27 parcels of Colorado, weighing 13.5kg.

He said the seizures were made from a container, MSMU 5664550, coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada, during a joint examination with men of the Customs Service.

“The synthetic substance was discovered concealed in a bag hidden in a Ford Edge SUV, which was part of three units of used vehicles and motor parts in the container,” he said.

Also, in Sokoto, operatives of the agency, on August 29, arrested two male suspects, Nafiu Arzika, 30, and Jamilu Aminu, 35, with 330 kg of skunk.

The NDLEA spokesman said another suspect, Ismaila Razak, 38, was nabbed with 34.5kg of the same substance and 9.5 grammes of methamphetamine on Saturday, September 2, in the  Olodo area of Ibadan, Oyo.

Mr Babafemi said the NDLEA commands in states nationwide and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had intensified the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns in schools, worship places, palaces, and local communities.

(NAN)