NDLEA arrests Arewa vigilante commander, recover illicit drugs

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested one of the commanders of Arewa Association Vigilantes in Edo State, Ibrahim Sani.

The anti-narcotic agency said Sani was arrested on Wednesday following a raid on a drug joint allegedly owned by him.

This is contained in a statement signed by spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.

“NDLEA officers on Tuesday 20th February raided a drug joint under powerline off Etete road, GRA Benin city where they arrested a sales girl, Jessica Destiny, 24, and recovered assorted illicit drugs.

” A follow up operation the following day led to the arrest of the owner of the joint, 36-year-old Ibrahim Sani who is the Commander, Arewa Association Vigilantes in the area

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives have begun to unmask members of an organized criminal network behind the recent importation of two containers laden with illicit drugs as well as assorted arms and ammunition from Durban, South Africa to the Tincan seaport in Lagos.

“Among those already arrested as members of the syndicate are: a clearing and notify party of the two containers, Falowo Samuel Kayode; a dock worker, Anjorin Idowu and Uzairu Ahmed Iguda who is in charge of the Five Star terminal at the port. Another dock worker at the terminal, Mohammed Muktar Sule (alias organizer) who is equally linked to the syndicate is currently at large.

“Based on credible intelligence, the Agency had requested for a 100 percent joint examination of two containers marked MSCU 4581770 and TRHU 7968071 from South Africa. As a result, the exercise was conducted with other stakeholders on 18th and 19th of January, 2024 during which 56.39kg cocaine and 795kg Colorado, a synthetic strong strain of cannabis among other illegal items were recovered from the containers

Following a tasking order by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) to a combined team of specialized units of the agency to unravel those behind the importation of the large consignments of the illicit drugs, ongoing investigations have led to the discovery of more bags of Colorad