NDLEA has seized 12,385 kilograms of “Loud’’ marijuana smuggled into Lagos from a neighbouring country through the waterways.
Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, who said this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, described the drug as a strong variant of marijuana.
Babafemi said that 12,385 pellets of the “Loud’’ marijuana were brought in through the Atlantic Ocean and ferried in boats to the Eko Atlantic Beach, Victoria Island.
The weed would have been distributed from the beach to drugs hotspots such as Lagos Island, Peti Alagba and others across Lagos and other states, he added.
He stated also that more than 50 narcotic officers stormed the beach on Saturday, Nov. 27 and recovered the consignments along with two trucks and arrested three suspects.
Those arrested are Abdulkadri Zakari, 24, Ka’abu Sausu, 45 and Lawrence Adie, 27.
In another development, a 70-year-old woman, Beatrice Aigbedion was among suspects arrested at Irrua, Edo in connection with the seizure of more than 5,000 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs.
“After days of surveillance, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, Nov. 24 stormed a warehouse at Uhiere, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo, where they recovered 4,261.5kg of Indian hemp and arrested a suspect, Ikong Stanley.
“On Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1,240kg of Indian hemp was also seized at a warehouse in Uzebba, in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo.
“At the point of her arrest last Wednesday, Aigbedion was caught with different quantities of Codeine cough syrup, Swinol and Rohypnol.
“Another dealer, Joseph Onyemaechi, 50, was also nabbed at Ikpoba Okha, Upper Sakpoba, Benin City, on Friday with different types of psychotropic substances weighing 2.055kg,’’ Babafemi stated.
Similarly, Gabriel Akioya and Isa Salihu were arrested on Thursday, Nov. 25 at Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo with various quantities of Codeine, Tramadol, Swinol and Rohypnol.
Babafemi stated that operatives raided Hampton Towers and Spa Hotel, Okpanam Road, Asaba, where Dobedient Etumudor and Thompson Chukwuemeka were arrested with different quantities of psychoactive substances.
He added that another drug dealer, Emeka Ben, was nabbed with 4.7 grams of Methamphetamine on Asaba-Ibusa Road in Delta.
“Other suspects arrested on Thursday, Nov. 25 in the state for dealing in Meth, Indian hemp, cocaine, and heroin were Ifeanyi Odibe, Uche Onwurah, and Justice Obika.
“In Kano, a drug dealer, Alhaji Bukar Malan Abdu, was arrested and 143 kilograms of Indian hemp recovered from him while 466kg of same drug was seized in the home of one Bashir Shuaibu, an indigene of Edo resident in Kano.
“On Thursday, Nov. 25, a drug dealer in Maiduguri, Chima Obi, was arrested in a follow-up operation.
“The follow-up operation took place after the seizure of his drug consignment of 73.2kg of codeine at an NDLEA checkpoint in Postiskum, Yobe, on the same day,’’ Babafemi stated.
He said that NDLEA Chairman retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, charged its officers and men to strive to record greater feats until the drug supply and drug demand reduction targets of the agency were fully achieved. (NAN)
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
