NDLEA arrests wanted drug barons, two others who ingested 175 wraps of illicit drugs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has detained two wanted drug barons with multi-billion-naira worth of illicit drugs and assets seized from them.

The duo – Hakeem Salami and Ikechukwu Okafor – were taken into custody after weeks of intelligence-led operations within and outside Nigeria.

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He said the NDLEA operatives also arrested two suspected traffickers for allegedly ingesting illicit drugs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Babafemi said: “NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on October 10 succeeded in taking into custody, Hakeem Salami.

“The suspect is the arrowhead of ‘Tajudeen Babatunde Abioye Transnational Criminal Organisation’ involved in the illicit trade of several narcotics including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ephedrine traded between Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.

“The suspect fled Nigeria to South Africa upon the arrest of a member of his syndicate, Suleiman Oba, at the Lagos airport on August 25 over an attempt to export 25.10kgs of ephedrine to South Africa.

“Salami was, however, smoked out of hiding through a partnership with South African authorities and other intelligence and investigative mechanisms.

“While some of his luxury vehicles have been seized and his home in Surulere Lagos sealed, other members of the cartel already in custody include Suleiman and Godwin Edet Mathew.

“In his statement, he claimed he was into the importation of building materials from China to Nigeria and used to sell gold in South Africa before delving into the illicit drug trade about two years ago.

“The operatives also took into custody the head of another cartel, Ikechukwu Okafor (aka Jantu), and his wife, Ifeyinwa Okafor, on October 5.

“The NDLEA operatives raided their hideout at 9 Awa Street, Ago Palace, Okota area of Lagos and recovered 27.566 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in a blue box and two sacks ready for export to Europe and Asia.

READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests wanted kingpin, others over 4 tons of drugs

“Their Lexus RX350 marked ABJ 512 AY parked in the house was also seized during the operation.

“Their arrest followed weeks of intelligence gathering about the activities of the criminal network.

“At the Abuja airport, operatives on October 6 arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Nwofor Ejiogu, 45, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Doha.

“After a body scan revealed the suspect ingested cocaine, he was placed under observation during which he allegedly excreted 75 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.653kgs.

“At the point of his arrest, Nwofor who was the last passenger to board his flight, offered to compromise an NDLEA officer with $3,000 to free him.

“The following day, October 7, another trafficker, Nwufo Charles, 45, was also arrested while attempting to board Lufthansa Airlines flight LH 0595 to Paris, France via Frankfurt, Germany.

“After Charles was put through the body scanner, he was taken into the recovery room where he excreted 96 wraps of heroin he ingested with a total weight of 1.413kgs.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now