Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have apprehended two high-profile drug traffickers who had been on the run after being declared wanted for their illicit activities.
The drug kingpins, identified as Ajiboye Samuel, also known as “Na God,” and a community leader, Alhaji Bashir Talba, were arrested in separate operations across Ogun and Lagos States on the 25th and 27th of September, respectively.
A statement issued on Sunday by the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, confirmed that Ajiboye Samuel had been evading capture for over a year following a major raid at his warehouse in Mushin, Lagos, where authorities seized a staggering 1,101 kilograms of Ghana Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
Babafemi disclosed that Samuel, despite his efforts to remain elusive, was finally caught at a bank in Ogun State after the NDLEA’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigation traced and blocked 20 bank accounts linked to him.
Babafemi stated, “On Wednesday, 25th September, operatives arrested wanted drug kingpin Ajiboye Samuel (a.k.a Na God), after 12 months of evasion, following the raid on his warehouse in the Akala area of Mushin, Lagos, where 1,101 kilograms of Ghana Loud were recovered on 4th September 2023. His arrest in Ogun State was the result of coordinated efforts by the Agency’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigation, which traced 20 bank accounts linked to the suspect and blocked them.”
Meanwhile, in Lagos, the NDLEA’s crackdown also led to the arrest of Alhaji Bashir Talba, a well-known community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry, following the earlier arrest of his two wives and son.
The family was taken into custody after 226.2 kilograms of cannabis were discovered in their residence in Badagry.
Babafemi explained, “Similarly, on Friday, 27th September, NDLEA operatives in Lagos took into custody a wanted community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry, Alhaji Bashir Talba, after the arrest of his two wives, Hauwa and Asma’u, and son, Sadat, as well as the seizure of 226.2kg of cannabis at their homes.”
In addition to these major arrests, the NDLEA nabbed two ex-convicts, Muhammad Machido and Zakari Buhari, in separate operations in Katsina State. Machido was apprehended on the Kano-Katsina Highway with a significant haul of 51,000 opioid pills, while Buhari was arrested in Daura carrying 14 blocks of cannabis weighing 7kg.
Babafemi revealed that both men had previous convictions, Buhari had been sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment in February 2024 but had opted to pay a ₦15,000 fine, while Machido had been arrested in December 2022 with 45kg of cannabis and 2.5kg of tramadol and sentenced to two years in prison.
Further investigations by the NDLEA led to the arrest of Ejiofor Chiwuzie, an automobile spare parts dealer, who attempted to smuggle consignments of heroin and cannabis hidden inside LED rechargeable lamps and metal sofa legs. Chiwuzie was arrested at his shop in the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, on the 24th of September, after the illegal substances were seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport during a routine inspection of cargo destined for Liberia.
“Chiwuzie was arrested on Tuesday, 24th September 2024, at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, Lagos, where he sells automobile parts, following the seizure of his cargo at Lagos airport,” Babafemi said.
The concealed drugs weighed a total of 1.10 kilograms of heroin and 1.20 kilograms of loud.
In a series of related busts, the agency also foiled multiple attempts to export illicit drugs to various countries, including the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, Oman, and Thailand. Among the contraband seized were tramadol, pentazocine injections, dihydrocodeine, and promethazine tablets.
The drugs were cleverly hidden in various items such as footwear and cartons, destined for locations across these nations.
Meanwhile, in Lagos’ Ajah area, operatives seized 9.7 kilograms of cannabis sativa and 50 liters of “monkey tail” (a potent mixture of cannabis and alcohol) from a suspect, Florence Moses, in Badore. In another significant operation along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja highway in Kogi State, the NDLEA intercepted three men—Owolabi Dele, Ayodele Monday, and Olawale Ojo—transporting 2,062 kilograms of cannabis in a Mercedes container truck en route to Abuja from Osun State.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives arrested a 57-year-old suspect, Benedict Simire, in Kogi State while he was transporting 33.40 kilograms of cannabis along with a pump-action shotgun and six cartridges.
The agency also intercepted a boat carrying nearly 3 tons of Ghana Loud along Alfa Beach, Lekki, Lagos, thanks to the collaboration between NDLEA officers and the Nigerian Customs Service’s Western Marine Command.
In Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the NDLEA thwarted an attempt to smuggle 1,500 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup, containing 150,000 bottles, into the country.
This joint operation with Nigerian Customs resulted in the seizure of the 40-foot container at the Port Harcourt Port Complex. Similarly, in Niger State, 6,000 ampoules of pentazocine injections were confiscated from a suspect, Chukwudi Nwanoche, while another suspect in Kano was arrested with 15,530 tramadol pills.
The NDLEA’s aggressive crackdown extended to Plateau State, where a female suspect, Jummai Luka, was caught with 12,000 tramadol pills in Jos North LGA. In Oyo State, Segun Asogba was arrested with 601 kilograms of cannabis and a Dane gun in Igangan.
The ongoing efforts of the NDLEA reflect a broad and persistent commitment to combating drug trafficking across the country, with numerous high-profile arrests and significant drug seizures made within a few days.
