Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,(NDLEA) have arrested a suspected fake soldier, Hayatu Galadima and an accomplice, Hamisu Adamu while conveying drugs, ammunition and some communication equipment to bandits in Kaduna.

They were intercepted by a patrol team of NDLEA officers along Gwagwalada expressway, Abuja on Friday night. Items recovered from them include 21 RLA 7.45mm ammunition concealed in water bottle, 16 packs of new two-way radio (Walkie talkie), four army coloured head masks, wallet containing army ID card, 1USD, 2 FCMB, 1 First Bank, 1 Ecobank, 1 UBA, 1 Skye Bank ATM cards, wraps of cannabis sativa; tablets of tramadol, three MTN, two 9mobile and one airtel simcards packs, one iPhone 12 pro, one Samsung A31, one Nokia phones, seven Nigerian Army pass letters, five handbags and one bagco bag containing personal belongings, as well as a gallon of palm oil, packaged for onward delivery to bandits at various locations.

When accosted, Hayatu Galadima claimed to be a Lance Corporal with Nigerian Army serving in Ibadan. They claimed to be conveying the exhibits to Kaduna and Kano, but were unable to give satisfactory answers to questions from the drug law enforcement officers. 

Preliminary investigation however revealed that the suspects may be in close contacts with bandits in the North West, as both men were discovered to be on the watch list of another intelligence agency. They were possibly moving the ammunition and the two-way radios to bandits who are presently excommunicated due to the suspension of telecommunications services in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna states.

The NDLEA has contacted the Nigerian Army and moved the two suspects into the custody of the agency which had earlier placed the two men on its watch list for further investigation.

In a related developments, in Rivers state, a final year student of Fine Arts and Design, University of Port Harcourt, Mario Okiwelu was arrested for importing from the US five variants of liquid cannabis weighing 49.6grams. He was nabbed through controlled delivery along with his accomplice, Precious Awuse on Monday 27th Sept, 2021 around NIPOST area, Port Harcourt.

Narcotics officers attached to some courier firms in Lagos have also seized different sizes of illicit drugs including 40grams of cocaine concealed in a University of Uyo degree certificate meant for Australia, 280 grams of cannabis hidden in body cream bottles going to Cyprus, 400 grams of tramadol tucked in plastic bottles heading to Australia and 1kg of Methamphetamine concealed in auto parts on it's way to Hong Kong.

In a separate operation, 20 cartons of khat weighing 126.900 kilograms through the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, were thwarted and the consignment seized. Similarly, on Wednesday 29th Sept, one Ibrahim Kale Sulyman was arrested during cargo search operations at SAHCO export shed and sachets of tramadol weighing 76grams concealed inside black soap heading to Dubai, UAE were recovered from the suspect.

In Kaduna, operatives arrested a widow, Aliya Idris on Saturday 25th September in the house of a wanted drug dealer, Shamsu Boda at Joji road, Tudun Wada, Zaria. She was arrested during an operation at Shamsu Bodas house. Found in her possession were 30 bottles of cough syrup with codeine and 20 sachets of rophynol with gross weight of 4.2kg and 77.5 grams respectively.

Other raids across Lagos state on Wednesday, 29th Sept, led to the arrest of two drug dealers in possession of over 1,213.2kg of illicit drugs. At Ikosi, Ketu, Kosofe L.G.A, 22-year-old Peter Prosper Onome from Isoko, Delta State was arrested with 442 grams of different types of drugs including: 426 grams of Cannabis Sativa, 15 grams of Colorado, 6 grams of Cocaine, 4 grams of Rohypnol and 1 gram of Methamphetamine. 

At Lekki, one Justin Clement, from Michika, Adamawa State was arrested with 500 grams of Cannabis Sativa. Also on the same day, officers of the Lagos Command of the Agency raided another notorious hideout in Petti, Lagos Island where they recovered an abandoned 1,213.2kg of Cannabis Sativa.

Reacting, Gen. Marwa commended officers and men of the FCT, Rivers, DOGI, MMIA, Kaduna and Lagos Commands of the Agency for an outstanding performance in the past week. He also charged them and their colleagues in other command areas to remain steadfast, vigilant and gallant in the discharge of their duties.