Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Matthew Ossai, a 45-year-old mechanic, for allegedly using his workshop as a “front for storing illicit drugs”.
The anti-drug agency said the workshop is located along Agbor road, Benin city in Edo state.
In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said operatives recovered 48 kilograms of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine from a metal box in the workshop.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives arrested one Innocent Ekpe, a 49-year-old, over alleged possession of 292.48 kilograms of skunk, which was hidden in his Toyota Sienna bus.
The NDLEA spokesperson said Ekpe, who has been parading himself as a police officer, was arrested along the Benin-Onitsha expressway in Asaba, Delta state.
“Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged ID card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments,” Babafemi said.
“An accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was arrested along with him.”
The NDLEA spokesperson said 200 parcels of Canadian Loud were concealed inside a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos on September 12.
Babafemi said the illicit drugs were kept inside 31 black bags, loaded within two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container.
The NDLEA spokesperson said seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were intercepted at a logistics company in Lagos, adding that one Luke Ugokwe was arrested as suspect.
“In Lagos, a suspect Onyeka Ofor was arrested on Friday 18th September at his residence in Aguda, Surulere with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg,” the statement reads.
“In another operation in Lagos, Ibrahim Hudu (43) was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas on Thursday 17th September.
“A total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects: Sabi’u Umar (27) and Hassana Muhammad (19) who were arrested at Barunde area and Gombe main market respectively in Gombe state on Friday 18th September.
“A suspect Ifesinachi Godwin (25) was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha road, Imo state with 43.85kg of skunk on Friday 18th September,
“Four suspects: Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday, were nabbed during raid and destruction of 5,000 kilograms of skunk on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest, Ondo state on Tuesday 15th September.
“No less than 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was recovered from the location for the prosecution of the suspects.”