Crime

NDLEA arrests most wanted hard drug baron, 25 others in Ilorin

Stories by Ahmed Ajikobi

Men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Kwara State Command have arrested a notorious hard drug baron, 54-year-old Chukwuemeka Odeh.
Odeh, who has been on the wanted list of NDLEA, was arrested with 25 other suspects who specialised in drugs and marijuana distribution within the state.
It would be recalled that operatives of the agency had sometime in 2017 busted Odeh’s warehouse house located in Osere area of the metropolis, where 396 bags of cannabis were recovered.
The state Commander, Ambrose Umoru, during the parade in Ilorin, on Thursday, said that the arrests were made within two months of assuming office.
He said that Odeh, popularly known as ‘Chucks’, had been arrested by the command in 1994 and 2017, during which about 396 bags of cannabis weighing 4,356 kg were recovered from him.
“Chucks was declared wanted by the command since 2017, he had been on the command’s watch list until he was recently apprehended.”
According to him, others arrested are Osuolale Gabriel, 45; Jamiu Isiaka, 24; Akeem Salawu 32; Yusuf Ibrahim 52 and Ekene Chukwuma.
Umoru said that 14 University of Ilorin students were also apprehended while smoking cannabis and using tramadol tablets, but were later counseled and released.
“A total of 19 people who use drug were arrested during the ongoing “Operation Keep Drug Free” activities, but have been counseled and released to their families.
“Seven people who use drugs are currently undergoing care, treatment, counseling and rehabilitation at the state command headquarters with a view to reintegrating them to the society,” he said.
Umoru said that the command also discovered drug joints along Ilofa road, GRA, Ajikobi area, Adewole Estate, Maraba motor park, Oko Olowo area, Omupo, Malete and Tanke axis.
Umoru said that the command had also evolved a programme tagged ‘Know your Child’s Drug Status’, targeted at identifying people who use drugs.
The commander appealed to parents, guardians, schools, organisations and the public to take advantage of the anti-drug abuse sensitisation programme.
“Routine anti-drug abuse sensitisation activities are currently ongoing in schools across the state. All hands must be on deck for us to sanitise this state of this drug scourge,” he said.

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