Sunday Ejike – Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested the founder and General Overseer of Seraphic and Sabbath Assembly, Lagos, High Priest Nnodu Azuka Kenrick, a student of Emmanuel College of Theology, Samanta, Ibadan, Udezuka Udoka and their freight agent, Oyoyo Mary Obasi over attempt to export methamphetamine and skunk consignments concealed in kegs of palm oil through the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos International Airpor to Dubai, United Arab Emirate.
High Priest Nnodu was arrested on Saturday at his Seraphic and Sabbath Assembly church located at No 1, Sabbath Close, Ijesha area of Lagos, following the arrest of two suspects: Oyoyo Mary Obasi and the theology student Udezuka Udoka on Thursday at the Lagos airport in connection with the seizure of 283 parcels of skunk weighing 14.90 kilograms and 204 grams of methamphetamine concealed in four 25-litre kegs of palm oil for export to Dubai.
In her statement, Mary indicted the General Overseer of her new-found church, Nnodu and his son, Chisom Obi, who is now at large as the persons that gave her the consignments for export after being compelled to take an oath of secrecy as well as a sacrifice of chicken in the church. At the same time, High Priest Nnodu prayed for her for the transaction’s success.
Spilling the beans on how her church’s GO recruited her, Mary said the clergyman and his son used threats to compel her to take the job after they knew she had known their secrets, adding that High Priest Nnodu was constantly referring to the illicit drugs as Ice and Bible, (Street names for Methamphetamine and Cannabis) in their telephone text message chats.
The theology student, Udezuka, was introduced to Mary to assist her because she was new in the illicit business. Udezuka said he was paid N2 million for his role and had to do it because he needed the money for his education.
Another attempt to send a consignment of skunk and tramadol 225mg to the UAE by a Dubai-returnee, Nnamani Monday, Innocent, was also frustrated following his arrest at the Trade Fair complex in the Ojo area of Lagos, where he had gone in the company of his friend Nwanana Emmanuel Ikechukwu with the cargo to a freight company to process the consignment for export on February 7.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives attached to the SAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport the same day intercepted a cargo going to London, United Kingdom. In the consignment containing food items packed in a carton, the four walls of the carton were used to conceal 1.10 kilograms of methamphetamine. At the same time, the freight agent, Agholor Emmanuel, who presented the cargo for export, was immediately arrested.
NDLEA operatives, on the same February 7, intercepted a consignment of 1,340 kilograms of cannabis sativa from Ogbese, Ondo state, in a Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) truck to Okurikang Okoyong in Odukpani LGA, Cross River State.
Following credible intelligence, the movement was monitored for three weeks. Upon arrival, 130 bags of cannabis weighing 1.430 tons were recovered from the LNG truck and the cartel hired 13 motorcycles to convey the consignment deep into the forest.
In Kano, four suspects, Ado Shuaibu, Yahaya Shuaibu, Mamman Sani and Umar Musa Yakubu, were arrested in connection with the seizure of 229 blocks of skunk weighing 131.1kgs. While Umar was arrested on February 7 at Tumfafi village, Kano, the trio of Ado, Yahaya and Mamman were nabbed on February 11 at Garin Balarabe, Maigatari, Jigawa state, in a follow-up operation. Another suspect, Aisha Muhammad, was arrested in Koki area of Kano with 17kgs cannabis.
The Director Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday that no fewer than four syndicate members who use dispatch motorcycles to distribute illicit drugs in the Lekki area of Lagos were arrested on February 5. They include Tijani Oladapo Hakeem, Eric Maku, Ahmed Jubril Olamide, and Adobi Fortune Chris. At their arrest, 1.88kgs of Loud and assorted paraphernalia were recovered.
While 79.1kgs skunk was seized during a raid in Lagos Island on February 7 by NDLEA operatives, a total of 2,370.06 kilograms of cannabis and two boats seized at a jetty in Lagos by men of Civil Defence Corps were handed over to the Lagos command of the Agency.
