NDLEA Arrest Suspected Drug Traffickers, Rescue Pregnant Teens

NDLEA Arrest Suspected Drug Traffickers, Rescue Pregnant Teens

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Imo State has said it rescued five pregnant teenage girls while on patrol along Aba-Owerri Expressway.

According to the agency, the girls were suspected of being victims of child trafficking, used as baby factories by their abductors.

Speaking on the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi revealed that they were picked up while being relocated from their hideout in the Naze area of Owerri to Ikenegbu area of the state capital.

Babafemi further stated that the teenagers were rescued on Wednesday, September 13, 2023, and the testimonies given by the girls revealed that they didn’t know the men who impregnated them.

“The victims are Chioma Emmanuel, 15; Uma Faith, 15; Divine Adimonye, 17; Opara Gift, 15; and Amarachi Mbata, 16.

Babafemi noted that “The Imo State Command of the agency has since been directed to hand them over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for further investigation.

Also, NDLEA intercepted attempts by members of some transnational drug trafficking organisations to export various quantities of methamphetamine and skunk through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja. These illicit drug consignments were concealed in different items.

Operatives of the Agency on Tuesday, September 12 thwarted an attempt by an intending passenger trying to board a Qatar Airways Flight at the Lagos Airport going to Oman with drugs.

The individual, Ugwu Tochukwu was arrested after his luggage was thoroughly searched and 7.50 kilogrammes of skunk were discovered concealed inside crayfish mixed with dry bitter leaf.

Additionally, NDLEA Officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations who were attached to some courier companies intercepted Dubai-bound 2.9 kilogrammes of skunk and 14 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in bags of Semovita and soles of ladies’ high heel shoes respectively.

Babafemi stated, “While two suspects, Moses Akowe, 32; and Sunday Gabriel, 31, were arrested with 227.1kgs of cannabis on Tuesday, September 11, at Ikebe village, Ankpa LGA, Kogi State, a female suspect, Bilikisu Salako, 35, was nabbed with 108 kgs of same substance on Saturday, September 16, in Ifo area of Ogun State.”

“Hundred blocks of cannabis weighing 55kgs and 600 bottles of codeine-based syrup seized from the duo of Salisu Murtala and Shafi’u Dahiru on Tuesday, September 11, along Abuja road, have been traced to two other suspects; Muntari Nasiru and Yusuf Ali, who were arrested in follow-up operations in Kano.

“In FCT, a 27-year-old Kingsley Chimaobi was arrested with 6,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup along Lokogoma-Abuja road on Tuesday, September 11.

“Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, September 13, sentenced a drug dealer, Segun Odeyemi to five years imprisonment for trafficking and dealing in 3,842 kilogrammes of skunk.

“He was arrested on Saturday, July 1, while conveying 89 jumbo bags of the illicit substance in his truck around the Eleganza area of Ajah, Lekki. He was subsequently charged in Suit Number FHC/L/388C/2023 presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko."