Two individuals, a hair stylist named Josephine Odunu and a dispatch rider called Edesemi Ikporo, have been arrested by operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for their involvement in the sale and distribution of illicit drug-laced chin-chin to school students and at social gatherings in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
The revelation was made by Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, in a statement issued on Sunday, March 17.
According to Babafemi, NDLEA officers on patrol in the Opolo area of Yenagoa intercepted the motorcycle dispatch rider, Edesemi, aged 30, on Sunday, March 10th, 2024. They seized 200 grams of chin-chin infused with cannabis sativa, which he was transporting to a buyer.
Following this interception, a rapid follow-up operation led to the arrest of Josephine, aged 20, who was found distributing the drugged chin-chin from the salon where she works in the Kpansia area of Yenagoa.
Babafemi mentioned that a search of the salon also resulted in the recovery of an additional 3.00 kilograms, bringing the total weight of the illicit substance seized from the duo to 3.2kg.
He disclosed that investigations uncovered their distribution of the drug-laced chin-chin, often mixed with cannabis and tramadol, to students and at birthday parties.
According to the agency’s spokesman, while Edesemi handled the delivery to buyers, Josephine served as a major distributor to a wanted suspect who produced the drugged chin-chin.
In a similar vein, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa state apprehended two wanted suspects, Ajim Samuel (aka Boss), aged 30, and Davidson John Joshua (aka Dantala), aged 36, on Wednesday, March 13th. They were arrested while returning from Onitsha, Anambra state, with a consignment of tramadol containing 14,428 pills of the opioid concealed in the body compartments of their black Honda Civic car marked YLA 623 SL. The suspects were apprehended along Numan-Jalingo road, and 21 grams of cannabis were recovered from them, along with monetary exhibits totaling N19,280.
The statement continued to highlight other significant operations conducted by NDLEA across various states, including Osun, Bauchi, Ogun, Kano, Nasarawa, and Edo. These operations resulted in the seizure of large quantities of opioids, cannabis, and other illicit substances, as well as the arrest of several suspects involved in drug trafficking and distribution.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the officers and men of the Agency for their outstanding efforts in combating drug abuse and trafficking. He also praised the various commands across the country for intensifying their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns, emphasizing the importance of both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
