A Wanted drug kingpin Henry Chukwuneku Okamaru (a.k.a. Lawrence Ik Okamaru) has been arrested with two other suspected drug partners in Ondo and Adamawa State after five months of a manhunt by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
The Two suspects Matthew Donuwe and Friday Nmborgwu were arrested in connection to the consignment of the 2000.6kg Cannabis Sativa in a concrete mixer truck in Adamawa State last 2nd December 2021.
A statement by Femi Babafemi Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Abuja Sunday 29th May 2022 said the suspects confessed that the concrete mixer truck with Lagos registration number SMK 890 XB was loaded with the illicit drug in Ogbese, Ondo state while they traveled for two months on the road before arriving Adamawa where they were eventually arrested by NDLEA opera
tives.
“Investigations reveal that Okamaru is one of the leaders of a cannabis cultivation cartel that operates in the Ondo-Ekiti axis, while he shuttles between Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, and Delta State from where he coordinates supplies of illicit consignments to Northern parts of the country and Lagos State.
The drug lord has also been identified as a member of an international drug trafficking ring, while he shuttles between Nigeria and South Africa where he settles his family. He has strong control and stake in cannabis cultivation in Ondo, Edo, Ekiti, Osun, and the Oyo States with large storage facilities in Lagos and Abbi in Delta State from where his consignments are distributed year-round.”
In the same vein, a 36-year-old Nigerian based in Italy, Nwakanma Michael Uche has also been arrested for ingesting pellets of heroin at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA Abuja by the operatives of the NDLEA
Preliminary investigations review that Nwakanma hails from, Arodizuogu Village, Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State and was nabbed while trying to board Air France Airline Enroute Abuja-Paris-Milan, Italy on Sunday 15th May 2022. According to Femi, He said the suspect was kept under observation during which he excreted 95 pellets of the illicit drug.
“He claimed he came to see his parents in Nigeria after 12 years in Italy and to complete his father’s traditional marriage rites. He added that he was to be paid N1.5million after successful delivery of the drugs in Milan.”
Meanwhile, following intelligence and prolonged surveillance the operatives in its offensive action against drug cartels Across five states of Edo, Kaduna, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, and Oyo, raided a pharmacy in Edo state along Sapele R
oad, Benin on Friday 27th May, arrested a 58 old store owner by name Thaddeus Uliagbafusi.
“A total of 130,670 tablets of different controlled drugs, 1,396 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 743 bottles of codeine were recovered from a secret location where the drugs are repackaged. This followed a similar raid of a drug joint operated by Mrs. Christianah Gabriel, 53, at Uromi, Esan North-East LGA, Edo State, who was arrested with 25kg cannabis.
While 15, 000 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized by operatives in Kaduna along Abuja-Kaduna express road, 12,500 tablets of Diazepam were intercepted along the Okene-Abuja highway on Thursday 26th May. The drug exhibits were found inside a truck conveying motor spare parts from Onitsha, Anambra to Kaduna.
In Akwa Ibom, a female drug dealer, Irene Emmanuel Bassey was arrested on Saturday 28th May, during a search of her house at Ikpa town, Esit Eket LGA where 30.5kg cannabis was recovered, while one Muideen Rasaki was nabbed with 90.8kg cannabis at Elere, Boluwaji area of Ibadan South-East LGA.”
Com
mending the officers and men of the Directorate of Intelligence, NAIA, Edo, Kaduna, Kogi, Akwa Ibom, and Oyo state Commands of the Agency for the series of arrests and seizures in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their compatriots across the country not to relent in their offensive action against drug cartels and their kingpins.
