Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 90-year-old retired soldier, Usman Adamu, for supplying bandits illicit drugs in Mailalle, Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The retired soldier, who was arrested on Wednesday, was caught with 5.1kg of cannabis sativa.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, made this known via a statement issued and made available to newsmen on Sunday.
Babafemi stated that a 37-year-old indigene of Ovia Local Government Area of Edo State and resident in Italy, Solo Osamede, was also arrested for ingesting 41 wraps of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State.
According to the anti-narcotic agency spokesman, Osamede was nabbed and taken into custody for excretion while attempting to board a Turkish Airline flight to Milan, Italy via Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday, July 30.
He added that the swallowed wraps of the illicit drug were recovered in four excretions, which the suspect completed on Monday, August 1.
Babafemi further stated that a female passenger, Jatau Lydia Lami, was arrested at the Lagos airport for attempting to export 1,700 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed in her luggage to Istanbul, Turkey via a Turkish Airline flight on Sunday, July 31.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, a mother of three, hails from Zango Kataf LGA, Kaduna State and lives in Istanbul, Turkey with her family.
“She blamed her action on pressure to raise N5 million ransom to free her mother from the captivity of bandits who kidnapped her since June.
“Also at the SAHCO export shed of the airport, attempts by some freight agents to export two consignments of cannabis in a consolidated cargo to Dubai, UAE on Thursday 4th August were thwarted by NDLEA operatives who have arrested two of them in follow up operations.
“They are Oladipupo Oladapo Fatai and Animashaun Qudus, while two others are still at large,” the NDLEA spokesperson added.
Speaking on the arrests and seizures, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the anti-drug officers for their recent feats.
Marwa, however, charged them and others across the country to remain focused and vigilant.
