A 36-year-old lady, Chioma Afam, who uses multiple identities and wears hijab to evade security scrutiny has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Benue State.
She was arrested along with her partner, Peace Chidinma Caleb, for trying to smuggle 296,000 tablets of Diazepam and Exol-5 from Onitsha, Anambra State to Gombe State.
Chioma who uses multiple names, such as Amina, Uzoamaka and Ifunaya to cover her criminal activities was arrested last Saturday, along with the 22-year-old Peace Chidinma Caleb who also wears hijab as a cover for her nefarious activities during routine checks and profiling of inward vehicles into Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
Their vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra state, the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi said, was intercepted along Makurdi – Alliade road while heading to Gombe State via Makurdi.
A search of their vehicle led to the discovery of 43kilograms of Diazepam and 33kg of Exol-5, both weighing 76 kilograms with a total of 296,000 tablets packed in four large ‘Ghana must go’ bags.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Command of the Agency, on Sunday, intercepted one Olu Ameh, a commercial motorcycle rider with 465 kilograms of Cannabis Sativa along Ijagba-Ute road in Ose local government area of the state.
The illicit substance was said to have been bought from one Joseph in Ago-Akure, Akure North LGA and being conveyed to the buyer, a certain Egbonwon at Ijagba village in Ose LGA.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd), while reacting to the two seizures and arrests, commended the commanders, officers and men of the Benue and Ondo State Commands of the Agency for their efforts in ensuring that no illicit substance is allowed to pass through their areas of responsibility under whatever guise or cover.
“For us in NDLEA, a kilogram of illicit drug seized by our officers across the country is a kilogram less what is available on the streets and in our communities and that is why we will continue to encourage all our officers and men to continue to give their best in pursuit of the mandate given to us by President Muhammadu Buhari, ” Gen. Marwa stated.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
