NDLEA nabs three illicit drug suppliers in Kwara

Gbenga Olarinoye, Ilorin

Kwara state command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested three suspected notorious suppliers of illicit drug substances in different locations of the state.

Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday on efforts aimed at reducing supply of hard drugs, the state commander of the NDLEA, Mohammed Bashir Ibrahim, said that the arrest was made within one week.

NDLEA boss, who said that one of the suspected drug traffickers, Nwankwo Chidiebere Innocent, is a major supplier of psychotropic substances in the state capital, added that two other suspects; Solomon Sonowo and Abubakar Tijani, were arrested with drug related offences.

“In the past one week, the command intercepted 4kg of cannabis sativa which is Indian hemp, meth and methavitamin from one Solomon Sonowo aged 24 at Bode Saadu, in the Moro local government area of the state.

“Abubakar Tijani, age 33 was also arrested at Bode Saadu with 14 kg of cannabis sativa.

“And there was arrest of one of the major distributors of psychotropic drugs in Kwara state, who gave his name as Chidi Godwin. He was arrested last year with a name given as Chidi Jonathan. The development aroused our interest to dig further with a visit to his house and found out that his real name is Nwankwo Chidiebere Innocent.

“He’s a notorious supplier of psychotropic substances in the state. He has no shop, meaning that he’s not a registered patent medicine seller.

“He sends his consignment from Lagos state and the goods was intercepted on August 12. He was called to come and collect his consignment. He was arrested there after. Exhibit include tramadol weighing 1.950 kilogramms, Diazapham of 2.950 kilogramms and 179 grammes of Pentazocine” he stated.

The NDLEA commander said that the suspect had been in the business for several years, “for him to have been arrested last year and this year again. His arrest will cut the supply and availability of psychotropic substances within the state”.

He said that the three suspects would be charged to the Federal High Court after conclusion of investigation on the three of them.

He lamented that analysis of drug seizure and arrest of suspects between January and June, 2023 showed that 85 per cent of suspects fall between the age of 14 and 40 years.

He added that 89 per cent of those that undergo brief counselling and resident rehabilitation in the command centre are in same age bracket.

“Hence, we’re intensifying our sensitization campaign and advocacy activities to get the message down among our publics, especially youth on the need to shun illicit substances”.

He thanked members of the NURTW for the cooperation in the fight against movement of hard drugs and appealed to commercial drivers who collect messages from people to help them deliver to be security conscious and have idea of what’s being conveyed.

“We’ve intensified our patrol activities, stop and search at almost all entries and exit of the Ilorin metropolis ro cut supply of Illicit substances into the state”.

The NDLEA commander, who warned dealers in illicit substances to quit the crime or leave the state, said that music has changed with his assumption of office in the state.

He said that the resolve of the command was to reduce availability and consumption of psychotropic substances in the state to the bearest minimum.