A 36-year-old woman, Chioma Afam, who 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 with her partner, Peace Chidinma Caleb, 22, for trying to smuggle a total of 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 on Saturday, July 17, along with Peace, 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 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.
Curiously, the two interstate drug traffickers have rebuffed efforts to take pictures with the exhibits without wearing their hijab.
MEANWHILE, the Ondo State Command of the Agency on Sunday, July 18, intercepted one Olu Ameh, a commercial motorcycle rider with 465 kilograms of cannabis Sativa along Ijagba-Ute road in the Ose Local Government Area of the state.
The illicit substance was allegedly bought from one Joseph in Ago-Akure, Akure North Local Government Area and being conveyed to the buyer, one Egbonwon, at Ijagba village in Ose LGA.
Reacting to the seizures and arrests, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the commanders, officers, and men of the Benue and Ondo states commands of the agency for their efforts at ensuring that no illicit substance is allowed to pass through their areas of responsibility under whatever guise or cover to destroy the lives of innocent Nigerians in other parts of the country. While wishing them and their colleagues in other commands across Nigeria a happy Sallah celebration, he charged them to remain vigilant at all times.
“For us in NDLEA, a kilogram of illicit drug seized by our gallant and courageous officers across the country is a kilogram less what is available on the streets and in our communities and that is why we’ll continue to encourage all our officers and men to continue to give their best in our pursuit of the mandate President Muhammadu Buhari has given us,” Marwa stated.
