Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended Ibrahim Momoh, also referred to as Ibrahim Bendel, a drug baron allegedly involved in the major distribution of illicit substances in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, seven years after he broke out of prison after being found guilty of drug dealing.
In a statement on Sunday, the spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, stated that Ibrahim was arrested during a raid on his hideout in an area in FCT.
According to Femi, on November 20, 2022, NDLEA operatives descended upon the warehouse of ex-convict Ibrahim Momoh, unearthing 81 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing a staggering 1,278 kg.
Ibrahim, who had previously escaped from prison custody in 2016, was finally apprehended on November 5, 2023, in possession of 56.9 kg of cannabis sativa and 42.7 grams of diazepam.
Also, in a resolute crackdown on the illicit drug trade, Femi revealed that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has orchestrated a series of sweeping raids across Nigeria, yielding significant drug seizures and numerous arrests.
In Ekiti State, a large-scale operation led to the eradication of 52,500 kilograms of cannabis sativa spread across over 21 hectares of farmland.
The operation culminated in the arrest of fifteen suspects, including Okikiri Julius, Ozoemene Friday Efajemu, Tosin Ibrahim, Israel Samuel, Godwin David, Friday Isaac, Ayomide Igbekele, Joshua Daniel, Emmanuel Nwachukwu, Emeka Onyeama, Ani Augustine, Obasi Ogbu, Orsusue Peter, Daniel Emmanuel, and Yinusa James.
In Ondo State, five individuals, including another wanted drug kingpin, Christopher Onyebuchi, were apprehended, with a total of 1,945 kilograms of cannabis seized.
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In Sokoto, a female suspect, Fatima Salmanu, was found in possession of 290 kg of cannabis. In Edo State, 808 kg of the same psychoactive substance were retrieved from a forest at Igueben.
In Benue State, a joint operation between the NDLEA operatives and soldiers resulted in the recovery of 231 kg of cannabis and the arrest of five suspects.
In Ogun State, a suspect, Tony Jonah, was apprehended with cannabis sativa weighing 67 kg, while in Lagos, Chike Agu was arrested with 364.3 kg of Loud, a variant of cannabis.
In Imo State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck driven by one Orji Ifeanyi, leading to the seizure of 82,320 pills of opioids, including Tramadol and Diazepam, as well as 32.5 litres of codeine cough syrup.
This series of drug seizures serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in Nigeria.