- Safiu Kehinde
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have banned two octogenarians, an 80-year-old grandpa Ayuba Ashiru and 82-year-old grandma Mrs. Uloma Uchechi following recovery of skunk, tramadol, and methamphetamine amongst other illicit drugs found in their possession.
This was diclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, Ayuba had previously been arrested and prosecuted by NDLEA for drug dealing offences was convicted and served 10-year jail term between 2014 and 2024.
Barely a year after completing his jail term, he would again be arrested on Wednesday at Barazana street, Dogarawa area of Sabon Gari LGA, Kaduna State by NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence.
Following his arrest, a total of 2.3kilograms of skunk packaged in nylons and papers in retail sizes were recovered from him.
He claimed to have been in the illicit drug trade for the past 46 years.
Similarly, the 82-year-old Mrs. Uloma Uchechi was arrested by the NDLEA operatives in Abia state yesterday following a raid at her home I Umuaguma Ntigha Uzor village.
She was arrested alongside her 32-year-old daughter Chisom Uchechi.
In the course of the raid, different quantities of methamphetamine, tramadol and skunk, a strain of cannabis as well as a cash exhibit of N130,600 were recovered from the octogenarian’s house.
Following her arrest, the grandma confessed that she and her daughter took over the drug trade after her son who started the business died two years ago.
In another operation at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers state, the NDLEA intercepted a total of three million pills of tapentadol and carisoprodol royal 225mg worth N2.1billion in street value in stacked in one of the containers watch-listed by the Agency based on intelligence.
The seizure was, according to Babafemi, made on Wednesday during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies.
In a similar development, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos on Tuesday intercepted another watch-listed container declared to have new car parts and accessories from India.
During a joint examination with other security agencies, a total of 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1billion in street value were discovered concealed in the shipment.