Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, have intercepted the most wanted drug baron in Nasarawa state, Sami Ashoko.
A statement released by the spokesperson of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, states that Ashoko, 39, who hails from Ibilo in Akoko Edo area of Edo state, was arrested in Shinge, Lafia based on actionable intelligence. A team of operatives had stormed his warehouse in Lafia and recovered 100 bags of cannabis weighing about 1.1 tons or 1095.3 kg.
Babafemi said according to the Commander, Nasarawa State Command of the NDLEA, Justice Arinze, Ashoko is the most wanted drug baron who has been on the watch list in Nasarawa state. Arinze said this seizure has beaten the previous record of 45 bags weighing about half ton recovered in January 2021 as the highest singular seizure of cannabis since the inception of the Command in 1999. The seized consignment was meant for Easter sales, which he expects to sell out in two weeks.
In a related development, two members of another drug cartel, Adamu Badamasi and Adamu Abba were also arrested same day in Edo state while trying to move 950 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 1,330kg, procured from Uzeba, Owan West Local Government area of the state to Bauchi state for Easter sales.
Commander of the Edo state Command of the anti-drug law enforcement agency, Buba Wakawa disclosed that the arrest and seizure disrupted the Easter sales plan of the cartel, which tried to escape arrest through hinterland routes in their white colour Peugeot J5 space bus with registration number Lagos JJJ 722 XC.
In the same vein, another trafficker who supplies drugs to some notorious drug joints in Abuja was at the weekend arrested along Gwagwalada expressway, FCT while bringing 46 compressed blocks of cannabis for drug dealers in Mabushi and Banex areas of the capital city. The Commander, FCT Command of the Agency, Mohammed Salami Sokoto said the notorious drug supplier has confessed to being a major supplier of illicit substances to major drug joints in Abuja.
