Drug Baron Under Six Months Surveillance Arrested In Adamawa, Says NDLEA

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a transnational drug baron, Henry Chukwuneku Okamaru also known as Lawrence IK Okamaru for his complicity in a 2000.6kg Cannabis Sativa seized in a concrete mixer truck in Adamawa State.

The concrete mixer truck with Lagos registration number SMK 890 XB was loaded with the illicit drug in Ogbese, Ondo state and it travelled for two months on the road before arriving in Adamawa where it was confiscated by NDLEA operatives.

Following its seizure, Matthew Donuwe and Friday Nmborgwu were arrested in connection to the consignment last December.

Further investigation revealed that Okamaru until his arrest was one of the leaders of a cannabis cultivation cartel operating in the Ondo-Ekiti axis.

He reportedly shuttled between Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo and Delta State from where he is said to coordinate supplies of illicit consignments to Northern parts of the country and Lagos State.

A statement by the NDLEA Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi on Sunday disclosed that the drug lord has also been identified as a member of an international drug trafficking ring while he shuttles between Nigeria and South Africa where he settled his family.

“He has a strong control and stake in cannabis cultivation in Ondo, Edo, Ekiti, Osun and Oyo States with large storage facilities in Lagos and Abbi in Delta State from where his consignments are distributed year-round,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, a Nigerian based in Italy, Nwakanma Michael Uche, 36 was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for ingesting pellets of heroin.

The indigene of Imo State was nabbed while trying to board Air France Airline Enroute Abuja-Paris-Milan, Italy May 15.

He was thereafter kept under observation during which he excreted 95 pellets of the illicit drug.

According to him, he came to see his parents in Nigeria after 12 years in Italy and to complete his father’s traditional marriage rites. He added that he was to be paid N1.5million after the successful delivery of the drugs in Milan.