Army arrests drug peddler with 60 wraps of cocaine

The 9 Brigade Command of the Nigeria Army, Ikeja Cantonment in Lagos State,  on Saturday, paraded a hard drug peddler, Okafor Collins, caught with 60 wraps of substance suspected to be cocaine.

The 30-year-old suspect was arrested at 311 Road, adjacent Cincillati Club House, Festac Town.

Commander of the Brigade, Brigadier-General Musa Etsu-Ndagi, told journalists that the suspect was arrested in the early hours of Friday.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Etsu-Ndagi said the suspect was arrested by the men of the Operation Crocodile Smile, adding that the exercise was already yielding results.

The commander added that the suspect would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.

“You will recall that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai, on November 19, flagged-off Exercise Crocodile Smile. The exercise is now yielding result; the suspect was arrested by the Operation Crocodile Smile troop and he confessed to committing the crime,” he said.

He advised drug dealers to desist from trading in such substances saying it was increasing crime in the society.

“I strongly advise drug dealers to desist from trading in substances of this nature because these are substances that actually exacerbate crime in the society. When people take these substances, they become violent and would not know what they are doing anymore.

“All manners of crimes, including those committed in schools, can be linked to those hard drugs taking. So, I advise the public to desist from this, for the sake of the country at large,” he said.

The suspect, Okafor, said that he regretted his actions in dealing in hard drugs, adding that depression and unemployment made him go into the illicit trade.

He said he was getting his supply from a man he simply identified as Okwudilichukwu from  311 Avenue in Festac Town where the military men team arrested him.

He told journalists that Okwudilichukwu was using him as courier to deliver hard drugs to his clients.

Okafor also said he was selling a wrap of the drugs for N500 and that he was making between N10,000 and  N15,000 daily, depending on the demands for the products.