NDLEA arrests police inspector, army corporal, woman, 11 others over Indian hemp

The Kogi state command of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it had arrested 14 persons, including a serving Police inspector, a dismissed army corporal, and a woman over possession and trafficking of Indian hemp.

The people were arrested with 1083.62 kilograms of Indian hemp valued at over N6 million at various locations in the state.

The state commandant of the NDLEA, Mohammed Idris, who paraded the suspects at the state headquarters of the command, said the police inspector, Abali Zagi, was arrested with 818.2 kilogramme of Indian hemp packaged in a bus belonging to the Nigeria Police Force.

He said Zagi and two of his brothers, who were with him in the vehicle were arrested by men of the command at crusher area of Lokoja, when it was discovered that the police bus was being used to convey Indian hemp.

Apart from this, the NDLEA top-shot said a former army corporal, Umar Shehu, who was dismissed alongside others for mutiny in Maiduguri some time ago, was arrested in Obajana while in possession of 44 kilogram of Indian hemp.

According to Idris, the dismissed officer was arrested by the police and handed over to the state command of the NDLEA.

He also paraded one Monday Obiora and two others, who were arrested by the men of the Nigerian Army with 190 blocks of the product along Lokoja-Okene highway.

He explained that Obiora, who is the leader of the group attempted to escape and was shot in the leg by the soldiers.

Idris also said, a 40-year-old woman, Aminat Iredia, who was moving with her little son was arrested by men of the NDLEA at crusher area with 35 kilogrammes of the product.

Idris however noted that the command was able to achieve the feat because of the collaboration among security operatives in the state, adding that the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, had supported the command.

He said the vehicles donated by the state government to the agency had made it possible for his men to engage in patrols that had led to the arrest of the suspects.

Idris said, “We won’t relent in our efforts, the best thing for the people is to engage in genuine businesses, if not they would always be caught. The fight against drug will be intensified because drug is a nexus to other crimes”.

He however disclosed that the people would be investigated and later charged to court for prosecution.

The special adviser to the governor on security, Comm. Jerry Omodara (rtd), said the feat achieved by the command showed that the war against crime was being won in the state.

He said government would continue to collaborate and support the security agencies to ensure that Kogi is free from crime and criminals.