NDLEA arrests ‘Queen of drug cartel’ in Taraba

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has arrested a notorious queen of a drug cartel, Lami Rigima, who is supplying psychoactive substances to traffickers in Taraba.

The NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, said in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday that operatives of the agency had made the arrest months after being on the wanted list.

Babafemi said that the 40-year-old came under the anti-narcotic agency’s searchlight when a number of traffickers arrested in the state in 2021 and early this year fingered her as their supplier.

He said that the manhunt for Lami paid off on Monday, April 4, when operatives tracked her hideout in Iware village in Ardo Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State.

According to him, the search for Lami began in October 2021 following the arrest, prosecution and conviction of a 50-year-old drug dealer, Abdullahi Madaki.

“After serving his brief jail sentence, Madaki returned to the illicit trade with Lami still as his supplier.

“He was, however, rearrested on February 13, 2022, while another trafficker, Jamilu Hassan, 20, who is also a member of Lami’s supply chain, was nabbed on February 24,” he said.

In a related development, Babafemi said that operatives of the NDLEA arrested a cross-border drug trafficker, Emeka Okiru, 40, with 32,700 tablets of Tramadol 225mg under the brand name, Royal and Tramaking in Adamawa.

Babafemi noted that the suspect was arrested at Garden city, Mubi, Mubi North LGA, on Tuesday, April 5, while preparing to supply his customers who came from the Republic of Cameroon.

He said that the drugs were found concealed in cartons of paintbrushes.

In the same vein, in Oyo state, different quantities of Cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis were recovered from four suspects: Adetola Tosin; Akeem Kazeem; Korede Ahmed, and Abdulgafar Nureni.

The suspects were arrested in Omi-Adio, Ido LGA, Oje area of Ibadan North LGA; Iwo Road, Ibadan North-East LGA, and Sabo, Mokola, Ibadan North-West LGA.

“This was achieved when operatives raided parts of the state on Tuesday, April 5.

“At least, 172 kilograms of cannabis was recovered from two suspects: Zaidu Mohammed Kamba and Hussaini Dauda in Kamba area of Kebbi state on Monday, April 4 by NDLEA operatives, ” the agency spokesman said.

Babafemi quoted the Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of the Taraba, Adamawa, Kebbi and Oyo State Commands of the agency for their efforts.

Marwa urged officers in all commands to sustain the tempo of action against the drug cartels in every part of the country.

(NAN)