The Lagos State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a vehicle carrying 316.65kg of cannabis on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.
The drug was being conveyed in a Hilux vehicle carrying a government inscription. It was not immediately clear if the inscription wasfake or genuine.The vehicle was impounded and its occupants arrested.
The suspects, two women and a man, were travelling to Lagos from Owo in Ondo State.
They are Mr. Olasupo Taofeeq Olabode (31), a driver; Mrs. Rose Ossai (39); and Mrs. Grace Adejo (40).
Lagos NDLEA Commander Aliyu Sule said: “This group, made up of suspected women cannabis merchants and two drivers, specialise in inter-state distribution of cannabis.
“They operate cleverly and smoothly, using official vehicles as a cover. We got the information and have been working hard to arrest them. We must work hard to make Lagos drug-free.”
Aliyu said three members of the group, one driver and two women, are still at large.
The suspects have confessed to the crime.
Olabode said Ogidan Kayode, the driver of the official vehicle, introduced him to the business.
He said: “My daughter was ill and I needed N6,000 for her treatment. I met my colleague, Ogidan Kayode, for help and he promised to assist. He later drove his official vehicle to my house in Akure, the Ondo State capital, and told me to convey cannabis from Owo to Lagos. That was how I got involved. All I wanted was to take care of my sick child, but unfortunately, we were arrested.”
Mrs. Ossai, a Lagos resident, said: “I was told that there is much profit in hemp sale. I entered into the trade because I wanted to pay my rent. I am a divorcee with four children. I sell kerosene and drinks; I beg for pardon in the interest of my children. This is my first time.”
Mrs. Adejo said: “I am a widow with two children. This is my second trip to Owo to buy cannabis. I have realised my mistake and pray for mercy because of my children. I used to sell clothes in Jos, the Plateau State capital, to sustain my family after the death of my husband. “Unfortunately, I lost my shop and everything to the Jos crisis and relocated to Lagos, where I was lured into the cannabis trade.”
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Ahmadu Giade said the use of government vehicles to convey drugs is an indication of the desperation of drug barons.
Giade said: “This is worrisome, because these are mothers distributing cannabis to other people’s children. I urge the public to report suspected cases of drug trafficking to the agency. The consequences of these drugs on the society are grave. Drug barons are constantly looking for who they will engage in their illicit trade and it is wise not to yield to their deception
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