NDLEA: How we destroyed ‘Black Kingdom,’ arrested 25 drug peddlers

A combined team of operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the police and the Nigerian Army have raided the notorious black market known in Abia State known as Black Kingdom.
The most shocking thing about the operation was how the security agents swiftly carried out the raids and shut down the market.
Black Kingdom is known as one of the most notorious locations in Aba, where suspected criminals sell and use illicit drugs. It’s also a place where one can find and hire criminals for unsavory deeds.
Black Kingdom is located behind the popular Shoe Plaza in Ariaria International Market. It could rightly be described as a supermarket for illicit drugs and had existed for nearly a decade.
The NDLEA, Abia State Command, Mr. Akingbade Bamidele, while parading 25 suspects, disclosed that they were arrested through the assistance of police and soldiers.
Some of the suspects arrested at Black Kingdom are Leonard Allison, an herbal medicine dealer, Iheanyichukwu Ahuruezeama, a drug dealer, Obioma Linus, a shoe maker, Chimezie Onyebueke, a graduate of Economics and Joy Asogwa, a mother of four.
Bamidele said that substances believed to be illicit drugs weighing about 15kg were also recovered at Black Kingdom.
Bamidele, who said that they were still profiling the suspects at the time of this report, expressed hope that the operation would reduce crime rate in Aba, and its environs. He said that the Agency would rehabilitate some of the suspects and charged others to court.
To forestall chances of resurgence of Black Kingdom, the NDLEA boss stated that the agency hopes to build a major outpost within the area. He further noted that this would serve as a means of dissuading drug dealers and users from illicit trades.
Bamidele said: “Black Kingdom is located in a very close proximity to the Ariaria International Market, making it nearly impossible for any major operation to be carried out without serious casualties that may involve innocent traders. They deliberately chose that place in other to mix with people that are doing legitimate businesses. We have gone there sometimes in 2015 and the result wasn't palatable. Since then, we've been going in the middle of the night which has not been productive. Now that we had collaboration with soldiers, navy and police, we recorded great successes.  On October 7, NDLEA in a joint operation raided Black Kingdom in Ariaria based on reliable intelligence that illicit drug activities were booming there. The operation was successful.”