Juliana Francis
Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police
Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have smashed a drug trafficking syndicate
and recovered over 300 sachets of Rohypnol among other illicit drugs.
It was gathered that at least six members of the
syndicate had been arrested and presently being quizzed by operatives.
According to the operatives, the six-man syndicate
operates in Kaduna State and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The
syndicate gets its supplies from Lagos State and Onitsha in Anambra State. It
then allegedly sells same to bandits.
A police source said: “We recovered about 15 grammes
of cocaine and over 300 sachets of Rohypnol from the syndicate. The total value
of the drugs is over N500, 000.”
One of the suspects, Jide Akinsanya, 37, who is
married with two children, said: “I came to Abuja three years ago and I started
out as an apprentice in a furniture company. I learnt how to make furniture at Die-Die
and Kugbo areas of Abuja. I started
selling drugs two years ago. There was this man known as Mr. Lanre, who I met
in a building, where he sells drugs. Some people used to send the drugs to him from
Lagos. They usually conceal the drugs in an envelope, which they waybill
through commercial buses. My work is to pick up the drugs at Giri and Yanyah
areas of Abuja. We send the drugs to Alhaji Yanyah, who sells them to end users
in Abuja. We use to supply him 20 to 30
grammes every week. After the death of Mr. Lanre, I took over the business; I
started supplying Alhaji. On each trip I
make N50, 000. One day, one of his boys called me, that they needed supplies.
When I got there, I was arrested. Alhaji Yanyah is presently on the run.”
Another suspect, Johnson Uche, 45, also married with
a child, said: “I grew up in Abuja. I used to supply ginger and maize in Zaria until
my business partner ran away with my money last year. When that incident
happened, my wife was pregnant. I was under serious pressure. It was at that
point that I was introduced to drug trafficking. I was introduced into the
business by a big time dealer at Area One. I used to buy a gram for N11, 000, which
I cut into pinches. I make between N3000 and N4000 as profit per gram. Most of
my customers call me on the phone. I got those customers through the person
that introduced me into the business. I
started the drug business last July. Most of the money I made, where spent on my
wife’s delivery. She delivered through a Caesarian Section. I ran into trouble on February 21, 2020,
after a customer called and asked me to supply cocaine worth N4000. In the
process, I was arrested.”
Mr Apai Idoko, 30, father of two, who confessed that
he deals in crack cocaine said: “I usually get my supplies from a man known as
Mike in Lagos. I sell based on phone calls.
When people call, I supply. I used to buy 20 to 30 grams. A gram is
N9000. I used to break it into pieces
and sell it on pinches. I sell a pinch
for N1000. I have been into this for two
years now, but I’ve been unable to build a house from it. There was a property I bought, but I later
discovered that it was a fraud. A few
days ago, someone called me for supplies, when I got there, policemen were on
ground. I was arrested at Sabo Kasua in Kaduna State.”
Mr Nnemaka Kalu, 38, who came to Kaduna in 1997 as
an apprentice to a businessman, said that he served the man for nine years and
after his apprenticeship, his boss gave him money to start his own business.
He said: “I have a pharmacy. Last month one Kelechi
came to order for Rohypnol. I called my contact in Ontisha, known as ND; I asked
for five rolls, which has 150 sachets in it.
A roll was N51, 000. When it arrived, I sold the drug to Kelechi at N52,
000, because I was just trying to assist him. I also made order for another
five rolls, which I gave him. On the third job, I bought 10 rolls and gave him
everything. By Saturday, Police arrested him and later came to arrest me. I
didn’t know that Rohypnol is a banned drug. I thought it was a drug they sell
without prescription.”
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