Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have rearrested a notorious major distributor of illicit substances within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Ibrahim Momoh, popularly known as Ibrahim Bendel, seven years after he escaped from prison custody following his conviction for drug dealing.
The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, revealed that Momoh was arrested during a raid of his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of the FCT.
Babafemi said, “Ibrahim Momoh was first arrested on November 27, 2014 with cannabis sativa weighing 385.1kgs, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on July 22, 2015 but while serving his jail term at Kuje, he escaped from prison custody on May 16, 2016.
“Following credible intelligence, the NDLEA operatives on November 20, 2022 stormed the warehouse of the fleeing ex-convict, Ibrahim Momoh, and recovered 81 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 1,278kgs. The store was located within his poultry farm in the Dei-Dei area of the FCT. Though Momoh was not around at the time, his warehouse manager, 55-year-old Ghanaian, Richard Forson Gordon, was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail. The agency thereafter declared Ibrahim Momoh wanted.
“The manhunt for the drug lord paid off on November 5, 2023, when operatives again raided his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja where he was arrested with 56.9kgs of cannabis sativa and 42.7 grams of Diazepam. In another raid in the same area of the FCT on Monday, November 13, a suspect Yusufa Ibrahim, 27, was arrested with 75.3kgs of cannabis.”
Meanwhile, he further revealed that a massive operation in the forest of Efon Alaye in Efon local government area of Ekiti State on Saturday, November 18, 2023, led to the destruction of 52,500 kilograms of cannabis sativa covering over 21 hectares of farmland while a total of 92 bags of the same substance weighing 1,380 kilograms were recovered and another 250 bags weighing 3,000kgs stored in different huts on the farm were also burnt.
He added, “No fewer than 15 suspects were arrested on the farm during the operation. They include: Okikiri Julius, 27; Ozoemene Friday Efajemu, 31; Tosin Ibrahim, 18; Israel Samuel, 25; Godwin David, 39; Friday Isaac, 19; Ayomide Igbekele, 18; Joshua Daniel, 27; Emmanuel Nwachukwu, 19; Emeka Onyeama, 31; Ani Augustine, 27; Obasi Ogbu, 32; Orsusue Peter, 23; Daniel Emmanuel, 18; and Yinusa James, 22.
“In Ondo State, five persons including another wanted drug kingpin, Christopher Onyebuchi, 40; were arrested at New Bridge Compound, Idoani, on Wednesday, November 15, and a total of 1,945 kilograms of cannabis recovered from them. Others include: Olorunda Ojo, 52; Femi Tomoye, 22; Abdurahman Salahu, 29; and Momoh Jimoh, 31. Onyebuchi had earlier been arrested by the NDLEA, March 25, 2022 with 89kgs of same substance but jumped bail after he was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Akure. Operatives in the state also on Sunday, November 12, raided Upemen village in Owo where they recovered 1,834kgs of same substance with 273kgs also seized the previous day, Saturday, November 11, at Ipesi Akoko,”
While the NDLEA officers in Sokoto recovered 290kgs of cannabis from a female suspect, Fatima Salmanu, 20, at Gangaren Tashar, Illela Sokoto in Sokoto North LGA on Thursday, November 16, their colleagues in Edo State evacuated 808kgs of the same psychoactive substance stored in a forest at Igueben on Monday, November 13.
Also, not less than 231kgs of cannabis were recovered and five suspects arrested in a joint raid between the NDLEA operatives and soldiers in Kwande council area of Benue State on Monday, November 13. Those arrested include: Denen Terhemba, 25; Liambee Iorhuna, 36; Iorhuna Sughnen, 20; Aboh Sonter, 23; and Msendoo Tyokaa, 36.
Operatives in Ogun State on Tuesday, November 14 arrested a suspect, Tony Jonah, at Abule Iroko, with cannabis sativa weighing 67kgs, while those in Lagos arrested Chike Agu at Ago Palace Way, Isolo with 364.3kgs of Loud, a variant of cannabis.
Babafemi further revealed that in Imo State, the NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Owerri -Onitsha Expressway on Monday, November 13, intercepted a truck marked XS 669KRD driven by one Orji Ifeanyi, 33. A search of the truck led to the seizure of 82,320 pills of opioids including Tramadol 225mg, and Diazepam as well as 32.5 litres of codeine cough syrup and 100 pieces of Molly weighing 49.62 grams.
