They were among 37 persons apprehended over 2.2 tons of illicit drugs seized by operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and in raids across 12 states last week.

Alayi Madu, a former Boko Haram member, and the traditional ruler of Kajola, Baale Akinola Adebayo, have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

They were among 37 persons apprehended over 2.2 tons of illicit drugs seized by operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and in raids across 12 states last week.

On 10th March, agents stormed Kajola forest near the border between Edo and Ondo states, where they destroyed cannabis farms measuring 39.801546 hectares.

The owner, 35-year-old Adebayo, was arrested there at 2:30 am, while other suspects believed to be his workers: Arikuyeri Abdulrahman, 23 and Habibu Ologun, 25, were nabbed nearby.

However, 26-year-old Madu was a Boko Haram fighter for 15 years before finally surrendering to the Nigerian military in 2021.

The NDLEA caught him on 9th March along Abuja-Kaduna road with 10 kilograms of skunk he bought in Ibadan, Oyo State, to be delivered in Maiduguri, Borno State.

Madu, a native of Banki in Borno, attended Umaru Shehu rehabilitation centre in Maiduguri and Malam Sidi de-radicalisation centre in Gombe State and was discharged after six months.

The suspect then travelled to Ibadan, where he worked as a commercial motorcycle rider before going into drug trafficking.

At the Lagos airport, operatives acting on intelligence intercepted 11.90 kilograms of heroin and 500 grams of skunk concealed in deep freezers.

The consignment was part of a cargo that arrived from South Africa on 7th March onboard Ethiopian airline via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Five suspects including a truck driver are in custody in connection with the seizure – Dairo Quam, Oluwaseun Ogunmene, Adeleke Abdulrasaq, Bamidele Adewale and Oluwafemi Ogunmeru.

Also, NDLEA operatives attached to the Gate C departure hall of the MMIA on 9th March intercepted a passenger, Aigbedion Philomena heading to Italy via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airline flight.

Upon a search of her bags containing body cream, hair attachment, drinks, and some food items, 1.20kg tramadol capsules concealed inside the gift wrapping sheet were found.

At the Idiroko land border, NDLEA operatives on the same day intercepted a commercial Toyota Camry with reg. number JJJ 756 HB along Ilase-Akoko road.

More than 30 jumbo size wraps of imported skunk weighing 17kg and concealed in two cooking gas cylinders were discovered. Benjamin Ajose, 48 and Oluwatobiloba Ajayi, 37, were arrested on the spot.

In Akwa Ibom State, Mrs. Hope Iniobong David, 42, was nabbed with bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,112kg (1.1 tons) kept in her house at Ediene Abak in Abak LGA.

In Kogi State, operatives recovered 25 cartons containing 50,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection weighing 200kg in a Toyota Hiace bus marked LAM 652 LG travelling from Lagos to Abuja.

In OgunSstate, a female drug dealer, Bola Egbebi in Ota LGA, was caught with different quantities of Cannabis Sativa, Methamphetamine, Tramadol 225, Skuchies, Molly and Codeine cough syrup.

In Gombe State, another female drug dealer, Fatima Hassan (a.k.a. Boss) was arrested in her house at New Mile 3 area of Akko LGA with three and half blocks of skunk weighing 3.245kg.

In Lagos, two other female drug dealers, Folake Ladipo and Adeola Babatunde were apprehended in the Mushin area on Friday with 49.5kg of skunk.