NDLEA Arrests Suspected Drug Dealer Seven Years After Prison Escape

Seven years after escape from prison, NDLEA arrests wanted Abuja drug kingpin
. Another nabbed in Ondo after jumping bail since 2022 as Agency recovers 63, 767.3kgs of cannabis, 82, 320 pills of opioids in raids across 8 states

Seven years after his escape from prison custody following his conviction for drug dealing, a notorious major distributor of illicit substances within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Ibrahim Momoh, popularly known as Ibrahim Bendel, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA during a raid of his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei – Dei area of the FCT.

Ibrahim Momoh was first arrested on 27th November, 2014 with cannabis sativa weighing 385.1kgs, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on 22nd July 2015 but while serving his jail term at Kuje, he escaped from prison custody on 16th May, 2016.

Following credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives on 20th November 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 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 5th November 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 13th November, a suspect Yusufa Ibrahim, 27, was arrested with 75.3kgs of cannabis.

Meanwhile, a massive operation in the forest of Efon Alaye in Efon local government area of Ekiti state on Saturday 18th November 2023 has led to the destruction of 52, 500 kilograms of cannabis sativa covering over 21 hectares of farmland while a total of ninety two bags of 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.

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 15th November 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 was previously detained by NDLEA on March 25, 2022, carrying 89 kilograms of the same substance. However, after being charged at Akure’s Federal High Court, he jumped bail. The state’s agents also raided the Upemen village on Sunday, November 12, and found 1, 834 kg of the same substance there, along with 273 kg that had been taken the day before, on Saturday, Nov 11, at Ipesi Akoko.

On Thursday, November 16, NDLEA officers in Sokoto recovered 290 kg of cannabis from Fatima Salmanu, a 20-year-old suspect, in Gangaren Tashar, Illela SOkota, Socoto, North LGA. On Monday, October 13, their colleagues in Edo state evacuated 808kg of the same psychoactive substance that had been hidden in an Igueben forest.

On Monday, November 13, NDLEA agents and soldiers conducted a joint raid in the Kwande council area of Benue state, where at least 231 kg of cannabis were found and five suspects were detained. These people included Denen Terhemba, 25, Liambee Iorhuna 36, Aboh Sonter, 23, and Msendoo Tyokaa, 36.

While police in Lagos detained Chike Agu at Ago Palace Way and Isolo with 364.3 kg of Loud, a variety of cannabis, on Tuesday, November 14, officers in Ogun state arrested Tony Jonah at Abule Iroko with cannabis sativa weighing 67 kg.

On Monday, November 13, NDLEA agents patrolling the Owerri-Onitsha expressway in Imo state stopped a truck with the license plate XS 669KRD being driven by Orji Ifeanyi, 33. 82, 320 opioid pills, including Tramadol 225mg, Diazepam, 32. 5 liters of codeine cough syrup, and 100 pieces of Molly weighing 49.62 grams were found during a search of the truck.

In the past week, the Agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign has been equally active in churches, markets, and other locations across the nation. WADA sensitisation lectures for students at Government Science College in Wase, Plateau state, Anglican Girls Secondary School in Ogidi, Osun, and Mainland Technical College, Oron, Akwa Ibom state are a few of them. They are also given to students and staff at the following institutions: Badagry Central Mosque for Muslim faithful in Badalambra state.

Brig. Ekiti, Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, praised the FCT’s officers and soldiers for the recent arrests and seizures in the cities of Lagos, Edo, Benue, Ogun, and Imo. As the holiday season draws near, Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their fellow countrymen to step up their offensive action tempo against drug cartels while maintaining balance with their efforts to reduce drug demand.