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Marwa’s NDLEA $278m cocaine bust excites Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd), on the agency’s recent smashing of the operation of an international drug syndicate in Lagos.
NDLEA reportedly recovered 1,855kilograms of cocaine said to worth over $278 million, in the raid.
A statement by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari, who is currently in the United States for the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, called on phone to congratulate the NDLEA chief.
The president, according to Adesina, said the news of the recovery gladdened his heart.
“I deeply appreciate the work that you have put into the eradication of the drug menace. It gladdens my heart as I continue to follow the successes achieved under your leadership.
“You have demonstrated over and again that choosing you to lead this fight against wicked merchants of death whose sole aim is to endanger and truncate the future of our youth is a very good choice. Please keep up the good work,” Adesina quoted the president as saying.
READ: NDLEA makes first drug arrest at Lagos airport new international terminal
At a meeting later with members of his delegation, the President reiterated, “Buba Marwa is doing well. Two tonnes of cocaine, that’s a haul.”
The NDLEA had announced the “highest cocaine seizure” worth over 278 million dollars and arrest of drug barons including a foreigner in a major operation lasting two days across different locations in Lagos.
Four drug barons including a Jamaican and the manager of the warehouse where the drugs were recovered were arrested.
The names of the kingpins of the cocaine cartel, currently in NDLEA custody are Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo state; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra State; Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo State; Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo State and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica.
NDLEA said it had been on their trail since 2018.
