Lagos chief priest arrested for drug trafficking, Australia-bound cocaine intercepted

Lagos chief priest arrested for drug trafficking, Australia-bound cocaine intercepted

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a traditional chief priest of the Igunuko shrine, Alpha Beach Ajah Lekki where 2,760kg skunk was recovered on 25th October 2024.

A statement released by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, says Bariu Aliu (alias Malo) has been arrested by NDLEA operatives after over three months of manhunt for him.

Though two of his accomplices were earlier arrested at the shrine last year and had since been charged and convicted in court, Babafemi said that Bariu was said to be the leader of the syndicate.

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In a related development, Babafemi said that no fewer than 20 wraps of cocaine weighing 330grams have been recovered from a cargo going to Australia at a logistics firm in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, in NDLEA. He said the cocaine parcels were concealed around the body of face cream containers in the shipment.

Further more, Babafemi mentioned that a total of Three Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand Two Hundred (338,200) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth more than One Billion One Hundred and Ninety Million One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Thousand Two Hundred Naira (N1,190,168,200.00) in street value, were intercepted in two containers watch-listed by the Agency following processed intelligence.

He stated that the illicit consignments were discovered during joint examination of the containers by NDLEA operatives, Customs and other security agencies on Thursday 9th and Friday 10th January 2025 at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state.

Lagos chief priest arrested for drug trafficking, Australia-bound cocaine intercepted