Police Seize ‘Illicit Drugs’ Worth ₦7.8bn in Lagos, Arrest Suspect Using POS Paper Business as Cover
- Zone 2 police, in a joint operation involving the SPU and divisional police detectives, have recovered hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud during a raid in Lagos state
- Suspect Eke Henry Ifeanyi allegedly operated a drug distribution under a POS paper roll business
- AIG Olohundare Moshood Jimoh said the police have expanded investigations into a wider drug network, adding that the suspect offered a bribe to evade arrest
Mende, Maryland, Lagos state - The Zone 2 police command in Lagos has seized hundreds of suspected illicit drugs, specifically substances popularly known as “Canadian Loud”, worth ₦7.8 billion during a raid on a residential property in the Mende area of Maryland.
The sting operation, which involved the Special Protection Unit (SPU) and divisional police detectives, uncovered a major drug trafficking network in Lagos state.
Addressing journalists at the residence of the suspect on Saturday, May 23, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, who heads the command, said the operation followed months of surveillance and intelligence gathering around a businessman identified as Eke Henry Ifeanyi, 41, who allegedly operated under the name Ogata Venture Limited.
Source: Original
How the suspect was arrested
Legit.ng gathers that the SPU team received the intelligence and collaborated with the Zone 2 Headquarters in the operation, which was coordinated with technical expertise and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Olatunji Disu, NPM, psc(+), and AIG Jimoh.
The raid took place in an apartment inside an estate in Mende, Maryland. Officers arrested several suspects, including the alleged kingpin, Ifeanyi, and recovered the illicit substances from his residence.
Police said the suspect used a business dealing in Point-Of-Sale (POS) paper rolls as a front while allegedly importing, storing and distributing prohibited substances within Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.
“It is shocking and surprising that this is a habitable compound of up to 10 families, and somebody can come and do this here and hide under the auspices of living within other law-abiding citizens,” Jimoh said during the briefing.
The police chief said officers acted on “actionable intelligence”, trailed and eventually arrested the suspect on Tuesday, May 19.
Police link operation to wider drug distribution network
AIG Jimoh said investigators had traced some of the alleged distribution channels within Lagos and neighbouring states, adding that the police were expanding investigations into a broader network of collaborators.
“We are going further to investigate those who have collaborated with him at every level to get this thing into the country,” he said.
“We will ensure that no stone is left unturned in ensuring that we get to the roots of the entire investigation.”
According to the AIG, the substances were packaged in specially double-sealed bags, which he said were designed to preserve the potency and street value of the product.
He added that the suspect allegedly used multiple vehicles, including one bearing what he described as forged presidential registration plates, to evade security checks while transporting the drugs in smaller quantities across different locations.
“These are the kind of vehicles that he uses to escape screening and to escape stop and search on the road,” Jimoh said.
Source: Original
Suspect allegedly attempted to bribe officers
AIG Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect offered a bribe of ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere.
He said the offer was rejected outright, and the commander immediately documented the attempt for further investigation.
“We are disciplined police officers. We are officers of the law. And we shun all acts of corruption and corrupt tendency in our investigation,” he said.
He said the suspect had remained in police custody since his arrest and that investigators had uncovered more details regarding the alleged operation.
Police will prosecute case
During the briefing, Jimoh noted that the Nigeria Police Force has constitutional powers to investigate and prosecute criminal offences, including drug-related crimes.
Citing Sections 4 and 66 of the Police Act 2020, he said the police would prosecute the case directly.
“We have the right to investigate and prosecute all criminal laws throughout the length and breadth of this country," he said.
AIG Jimoh added that exhibits recovered during the raid have been documented and will be presented in court, noting that the suspects remain in custody as investigations continue to identify other members of the network.
Suspect admits ownership of seized bags
In an exchange with journalists and police officers during the briefing, the suspect admitted ownership of the seized bags and said some buyers transported the products outside Nigeria.
When asked who owned the items recovered in the building, the suspect replied: “They belong to me.”
He also said buyers paid him about N500,000 per bag, although police questioned the figure and said intelligence suggested each bag could be worth millions of naira on the illicit market.
The police said investigations were continuing and promised to provide further updates as the case progressed.
“This is the beginning to the end of the issue of drug barons in this region of Lagos and Ogun state,” Jimoh said.
Source: Original
IGP Olatunji Disu Reacts
Reacting to the operation, IGP Olatunji Disu said the success validates the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun.
“Policing must be close to the people, and our specialised units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground. The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust," the police boss said.
The IGP added that his administration will continue to reward integrity and hold officers accountable to the same standard.
Nigerian billionaire arrested in Switzerland drug raid
In a related development, a Nigerian businessman identified as Amadi Simon was recently arrested in Switzerland following an international operation targeting a transnational drug money laundering network allegedly linked to billions of naira in illicit proceeds.
Two alleged accomplices, Jecinta Amara Ikechi and Blessing Ngozi Amadi, were also arrested in Anambra and Delta states during coordinated raids connected to the investigation.
Source: Legit.ng
