The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Anietie Okon Effiong, a pastor, for being in possession of illicit drugs in Lagos.

In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA said it carried out the arrest on Saturday.

“A trans-border drug dealer, Pastor Anietie Okon Effiong, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, with three drums of crystal methamphetamine, locally called Mkpuru Mmiri, believed to have been imported from India,” the statement, signed by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, read in part.

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“The consignment weighing 90 kilograms and loaded into a commercial bus with registration number RSH 691XC at Ojuelegba in Lagos was intercepted during a stop and search operation along Umuahia – Ikot Ekpene highway on Saturday 6th August 2022. The dangerous drug packed 30kg in each drum was meant for Pastor Anietie Okon Effiong, who was arrested in a follow up operation at Oron beach in Oron. The recovered Meth drums were meant for onward delivery to the Republic of Cameroon.

“This comes on the heels of four seizures of the same illicit substance weighing 4.074kg going to Australia, Indonesia and Philippines with a 3kg cannabis sativa heading to Dubai, United Arab Emirates at some courier companies in Lagos. The consignments were concealed in body cream, hot burner iron and beads.”

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NDLEA’s statement also noted that the agency arrested Usman Adamu, a 90-year-old retired soldier, in Mailalle, Sabon Birni, Sokoto, for supplying bandits illicit drugs on Wednesday. At the time of Adamu’s arrest, he had 5.1kg cannabis sativa on him.

The agency also arrested Jatau Lydia Lami, a female passenger on a Turkish airline flight, after its operatives discovered 1,700 tablets of 225mg tramadol concealed in her luggage on July 31. Lami was about to fly to Istanbul, Turkey, when the NDLEA apprehended her.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, a mother of three, hails from Zango Kataf LGA, Kaduna State and lives in Istanbul, Turkey with her family. She blamed her action on pressure to raise N5 million ransom to free her mother from the captivity of bandits who kidnapped her since June,” NDLEA stated.