NDLEA arrests ex-Boko Haram fighter ruler for drug trafficking

The agency said that it also arrested Baale Akunola Adebayo’, the traditional ruler of Kajola, a border town between Ondo State and Edo, in connection with the alleged crime.

This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that the traditional ruler was arrested in Kajola.

He said the arrests were part of ongoing operations to mop up illicit drugs across the country ahead of the next round of elections.

He also said that NDLEA officers in the early hours of Friday, March 10, stormed Kajola forest in Kajola community, a border town between Edo and Ondo state where they destroyed three cannabis farms, measuring 39.801546 hectares.

“The owner of the farms who claims to be the Ba’ale of Kajola, Akinola Adebayo, 35, was arrested on the farm at 2:30am.

“Two other suspects believed to be his workers: Arikuyeri Abdulrahman, 23 and Habibu Ologun, 25, were also nabbed in a hut near the farms.

“Also, a 26-year-old Alayi Madu, who was a Boko Haram fighter for 15 years before he surrendered to the Nigerian military in 2021, was intercepted by NDLEA operatives.”

Babafemi said the suspect was arrested on Thursday, March 9 along Abuja-Kaduna express road with 10 kilograms of skunk.

According to him, he said he bought it in Ibadan, Oyo state and was taking the consignment concealed in a sack to Maiduguri, Borno.

“In his statement, Madu said he is from Banki town in Borno and joined the notorious terrorist organisation in 2006 when he was nine years old.

“He said he repented and surrendered to the military in 2021, after which he underwent rehabilitation and de-radicalisation processes at Umaru Shehu rehabilitation centre, Maiduguri and Malam Sidi de-radicalization centre, Gombe, before he was discharged after spending six months.

“Thereafter, he traveled to Ibadan, Oyo state where he worked as commercial motorcycle rider (Okada rider) before going into drug trafficking and his eventual arrest along Abuja-Kaduna express road,” he said.