By IBIRONKE ARIYO

NDLEA has arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Ibrahim Momoh, seven years after he had escaped from Kuje Prison in the FCT.

Also known as Ibrahim Bendel, he was serving a prison term also for drug dealing when he escaped from custody.

NDLEA’s spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja that Momoh was arrested in a raid on his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja.

Babafemi described Momoh as a notorious major distributor of illicit substances within the FCT and recalled that he was first arrested on Nov. 17, 2014 with Indian hemp weighing 385.1kgs, prosecuted and convicted.

He explained that Momoh was convicted and sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison on July 22, 2015, but escaped from prison custody on May 16, 2016.

“Following credible intelligence reports, NDLEA operatives stormed the warehouse of fugitive Ibrahim Momoh on Nov. 20, 2022 and recovered 81 jumbo bags of Indian hemp weighing 1,278kgs.

“The store was located within his poultry farm in Dei-Dei area of the FCT.

“Momoh was not around at the time of the operation, but his warehouse manager, 55-year-old Ghanaian, Richard Forson Gordon, was arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to two years in jail.

“NDLEA thereafter declared Momoh wanted.

“The manhunt for the drug lord paid off on Nov. 5 when operatives again raided his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei.

“There, he was arrested with 56.9kg of Indian hemp and 42.7 grams of Diazepam,’’ Babafemi stated.

In another raid in the same area of the FCT on Monday Nov. 13, a suspect Yusufa Ibrahim (27) was arrested with 75.3kg of Indian hemp.

Meanwhile, a massive operation at an Efon Alaye forest in Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti on Nov. 18 led to the destruction of 52,500kg of Indian hemp planted over 21 hectares of farmland.

Babafemi stated that 92 bags of Indian hemp weighing 1,380kg were recovered, while 250 bags of same substance, weighing 3,000kg and stored in different huts on the farm were burnt.

“Fifteen suspects, with their ages ranging between 18 years and 39 years were arrested on the farm during the operation,’’ he stated. (NAN)

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