Following intelligence and surveillance, narcotic officers of the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a medical doctor, Jane Chioma Ofoma, in Auchi, Edo State, for allegedly dealing in drugged cookies.

Ofoma was arrested on Saturday, June 19 on allegation of operating an online catering service, through which she sells drugged cookies and biscuits.

She was arrested at No. 1, Winners Way, Auchi, and at least 94 pieces of cookies produced with cannabis sativa were recovered.

According to the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, 26-year-old Ofoma is a graduate of medicine from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and recently completed her housemanship at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. She has confessed to baking the cookies with skunk in her statement while under interrogation.

“In the same vein, a 30-year-old Emmanuel Ehiramhen, of No. 10, Egan Street, Ekpoma, has been arrested by officers of the Edo Command for dealing in crack cocaine.

Also, NDLEA operatives in Kwara State have arrested a 52-year-old ex-soldier, Ibrahim Musa, with 12.167 kilogrammes of Arizona (cannabis sativa), four grammes of cocaine and 25 grammes of flunitrazepam.

The suspect was apprehended on Thursday, June 17, 2021 at Oke-Odo, Tanke area of Ilorin metropolis, when he arrived from Lagos to supply his customers.

“Sgt Ibrahim Musa, who worked in the maintenance department at Abati Army Barracks, Lagos, from where he was deployed to 117 Battalion in Chibok, Borno State, before he deserted the army, had arrived Ilorin in company of his wife, Basirat Musa in his Honda Accord car with registration number JJ 707 BL Lagos, with the seized exhibit. He was however arrested at the point of delivery by operatives of Kwara State Command of the agency.

“Under interrogation, Ibrahim revealed that while at Chibok, he got the connection of a supplier of Arizona (cannabis) and other drugs in Lagos, who he immediately contacted when he deserted the army in October 2020.

“He said he decided to go into the illicit drug business to enable him to fend for his two wives and three children. The suspect revealed that the latest journey was his second trip to Ilorin to deliver the drugs and decided to travel with one of his wives who was not aware of his mission to Ilorin,” Babafemi said.

Reacting to the arrests, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the Edo and Kwara commands for their vigilance and commitment to ridding Nigeria of the menace of illicit drug trafficking and abuse.

He urged the commanders, officers and men of the two commands and their counterparts across the country not to relent in the discharge of their responsibilities while assuring them that he would continue to make their welfare a priority.