In a recent operation along the Aba-Owerri Expressway, officials from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a group of five pregnant teenage girls, suspected victims of child trafficking. The girls were apprehended while being moved from their hideout in the Naze area of Owerri to the Ikenegbu area of Imo State’s capital.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, made this announcement in a statement issued on Sunday, September 17, 2023. The rescued girls were identified as Chioma Emmanuel, Uma Faith, Divine Adimonye, Opara Gift, and Amarachi Mbata. According to Babafemi, these young girls claimed they had no knowledge of the men who impregnated them.
The NDLEA has directed the Imo State command to hand over the victims to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigations.
In addition to this successful rescue mission, the NDLEA continues its relentless efforts to combat drug trafficking. They thwarted fresh attempts to export methamphetamine and skunk through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. These illicit drugs were cleverly concealed in various items, including crayfish mixed with dry bitter leaf, bags of semovita, and even the soles of ladies’ high heel shoes.
Furthermore, the NDLEA arrested individuals involved in large-scale drug trafficking across the country. This includes the apprehension of suspects with significant quantities of cannabis, codeine-based syrup, and other narcotics.
A noteworthy development in Lagos was the sentencing of a drug dealer, Segun Odeyemi, to five years in prison for trafficking and dealing in 3,842 kilograms of skunk. He was arrested while transporting a large quantity of the illicit substance and subsequently faced charges in court.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the agency’s officers and commands for their dedication to the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA). NDLEA teams have been actively conducting sensitization activities across the country, spreading advocacy messages and education about the dangers of drug abuse.
Marwa emphasized the importance of continuing these efforts and collaborating with various stakeholders to combat drug-related issues in communities, schools, places of worship, workplaces, and traditional institutions.
The NDLEA remains committed to its mission of eradicating drug trafficking and abuse while safeguarding the welfare of vulnerable individuals like the recently rescued pregnant teenagers.
