Traffickers peddling drugs through Kaduna, Katsina to Niger – Police
By Kingsley Chukwuka
The Katsina State Police Command has said traffickers now found a safe haven in peddling drugs to Niger Republic through Kaduna and Katsina State.
Police say several traffickers have been nabbed while attempting to smuggle some illicit drugs to Maradi in neighbouring Niger Republic.
According to the Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Bello Shehu, said
5,000 pieces of Exol tablets and four hundred and thirty (430) pieces of Tramadol tablets were recovered in the suspects’ possession, on Sunday.
He said the suspects are Aliyu Idris, male, age 23, Abubakar Sa’idu, male, age 20, all of Kofar Kwaya as well as Abubakar Suleiman, m,ale, age 25 and Tajuddeen Umar, male, age 35, all of Sabuwar Unguwa in Katsina State.
Also, an 80-year-old veteran drug dealer, who is also an ex-convict, Ayuba Ashiru was also arrested in Kaduna State.
Officials said they uncovered 2.3 kilograms of skunk, a potent variant of cannabis, tightly wrapped in nylon and paper, ready for export to the Niger Republic.
READ ALSO: Ukum Attacks: Elders council gives Suswam 7 days to apologize
A statement released by the Police said they were not alarmed considering Ashiru’s longstanding history in the illicit trade.
“He claimed to have been in the illicit drug trade for the past 46 years,” the statement reads.
According to the Command’s spokesman, Abubakar Sadiq, all suspects were arrested based on credible intelligence.
He said all suspects had during interrogation confessed to the crime and further revealed to have gotten the exhibits from a supplier simply identified as Abba, a male, who lives in the FCT Abuja, and is currently at large.
“Efforts are being intensified to ensure the arrest of the supplier and bring him to justice”, the spokesman said.
Our correspondent reports that the Commissioner of Police, commends the operatives for a job well done and reaffirms the command’s commitment towards combating drug-related offences in the state as well as all other forms of crime and criminality.
“Furthermore, he called on members of the public to support the crime-fighting efforts of the command by promptly reporting suspicious activities,” the statement said.
