Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested three suspected drug traffickers who allegedly wore uniforms of security agencies to escape scrutiny.
They were identified as Yakubu Kotri, Salisu Mohammed and Dada Adekunle.
The suspects were reportedly arrested with over 427 kilogrammes of illicit drugs in Borno State and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Kotri, who impersonated a military officer, was arrested on Wednesday, December 29 while allegedly driving a Gulf car loaded with cannabis sativa weighing 208kg on his way to Bama, Borno State.
Mohammed, who allegedly adorned the uniform of another security agency to traffic tramadol to Bama, was also picked by narcotic officers on patrol on the route same day.
The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, in a statement said although the pictures of the arrest of Kotri in uniform had been trending on social media since Wednesday, the agency was disclaiming it because the suspect had not been confirmed to be a serving military officer.
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Babafemi noted that another impersonator, Adekunle, was arrested on Wednesday along with his 60-year-old accomplice, Usman Isa, in the Abaji area of the FCT with 15.843kg cannabis, while 20kg of the same drug was seized from one Alfred Aminu, who was intercepted at Gwagwalada the same day.
Also in Plateau State, a commercial DAF truck with the number plate, GME 874 YX, coming from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mubi, Adamawa State, was intercepted on Tuesday, December 28, along the Jos-Bauchi Road. Upon a search, 7.8kg of 225mg tramadol was recovered.
Also on Tuesday, in the Yauri area of Bauchi State, operatives arrested one Shaft’atu Abubakar with 174kg of cannabis and 2.1kg diazepam, while a suspected bandit, Usman Sani, was arrested in Dan-Anacha town, Gasol LGA, Taraba, with two pistols and ammunition.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Marwa (retd.), said the arrest of the fake security agents should serve as a warning to drug traffickers who wanted to wear uniforms of security agencies as a cover to escape scrutiny, adding that they would not go undetected.
