Bariu Aliu, a traditional chief priest, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Igunuko shrine in Alpha Beach, Ajah, Lekki, Lagos State, for alleged drug trafficking.
Aliu, also known by the alias ‘Malo’, is accused of leading a drug trafficking syndicate linked to the recovery of 2,760 kilograms of skunk at the shrine in October 2024.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, stated on Sunday that two of Aliu’s accomplices had been arrested earlier, charged, and convicted.
The statement notes, “In Lagos, Bariu Aliu (alias Malo), the traditional chief priest of the Igunuko shrine at Alpha Beach, Ajah Lekki, was apprehended by NDLEA operatives following a three-month manhunt. The skunk weighing 2,760 kg was recovered on 25th October 2024.”
It continued, “While his two accomplices were arrested at the shrine last year and have since faced charges and conviction, Bariu is identified as the leader of the syndicate.”
In a separate operation in the FCT, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects, Anthony Nnamdi, 42, and Abba Ali, 27, in Nyanya, where they recovered a total of 1.398 kg of cocaine along with a precursor substance used to manufacture crack cocaine.
Additionally, NDLEA officers intercepted a shipment bound for Australia at a logistics firm in Lagos, discovering no fewer than 20 wraps of cocaine weighing 330 grams concealed within containers of face cream.
Furthermore, a staggering 338,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup, valued at over one billion one hundred and ninety million naira (N1,190,168,200.00), were intercepted within two containers monitored by the Agency based on processed intelligence.
These illicit consignments were uncovered during a joint examination of the containers by NDLEA operatives, Customs, and other security agencies on Thursday, 9th January, and Friday, 10th January 2025, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State.
In another raid on Thursday, 9th January, NDLEA officers apprehended a suspect named Habibu Ya’u, 23, in Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria Road, Kano, recovering 45 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.2 kg and 40,800 pills of opioids, including tramadol, from his possession.