NDLEA arrests Fela’s wife

Posted by admin Headlines Saturday, July 23rd, 2011

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested one of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s wives and two others for allegedly being in possession of 340 grammes of cannabis.

Najite Anikulapo-Kuti, 45, was apprehended alongside a former dancer of the music legend and a man at her Ikeja residence.

NDLEA Lagos State Commander Alhaji Sule Aliyu disclosed that the arrest and seizure were made following a tip-off.

He gave the names of the other suspects as Helen Richards, 36, and Mike Arinze, 26.

Aliyu said, “The suspects were arrested at Gbemisola Street, Ikeja and the substances recovered from them tested positive for cannabis.”

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, who confirmed the arrest, said that the case was under investigation. He said, “The arrest has been brought to my notice and the case is under investigation.”

There are however strong indications that the trio may be charged to court soon.

It was gathered that Kuti, a Delta State indigene, has a daughter for the late music legend. She blamed her involvement on temptation. While struggling to prevent tears, she said, “This temptation should have been resisted by me.”

Richards, the former dancer, said that she sold cannabis to sustain herself. The single mother of a three-year-old son was found in possession of 170g of cannabis. Richards said,

“It was the demand of my customers that pushed me into cannabis trade. Most of them prefer to smoke hemp when drinking beer.”

The male suspect, Arinze, in his confessional statement, said that he sold cannabis in night clubs. He was found with 120 grammes of hemp in his pockets at the time of the arrest.

In a related development, the NDLEA has prevented a 39-year-old suspected drug trafficker from smuggling 1.5kg of cocaine in liquid milk containers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos.

The suspect, George Mike Adelabu, was apprehended during the outward clearance of passengers on an Emirate flight to India.

The drug was factory packed in liquid milk containers among other tin food products suggestive of a complex drug trafficking network.

The anti-drug agency said it had launched an intense investigation into the seizure and described it as shocking.

Ahmadu Giade said the mode of concealment was a reflection of the desperation and sophistication of drug trafficking syndicates.

He said, “Drug trafficking cartels will continue to devise new tricks of shipping their drugs to preferred markets where they believe they will have more financial value.

“This is shocking. Who would have imagined that the content of the tins are not milk. The agency has equally risen to the challenge by conducting meticulous search as well as other techniques to counter the illicit activities of drug barons.”

While calling on members of the public to volunteer useful information that would lead to drug bursts, the anti-drug boss assured that informants would be rewarded.

He said, “We are adopting multiple strategies in addressing the drug problem because no one process can adequately tackle the drug trafficking situation in the country.

“The agency needs the support of all stakeholders and welcomes useful information that will lead to drug burst. This has become imperative because of the new strange modes employed in the illicit drug trade. We are prepared to handsomely reward anyone that will give us vital information.”

The suspect, Adelabu, who hails from Ondo State is married with a son and resides at Epe area of Lagos.

In his statement, the suspect claimed to have been involved in drug trafficking as a result of frustration.

He said, “I am a trader. I sell clothes. I now hawk my wares because I lost my job. I would have been given $2,500 for smuggling the drugs successfully.”

SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that upon interrogation, the suspect gave useful information that is assisting narcotic investigators to uncover more members of the cartel.

-Punchwp_posts