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- We were given N600,000 to convey hemp, cartridges -suspects
From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Police Command has intercepted two trucks fully loaded with over 9,833 parcels of cannabis sativa worth over N600 million at Saranfo-Maje road, Tsamiya district of Bagudo Local Government Area, a border town with Benin Republic.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command SP Nafiu Abubakar, who confirmed this development while parading the four suspects and the illegal items seized with the conveying vehicles, disclosed that the prohibited items were heading to Lagos state.
The four suspects were Emmanuel Chukuma, indigene of Bande LGA of Abia State, Kanta Bisa from Asaka LGA, Ghana, Shola Adeyemi from Olufon area, Akure in Ondo State and Abdulrazak Agboola from Iyana Ajiya, Ibadah, Oyo State.
Their two trucks with the registration numbers Lagos IT21608LA, Lagos IT21520LA which were used to convey the cannabis sativa and live cartridges were impounded at the police headquarters, Birnin Kebbi.
Abubakar while briefing newsmen said “On the 10th September,2023 at about 1930 hours, a team of police patrol attached to Saranfo-Maje road, Tsamiya district of Bagudo LGA while on routine search, intercepted container truck with registration number Lagos IT 21608LA. When searching was conducted,4,927 parcels of suspected dried leaves to be Indian Hemp were discovered.”
He said that three suspects were arrested and after completion of the investigation, the suspects will be charged to Court for prosecution.
Abubakar also disclosed that another truck, which was intercepted on the 3rd of September,2023 at the same point was also discovered to have conveyed 7,500 lives cartridges and 4,906 parcels of cannabis sativa.
He said: “The same dedicated officers and courageous hardworking team of the Police borders patrol team intercepted another container truck with the registration number Lagos IT21608 LA with 7,500 lives cartridges as well as 4,906 dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp worth over N300 million.
‘One Abdulrazak Agboola of the Ajiya area of Ibadah, Oyo State was arrested. He confessed to being hired by the unidentified owner in Lagos to convey the seized items from Benin Republic to Lagos State.”
Speaking to reporters, one of the suspects, Shola Adeyemi from Olufon area, Akure in Ondo State, who was arrested with other two suspects, disclosed that he was promised to be given N400,000 to convey the items from Ghana to Lagos under the direction of the owner of the truck.
“I was promised to be paid N400,000 to convey the truck from Ghana to Lagos State, Nigeria by the owner of the truck. They have paid me N100,000. I took the minerals to Ghana and the owner of the truck told me to carry the items to Lagos. We moved from Ghana to Benin to Kebbi State where were arrested.”
Also, the only suspect arrested with the second truck, Abdulrazak Agboola from Iyana Ajiya area, Ibadah, Oyo state, disclosed that while he was negotiating with the police officers, his co-travellers in front of the truck had fled, leaving him alone.
According to him, “I was directed to drive the truck from Benin Republic to Nigeria. The Police intercepted us, I did my best to convince the police to accept our offers as directed by my co-travellers. But when I was negotiating with the police officers, my colleagues fled.
“Before I returned, they fled, I didn’t meet them again. We passed about five borders without anybody stopping us. But when we got to Kebbi, the officers over-checked us. When we asked why they were thoroughly checking us, they told us that they had intercepted one truck with Indian Hemp.”
He said that he was promised N200,000 if he drove the truck to Lagos State successfully and stressed that he was not fully informed about the contents inside the truck.
Agboola added that he was told that the truck contained 25 sacks of the substances until he was arrested and realized the items were more than 25 sacks.
The suspects however appealed to other citizens who might have the intention to be involved in such deals to desist from it stressing that, it was a dangerous adventure.
