The National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano State has arrested two men found in possession of 2.92kg of Cocaine.
According to Vanguard, the suspects were paraded in Kano State to the press on Saturday, 20th April. The police commander, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul explained that the suspects were caught after a two-month investigation. The police trailed them to a hotel in Fage Local Government area.
According to the commander, the suspects were caught in the process of swallowing the drug-filled parcels that were to take to Sudan before taking a plane to Sudan and continuing to Saudi by sea. The commander, in a statement, said:
“We have adopted proactive methods for effective policing and investigations as it relates to drugs. We have been on the trail of the suspects for the past two months after intelligence gathering by our vigilant officers.
“You are all aware of the recent execution of a Nigerian as well as arrests by the Saudi Arabian authorities for drug trafficking yet, these people are not deterred from the illegal business.”
This arrest comes on the heels of Saudi Arabia releasing a list of Nigerians to be executed due to drug charges. This was after the execution of Kudirat Afolabi, a Nigerian woman that was executed after being caught in possession of 1,183 grams of cocaine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
According to Sahara Reporters, in response to the widespread criticism on the case, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia said in a statement:
“It is well-known for all those interested in travelling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that the penalty for drug trafficking is the death sentence and the said sentence is applied on all persons convicted without any exceptions, as long as the evidence is established against them, and this is conveyed to every person prior to his trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,”
Last week, Saudi Arabia also released a list of at least 23 more Nigerians that would be executed for being convicted on drug charges. The arrests were made between 2016 and 2017 at the King Abdul-Aziz International Airport, Jeddah and Prince Muhammed Bin Abdul-Aziz International Airport
The Nation published the names to be executed and they are: Adeniyi Adebayo Zikri; Tunde Ibrahim; Jimoh Idhola Lawal; Lolo Babatunde; Sulaiman Tunde; Idris Adewuumi Adepoju; Abdul Raimi Awela Ajibola; Yusuf Makeen Ajiboye; Adam Idris Abubakar; Saka Zakaria; Biola Lawal;Isa Abubakar Adam; Ibrahim Chiroma; Hafis Amosu; Aliu Muhammad; Ms. Funmilayo Omoyemi Bishi; Ms. Mistura Yekini; Amina Ajoke Alobi; Kuburat Ibrahim; Alaja Olufunke Alalaoe Abdulqadir; Fawsat Balagun Alabi; Aisha Muhammad Amira; and Adebayo Zakariya.
While speaking to newsmen, the commander, Dr. Ibrahim Abdul made it clear that they were cracking down on the drug trade in the state. Pulse reports that the commander in his statement listed the drugs that they have seized this month alone. He said:“Within the month of April, we succeeded in seizing 836.927 kilograms of exhibits which includes 9.927 cocaine, 250 kilograms of cannabis sativa, 560 kilograms of Tramadol, and also 24 kilograms of a drug imported from South Africa, known as Khat,’.
