Hyacinth Chinweuba
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a dismissed soldier and his accomplice for transporting about 1,200kg of cannabis and other hard drugs.
The dismissed soldier, Okoliko Andrew, and his accomplice, Idowu Adebayo, were conveying drugs with their vehicle before they were intercepted around Itowolo, Ikorodu area of the state.
The suspects were initially stopped for driving through Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) corridor around Itowolo, an offense that contravenes the state traffic laws.
Upon further interrogation by the police operatives attached to the state’s Task Force team, it was discovered that the suspects who were parading themselves as uninformed men were smuggling substances suspected to be drugs.
A witness disclosed that the suspects were initially stopped by the Taskforce team for plying the BRT corridor and they tried to gratify the officers who rejected the offer.
But trouble started when they failed to properly identify themselves as they had earlier claimed they were soldiers, and the police picked them.
While confirming the arrest, another source from the task force team, who preferred not to be named said the police seized 24 bags of 50kg of Indian hemp and also recovered other outlawed drugs from the suspects.
The source said the suspects were intercepted while driving two vehicles: a Toyota Corolla with registration number CE APP 903FR and a Peugeot 307 with registration CB 686 ABJ.
According to the source, the suspects are residing at No. 1, Pedro Compound, Charley Boy, area of the state.
The source added that the suspects claimed they were to deliver the bags of cannabis to someone at Sura Market at Lagos Island and that the owner of the illicit substances promised to pay them N50, 000 after delivering them.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, confirmed that the suspects and the recovered exhibits are in police custody.