Operatives
of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a man with 250
cartridges hidden in several cartons in Benue State.
The
suspect is identified as a 55-year-old foodstuff trader based in Jalingo,
Taraba State who traveled regularly to Onitsha to buy food items which he sells
at a market in Jalingo. He told Daily Trust that officials of the NDLEA
intercepted the vehicle he was traveling in at Alaide in Gwer East Local
Government Area of Benue State.
"I
was returning from Onitsha where I went to buy foodstuff which I sell in Taraba
when the NDLEA officers arrested me in Alaide with cartons of cartridges which
some vigilante groups asked me to buy for them," the suspect said.
The
suspect, a father of five, also said he was diabetic, pointing at a deep wound
on his feet, expressed regret for his action. "I’m so embarrassed. My wife
and children are not happy with me."
The
suspect added that it was the first time he ventured into the arms business
which he procured from Onitsha market at the rate of N45, 000 after buying food
stuff for his main business.
The
NDLEA State Commander, Florence Ezeonye, said the suspect would be handed over
to the appropriate security agency. On how the suspect was caught, Ms Ezeonye
explained that her eagle-eyed officials on stop-and-search duty at the Alaide
area nabbed the foodstuff dealer after they suspected the contents of the
cartons arranged under the seat of the bus. She also revealed that the suspect
had a mixed parentage - an Igbo father and a Jukun mother - so he could speak
Hausa and Igbo languages fluently, an advantage which he used to ward-off
security suspicions at check points.
"My
officers noticed that he was pushing the cartons which he hid under the vehicle
seats with his feet as they were searching luggage and when they insisted on
knowing what was concealed in the cartons, he alighted and started engaging
them in Hausa language. The suspect further tried to convince them that he only
supplies soup ingredients to customers in Taraba but it turned out that he was
carrying arms. My men found out that 250 pieces of cartridges were concealed in
the 15 cartons belonging to the suspect." she said.
Source:
Daily Trust
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