Nigerians soldiers on parade

The 9 Brigade Command  of the Nigeria Army, Ikeja Cantonment in Lagos State,  on Saturday paraded a hard drug peddler, Okafor Collins,  caught with 60 wraps of substance suspected to be cocaine.

The 30-year-old  suspect,  was arrested at 311 Road, adjacent Cincillati Club House, Festac Town.

The Commander of the Brigade, Brig. -Gen. Musa Etsu-Ndagi, told newsmen on Saturday that the suspect was arrested in the early hours of Friday.

Etsu-Ndagi  said that the suspect was arrested by the men of the Exercise Crocodile Smile, adding that  the exercise was already yielding results.

The commander added that  the suspect would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation.

“You will recall that  the Chief of Army Staff ( COAS) Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Nov. 19  flagged-off Exercise Crocodile Smile.

“The exercise is now yielding result; the suspect was arrested by the Operation Crocodile Smile troop and he confessed to committing the crime.”

The Commander advised drug dealers to desist from trading in such substances saying it was increasing  crime in the society.

“I strongly advise drug dealers to desist from trading in substances of this nature because these are substances that actually exacerbate crime in the society.

“When people take these substances, they become violent and will  not know what they are doing anymore.

“All manners of crime including those committed in schools can be linked to those who take hard drugs. So, I advise the public  to desist for the sake  of the country at large,” he said.

He advised drug dealers to look for legitimate ways of making money, saying that the Army was out to deal with all criminal elements in the society.

“We have carried out our intelligence work and we know where all of them are. We shall go after them one after the other, so it is best for them to desist now.

“Otherwise, when  they are caught, they  will  be ruthlessly dealt with,” he said.

The suspect, Okafor,  said that he regretted his actions in dealing in hard drugs, saying that depression and unemployment made him go into dealing in illicit drugs.

He said that he  was getting  his supply from a man he simply identified as Okwudilichukwu from  311 Avenue in Festac Town from where the  Exercise Crocodile Smile team arrested him.

He told journalists that Okwudilichukwu was using  him as his courier to deliver hard drugs to his clients.

Okafor  also said that he was selling a wrap of  the drugs for N500  and was making between N10,000 and  N15,000 daily depending on the daily demands for the products.

He, however, advised his fellow drug peddlers to desist from selling hard drugs.(NAN)