NDLEA arrests wanted drug lord in Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a wanted drug suspect, Ganiu Suleiman alias Barryshine, in Lagos.

Suleiman has been under NDLEA surveillance for more than two years.

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

He said Suleiman is the Managing Director of Barryshine Suleiman Nigeria Limited and is under the agency’s scrutiny for his alleged role in four failed attempts to export cocaine to Saudi Arabia and Qatar between 2022 and this year.

He added that the suspect’s name first appeared on the NDLEA list on November 13, 2022, when a female passenger on a Qatar Airlines flight to Saudi Arabia, Alhaja Ajisegiri Sidika was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, for possession of 400 grams of cocaine.

He said investigations later revealed that it was Abdullahi Olarenwaju Ramon, who is Suleiman’s brother, who hired the arrested drug courier.

Babafemi said: “Further facts emerged that the suspect’s air tickets and other travel expenses were sourced from Suleiman.

“A few days after Sidika’s arrest, another drug courier, Lateef Lawal was also arrested on November 24, 2022, with the same amount of cocaine hidden in a man’s footwear while heading to the same destination, Saudi Arabia.

“The suspect, Lawal, admitted that Wasiu Sanni (alias Guru), who was later arrested and convicted by the court, hired him for Suleiman.

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“Lawal further alleged that Wasiu connected him to the baron through someone called Igbono, who was later revealed through investigations to be Oluwafemi Abidoye (alias Igbono, Murphy, Femi Iwaya, Ade Iwaya, Baba Eje and Ejeoto).

“While the investigation into both cases was still ongoing and the hunt for the baron was ongoing, two drug couriers were arrested at MMIA on June 21, 2024, on their way to Doha, Qatar.

“One of the suspects who was later identified as Aikhomoun Daniel alias Oladapo Olanrewaju brought a total of 90 cocaine pills weighing 1.022 kg into observation detention.

“The suspect swallowed 90 cocaine pills while the second suspect, Ayigoro Omobolaji, also took out 60 packages of cocaine with a total weight of 662 grams.

“Further investigations later revealed that the two arrested couriers, Aikhomoun Daniel, and Ayigoro Omobolaji were recruited by the same Igbono who worked for the baron and featured in 2022 during the arrest of Ajesegiri Sidika and Lateef Lawal.

“Other investigations conducted by the agency also linked Suleiman to the arrested suspects and two of his associates who recruited human traffickers for him – Oluwafemi Akande Abidoye and Olanrewaju Abdullahi Ramon, both currently at large.

“As a result, the agency blocked the bank accounts associated with the cartel members, and after that Suleiman was finally detained on August 26, 2024 for further investigation.

“In his statement, Suleiman claimed that he was engaged in property development and hotel management while living in Lagos and Paris, France.

“He also admitted that he runs another business in the clothing sector with his wife at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, on the grounds that his routine visits to Saudi Arabia are to perform the minor Hajj pilgrimage.

“The suspect said he holds the traditional title of Akeweje of Yaba (Young Leader of Yaba Land). Some of the properties that have been traced to Suleiman include two houses at 63 and 72 Queens Street, Ebute-Meta, and his Barryshine hotel at 95 Freeman Street, Yaba, Lagos.”

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