The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Cross River State has arrested a 52-year-old teacher, Onun Ikoli, and his wife, Mrs Itam Onun, for possessing 360 bags of marijuana weighing 4.706 tonnes in the Yakurr Local Government Area of the state.
The state NDLEA commander, John Anteyi, on Wednesday, revealed that the suspects claimed the drugs belonged to a tenant who absconded during the arrest, adding that the agency has commenced an investigation, aiming to bring all those involved to justice.
He said, “As I speak, the investigation is still ongoing. The NDLEA boss, Mohammed Marwa, is bent on bringing this illicit trade to an end. Our ears are still on the ground to arrest more suspects.”
Anteyi praised Governor Bassey Otu for supporting the agency’s efforts and urged residents to collaborate by providing information to help curb the illicit drug trade.
“We equally commend the Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, for giving us assistance. He has been helpful”, Anteyi said.
According to him, the suspects denied involvement, stating they were unaware their tenant was a drug dealer and had only collected N50,000 rent from them.
The commander urged residents of the state to collaborate with the command by giving useful information that can lead to the arrest of those engaging in the illicit trade.
Reacting, the suspects denied involvement in the trade, claiming that it was their tenant who owned the drugs. When asked to provide reasons for being in the NDLEA’s custody, he said, “My hands are clean.”
Wife to the suspect, Mrs Itam Onun, said, “I was arrested and brought here because I am the landlady. My husband and I collected the sum of N50,000 for a single room from a tenant, unknown to us that the tenant was a drug dealer.” Punch
