Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered a clandestine shrine guarded by a large snake in Igor community, Benin City, Edo State.
The raid, conducted as part of an intelligence-led operation, exposed a sophisticated network of drug concealment within the shrine.
According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, ingeniously concealed behind wallpapers and adorned with fetish objects.
This covert compartment served as a storage facility for various illicit drugs, including methamphetamine and potent strains of cannabis.
“The shrine, guarded by a large black snake, was a shocking find in our ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse,” Babafemi stated.
The operation, carried out on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, resulted in the seizure of 8.743kg of methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado, and Arizona strains of cannabis.
The NDLEA also apprehended two suspects during the raid, identified as Sonia Chinonso Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani.
The NDLEA said the snake guarding the shrine was “successfully demobilized” by the agency’s operatives.
In a separate operation within Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested Obi Ferguson, 45, and Ernest Abanum, 46, in Usen forest, Ovia South West LGA.
The arrests were made on Saturday, June 22, following the seizure of 209kg of cannabis and a motorcycle used for transporting the illicit substances.
Meanwhile, in Lagos State, another significant interception occurred when NDLEA officers intercepted 8.2kg of methamphetamine at a motor park in Mazamaza, Ojo area.
The illicit substance was meticulously packaged within imported chocolate wraps and concealed inside loudspeaker casings.
The suspect, Michael Odiomume, 39, was apprehended on Wednesday, June 19, while attempting to dispatch the contraband to Owerri, Imo State.