A 300-level university student identified as Rhoda Agboje, and her lover, Ifeanyi Nwankwo, have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for their alleged involvement of in the illicit trade of drug cookies.
The lovers allegedly specialize in the production and sale of drug cookies to school children and other unsuspecting members of the public in Abuja, the nation’s capital city.
Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, said in a statement on Thursday, that narcotics agents at the agency’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Command have also launched a manhunt for another member of the syndicate involved in producing the cookies with Arizona, a highly psychoactive variant of cannabis; alcohol and rohypnol among other ingredients.
He said the lid was blown open following the arrest of Rhoda Agboje with four pieces of the drug cookies on Sunday, April 18, at the NNPC Cooperative Estate, opposite Gaduwa Estate in Abuja.
According to Babafemi, her arrest was based on a complaint that she gave an unsuspecting young girl drug cookies to eat, after which the girl lost her mind and could not sleep, making incoherent utterances due to the effects of the cookies.
Under interrogation, the prime suspect, Rhoda confessed she prepares the cookies with a friend and sells each pack of three pieces at N1, 500. A follow up operation in her boyfriend’s house led to the recovery of over 200 pieces of the drug cookies.
According to the Commander, FCT Command of the NDLEA, Mohammed Malami Sokoto, “The boyfriend, Ifeanyi Nwankwo and all the equipment used for the production of the cookies were brought to the office for further investigation. The suspect confirmed that she sells at parties and to unsuspecting members of the public, including school children that are the most vulnerable. The suspect also supplies some supermarkets and clubs in the FCT.”
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), who commended officers and men of the FCT Command for busting the syndicate, described the act as not only criminal but also unconscionable by deliberately luring school children into drug under the cover of selling to them biscuits or cookies.
“I wish to draw the attention of parents to this new devious strategy to get children addicted to drug cookies and to urge them to remain vigilant while monitoring what their wards bring home from school or consume as snack”, Marwa said on Tuesday.
