A 36-year-old Trans-border drug trafficker, Nkem Timothy, alias Auwalu Audu, has been arrested in Sokoto State by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while trying to cross to Algeria through the Niger Republic with 62 wraps of substance suspected to be cocaine weighing 1.550kg, which has an estimated street value of about N1 billion.
According to the acting state Commander of NDLEA in Sokoto, Bamidele Segun, the suspect was intercepted on a motorcycle around the baggage area at Illela border, trying to cross to the Niger Republic while his final destination was to be Algeria where he resides.
The illicit drug was reported to have been neatly concealed inside yogurt bottles.
“He was found with an ECOWAS passport bearing a different name written as Auwalu Audu but he gave his real name as Nkem Timothy”.
The Commander added that his men had commenced further investigation to unravel his sponsor and other members of the transborder drug cartel.
“This is a ground-breaking feat for us in the Command as the seizure of this magnitude of type A drug (cocaine) has never been made in Sokoto Command before”, he added.