Residents of Amuwo-Odofin and neighboring communities woke up on Saturday to reports of a major drug bust close to home, after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a wanted drug trafficker, Frank Chijioke Ibemesi , popularly known as Chisco Bee.
Ibemesi, 42, who operates as the MD/CEO of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nig. Ltd, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday, November 15, at Daisy Garden Hotel along Ago Palace Way, Isolo, just a few minutes from FESTAC and the Amuwo axis. His arrest followed several weeks of intelligence gathering and discreet surveillance over his suspected drug distribution network within the Lagos mainland corridor.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the agency’s operatives moved swiftly from the hotel to the suspect’s warehouse located at 7 Pius Ezeobi Street, Isolo. A huge consignment of illicit drugs was recovered, including 42 jumbo bags and four cartons of Loud (a high-grade cannabis strain) weighing 1,762.8 kg in total. Officers also recovered $11,600, £2,000, €2,200 and 50 Canadian dollars at the point of arrest.
The seizure has sparked conversations within the Amuwo community, especially as the area continues to face rising concerns about drug abuse and trafficking routes running through nearby neighborhood’s like Ago, Isolo. Residents say the operation is a reminder of how close these criminal networks often operate to residential areas.
In a separate operation far from Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted another large-scale drug movement inside the Orita-Apeje, Araromi-Okeodo forest reserve in Ife South LGA of Osun State. While the Osun operation highlights the scale of drug production in rural corridors, the arrest in Isolo hits closer to home for Amuwo residents, who have consistently called for stronger security measures and better intelligence sharing within FESTAC, Mile 2, and adjacent communities.
Security stakeholders in the area say the arrest of Chisco Bee is a significant win, but stress that continuous vigilance is needed to prevent criminal networks from operating freely within Lagos’ suburban neighborhood’s.