‘Queen of drug cartel’ arrested in Taraba

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested the female head of a drug cartel, Lami Mai Rigima, for supplying psychoactive substances to traffickers in Taraba State, several months after being on their wanted list. The 40-year-old drug queen came under the anti-narcotic agency’s searchlight when a number of traffickers arrested in […]

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested the female head of a drug cartel, Lami Mai Rigima, for supplying psychoactive substances to traffickers in Taraba State, several months after being on their wanted list.

The 40-year-old drug queen came under the anti-narcotic agency’s searchlight when a number of traffickers arrested in the state in 2021 and early this year fingered her as their supplier.

Spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday in Abuja, said the manhunt for Lami paid off on Monday April 4, when operatives traced her to her hideout in Iware village in Ardo Kola LGA.

Babafemei said, “The search for Lami began in October, 2021, following the arrest, prosecution and conviction of a drug dealer, Abdullahi Madaki (50). After serving his brief jail sentence, Madaki returned to the illicit trade with Lami still as his supplier.

“He was, however, rearrested on February 13, while another trafficker, Jamilu Hassan (20), who is also a member of Lami’s supply chain, was nabbed on February 24.”

Similarly, in Adamawa State, operatives arrested a cross-border drug trafficker, Emeka Okiru (40) with 32,700 tablets of tramadol with the brand name, “Royal and Tramaking”.

Okiru was arrested at Garden City in Mubi North LGA on Tuesday, April 5, while preparing to supply his customers who came from the Republic of Cameroon.