An operative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Zofun Joseph Setonji, has narrated before Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, how an alleged drug baron, Jimoh Sulaimon Olowoidiogede a.k.a Temo, was tracked and arrested on July 22, 2024.
He said the successful arrest of the kingpin following credible information and surveillance placed on him.
The drug lord, Temo, who is also known as Godfather and 001 is being prosecuted by the NDLEA on a six count-charge of conspiracy, trafficking 704 Kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa popularly called Ghana Loud, a drug similar to cocaine and heroin, running of Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) and money laundering.
The NDLEA said the offences contravened sections 20 (1)(g); 11(b); 11(c); 14(b) and (20(ii) of the NDLEA Act Cap N 30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 20(2)(b) of the same Act.
The offences were also said to have contravened Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under section 18(3) and (7) of the same Act.
At the resumed trial of the drug baron last Friday, Setonji, while being led in evidence by the prosecutors, Mrs. Theresa Asuquo and Mr. Lambert Nor, the Head of Legal Department of the agency’s Lagos Command, told Justice Dipeolu that while serving at the Gbagada office of the agency as Officer in Charge of Squad 1, one of his informants sometimes in April 2023, told him that Jimoh Sulaimon Olowoidiogede will be bringing in some hard drugs from Ghana to Nigeria through the waters.
He told the court that he asked the informant to go and survey the possible route through which the drug will be conveyed, adding that in the last week of April 2023, the informant told him the drug will be coming that week. He and the team then planned how to intercept it but the informant later called to inform him that the drug won’t be coming again that week as the defendant has gotten wind that NDLEA operatives are aware of the drug movement.
The witness said on the morning of 3 May 2023, he got another information from that the consignment will be coming that night. “I then planned with my team how to intercept the consignment at Eleko Beach as we have earlier identified the possible route.
“We went there to lay ambush with five vehicles, three marked vehicles and two unmarked vehicles. On getting there around 12 midnight on the 4th of May 2023 the informant called to inform me that they are already loading one of the trucks and that they are aware we are around.
“As a result of the new information I have to withdraw my men from where they were stationed and instructed our marked vehicles to go back to our head office at Shaw Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
“After sometimes again, the informant called to inform me that the second truck is being loaded, I immediately called the marked vehicles to start coming back.”
The witness added that around 4.am on the 4th of May, he and his team were able to block the two trucks and during the process some armed men came out to attack them. “However, we were able to arrest the two trucks but the occupants of the two vehicles were able to escape as a result of the attack on my men.
“When the contents of the trucks were counted eventually, it contained 202 bags of marijuana weighing 8.58 tons.”
Setonji further informed the court that: “While counting the contents of the truck, a call came in to him through a private telephone number and that when he asked who the caller was, the caller told him he is Alhaji Jimoh Sulaimon Olowoidiogede a.k.a.Temo.
“The caller further said “you have the guts to seize my drug, I know where you live, I am going to kill you and kidnap your wife and children.
“However, in my reply I told him that before he kills me, I will definitely arrest you.”
The witness said that few weeks after the seizure of the drug, he asked his informant how he can see the man called Temo and that the informant told him that there is going to be a party in a fortnight at Sango Ota, where Jimoh Olowoidiogede will be present but added that a special cap will be used as invitation card to enter the venue of the party.
“My informant also described Olowoidiogede to me, that he wears punk haircut and always put on big and long necklace.
“Armed with this information I gave my informant N3,500 for the cap and on the day of the party I went to the party with the informant. On getting there the informant stood outside while I went inside to the party venue with the cap on.
“After sometimes Olowoidiogede came in as described and people stood up and started hailing him I soon left the place after recognising the defendant.”
Giving further evidence, the witness said on the 22nd of July this year he had an encounter with Olowoidiogede. He had gone on a raid operation in Akala Mushin area of Lagos, but that the road was blocked forcing his team to take another road through one street called Igbarere Street.
“As we were going on the very narrow street of Igbarere, a Mercedes Benz Jeep was coming towards us and trying to make way for us to pass due to the narrow condition of the road, I noticed Jimoh was inside the Jeep I then asked the driver to block the vehicle, as I came out of the vehicle Jimoh also came out and started running, but I was able to arrest him. “Despite his resistance and mobilisation of hoodlums to attack and wound my team members, I succeeded in arresting him and the other occupant of the jeep and took them to our office.”
Another prosecution witness, Mr. Adewole Timothy, also gave evidence against the drug lord.
Adewole in his testimony stated that sometimes in 2023, he received credible information about the drug dealings of Temo and that he consequently went on surveillance to ascertain the authenticity of the information.
The witness added that after authenticating the veracity of the information he planned how his team will go about it.
The witness said: “On July 25, 2024, I led my team on an operation at Igbarere Street, Mushin, Lagos. And that about 11 p.m a Highlander Toyota driven by one Sulaimon Shehu with Jimoh inside drove past. The moment the defendant realised that NDLEA men were around he stopped in front of number 32 Igbarere Street, jumped out of the car and escaped by mixing with the crowd.”
Timothy said the defendant later mobilised hoodlums to attack them as they were loading the bags of Marijuana in the warehouse located within the defendant’s house into the agency’s Hilux pickup Van and car having arrested the driver of the vehicle one Sulaimon Shehu.
The witness further informed the court that 18 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 252 kg were evacuated from the warehouse and taken to NDLEA office at Ajah, Lagos and later to the Lagos Command Headquarters at Gbagada, where it was handed over to the exhibits keeper, Nketa Benjamin, who carried out field text on same and that it proved positive to be marijuana.
The witness while being cross-examined by Temo’s lawyer, Chief Benson Ndakara, said the driver of the Toyota Highlander, Sulaimon Shehu, admitted in his statement that he is a close associate of Alhaji Sulaimon Jimoh Olowoidiogede, a.k.a Godfather, 001, Temo, and that Temo owns the drugs found in the warehouse.
Asked by Ndakara on whether he verified from the Land Registry if Number 32 Igbarere Street belongs to the defendant, the witness said his informant confirmed same to him.
When asked if he broke into the defendant’s warehouse, the witness responded and said: “Yes, because the key to the warehouse was with the defendant who had escaped during the operation.”
Also, the ninth prosecution witness in the trial, Nketai Benjamin, an Exhibits Keeper with NDLEA, in his testimony told the court how on the 23rd of May 2023, some officers of NDLEA led by PW7 brought 4 trucks to him. “The first one contained 149 red sack and the others contained 47 sacks. I brought one sack from each truck to carry out test and the results proved positive to be Cannabis Sativa.”
Benjamin further added that the Certificate of Test Analysis, Packing of Substance Form and Request for Scientific Aid Form had earlier been tendered in an ongoing case before Justice Allagoa. Hence the photocopy was tendered without objection as Exhibit 4 and 5.
Meanwhile, defendant’s counsel, Chief Ndakara on Friday 4 October, 2024, moved the Motion for the bail application of the defendant, while the prosecution also moved and argued their counter affidavit to the bail summons.
Justice Dipeolu, after listening to both parties, adjourned further hearing in the matter till October 15 and 16, 2024, while he held that the date for ruling on motion for bail will be communicated to the parties involved.