In a series of major interdiction operations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended 24 suspected drug traffickers and dealers across eight states, seizing over 7,609 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement by the anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, among those arrested were a 42-year-old man attempting to deliver opioid pills to insurgents in Banki, Borno state, a six-month pregnant woman, a mother of three children, and three other women involved in drug trafficking activities.
In Nasarawa state, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 4th February intercepted a truck marked Lagos JJJ 64 YC, carrying 367 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 4,037 kilogrammes from Akure, Ondo state to be delivered at Shabu area of Lafia, the state capital.
Three suspects: Shuaibu Yahaya Liman, 35; Monday Audu, 33, and Linus Samuel, 42 were arrested in connection with the seizure.
Similarly, in Abuja, Jibrin Shuaibu, 23, and Prosper Innih, 17, were arrested with 169 bags and 80 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 1,961.5 kilograms were concealed in a truck with registration number Ogun WDE 557 XC intercepted along the Abaji – Abuja highway. The truck was intercepted during a stop and search operation along Abaji – Abuja highway on their way from Uzeba to Dei-Dei, FCT.
Further operations in Abuja led to the arrest of Abdulhameed Dauda, 27, was arrested with 89 kilogrammes of psychoactive substances loaded into his truck in Owo, Ondo state to be delivered at Gwagwalada in FCT.
The spokesman said in another operation by On the same day, operatives also intercepted another driver, Hassan Ade, 30, transporting 696.5 kilogrammes of the same substance loaded in Idoani, Ondo state to be delivered at Gwagwalada and Dei-Dei in FCT. He revealed that a follow up operation led to the arrest of a mother of three children, Mrs. Joy Chukwuka, 42, linked with the consignment.
Another operation in Ondo state, NDLEA operatives seized 633.5 kilograms of cannabis at Eleyere, Ogbese in Akure North local government area and recovered 59 jumbo bags of the same substance concealed in a truck marked GAD 287 XAheading to the Northern part of the country. He noted that detergents were sprayed on the cannabis bags ostensibly to suppress the odour of the psychoactive weed, while 192 packs of table water were loaded on top to conceal the illicit consignment.
In Edo state, 187 kilograms of cannabis were seized by operatives at Sapele road, Benin, while in Kano, 58-year-old Bashir Attahir in Bachirawa area of the state was arrested with 216,000 pills of tramadol.
Another suspect, Ejike Moses Nmenme, 47, was nabbed the following day with 25,190 capsules of tramadol and different quantities of rohypnol and codeine syrup along Emir road, Sabon Gari area of the city while the duo of Yusuf Abdullahi Musa, 35, and Yusuf Musa, 28, were nabbed at Gadar Tamburawa, with 1,000 ampoules of tramadol injection last Thursday.
In Borno state, a 42-year-old suspected supplier of illicit drugs to insurgents in Banki, a border town between Nigeria and Cameroon, Ahmad Mohammed was arrested by NDLEA operatives last Friday at Bama check point. When his luggage was searched 20,000 capsules of tramadol were recovered from him while on his way to deliver the opioid consignment in the border town.
Babafemi also said a six-month pregnant woman, Amarachi Akaolisa, 25, and another lady, Ifeoma Iheanyi, 21, were among six suspects arrested for dealing in illicit substances in Oraifite and Umuni-Evili, Aguleri, Anambra state. Others nabbed include: Okwuchukwu Chukwuka; Onyedika Ngwu; Ekene Hyginus and Nzomiwu Ikechukwu, and recovered from them were over six kilogrammes of cannabis, tramadol, diazepam and codeine syrup in raids conducted by NDLEA operatives between last Tuesday and Thursday in parts of the state.
Additionally, in Lagos, several suspects, including three women, Ogah Adole, Boluwatife Adebayo and Omolade Adebayo, were arrested.
While Ogah Adole and Boluwatife Adebayo were arrested at Agidingbi, Ikeja, in connection with 220 grammes of cannabis, 10.6 litres of codeine syrup, and other psychotropic substances, Omolade Adebayo, according to him, was nabbed at Ijesha with various quantities of cannabis, codeine syrup, rohypnol and molly.
The NDLEA also conducted War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about drug abuse and trafficking in schools, markets, worship centers, and communities across the country.
Commending the efforts of the NDLEA Commands involved, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd), urged them to continue surpassing past feats in their drug supply reduction efforts.
These operations highlight the ongoing efforts of the NDLEA to combat drug trafficking and abuse, safeguarding communities and promoting public health and safety.
