Abuja: The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized over 9,939kg of loud, Colos, and Skunk in raids in Niger, Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Lagos, and Kano.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.
Giving a breakdown, Babafemi said that in Niger, NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a long truck marked T 31589 LA along the Dei-Dei Abuja expressway in the early hours of Tuesday, Jan. 26.
This, he said, was where they arrested three suspects for conveying 176 bags of cannabis (skunk), weighing 2,735 kilograms, and one kilogram of synthetic cannabinoid (Colorado), concealed in the truck.
He said that investigations revealed that the truck driver left Lagos on January 23, loaded with 800 bags of flour, bound for Ekpoma, Edo State, and arrived the following day, Jan. 24.
“In Ekpoma, he then negotiated to transport the 176 bags of cannabis (skunk) and 1kg synthetic cannabinoid (Colorado) for N1.7million,” he said.
In another interdiction operation, NDLEA operatives in Edo on Tuesday arrested another suspect along the Auchi-Abuja express road.
Babafemi said he was arrested while looking for a vehicle to convey 66 bags of cannabis (skunk) concealed in bags of charcoal, weighing 792kg, to Katsina.
Also, in Edo, operatives supported by Nigerian Army personnel on Wednesday, Jan. 28, raided a cannabis farm at Ebora camp, Ilushi in Esan South East LGA.
Babafemi said that a total of 4,063.675kg of skunk was destroyed on over 1.6 hectares of farmland, while 328kg of processed cannabis and its seeds were recovered, with some suspects arrested at the camp.
Meanwhile, in Anambra, NDLEA operatives intercepted a cement truck on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, heading to Nkpor.
Babafemi said that a search of the trailer revealed that bags of cement were used to conceal 345.2kg of skunk owned by Abum Okeke, 42, who was one of the three occupants of the truck at the time of arrest.
In another development, at least two suspects were arrested on Monday at Eleyewo community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State in connection with the seizure of 473kg of skunk. Babafemi said NDLEA operatives in Kano, on Monday, Jan. 25, nabbed another suspect at Murtala Mohammed Way, with 12,500 ampoules of Pentazocine injection recovered from him.m.
“Not less than 4,390 pills of tramadol were seized from another suspect, Musa Shuaibu, 42, when he was arrested in the Gaya area of Kano on Tuesday. Similarly, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspected drug trafficker on Friday, Jan. 30, at Okeyson park, Alaba, Lagos, with 15.5kg skunk headed to Onitsha, Anambra State, with the illicit consignment.
Babafemi said that 3.5kg of the same psychoactive substance was recovered from a sound system and two packets of cereal found in the luggage of another suspect at the arrival tarmac of Seme border, Badagry, on Tuesday.
“The suspect was coming from Cotonou, Benin Republic, into Lagos,”he said.
Reacting, NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa was quoted as commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Tincan, Niger, Lagos, Edo, Anambra, Ondo, and Kano commands for the arrests, seizures and their professionalism.
Marwa urged all personnel to maintain their balanced approach to reducing both drug supply and demand.
