Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended 24 suspects, including a 42-year-old man who was involved in providing opioids to rebels in Borno, and confiscated over 7,609 kilogrammes of various illicit substances in major interdiction operations throughout eight states of Nigeria.
Targeting drug traffickers and dealers, the coordinated operations covered Nasarawa, the Federal Capital Territory, Ondo, Kano, Borno, Edo, Anambra, and Lagos. Three additional ladies and a pregnant woman were among the suspects who were taken into custody.
The majority of the seizures happened in Nasarawa state after NDLEA agents stopped a truck carrying 367 large bags containing 4,037 kg of cannabis sativa. Three suspects were taken into custody as a consequence of the operation: Shuaibu Yahaya Liman, Monday Audu, and Linus Samuel.
In Abuja, FCT, two individuals, Jibrin Shuaibu and Prosper Innih, were arrested with 169 bags and 80 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 1,961.5kgs. Another operation in Abuja led to the arrest of Abdulhameed Dauda with 89kgs of the same psychoactive substance. Hassan Ade, transporting 696.5kgs of the substance, was also intercepted, and a follow-up operation led to the arrest of Mrs. Joy Chukwuka, a mother of three linked to the consignment.
NDLEA agents in the state of Ondo found 59 large bags of cannabis packed on a truck that was being driven to the north of the nation, along with 633.5 kg of the drug at Eleyere, Ogbese. Comparable operations in Edo, Kano, and Lagos led to the several suspects’ arrests and the confiscation of substantial amounts of illegal substances.
One of the most prominent arrests took place in Borno state when Ahmad Mohammed, 42, a suspected narcotics supplier to rebels, was taken into custody at the Bama checkpoint. A staggering 20,000 capsules of tramadol were recovered from him as he attempted to deliver the opioid consignment in the border town.
In Anambra, six people were detained for trading in illegal substances in Oraifite and Umuni-Evili, including a woman who was six months pregnant, Amarachi Akaolisa, and another woman, Ifeoma Iheanyi. During raids around the state, more than 6 kg of cannabis, tramadol, diazepam, and codeine syrup were found.
A total of 10.6 litres of codeine syrup, 220 grammes of cannabis, and other psychotropic substances were seized during raids in Lagos that resulted in the arrest of several suspects, including two women, Boluwatife Adebayo and Omolade Fola Adebayo.
Under the direction of Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), the NDLEA applauded the efforts of numerous commands nationwide for their effective drug supply reduction operations and concurrent advocacy activities for the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA). As he cheered their successes, according to statement released by Mr. Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Gen. Marwa challenged them to keep pushing themselves to outperform previous anti-drug initiatives.
