The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 6,000kg of cannabis, valued at over N3.4 billion, in operations across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said the operations were conducted in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the FCT.
He said operatives also arrested several suspects, including a 49-year-old man, Innocent Ekpe, who allegedly impersonated a senior police officer to evade security checks while transporting illicit drugs.
According to him, Ekpe was arrested on Sept. 16 along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta, with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.
“Investigation established that Ekpe had long paraded himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged identity card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit consignments.
“An accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was also arrested,” he said.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives in Edo, acting on intelligence, raided an auto-repair workshop on Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.
He said 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152g of methamphetamine were recovered from the workshop, which allegedly served as a storage facility for illicit drugs.
The NDLEA spokesman said operatives at the Tin-Can Island Port, Lagos, intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion.
He said the consignment arrived from Montreal, Canada, on Sept. 12 in a 40-foot container.
Babafemi said the container was placed under surveillance following processed intelligence and subjected to joint physical examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on Sept. 16.
“During the search, 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg were found concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles in the container,” he said.
In Niger, Babafemi said operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi, Tafa Local Government Area, arrested three suspects.
They were Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18.
He said two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition were recovered from the suspects.
He said two other suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested on Sept. 18 along the Abaji-Abuja Highway.
According to him, more than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets were recovered from eight sacks being conveyed from Onitsha, Anambra, to Mararaba, Nasarawa.
In Lagos, Babafemi said Onyeka Ofor was arrested on Sept. 18 at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg.
He said seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59kg were also intercepted at a logistics company, with a suspect, Luke Ugokwe, arrested.
Babafemi said another suspect, Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbo on Sept. 17 with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe, he said 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, who were arrested at Barunde and Gombe main market respectively.
He said Ifesinachi Godwin, 25, was also arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo with 43.85kg of skunk.
In Ondo, Babafemi said four suspects were arrested during a raid and destruction of a two-hectare cannabis farm at Ita-Ogbolu Forest.
He identified them as Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday.
He said about 5,000kg of skunk was destroyed at the farm, while 48kg of dried and fresh cannabis was recovered for prosecution.
Babafemi said NDLEA commands and formations across the country also sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities during the week.
He said the activities covered schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
According to him, beneficiaries included St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo; Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra; Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos; and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba.
He said the Delta Ports Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to His Royal Majesty, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Delta.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), as commending officers and men of the Lagos, Tin-Can, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT commands for their professionalism.
Marwa urged them and their colleagues nationwide to sustain the current balanced approach to drug control efforts.
