Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have seized over 44,948.1kg of illicit drugs and arrested eight suspects in multiple raids across Lagos, Edo and Ondo states.
Eleven cars that belonged to the drug cartels were also taken by the anti-drug agency.
Femi Babafemi, the agency’s director of advocacy and media, made this revelation in a statement on Sunday.
The statement noted that “no less than 14,310.8625 kg of psychoactive substance was razed on 5.7 hectares of farms in Ohosu/Ugbogui forest, Ovia South West Local Government Area, Edo State on Tuesday, March 19.”
Sunday Otulugbu, 67; Agbayeogor Joshua, 39; Kelvin Ofuasia, 45; Williams Peter, 37; and Kamaru Onimisi, 44, were among the five suspects who were taken into custody.
It further stated that on Saturday, March 23, 7, 687.8 kg of cannabis were destroyed in a warehouse located in Ala Forest, Akure, Ondo State, and an additional 670 kg were evacuated.
The statement read in parts, “In another operation in Uzebba/Avbiosi forest on Thursday, March 21, over 6,500kg cannabis was destroyed on 2.6 hectares of farms where three suspects: Kabiru Idris, 36;
“Alaba Jimoh, 40; and Lekan Asobere, 35, were arrested. In the same vein, 5,000kg of same substance was razed in a warehouse in Okpuje forest, Owan West LGA by NDLEA operatives with support from the military on Friday 22nd March.”
According to the agency, its agents apprehended “10,534 kg (10.534 tonnes) of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis in the Ajah area of the state where 11 vehicles were seized from the drug cartel” on Wednesday, March 20, in Lagos State, during a well-coordinated operation.
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“The recovered vehicles include: Iveco truck marked KRD 522 YE; Toyota sienna marked AAA 338 GL; Toyota sienna marked AAA 308 EP; Toyota Sienna marked FKJ 381 JC; Nissan bus marked EKY 846 YG; Mercedes bus marked EPE 743 XT; an unmarked Iveco J5 bus; Toyota sienna marked LSD 744 GP; Toyota highlander SUV marked KTU 280 FN; Toyota sienna marked AAA 333 GH and Toyota sienna marked FKJ 208 HV.”
Babafemi noted that “in another raid at Ago Palace way area of the state on Friday March 22, a suspect, Miracle Obi, was arrested with 1,006 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 50 tablets of tramadol 225mg; 89 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,360 ampoules of Diazepam injection. Another suspect, Kareem Mustapha was earlier on Tuesday, March 19, nabbed along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with 25,000 pills of tramadol and 5,900 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
“While 58kg cannabis was recovered at Jagindi village, Kafanchan LGA, Kaduna State on Friday, March 22, Abdulqadir Muhammad, 34, was arrested with 45 kilogrammes of same substance by NDLEA operatives along Kaduna- Zaria Expressway.
“In Borno State, Salisu Yusuf, 20, was nabbed with 30kg Arizona, a strain of cannabis at the Njimtilo checkpoint on Saturday 23rd March, while another suspect, Rabiu Husseini, 27, was arrested with 34kg cannabis along Gwagwalada/Abuja highway on his way from Lagos to Katsina state on Wednesday 21st March. The following day, 22nd March, NDLEA officers on patrol along Gashua-Baymari road, Busari LGA, Yobe state arrested Haladu Hassan with 160 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 50kg.”
With the arrest of 42-year-old Onyeka Uba in the Sabon Gari neighborhood of Kano, where 1.805 kilograms and 7 grams of the illegal substances were recovered from him on Monday, March 18, the agency “successfully dismantled” a heroin and cocaine syndicate operating in Kano State. In the Kano neighborhood of Chiromawa, Ubale Sani, 49, a different suspect, was taken into custody with 51.5 kg of cannabis.
