By Emma Njoku
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has seized of over 44,948.1 kilograms (44.9 tonnes) of illicit drugs and 11 vehicles owned by the drug cartel, while eight suspects were arrested.
Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who made the disclosure in a statement, yesterday, said the seizure and arrests followed a massive raids by the agency’s operatives across Lagos, Edo and Ondo states. Babafemi also said a total of 7, 687.8kg of cannabis was destroyed in a warehouse in Ala forest, Akure, Ondo state with another 670kg evacuated, last Saturday, while no less than 14,310.8625kg of same psychoactive substance was razed on 5.7 hectares of farms in Ohosu/Ugbogui forest, Ovia South West LGA, Edo State last Tuesday, where five suspects, including 67-year-old Sunday Otulugbu; Agbayeogor Joshua, 39; Kelvin Ofuasia, 45; Williams Peter, 37; and Kamaru Onimisi, 44, were arrested.
In another operation in Uzebba/Avbiosi forest, last Thursday, 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, last Friday.
In Lagos, a well-coordinated operation, last Wednesday, led to the seizure of 10,534 kilograms (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. 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.
In another raid at the Ago Palace way area of the state, last Friday, 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, last Tuesday, 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, last Friday, Abdulqadir Muhammad, 34, was arrested with 45 kilograms 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 Njimtilo checkpoint, last Saturday, while another suspect, Rabiu Husseini, 27, was arrested with 34kg cannabis along Gwagwalada/Abuja highway, on his way from Lagos to Katsina State, last Wednesday.
The following day, NDLEA officers on patrol along Gashua-Baymari road, Busari LGA, Yobe State, arrested Haladu Hassan with 160 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 50kg. In Kano State, a syndicate dealing in cocaine and heroin was successfully dismantled with the arrest of 42-year-old Onyeka Uba at the Sabon Gari area of Kano, where 1.805 kilograms and 7grams of the illicit substances were recovered from him, last Monday. Another suspect, Ubale Sani, 49, was also arrested with 51.5kg cannabis at the Chiromawa area of Kano.
Operatives of a special operation unit of NDLEA also disrupted criminal activities of another cocaine syndicate in Abuja, at the weekend, with the arrest of three leaders of the group. While Nnajiofor Celestine Kenechukwu, 41, and Okoro Chigozie Christian, 35, were arrested last Friday, at Paint House Hotel, Umar Garba Benna Street, 21 Road, First Avenue, Gwarimpa, Abuja, with 718 grams of cocaine. A follow up operation at the residence of Okoro Chigozie at House 30, 69B Road 6th Avenue Gwarimpa, led to the recovery of 19 blocks of Arizona, a strain of cannabis weighing 9.823kg and monetary exhibits: N545,500 and $250, as well as property documents. Two vehicles: Toyota Camry 2007 marked BWR 94 BM and Toyota Camry 2012 marked RBC 154 BS, were also recovered from them.
Another follow up operation to the residence of Nnajiofor Celestine Kenechukwu, at 49 Mercy Orjiakor street, Becky Estate 11, Karu, Nasarawa State, last Saturday, also led to the recovery of various quantities of Arizona and methamphetamine, while his girlfriend and accomplice, Ifemenam Oge, was arrested.
With the same vigour, the various commands of the agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Day Secondary School, Damaturu, Yobe; Government Secondary School, Afaha Ukwa, Akwa Ibom; Total Child School, Awka, Anambra and Celestial Church of Christ High School Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Kano, Borno, Kaduna, and FCT Commands as well as the special operations unit of the agency for their outstanding feats in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures in schools, markets, motor parks, worship centres and work places.