The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun Area 1 Command, has handed over illicit drugs worth N117.59 million to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Comptroller of the command, Mr James Ojo, disclosed this during the handing over of the drugs to Mr Olusegun Adeyeye, the Commander of NDLEA, Idiroko Special Area Command, in Abeokuta, Ogun, on Friday.
Ojo said the customs handed over the seized cannabis and tramadol tablets to the Idiroko Special Command for further investigation in line with the standard operating procedures and inter-agency collaboration.
He said the illicit drugs were seized in various strategic locations between January and November 21, 2024, in Ogun State.
He added that the illicit drugs were abandoned at various locations, including the Abeokuta axis, the Agbawo/Igankoto area of Yewa North Local Government Area, and Imeko Afton axis.
Ojo said that the seizure of the cannabis sativa and tramaling tablets, another brand of tramadol, was made possible through credible intelligence and strategic operations of the customs personnel.
“The successful interception of these dangerous substances would not have been possible without the robust collaboration and support from our intelligence units, local informants and sister agencies.
“These landmark operations are testament to the unwavering dedication of the NCS to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens and uphold the rule of law,” he said.
He said the seizures comprised 403 sacks and 6,504 parcels, weighing 7,217.7 kg and 362 packs of tramaling tablets of 225mg each, with a total Duty Paid Value of N117,587,405,00.
He described the height of illicit drugs smuggling in the recent time as worrisome.
This, he said, underscores the severity of drug trafficking within the borders.
“Between Oct. 13 and Nov. 12 alone, operatives intercepted a total of 1,373 parcels of cannabis sativa, weighing 1,337kg and 362 packs of tramaling tablets of 225mg each,” he said.
Ojo said the seizures had disrupted the supply chain of illicit drugs, thereby mitigating the risks those substances posed to the youth, families and communities.
He lauded the synergy between its command, security agencies and other stakeholders that led to the remarkable achievements.
Ojo also commended the Comptroller General of NCS for creating an enabling environment for the command to achieve the success.
Responding, Adeyeye, applauded the customs for achieving the feat.
Adeyeye pledged to continue to collaborate with the customs to fight against illicit trade and drug trafficking in the state.
The resolution of the Senate followed its adoption of the report of its conference committee on the amendment of the NDLEA Act.
The Chairman of the Senate Conference Committee that harmonised the report of both chambers, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, said the amendment provides for life imprisonment for drug offenders.
The committee recommended that: “Any person who is unlawfully involved in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and who, while so involved is armed with any offensive weapon or is disguised in any way, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
Senators approved the recommendation when it was put to voice vote by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin during plenary.
Also, the Senate has passed a Bill seeking to empower the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to monitor accruals to and disbursements from the Federation Account.
The Red Chamber passed the Bill following its consideration and adoption of a report by its committees on National Planning and Economic Affairs, Finance, and Appropriations during plenary.
The proposed legislation, according to the Chairman of the Senate Joint Committees on National Planning and Economic Affairs, Finance and Appropriations, Yahaya Abudullahi, seeks to repeal the RMAFC Act, 2004, and replace it with the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission Bill, 2024.
The proposed law, he said, revised the composition and operational framework of the Commission to ensure that federal, state, and local governments receive the constitutionally mandated resources necessary to address governance and development challenges.
To enhance the commission’s efficiency, the committee chairman said the Bill proposed additional funding, allowing RMAFC to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities.
Abdullahi emphasised the importance of the amendment to the Bill amid dwindling national revenues and Nigeria’s rapidly growing population.
He added that the Act, last updated over two decades ago, no longer reflects the nation’s evolving economic realities.
According to him, the primary objective of the Bill is to reinforce the mandate and powers of the RMAFC as the constitutionally recognised body responsible for monitoring revenue generation and ensuring its equitable disbursement among the three tiers of government.
Abdullahi explained that the Bill prescribes a revamped structure and operational method for the commission, ensuring that federal, state, and local governments are adequately resourced to meet governance and developmental challenges.
“In the conduct of this onerous task the Commission requires adequate funding from the Federation Account, the lack of which has hitherto hampered the effective performance of its Constitutional responsibilities,” he said.
Senators approved the amendments to the Bill when Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin put the recommendations in the report to voice vote.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted two containers of imported opioids with a street value of N4.3 billion at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers and Tincan, Lagos state.
The NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi stated this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the drugs were intercepted on Thursday, Nov. 21, during a joint examination with men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.
He gave a breakdown of the seizures as a total of 168,000 bottles of codeine based syrup worth N1.1bn in street value, recovered from one of the containers.
He added that the second one contained 4.5 million pills of super royal tramadol 225 miligrams valued N3.2bn.
According to him, this brings the combined value of both the codeine and tramadol consignments to N4.3 billion.
Babafemi further said that the NDLEA operatives also intercepted, 92 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis with a combined weight of 23.25 kilograms at the Tincan seaport in Lagos.
He said that the drugs, which were seized on Friday, Nov. 22 were concealed in two vehicles imported from Canada: a Nissan car and a GMC bus.
Babafemi said that the discovery was made during a joint examination of a container from Canada by NDLEA officers, men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other stakeholders.
In another development, in Ekiti, NDLEA operatives on Sunday, Nov. 17 arrested a 50-year-old physically challenged woman, Mustapha Boja, with 286 grams of Colorado and Loud strains of cannabis at Araromi street, Ikere-Ekiti.
Babafemi said that 64 kilograms of cannabis sativa was also recovered at Akinyele motor park, Ibadan, Oyo state on Thursday, Nov. 21.
“Not less than 1,200.5 kilograms of same psychoactive substances were seized during raids by NDLEA officers in parts of Edo state.
“At Utese forest in Ovia North East LGA, 463.5 kilograms was recovered on Thursday, Nov. 21, while 507 kilograms was seized at a compound in Owan village, Ovia LGA.
“This was where the duo of David Ederin, 60, and Afoje Frank, 24, were arrested on Friday, Nov. 22.
“Another suspect, Godwin Okhoya, 40, was nabbed with 230 kilograms of same substance at Okpuje, Owan West LGA, “he said.
“In the same vien, in Kano, four suspects: Usman Sani, 25; Abdul Mohd, 28; Bunu Ali, 27; and Umar Musa, 30, were on Tuesday, Nov. 19 arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria- Kano road, ” he said.
Babafemi said that they were arrested with 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 45kg.
He said that another suspect, Ayuba Umar, 55, was nabbed with 124kg cannabis at Pengana village, Toro LGA, Bauchi state.
The National Assembly on Thursday, November 21, passed an amendment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act.
The resolution of the Senate followed its adoption of the report of its conference committee on the amendment of the NDLEA Act.
According to the Chairman of the Senate Conference Committee that harmonised the report of both chambers, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, the amendment provides for life imprisonment for drug offenders.
The committee recommended: “Any person who is unlawfully involved in the storage, custody, movement, carriage or concealment of dangerous drugs or controlled substances and who, while so involved is armed with any offensive weapon or is disguised in any way, shall be guilty of an offence under this Act and liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
Senators approved the recommendation when it was put to a voice vote by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin during plenary.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has thwarted attempts by drug syndicates to export large consignments of cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey and Qatar.
Director of Media and Advocacy, in a statement yesterady, said the masterminds were also arrested.
According to Babafemi, 13 parcels of cocaine, weighing 4.40kg, heading for the United Kingdom via Frankfurt, were intercepted at the export shed of the Lagos November 5. A businessman linked to the consignment, Ekeocha Nelson, was tracked and arrested on November 8.
Babafemi said another businessman, Adegbite Solomon (aka Obama), was also arrested while trying to export 7,800 pills of tramadol, 180 tablets of rohypnol, and 60 bottles of codeine to Italy. The drugs were intercepted at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on November 11. The drugs were concealed in food and other items while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Italy.
According to the statement, the suspect claimed to have travelled to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea, and earned a living as a beggar before delving into logistics business.
Another businessman, Anoke Roomy, was arrested with 1,100 pills of 225mg tramadol hidden in his luggage while attempting to board his Ethiopian Airlines flight to Istanbul, Turkey, at the terminal 1 of the Lagos airport on November 15.
Babafemi added following credible intelligence, NDLEA officers, on November 15, raided a hotel room at the Federal Housing Authority Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, where they arrested two suspects – Omeh Jude (36), and Anene Chigozie (34).
Recovered from them was 1.8kg methamphetamine, which they were preparing to take Qatar.
He added that another suspect, Akande Olasunkanmi, was arrested with 1.8kg methamphetamine at his home on 9, Durojaiye Street, Surulere, Lagos, after weeks of intelligence and surveillance.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has warned women and ladies against improper disposal of sanitary pads after use, saying it is now being abused as drug by youths.
NDLEA said that used sanitary pads have become the new “unconventional substances” people use to get high or achieve other euphoric feelings through inhaling after they had dried them.
The Deputy State Commander, NDLEA, Ogun State Command, Mrs Eucharia Ekwu, told newsmen shortly after speaking on the “Dangers of Substance abuse” in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital during a youth re-orientation programme organised for secondary school students in the state by the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on citizenship and leadership in conjunction with the National Orientation Agency.
Mrs. Ekwu who noted the “alarming rate” at which this unconventional substance is being abused by people, said users usually pick them at dust bins and neighbourhoods where they are disposed improperly.
She urged women to burn their sanitary pads after use even as she identified peer pressure, unemployment and economic frustration, low self-esteem, emotional and psychological stress among others as factors leading to drug abuse by children and youths.
She said: “Our concern today is that we see children of nine years old using drug. Also, the emphasis is no longer on Cannabis, that used to be of the old. There are now new psychotropic substances coming out like having loud, SK, Colorado, Ice (Mpurumiri) and even the use of unconventional substances such as people fermenting sanitary pads, fermenting urine and inhaling them to get high. This is on the alarming rate.
“It is not the women that are using the sanitary pads they had disposed. It is the people that use drug. They dried it and inhale it. They pick it from the dust bins. They pick it from the neighborhoods from people that do not dispose the pads properly.
“So, we are advising Women/ladies that they should know how to dispose their sanitary pads or burn them after use. They shouldn’t just dispose it anyhow.”
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership, Miss Aderinsola Abiola, called on the youth to take interest in the political process and participate actively, while urging them to strive to undertake community services, join the public service to contribute to nation building.
Miss Abiola urged the youths to engage in meaningful use of the social media in order to emerge as a responsible adult – citizens.
After months of intelligence gathering and painstaking surveillance, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have smashed two major cross-border drug trafficking syndicates with cocaine and opioids worth billions recovered from them while six leaders of the cartels were arrested in different parts of the country.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Sunday.
Babafemi said the syndicates, which comprise Nigerians based in Mubi, Adamawa Onitsha, Anambra and Lagos States as well as Cameroonians came under NDLEA radar after they were suspected of being major suppliers of drugs to terror groups operating in Nigeria and Cameroon.
He said: “Leaders of the syndicates so far arrested include: Ibrahim Bawuro, Najib Ibrahim, Ibrahim Umar, Nelson Udechukwu Anayo, Ezeh Amaechi Martin and Adejumo Elijah Ishola.
“Intelligence gathered revealed that some psychoactive substances including tramadol were often sourced by Ibrahim Bawuro and Ibrahim Najib from a notorious drug dealer in Onitsha: Nelson Udechukwu Anayo and thereafter packed and concealed in vehicles in the premises of Ezeh Amaechi Martin, an associate of Udechukwu.
“The duo of Ibrahim Bawuro and Ibrahim Najib will thereafter transport the drugs from Onitsha to Yola and subsequently to other parts of the North and Cameroon in specially constructed false compartments of vehicles, which travel from the East to the North at night.
“On 7th October 2024, Bawuro and Najib were trailed from Onitsha where they had gone to buy another consignment and eventually arrested in Taraba the following day 8th October while a total of 276,500 pills of tramadol were recovered from a Toyota Avensis saloon car marked DKA 57 TT, which they abandoned on the Jalingo-Yola expressway when they noticed NDLEA operatives were on their trail.
“Follow up operations were subsequently carried out in Delta and Anambra states where Ezeh Amaechi Martin and Udechukwu Nelson Anayo were arrested by operatives of the NDLEA Directorate of Intelligence, which coordinated the whole effort with their counterparts in Taraba, Adamawa, Delta and Anambra.
“Another leader of a different syndicate, Adejumo Elijah Ishola, 37, was arrested by operatives of a special operation unit of the Agency on Tuesday 5th November at Seme border in Lagos on his way from Ghana with 3.3 kilograms of cocaine and 600grams of synthetic cannabis. This followed months of intelligence and surveillance on his cross-border criminal activities.”
According to the statement, NDLEA operatives in Apapa seaport Lagos on Wednesday 6th November intercepted Thirty-One Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (31,750,000) pills of 240mg Voltron, a controlled opioid, packaged and concealed in a container imported from India, as diclofenac sodium 100mg tablets.
It indicated that the discovery was made during a joint examination of the container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.
Babafemi said at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, import shed Ikeja Lagos, NDLEA officers on Tuesday 5th November intercepted a 700grams consignment of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis.
He said a software engineer, Olu Marshal who showed up to collect the package was promptly arrested and a follow up search of his home in Lekki led to the recovery of some drug paraphernalia, including a cannabis crusher.
He added that an attempt by another suspect, Orji Ogbonna Nnaorji to send 32.50kg bottles of codeine syrup and 5.70kg cannabis to London, UK, concealed in tiger nuts cargo through the export shed of the Lagos airport was frustrated by NDLEA operatives on Friday 8th November.
The statement reads, “A follow up operation led to the arrest of Orji at his warehouse in Ajao estate, Lagos. In Kwara state, not less than 162,800 pills of opioids were seized by NDLEA operatives from four suspects during interdiction operations in parts of the state.
“While 112,200 tablets of tramadol were recovered from Wahab Alao Saliu, 18,900 tablets of same opioid were recovered from Dalha Musa both at Eiyenkorin area of Ilorin; 29,000 pills of tramadol, 200 ampoules of diazepam and 99 bottles of codeine syrup seized from Ahmed Isiaka, just as 2,500 tabs of tramadol were seized from Ahmed Garba, both at Bode Saadu in Moro local government area of the state on Friday 8th November.
“In Abuja, NDLEA operatives in the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday 7th November intercepted a truck along Abaji- Kwali road with 755.50kg cannabis concealed under empty cartons of noodles. The truck driver, Lukman Rasheed, 41, claimed that bags of the psychoactive substance were loaded into the trailer in Ogbese, Ondo state after departing Lagos with only empty cartons of noodles.
“A suspect, Yusuf Abubakar, 43, was arrested by operatives on Monday 4th November at Ibi, Taraba state while conveying to Kano 361 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 156.95kg in a commercial bus marked WKR 772 XA. Not less than 245 blocks of same substance with a total weight of 121kg were recovered by NDLEA officers on patrol along Wukari – Ibi road on Thursday 7th November.
“Two suspects: Hamza Yakubu, 30, and Abdulra’uf Danjuma, 23, were on Wednesday 6th November arrested at Gidan Manjagab area of Jos, Plateau state with 113 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 141kg, while a Chadian, Hassan Muhammad Ali, 31, was nabbed on Tuesday 5th November at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria-Kano road, Kano, with 3,000 pills of tramadol 225mg.
“While a suspect Ibrahim Adamu was arrested at Jere area of Kaduna state with 35 sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 338.8 kilograms, NDLEA operatives in Edo state on Friday 8th November recovered 1,078kg cannabis at Okhuokhuo – Isi forest and 228kg of same substance at Sabo- Auchi.
“In Ondo state, four suspects: Friday Daniel, Patrick Felix, Samuel Agada and Igwe Chukwuka were arrested at Emure Ile with 672kg cannabis sativa, while 513kg of same substance was seized at Gbodo camp, Ikun Akoko and a total of 4, 908kg cannabis recovered from a suspect Musibau Kosama at Alabi Yellow, Ijoka area of Akure on Wednesday 6th November.
“Across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.
“Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Park Royal College, Apapa Lagos; Government Secondary School, Atu, Cross River; Ladigbolu Grammar School 2, Oyo, Oyo state; Iman Secondary School, Arkilla, Sokoto; Rosary Girls College, Nise, Anambra; Havilah Gold Secondary School, Odomola, Epe, Lagos state; while the Edo State command of NDLEA paid a WADA advocacy visit to HRM Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare II, among others.
“While commending the officers and men of DI, SIU, Apapa, MMIA, FCT, Taraba, Kwara, Plateau, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, and Ondo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.”
The bid by members of an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria to smuggle into Lagos of 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilograms has been thwarted and the consignments recovered by operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said it has thwarted the efforts of an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria to smuggle 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72kg worth N4.49 billion into the country.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement yesterday, said the drugs were intercepted and seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja.
“The drug consignments worth N4,492,800,000 in street value were recovered from two lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft during the post landing cleaning of the cabin of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos on Tuesday 29th October 2024.
“The illicit drug consignments were wrapped in nine polythene bags and hidden in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft, from where they were recovered after the MMIA Strategic Command of NDLEA was alerted about the strange objects. No fewer than 30 suspects have so far been grilled in connection with the seizure.
“Investigations revealed that the seized drugs were conveyed from Brazil to Ethiopia through ingestion and excreted in Addis Ababa by a set of couriers while some other traffickers picked them up and attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria through the Lagos airport before their attempt was frustrated with the cooperation of the airline’s authorities and other airport stakeholders.,” Babafemi said.
He said in the same vein, attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.928kg cocaine, cannabis and tramadol 225mg concealed in body cream containers, and pieces of art work to Australia, United Arab Emirate and United Kingdom through some courier companies in Lagos were also blocked by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, on October 28.
The bid by members of an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria to smuggle into Lagos a total of 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72 kilograms has been thwarted and consignments recovered by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
It said they thwarted the efforts of an international drug syndicate that operates between Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria to smuggle 845 wraps of cocaine weighing 18.72kg worth N4.49 billion into the country.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday said the drugs were intercepted and seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja.
“The drug consignments worth Four Billion Four Hundred and Ninety-Two Million Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,492,800,000) in street value were recovered from two lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft during the post landing cleaning of the cabin of flight ET900 from Addis Ababa to Lagos on Tuesday 29th October 2024.
“The illicit drug consignments were wrapped in nine polythene bags and hidden in the waste collectors in the two rear lavatories of the aircraft, from where they were recovered after the MMIA Strategic Command of NDLEA was alerted about the strange objects. No fewer than 30 suspects have so far been grilled in connection with the seizure.
“Investigations revealed that the seized drugs were conveyed from Brazil to Ethiopia through ingestion and excreted in Addis Ababa by a set of couriers while some other traffickers picked them up and attempted to smuggle them into Nigeria through the Lagos airport before their attempt was frustrated with the cooperation of the airline’s authorities and other airport stakeholders,” Babafemi said.
He said in the same vein, attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 2.928kg cocaine, cannabis and tramadol 225mg concealed in body cream containers, and pieces of art work to Australia, United Arab Emirate and United Kingdom through some courier companies in Lagos were also blocked by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, on Monday 28th October.
“At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 29th October intercepted 754, 000 pills of tapentadol and acetaminophen 225mg worth Five Hundred and Twenty-Five Million Naira (N525, 000,000) in a targeted and watch-listed container from India during a joint examination with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.
“In the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, a suspect Mujahid Hamisu, 24, was arrested with 147,000 pills of tramadol concealed in black nylon bags containing plumbing materials along Kwali-Gwagwalada Abuja expressway on his way from Onitsha, Anambra state on Saturday 2nd November 2024, while another suspect Seun Abimbola, 47, was nabbed by NDLEA operatives same day with 512 grams of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Giri junction area of the FCT.
“In Kogi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Kabba- Obajana highway arrested Mercy Ameh, 28, in a commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Abuja while a search of her luggage led to the recovery of fake Naira notes worth Four Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand ,Two Hundred Naira (₦ 4,353,200), even as another suspect Shaibu Dahiru, 27, was nabbed in a vehicle coming from Lagos to Katsina along Lokoja- Okene- Abuja road on Thursday 30th October with 68 blocks of cannabis weighing 27.400kg,” the statement reads.
Babafemi also said a notorious drug dealer Usman Abba (alias Timaya) who has been on the watchlist of the Katsina state command of NDLEA was on Wednesday 30th October arrested at Liberty Hotel, Kofar Kaura with consignments of Arizona, a strain of cannabis.
He added that on the same day, NDLEA operatives in Adamawa arrested a suspect Augustine Dike, 31, with 50.3 grams of methamphetamine at Quarisa Hotel, Jimeta.
The statement reads: “In Taraba, operatives on Friday 1stNovember arrested Danlami Fakwa, 46, at Sabon Gari, Jalingo LGA, with 49.795kg cannabis, while a total of 561kg of same substance was recovered from a Sienna bus at Ogbese village in Ondo state on Monday 28th October.
“A suspect Kabiru Yusuf, 25, was on Saturday 2nd October arrested in possession of 51,813 pills of tramadol and exol 5 at NDA Bus Stop, Kaduna, just as raids in Edo state led to the seizure of 603.6kg cannabis at Farm road, Ekiadolor and 308.4kg of same substance at Uroe community.
“Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week. Instances include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Government Day Secondary School, Sanganare, Adamawa; students of College of Arts and Islamic Studies, Tungan Magajiya, Niger state; students and staff of Regina Catholic International College, Obehie, Abia state; students and teachers of Akinmorin Grammar School, Oyo, Oyo state; as well as students and teachers of Redeemer’s International School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, among others.
“While commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, Apapa, Kogi, FCT, Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Ondo, Taraba, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.”
• US, Europe-bound consignments intercepted in shoe soles
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the weekend uncovered illicit substances at Igbo-Igunuko shrine located at Alfa Beach in the Ajah, as well as an underground storage in Lekki areas of Lagos.
The illicit substance suspected to be Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,760kg were recovered on Friday and two suspects, Gbenga Abiodun and Sunday Abiodun arrested, said the NDLEA in a statement yesterday.
Spokesman for the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement said that total of 11,786 pills of tramadol, molly, rohypnol and diazepam, as well as 64 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from an underground storage that one Muhammad Warnos Abdullahi dug in his bedroom at Marwa Coastal Road, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos.
He said the underground storage was uncovered during a raid of the suspect’s residence on Friday, saying the storage was dug in his bedroom, covered it with padlocked iron slate and rug before putting his mattress on top to avoid detection.
Babafemi said another suspect, Ademola Oyelakin was arrested the same Friday with 770kg of suspected cannabis along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
According to Babafemi, consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom and Cyprus were intercepted by the agency’s operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos and three courier companies in the state.
He said a total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on October 12, and additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna during a follow up operation in Enugu on Thursday, October 24, adding that N968,880 cash and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN389AS, were also recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest.
