The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says it has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills of tramadol and other opioids, as well as 6,000 kilograms of potent strains of cannabis, with a combined street value of more than 3.4 billion naira.
The seizures were made in a string of operations across Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the Federal Capital Territory.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, says the operations also led to the arrest of a suspected drug trafficker accused of impersonating a senior police officer, a mechanic allegedly using his workshop to store illicit drugs, and two teenagers found with locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a pistol and ammunition.
One of the major seizures was 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud, described by the agency as a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 603.75 kilograms and valued at more than 1.8 billion naira.
The agency says 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe was arrested on Wednesday, September 16, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, with 292.48 kilograms of skunk concealed in a silver Toyota Sienna bus.
NDLEA says its investigation established that Ekpe had allegedly been parading himself as Godwin Emeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged identification card to escape scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit drug consignments across state lines.
An alleged accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence raided a location on Agbor Road in Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.
The agency alleges that Ossai used his auto-repair workshop as a front for storing illicit drugs.
Operatives recovered 48 kilograms of Canadian Loud and 152 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a metal box allegedly used to store the substances.
At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA says a 40-foot container shipped from Montreal, Canada, which arrived on September 12, was placed under intensive monitoring based on processed intelligence.
The shipment was subjected to a joint physical examination by the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service andq other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16.
The search uncovered 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75 kilograms.
The drugs were concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded in two Toyota Sienna vehicles inside the container.
In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway at Chachi in Tafa Local Government Area arrested three young suspects on Tuesday, September 15.
They are 20-year-old Bashir Usman, 18-year-old Abubakar Nuhu and 18-year-old Abdulrahman Abdulwahab.
The agency says two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles and a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine, and nine rounds of 9-millimetre ammunition were found concealed in a black travel bag in their possession.
Along the Abaji-Abuja Highway, NDLEA officers on Friday, September 18, arrested 23-year-old Aminu Isyaku and 25-year-old Jamilu Habibu.
More than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets concealed in eight sacks were recovered from them.
The agency says the consignment was being transported from Onitsha in Anambra State to Mararaba in Nasarawa State.
In Lagos, Onyeka Ofor was arrested on Friday, September 18, at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 pills of 225-milligram tramadol.
Seven cartons of cannabis sativa weighing 59 kilograms were also intercepted at a logistics company, with a suspect, Luke Ugokwe, taken into custody.
In another Lagos operation, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apongbo on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38 kilograms of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, a total of 154,480 capsules of tramadol were recovered from two suspects.
They are 27-year-old Sabi’u Umar and 19-year-old Hassana Muhammad, who were arrested at Barunde area and Gombe Main Market respectively on Friday, September 18.
In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road on Friday, September 18, with 43.85 kilograms of skunk.
And in Ondo State, four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested during a raid on a cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest on Tuesday, September 15.
NDLEA says operatives destroyed 5,000 kilograms of skunk cultivated on the two-hectare cannabis farm.
No fewer than 48 kilograms of dry and fresh cannabis were recovered from the location for use in the prosecution of the suspects.
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Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu
