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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted more than 1.3 million pills of tramadol and other opioids, as well as about 6,000kg of cannabis, with a combined street value of over N3.4 billion in operations across several states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The agency also arrested a 49-year-old suspected drug trafficker who allegedly posed as a senior police officer to evade security checkpoints, as well as two teenagers allegedly found with AK-47 rifles.
The suspect, Innocent Ekpe, was arrested on Wednesday, September 16, along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba, Delta State, with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in a Toyota Sienna bus.
In a statement by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA said Ekpe allegedly passed himself off as “Godwin Emeka”, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, using a forged police identity card.
An accomplice, Nduka Joseph, 39, was also arrested.
The biggest single seizure was recorded at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, where operatives intercepted 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.81 billion.
The consignment was concealed in a 40-foot container from Montreal, which arrived at the port on September 12 and was subsequently placed under surveillance.
A joint examination conducted with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies on September 16 uncovered the drugs packed in 31 jumbo bags inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles.
In another operation on Tuesday, September 15, operatives on patrol at Chachi, Tafa Local Government, Niger State, arrested Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18, on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.
The suspects were allegedly found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles with a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a travel bag.
On the FCT/Nasarawa route, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested on Friday, September 18, on the Abaji-Abuja Highway with more than 1.1 million tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets.
The drugs were reportedly packed in eight sacks and were being transported from Onitsha to Mararaba.
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In Gombe, Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, were arrested at Barunde and Gombe Main Market on September 18 with 154,480 tramadol capsules.
In Lagos, Onyeka Ofor was arrested at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on September 18 with 48,900 tablets of tramadol 225mg.
Also in Edo State, Matthew Ossai, 45, was arrested at his auto-repair workshop on Agbor Road, Benin City, which the agency alleged was being used as a storage facility.
Operatives recovered 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152g of methamphetamine from the premises.
In Ondo State, four suspects — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested after operatives destroyed 5,000kg of skunk on a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu forest on September 15.
About 48kg of dry and fresh cannabis was kept as evidence.
In Imo State, Ifesinachi Godwin, 25, was arrested on the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk on September 18.
In Lagos, Luke Ugokwe was arrested after seven cartons containing 59kg of cannabis sativa were intercepted at a logistics company.
Separately, Ibrahim Hudu, 43, was arrested at Apongbo on Thursday, September 17, with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), commended officers of the Lagos, Tin Can, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT commands for what he described as their professionalism.
He urged them to sustain the agency’s “balanced approach” to drug control by combining enforcement with prevention.
Meanwhile, commands across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign in schools and communities during the week.
The campaign included lectures in Ogbomoso, Awka, Epe and Jalingo, as well as an advocacy visit by the Delta Ports Command to the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom in Warri.
