By Emma Njoku
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested 22 suspects in operations across seven states during which 1,001,387 bottles/capsules of banned new psychoactive substance, Akuskura, and tramadol as well as 2,536 kilograms of cannabis were seized.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, who made the disclosure in a statement, yesterday, added that over 10 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed in Edo and Adamawa states.
Topping the list of the suspects is a 75-year-old grandpa, Usman Bokina Bajama (alias Clemen), who was arrested in the early hours of last Tuesday, at the Anguwan Sate, Mararraban Tola, Mayo Belwa council area of Adamawa, where he had a cannabis plantation from where 49kg of the illicit substance was recovered.
Giving further details of the arrests, Babafemi said: “In Kwara, at least 19,878 bottles of the banned new psychoactive substance, Akuskura were intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Ilorin-Jebba highway on Wednesday, September 21 and two suspects: Oladokun Oluwaseun, 49, and Ibrahim Jimoh,27, arrested. They claimed the consignment packed in 35 jumbo sacks was loaded in Ibadan, Oyo State, and meant for distribution in Jos, Plateau State. Earlier, two suspects: Ukoro Ifeanyi, 46, and Idowu Toyosi, 20, were arrested with 2,290 capsules of tramadol and 100 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Mararaba park, Ilorin. The drugs were brought in from Onitsha, Anambra State.
“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a Volvo truck loaded with 2,146 kilograms of cannabis at the Sangotedo area of Ajah and three suspects: Abdulazeez Rasheed; Afeez Raheem and Moshood Suleiman, arrested. At least, 979,119 capsules of expired pregabalin, weighing 733kg, were recovered from Musbahu Ya’u, 28, and five others at the Dansarai area of Kano, while in Enugu, 197.8kg cannabis was recovered in a store at New Market, Enugu, on Tuesday, September 20. In the same vein, 117.7kg of the psychoactive substance was intercepted along Okene-Abuja expressway, in a truck coming from Lagos to Abuja.
“In Edo State, six cannabis farmers were arrested when NDLEA operatives stormed their farms at Chigbite, Utese forest in Ovia North East LGA and Ekudo forest, Uhunmwonde LGA, where over 10 hectares of cannabis plantation were destroyed and more than 193kg of the processed illicit substance seized. Those arrested include: David Hanson; Ufuoma Progress; Marvelous Armstrong; Marvelous Efe; Joshua Abubakar and Elijah Abubakar.”
Meanwhile, anti-narcotic officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, have arrested two freight agents over attempts to smuggle 26.20kg cannabis concealed in cereal packs through the SAHCO shed for export to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The consignment was abandoned at the shed before the airport security transferred it to NDLEA.
Further investigation by the agency led to the arrest of Olatunbosun Damilola Abimbola, 34, who works at Ashadox Logistics Services, a cargo company, last Friday. He confessed to the crime, but stated that he acted on the instructions of his Managing Director, Oloyede Shakiru Abiola, who was promptly arrested. The 40-year-old indigene of Ibadan West Local Government Area of Oyo State stated that due to the strict security measures put in place by the NDLEA, he was forced to abandon the cargo to avoid being detected.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd) commended the officers and men of Adamawa, Kwara, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kogi, Edo and MMIA Commands for their resilience, while charging them and others across the country to remain vigilant and committed to the collective goal of saving Nigeria from the drug scourge.