LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin.
Nigeria Customs Service has made two separate seizures of marijuana (cannabis sativa) worth N244,878,000 in two different border locations in Kwara state.
Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin on Tuesday while handing over the seized drugs to the state command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the state Controller of the Nigeria Customs Service, Comptroller Ahmed Hussaini Bello, said that the seizures were made in February this year.
Bello said that the first seizure of 48 sacks of marijuana weighed 3,593kg with a duty paid value of N237,138,000, while the second one weighed 129kg with a duty paid value of N7,740,000.
The Customs boss, who said that the drugs were intercepted along Bukuru-Bode Aiki border community in the Baruten llLocal Government Area and along Ilorin-Jebba road in the Moro Local Government Area of the state, added that none of the suspects could be apprehended as the smugglers abandoned the drugs on sighting the Customs officials.
He said that the command decided to hand over the seizures to the NDLEA, “having recognized the critical role the NDLEA played in safe guarding the nation of dangerous drugs”.
He explained that the Customs Service and the NDLEA had never had any lapses in interderpartmental collaboration as erroneously held in some quarters, saying that the NDLEA is a federal agency established and charged with responsibilities of eliminating the growing, cultivation, processing, selling, trafficking of hard drugs and investigating persons suspected to have dealings in drugs and other related matters.
He also reiterated determination of the customs service to rid the state of all prohibited goods, saying that the ban on importation of foreign rice, used vehicles through the land borders, vegetable oil, second hand clothing, used tyres and other dangerous drugs such as tramadol, marijuana is still in place.
Also speaking, the NDLEA state Commander, Ambrose Umaru, who confirmed that there is a robust relationship between the two security agencies, said that the seizures would be destroyed through burning in the presence of the media and stakeholders soon.