By Emma Njoku
About 8,268.2311kilograms of assorted illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin, tramadol, methamphetamine and skunk, among others, have been seized by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in a weeklong coordinated raids across seven states.
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, who made the disclosure in a statement, yesterday, said the raids were carried out in Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Enugu, Bauchi Edo and Anambra states.
Babafemi further disclosed that, at least, 15 drug dealers, including a woman on wheelchair, were arrested during the ‘offensive action’ operations, which began on Sunday, August 1 and lasted till Saturday, in the seven states.
He said the raids followed intelligence and as part of the ongoing offensive action ordered by the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), against all drug cartels across the country.
He said: “The bulk of the seized drugs were recovered from Ondo and Edo states. In Akure, the Ondo state capital, a 27-year-old Omokayode Adedayo was on Friday, August 6, arrested along Oda road, Akure South Local Government Area, with a cocktail of illicit substances, including cannabis sativa, cocaine, methamphetamine, tramadol, swinol, and designer drug.
“The previous day, Thursday, August 5, men of the Nigerian Army had intercepted 1,025kg of cannabis in Toyota Sequoia numbered FST 169 BW and a Toyota Sienna with APP 918 FA as registration number, at a checkpoint in Isua Akoko, where two fake police officers; Stephen Sunday and Eze Ezenwa, were also arrested with 575kg of cannabis being conveyed in a Sienna bus with a fake police registration number NPF 1651D. The suspects and exhibits were promptly handed over to the Ondo state command of the agency, along with a cash exhibit of N148, 300.
“This was preceded by a raid carried out by operatives of the Ondo state command at Egbeta community, a border town between Ondo and Edo states, where a total of 6,332kilograms of cannabis sativa were recovered and two suspects; Emeka Ossai and Raphael Henry, arrested.
“In Akwa Ibom state, raids in parts of the state led to the recovery of 64.903kg of illicit drugs, including 1. 2031kg crack cocaine from a 26-year-old Nwoye Ogbonna Solomon, the biggest cocaine seizure in the history of the state.
“In Adamawa state, a drug dealer, Ikechukwu Onuh, was arrested at Jimeta, Yola, on Thursday, August 5, with 14.400kg of tramadol packaged as diclofenac to evade detection.
“In Enugu, a total of 19.08kg of cocaine and skunk was recovered from three suspects, including a 35-year-old cripple, Iyiogwe Chinenye, and 25-year-old Aja Chidi David. Different quantities of cocaine and heroin were also seized from an 18-year-old drug dealer, Jude Chinedu, during raids at Inland town area of Onitsha, Anambra state.”