The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted over two tonnes of illicit substances in Lagos, Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Anambra, Ondo, and Kogi in the last one week.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, said on Sunday in Abuja that the agency’s operatives stormed a warehouse at Obi Camp in Owan West local government area of Edo on Monday, November 20. They seized 338kg of Indian hemp concealed in sacks of charcoal in the raid.
The NDLEA operatives also raided Ikhin Forest in Owan East local government area of Edo on Saturday, November, 25, and seized 235kg of the same psychoactive substance.
“A suspect, Onah Ikechukwu (32) was arrested at Jattu in Etsako West local government area of the state on Wednesday, November, 22.
“The operatives seized 11,690 capsules of tramadol, 295 bottles of codeine syrup, and various quantities of Molly, Indian hemp and Methamphetamine from the suspect.
“Another raid on Wednesday, November, 22 at Enu-Owa Street, Lagos Island, led to the seizure of 40,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 440,000 pills of tramadol in a store belonging to one fleeing Ebuka Amechi.
“Not less than 135,600 capsules of tramadol and 950gm of Indian hemp were seized from two suspects – Afamefuna Ibekwe (37), and Sunday Onweh (41) at Nkpor, Akuzor and Ose-Ogbaijo, Onitsha, respectively,’’ he stated.
Babafemi added that 37,360 pills of different psychoactive drugs and 250 bottles of codeine syrup were recovered from one Muhammed Khamis (22) on Thursday, November 23 on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja Expressway.
The drugs were being transported from Onitsha, Anambra to Abuja, Babafemi stated.
NDLEA operatives in Ekiti seized 288kg of Indian hemp at Odo-Owa Forest in Ijero local government Area of the state on Saturday, November, 25.
“At least, 116kg of Indian hemp were seized from a suspect, Chinagoram Obaru (24) who was arrested at Iju Forest on Thursday, November, 23,’’ he added.
Babafemi also stated that 859kg of Indian hemp, concealed among bags of sugar in a truck for onward transportation to Mokwa, Niger state were recovered.
The consignment, he added, was loaded at Ogbese in Ondo State and hidden among bags of cement in a truck before it was trans-loaded into another articulated vehicle in Ogun.
On Friday, November 24, NDLEA operatives in Ogun arrested two suspects – Adamu Ibrahim and Nura Sani at Ileke trailer garage, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Reacting, Buba Marwa, chairman of the NDLEA, charged the operatives to remain vigilant and to double their efforts, especially as criminal networks had become desperate to make quick money preparatory to the Yuletide season.