The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday, September 20, announced the arrest of a fake police officer in Delta state and the interception of illicit drugs worth over N3.4 billion across eight states during a series of operations.
The agency said the operations, carried out in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and the FCT, led to the recovery of more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, as well as about 6,000kg of cannabis.
The NDLEA said one of the major operations involved the interception of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg and valued at N1.811 billion at the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos.
The consignment arrived from Montreal, Canada, on Saturday, September 12 and was placed under intensive monitoring by NDLEA operatives following intelligence received by the agency.
A joint physical examination involving the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies on Wednesday, September 16 uncovered the Loud concealed inside 31 black jumbo bags loaded into two Toyota Sienna vehicles within a 40-foot container.
In Delta state, NDLEA operatives arrested 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba on Wednesday, September 16, with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in his silver Toyota Sienna bus.
The agency said investigation showed that Ekpe had allegedly impersonated a deputy superintendent of Police under the name Godwin Emeka, using a forged police identification card to evade scrutiny at checkpoints while transporting illicit drugs.
His alleged accomplice, 39-year-old Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.
In Edo state, operatives acting on intelligence raided an auto-repair workshop along Agbor Road, Benin City, where they arrested 45-year-old Matthew Ossai.
The NDLEA said 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152g of methamphetamine were recovered from the workshop, which allegedly served as a storage facility for illicit drugs.
In Niger state, operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway at Chachi, Tafa local government area, arrested three young men on Tuesday, September 15.
They were identified as 20-year-old Bashir Usman, 18-year-old Abubakar Nuhu, and 18-year-old Abdulrahman Abdulwahab.
The agency said they were found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition concealed in a black travel bag.
Also, 23-year-old Aminu Isyaku, and 25-year-old Jamilu Habibu, were arrested along the Abaji-Abuja highway on Friday, September 18.
More than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets were recovered from them.
The NDLEA said the drugs were concealed in eight sacks being transported from Onitsha, Anambra state, to Mararaba, Nasarawa state.
In Lagos, operatives arrested Onyeka Ofor at his residence in Aguda, Surulere, on Friday, September 18 with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg.
Seven cartons of cannabis weighing 59kg were also intercepted at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of Luke Ugokwe.
In another operation in Lagos, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu was arrested at Apongbo on Thursday, September 17 with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe state, NDLEA operatives recovered 154,480 capsules of tramadol from 27-year-old Sabi’u Umar, and 19-year-old Hassana Muhammad, who were arrested at Barunde and Gombe Main Market respectively on September 18.
In Imo state, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road on September 18 with 43.85kg of skunk.
In Ondo state, four persons — Blessing Effiong, Saviour Peter, David Friday Sunday and Ability Peter Sunday — were arrested during a raid and destruction of a two-hectare cannabis farm in Ita-Ogbolu Forest on September 15.
The agency said 5,000kg of skunk was destroyed at the farm, while 48kg of dried and fresh cannabis was recovered for prosecution.
Meanwhile, NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week.
The agency said the activities included enlightenment lectures at St. Ferdinand School, Ogbomoso, Oyo state, Unizik Secondary School, Awka, Anambra state, Scholars Nursery and Primary School, Epe, Lagos state and Government Technical Training School, Jalingo, Taraba state.
The Delta ports command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to his royal majesty, King Couple Mackson Oromoni Mobene III, Pere Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Delta state.
NDLEA chairman and chief executive officer, brigadier-general Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and men of the Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe, Imo and FCT commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven operations.
Marwa urged officers across the country to sustain the agency’s approach to drug control.
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