In a series of coordinated operations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant breakthroughs in the fight against drug trafficking in Nigeria.
The agency’s operatives successfully raided multiple locations across the country, recovering a total of 390 kilograms of illicit drugs, including cannabis and a psychotropic substance known as skunk.
The first operation took place in the Iwe forest of the Owan West local government area in Edo state. Acting on reliable intelligence, hundreds of well-armed NDLEA operatives stormed the area and discovered a large warehouse used for storing illegal substances.
Inside the warehouse, where they found a staggering 231 jumbo bags containing a total of 3,003 kilograms (over 3 tons) of skunk was set ablaze.
In a separate incident at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers state, the NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service, uncovered 76.9 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
The drugs were concealed in four used vehicles within a container marked MSDU6686346, which had arrived from Canada. The discovery came as a result of a thorough inspection prompted by prior intelligence received by the agency.
In Kano state, the NDLEA apprehended two suspects, Ma’aruf Rabiu and Abubakar Mustapha, along the Zaria-Kano road. The suspects were found in possession of 260 blocks of cannabis weighing 139.4 kilograms.
Also, Auwal Ibrahim was arrested the following day along the Kaduna-Abuja road with 38 kilograms of the same illicit substance. On the same day, Bilkisu Isiya, a 35-year-old female suspect, was taken into custody in Birnin Yero, Kaduna, with 5.6 kilograms of cannabis.
In Borno state, the NDLEA, with military support, arrested two suspects, Abubakar Usman (also known as Alhaji Mai Kero) and Adamu Yusuf, in Bargu village, Shani LGA.
The raid yielded 165 blocks of skunk weighing 140.7 kilograms. In the same village, a female suspect named Hauwa Ibrahim, 25, was apprehended with 6.4 kilograms of the psychoactive substance.
Furthermore, another suspect, Alhaji Abubakar, 27, was intercepted at the Njimtilo checkpoint with 4,200 ampoules of pentazocine injection and varying quantities of D5 and exol-5 tablets.
In Oyo state, Iroko Wasiu, a 30-year-old suspect, was arrested at a drug joint in Sabo Aba-Owolowo along the Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway.
The arrest led to the recovery of 31.2 kilograms of cannabis. On the following day, Deji Adelabu, 35, and Mutiu Salau, 37, were nabbed in Sabo area along the Oyo-Ogbomoso road and Awuro Dada area in Orire local government area, respectively. They were found in possession of a total of 8 kilograms of cannabis.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers and men of the Edo, Onne Ports, Kano, Kaduna commands.