.Destroys 40 tonnes of cannabis plants in Ekiti, seizes other illicit drugs
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two suspects over four tonnes of illicit and controlled drugs intercepted during interdiction operations.
The suspects: Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe, were arrested and taken into custody, while taking the consignments to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, for distribution.
The illicit drugs include consignments of nitrous oxide, popularly known as ‘laughing gas,’ skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and tramadol.
The drugs were intercepted during operations in Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo States.
Confirming the incident, yesterday, spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, said operatives also intercepted about 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas, weighing 2,547.2 kilogrammes, and loaded in two Toyota Sienna buses last Friday along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.
While one of the Toyota Sienna buses, marked KTU 582 HV, was conveying 99 cartons containing 594 cylinders weighing 1,267.200kgs, the second bus with registration number FKJ 329 YA, was conveying 100 cartons of the substance with 600 cylinders weighing 1,280kgs.
According to Babafemi, a 48-year-old woman, Mrs. Ugo Eluba, was also arrested in Abuja, in a follow-up operation, after 2,400 ampules of pentazocine injection, and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5, intercepted in Kogi State, were traced to her.
He added that in FCT, operatives also intercepted 977 kilogrammes of skunk last Wednesday, in a trailer marked LSR 343 XW, bearing cartons of maggi.
The skunk consignment was loaded into the truck at Itele junction in Ondo State.
“While 959kgs of the substance were meant for distribution in Sokoto State, the rest was to be dropped off at Gwagwalada.
“Two suspects, Auwal Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar, have been arrested in connection with the seizure, while two others, Mutari Abdulazeez and Ayuba Madaki, were also arrested last Saturday at Zuba area of Abuja, with different quantities of
methamphetamine, cannabis and 13, 930 pills of tramadol.
“In the same vein, Shuaibu Yusuf and Abubakar Hussaini, 20, were nabbed with 89.1kgs of skunk along Kanji-Hadejia road, Jigawa State last Saturday during a stop and search patrol by NDLEA operatives.
“About 6,000 ampules of pentazocine injection were recovered from a suspect, Usman Musa Sidi, on September 18, along Abuja-Forest road, Kaduna, while on his way to Bauchi State.
A follow-up operation in Bauchi led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Dominic Chukwuma, who was caught with 2.58kgs of Diazepam and 36.55kgs of pentazocine injection recovered from his home.
Two other suspects, Inuwa Nuhu and Isiyaku Sani, were also arrested same Tuesday in connection with the seizure of 49 blocks of Cannabis sativa, concealed in a black sack and weighing 26kgs in a commercial vehicle coming from Ogere, Ogun State to Kano,” Babafemi added.
Meanwhile, a total of 183kgs of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from body compartments of a J5 bus intercepted in Lagos, last Wednesday, while operatives in Sokoto, last Tuesday, arrested one Charles Okeke, with 473 bottles of codeine syrup at Unguwar Kosai area of Sokoto.
In Edo State, 365 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa, weighing 258kgs were recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KTU 886 EZ at Igarra, Akoko Edo Local Council.
