Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Edo State on Friday, intercepted about 1.5 million tablets of tramadol loaded in Onitsha, Anambra state and heading to Yauri, Kebbi State, same day the agency recovered 425,000 Diazepam tablets at Segemu, Kano.
The Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that a total of N1,413,344 was also seized along with arms and ammunition from a suspected bandit and a drug kingpin in Plateau State while over 137.754 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs were recovered during interdiction operations across seven states in the past week.
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives in Edo State on Friday intercepted a trailer coming from Onitsha and going to Yauri in Kebbi State and a thorough search of the truck led to the discovery of psychotropic substances concealed under legitimate goods.
The drugs seized include: 394,480 capsules and 3,000 tablets of Tramadol weighing 83.707kg; Exol-5: 647,500 tablets weighing 203.315kg; Diazepam: 12,500 tablets weighing 2.05kg; Bromazepam: 1,500 tablets weighing 0.45kg; Codeine based Syrup: 999 bottles weighing 134.865kg; Pentazocine injections: 4,000 ampoules weighing 16.64kg.
The driver of the truck, Bashir Lawali, Babafemi said was arrested along with Abubakar Sani and a 19-year-old Ali Abubakar, while the exhibits in Kano were seized from one Sa’idu Yahya.
Attempts by drug traffickers to export 73 parcels of cannabis (34.05kg) concealed in foodstuff plastic containers to the United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos were also frustrated by operatives on January 8, same way another 50 parcels of cannabis consignment (27.25kg) meant for the United States was also intercepted at the export shed of the airport on the 11th January and at least three suspects so far arrested.
He said, moves by illicit drug merchants to bring into Nigeria 94 parcels of cannabis indica (Colorado) weighing 43.4kg through the Tincan seaport in Lagos were also crushed when operatives intercepted the drug inside a 40ft container from Canada.
In Plateau State, a fake security agent, Babagana Ma’aji, the statement said was arrested through a controlled delivery of 5.6kg cannabis from Lagos.
The suspect based in Damaturu, Yobe State, was nabbed following the interception of a commercial bus bringing the consignment from Lagos to Gombe in Mararaban Jos.
Operatives of the Plateau Command of the Agency also arrested a suspected bandit, Abdullahi Usman Ahmad, 28, at Hwolshe with One Beretta pistol; seven rounds of live ammunition; two empty shells; 12 grams of cannabis sativa; a pair of handcuffs and N1,136,344, suspected to be ransom money as well as an Opel car with registration number ZAR35LQ.
In the same vein, leader of a cocaine distribution ring in Plateau, Chibueze Okoro John, 42, has been arrested along Zaria road, Jos, with quantities of cocaine and Tramadol recovered from him as well as a Sienna Bus (BWR 584 AL), Toyota Camry car (RBC 461 BF) and the sum of N277, 000, which the suspect offered to the narcotic officers as bribe but was rejected.
In Delta State, the bid by 38-year-old Ejike Obiora, to smuggle different quantities of Cocaine and Heroin into the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South LGA, was foiled when he was discovered to have concealed the drugs in foodstuffs meant for an inmate.
In Abuja, a buy and bust operation on Friday, led to the arrest of one Habib Yusif, with a total of 28.2kg cannabis recovered from him, while in Osun State, the trio of Samuel Joseph; Francis Ujor and Sola Johnson were arrested in Onikoko village Area 5, Ile-Ife, with 100 bags of cannabis weighing 1,530 kilograms recovered from them on 13th January.
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