March 24, (THEWILL) – A significant quantity of illicit drugs making a total of 44,948.1kg and eight suspects have been apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in various raids conducted across Lagos, Edo and Ondo States
In a statement released on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that 11 vehicles were also recovered from the drug cartels.
An estimated 14,310.8625 kg of psychoactive substances were set ablaze on a 5.7-hectare farm in Ohosu/Ugbogui forest, Ovia South West Local Government Area, Edo State, on Tuesday, March 19.
Among the arrested suspects are Sunday Otulugbu, 67 years old; Agbayeogor Joshua, 39; Kelvin Ofuasia, 45; Williams Peter, 37; and Kamaru Onimisi, 44.
A warehouse in Ala forest, Akure, Ondo State was the site where 7,687.8kg of cannabis was destroyed, with an additional 670kg eliminated on Saturday, March 23.
Another operation took place in Uzebba/Avbiosi forest where over 6,500kg of cannabis was destroyed on 2.6 hectares of farms, resulting in the arrest of three suspects – Kabiru Idris, 36; Alaba Jimoh, 40 and Lekan Asobere, 35.
Additionally, 5,000kg of the same substance was destroyed in a warehouse in Okpuje forest, Owan West LGA by NDLEA operatives with the military’s assistance on Friday, March 22.
In yet another well-coordinated operation in Lagos State on Wednesday, March 20, the agency’s operatives confiscated 10,534 kg (10.534 tonnes) of Ghanaian Loud, a type of cannabis in the Ajah area of the state, where 11 vehicles were seized from the drug cartel.
The recovered vehicles included an Iveco truck, Toyota Siennas, a Nissan bus and a Mercedes bus, among others.”
During a raid in the Ago Palace way area of Lagos on Friday, March 22, a suspect named Miracle Obi was apprehended with a significant quantity of various illicit substances.
Various instances of drug seizures and arrests were reported in different states including Kaduna, Borno and Kano, showcasing the widespread nature of the operations carried out by NDLEA officers.
In Kano State, a syndicate involved in the cocaine and heroin trade was dismantled with the arrest of a suspect named Onyeka Uba, who was found in possession of illicit substances. Another suspect, Ubale Sani, was captured with a significant amount of cannabis in the Chiromawa area of Kano.
Operatives of a special operation unit of NDLEA also disrupted criminal activities of another cocaine syndicate in Abuja at the weekend with the arrest of three leaders of the group. While Nnajiofor Celestine Kenechukwu, 41, and Okoro Chigozie Christian, 35, were arrested.
On Friday 22nd March at Paint House Hotel, Umar Garba Benna Street, 21 Road, First Avenue, Gwarimpa Abuja with 718 grams of cocaine, a follow-up operation at the residence of Okoro Chigozie at House 30, 69B Road 6th Avenue Gwarimpa, led to the recovery of 19 blocks of Arizona, a strain of cannabis weighing 9.823kg and monetary exhibits: N545,500 and $250, as well as property documents.
Two vehicles: a Toyota Camry 2007 marked BWR 94 BM and a Toyota Camry 2012 marked RBC 154 BS were also recovered from them.
Another follow-up operation to the residence of Nnajiofor Celestine Kenechukwu at 49 Mercy Orjiakor Street, Becky Estate 11, Karu, Nasarawa state on Saturday, March 23, also led to the recovery of various quantities of Arizona and methamphetamine while his girlfriend and accomplice, Ifemenam Oge was arrested.
With the same vigour, the various commands of the Agency across the country continued with the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaign in the past week.
Some of them include WADA sensitisation lecture for students and teachers of Government Day Secondary School, Damaturu, Yobe; Government Secondary School, Afaha Ukwa, Akwa Ibom; Total Child School, Awka, Anambra and Celestial Church of Christ High School Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Lagos, Edo, Ondo, Kano, Borno, Kaduna and FCT Commands as well as the Special Operations unit of the Agency for their outstanding feats in the past week, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), equally applauded their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures in schools, markets, motor parks, worship centres and workplaces.
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