By Gabriel Ameh
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted consignments of Colorado, recovered large quantities of pharmaceutical opioids and cannabis, and arrested several suspects in operations across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The agency said the operations, conducted in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano states, resulted in the recovery of more than 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs and the arrest of several suspects.
At the Import Shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted a consignment from the United Kingdom containing 27 parcels of Colorado, a strain of synthetic cannabis, weighing 32.20kg.
The agency said a real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was arrested on September 9 after allegedly arriving to collect the consignment using a collection code reportedly sent by his brother in the UK.
A follow-up operation involving another UK-bound consignment led to the arrest of Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, 44, who was allegedly linked to a separate 12.25kg shipment of Colorado. According to the NDLEA, the suspect told investigators that the package had been sent by his brother in the UK.
In Lagos, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) also intercepted a music speaker allegedly modified to conceal three packages of Colorado at Maza Maza Motor Park. The consignment was reportedly destined for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ultimately Liberia.
A tour agent, Ifeanyi Obed Augustine, 41, and the alleged owner of the consignment, Obasi Ugochuckwu, 46, were arrested during a follow-up operation, according to the agency.
At Iddo Park, another suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested on September 11 while allegedly attempting to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.
Drug arrests and recoveries across states
In Delta State, separate operations in Ughelli and Asaba resulted in the recovery of Pentazocine injections, Codeine syrup, Tramadol, Diazepam, Flunitrazepam and MDMA, with some of the substances allegedly concealed inside music speakers.
Two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested in connection with the recoveries.
In Kano State, NDLEA operatives raided an area in Sabon Gari and arrested a 20-year-old suspect, Saidu Adamu, with 785,000 capsules of Pregabalin weighing 669.425kg.
A separate stop-and-search operation along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia road led to the seizure of 1,700 Diazepam tablets allegedly concealed inside loaves of bread. The drugs were reportedly recovered from Habibu Sabitu, 28.
In Plateau State, 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor was arrested at Katako Market, Jos, with 157,100 capsules of Tramadol.
The NDLEA also continued operations against illicit cannabis cultivation.
In Edo State, operatives destroyed 4,832.56kg of skunk cannabis recovered from farms in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest, across Ovia South West, Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas. A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was arrested.
In Ondo State, NDLEA officers raided a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure, and recovered 186kg of skunk allegedly concealed in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car. A 58-year-old suspect, Paul Ogbuwala, was arrested.
In Kaduna State, a female suspect, Hannah Michael, was arrested at Gonin Gora with 369.6kg of cannabis.
Meanwhile, four suspects were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg. They included 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, Motombo Silver, 44, Pere Andrew, 39, and Keme Andrew, 43.
NDLEA sustains anti-drug campaign
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its commands and formations continued with its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
The activities included drug-awareness lectures for students and staff of Mezube Islamiyya Academy in Kano, an advocacy visit to the Cross River State College of Health Technology in Calabar and engagements with traditional rulers in Jos and Keffi.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain what he described as a balanced approach to drug control.
Marwa also directed personnel to continue disrupting drug trafficking networks and the supply routes used by criminal groups through airports, seaports, land borders and areas where cannabis is cultivated.
