Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a notorious drug supplier to bandits operating in Niger State and intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs across several states, including shipments bound for the United States, Canada and Sweden.
The suspect, 33-year-old Mohammed Sani, popularly known as Gamboli, was arrested on Thursday, December 11, at his hideout in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. His arrest came three weeks after he escaped during an NDLEA raid on his residence in Anguwan Makera, Kuta, on November 20, where officers recovered 471.8 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
NDLEA intelligence reports identified Gamboli as a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits terrorising communities in Shiroro and surrounding areas. After weeks of manhunt and intelligence-led operations, officers traced him to one of his drug joints and apprehended him.
In Abia State, NDLEA operatives on the same day dismantled a clandestine codeine syrup manufacturing factory at Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, Osisioma Local Government Area. A total of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup, weighing 1,152.2kg, were recovered from the facility.
Across Enugu State, two suspects were arrested with large quantities of skunk. Ossai Emeka, 45, was nabbed along the Onitsha–Enugu Ezike road with 7.2kg of the substance, while Enoje Agada, 40, was arrested along the Enugu-Ezike–Ette road with 94.6kg.
In Oyo State, a raid on a notorious drug joint known as “Beere the California” at Ido, Ibadan, led to the seizure of skunk, synthetic cannabis (Colorado) and methamphetamine. One suspect, Ajibade Faruk, was arrested, while the alleged owner of the joint, identified as “Idowu the killer,” is currently on the run. Another operation in Ibadan resulted in the arrest of Olusanya Abosede, 35, with 238.4kg of skunk.
At the Gbaji checkpoint on the Seme-Badagry road in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects with 50,000 pills of tramadol. In Ogun State, three suspects were apprehended in separate operations with a combined 98kg of skunk.
In Ondo State, officers arrested a 55-year-old woman, Veronica Obi, and her 29-year-old son, Bright Obi, after raiding their compound in Ogbese, Akure North Local Government Area, where 1,187kg of skunk and its seeds were recovered.
Additional seizures were recorded in Edo and Gombe states, where suspects were arrested with hundreds of kilograms of skunk and tens of thousands of tramadol capsules.
At logistics hubs in Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline and bromazepam concealed in black soap containers and designer wears, intended for shipment to the US, Canada and Sweden. At the Apapa seaport, a joint examination of a container led to the interception of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579kg.
Meanwhile, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns across schools, communities and traditional institutions nationwide.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), urged personnel nationwide to sustain the agency’s balanced approach of drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.