Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted more than 1.3 million pills and capsules of tramadol and other opioids, alongside about 6,000kg of cannabis, in operations across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The agency said the seizures, which also included 603.75kg of Canadian Loud and other illicit drugs, had a combined street value of more than N3.4 billion.
According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, the operations were conducted in Lagos, Edo, Niger, Delta, Ondo, Gombe and Imo states, as well as the FCT.
In Delta State, operatives arrested 49-year-old Innocent Ekpe along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway in Asaba on September 16 with 292.48kg of skunk concealed in a Toyota Sienna bus. He allegedly used a forged police identification card bearing the name of a Deputy Superintendent of Police to evade scrutiny at checkpoints. A 39-year-old accomplice, Nduka Joseph, was also arrested.
In Edo, NDLEA operatives raided an auto-repair workshop along Agbor Road, Benin City, where 48kg of Canadian Loud and 152 grammes of methamphetamine were recovered. A 45-year-old suspect, Matthew Ossai, was arrested.
At the Tin-Can Island Port in Lagos, a joint examination of a 40-foot container from Montreal, Canada, led to the discovery of 1,200 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 603.75kg. The consignment, valued at N1.811 billion, was concealed in 31 black jumbo bags loaded inside two Toyota Sienna vehicles.
In Niger State, three young men — Bashir Usman, 20; Abubakar Nuhu, 18; and Abdulrahman Abdulwahab, 18 — were arrested along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway. NDLEA said they were found with two locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, a magazine, a locally made pistol with a magazine and nine rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Two other suspects, Aminu Isyaku, 23, and Jamilu Habibu, 25, were arrested along the Abaji-Abuja Highway. More than 1.1 million assorted tramadol tablets and capsules, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and Exol tablets were recovered from eight sacks allegedly being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
In Lagos, Onyeka Ofor was arrested in Aguda, Surulere, with 48,900 pills of tramadol 225mg, while 59kg of cannabis was intercepted at a logistics company, leading to the arrest of Luke Ugokwe.
Another suspect, 43-year-old Ibrahim Hudu, was arrested at Apongbo with 998.38kg of nitrous oxide gas.
In Gombe State, NDLEA recovered 154,480 capsules of tramadol from Sabi’u Umar, 27, and Hassana Muhammad, 19, who were arrested at Barunde and Gombe Main Market.
In Imo State, 25-year-old Ifesinachi Godwin was arrested along the Owerri-Onitsha Road with 43.85kg of skunk.
The agency also raided and destroyed a two-hectare cannabis farm at Ita-Ogbolu Forest in Ondo State. Four suspects were arrested, while about 5,000kg of skunk was destroyed and another 48kg of dried and fresh cannabis recovered.
Meanwhile, NDLEA commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel involved in the operations and urged officers nationwide to sustain what he described as a balanced approach to drug control.