The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recently conducted a series of successful operations resulting in significant drug seizures and arrests across various states in Nigeria. In Nasarawa State, a 70-year-old grandfather named Muhammadu Ibrahim was apprehended with 57.2kg of cannabis in Lafia, the state capital. Similarly, in Ekiti State, two suspects, Suleiman Kazeem (35) and Sunday Gbenga (20), were arrested during an NDLEA raid in Ara forest, Ara-Ekiti. The operation led to the recovery of 426 kilograms of processed cannabis sativa and the destruction of over 4,000kg of the substance on a farmland.
In another operation, the NDLEA seized 76 blocks of cannabis weighing 42kg from a Nigerien national named Suleman Audu (29) along the Zaria-Malumfashi Road in Katsina State. Meanwhile, in Abuja, a 25-year-old woman named Blessing Thomas was found in possession of 1kg of methamphetamine while traveling by bus from Lagos to Yola, Adamawa State.
The NDLEA also intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs at the Port Harcourt seaports and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. At the Lagos airport, a significant quantity of Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain, packed in eight suitcases, was seized. The total weight of the seized substance was 164.50kg, with an estimated street value of N960 million. The suspect, Ughenu Nnaife Francis, who was attempting to smuggle the drugs from Canada to Nigeria, claimed he was promised a fee of N6 million for transporting the contraband.
Additionally, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, a container from India containing 1,750 cartons of codeine, weighing 26,250kg and valued at N1.225 billion, was intercepted. The container, destined for Enugu, was discovered during a joint examination by the NDLEA, customs, and other security agencies.
These operations demonstrate the NDLEA’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria, as well as its collaboration with other security agencies to ensure the interception of illicit substances at various entry points across the country.
