The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted more than 2.3 tonnes of illicit drugs concealed in music speakers, loaves of bread and other cargoes during operations across eight states.
The NDLEA said the operations in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano states also led to several arrests.
In Lagos, operatives intercepted two consignments of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Colorado or Colos, at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
The agency said one of the consignments contained 27 parcels weighing 32.20kg, while a real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was arrested on September 9 after allegedly arriving to collect the consignment.
According to the NDLEA, Salami allegedly used a secret collection code provided by his brother in the United Kingdom to collect the luggage.
The agency said a follow-up operation involving another consignment from the UK led to the arrest of its designated recipient, 44-year-old Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri, who was allegedly expecting 12.25kg of Colos.
Kadiri reportedly told investigators that his brother in the UK sent the consignment to him.
In another Lagos operation, NDLEA officers intercepted a music speaker containing three packs of Colorado at a motor park in Maza-Maza. The agency said the consignment was reportedly destined for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and later Liberia.
A tour agent, 41-year-old Ifeanyi Obed Augustine, and the alleged owner of the consignment, 46-year-old Obasi Ugochukwu, were arrested during a sting operation, according to the agency.
Another suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested at Iddo Motor Park on September 11 while allegedly attempting to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives reportedly recovered 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425kg from 20-year-old Saidu Adamu at Sabon Gari.
The agency also said 1,700 tablets of diazepam were recovered from a vehicle along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia Road after they were allegedly concealed inside loaves of bread. A 28-year-old man, Habibu Sabitu, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Plateau State, the agency said 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor was arrested at Katako Market, Jos, with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.
The NDLEA also reported major cannabis seizures in several states.
In Edo State, operatives destroyed 4,832.56kg of skunk from cannabis farms in Usen, Igwe-Oke and Ogboha forests in Ovia South-West, Owan East and Owan West Local Government Areas. A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was also arrested, the agency said.
In Ondo State, officers allegedly recovered 186kg of skunk from the boot of a Toyota Avalon car during a raid on a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure.
The NDLEA identified the suspect linked to the seizure as 58-year-old Paul Ogbuwala and alleged that he planned to transport the drugs to Jos for distribution.
In Kaduna State, a female suspect, Hannah Michael, was arrested at Gonin Gora with 369.6kg of cannabis, according to the agency.
In Bayelsa State, four suspects were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg. They were identified as 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, 44-year-old Motombo Silver, 39-year-old Pere Andrew and 43-year-old Keme Andrew.
In Delta State, the NDLEA said separate operations in Ughelli and Asaba led to the recovery of pentazocine injection, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, also known as Hypnox, and MDMA, popularly called Molly.
The agency said some of the drugs were concealed in music speakers and that two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested.
Commending the operatives, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged personnel to sustain efforts against drug trafficking and cultivation.
Marwa directed the agency’s commands to block routes used by drug traffickers, including airports, seaports, land borders and areas where cannabis is cultivated.
He also commended the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, MMIA and the NDLEA commands in Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa and Kano for the operations.
