Akinlabi Emmanuel
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Sunday, reported the interception of an illicit drug consignment concealed within the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus. The agency also confirmed the arrest of two individuals, both grandfathers, on charges of drug trafficking.
According to the NDLEA, their operatives discovered approximately 5.2kg of cannabis sativa and opioids hidden in the engine compartment of the interstate commercial bus with the license plate VDY 187 XA. This interception took place on Thursday, March 7, 2024, along the Gbongan – Ibadan road in Osun State, during a routine stop and search operation.
The agency identified the bus driver, Iorliam Sughnen Dominic, 35, as the individual taking responsibility for the concealed drugs. Dominic was subsequently taken into custody for further investigation.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed these details in an official statement. Additionally, he disclosed that on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, a 26-year-old woman named Obasanmi Esther Iyanu was arrested during a raid on her hideout in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. Iyanu, who produces and distributes skuchies, had 16.5 litres of the illicit substance, along with various quantities of molly and cannabis, seized during the raid.
Furthermore, Babafemi announced that NDLEA operatives in Borno State apprehended a 70-year-old grandfather, Mallam Mai Gemu Adam, and a 65-year-old, Yamama Musa, for drug trafficking. The arrests occurred on Saturday, March 9, with 24-year-old Abubakar Ya’u and 28-year-old Babagana Abubakar Ali also taken into custody in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala, respectively. The operatives recovered 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection from the group.
“Same day, operatives at Geidam in Yobe State intercepted a Golf 3 saloon car heading to Gagamari in Niger republic, where the occupant, Alhaji Mala Tijjani, 28, was to deliver 40 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.5kg to another dealer, while 42 cartons containing 8,400 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,260 kilograms were recovered from a driver, Mutari Ya’u, 29, at Katsina road, Kaduna on Tuesday 5th March.
“In Kano State, Nura Yusuf, 35, was arrested with 62kg cannabis at Gadar Tamburawa area, where Abubakar Sani, 40, was also nabbed with 244 bottles of codeine syrup, while Mohammad Alkali, 28, was found with 49, 800 pills of tramadol along Kano-Maiduguri road, on Thursday 7th March. This is just as NDLEA operatives in Lagos State on Wednesday 6th March arrested Aba Thomas at the Igbo Elerin area of the state where 84 litres of scrunchies, 1.1 litres of codeine syrup,4kg cannabis sativa, and 800 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from him.
“No fewer than eight suspects were arrested on Friday 8th March when NDLEA officers raided the notorious Karu abattoir drug joint in the FCT, Abuja with 51.3kg cannabis recovered from them. Those arrested include: Buhari Muhammadu; Jamilu Muhammed; Abubakar Wappa; Yahaya Tasiu; Ezekiel Mulanda; Abba Haruna; Habibu Umar and Shamsu Lawali,” Babafemi added.
Similarly, NDLEA disclosed that it arrested two suspects: Pam Thomas, 45, and Stephen Nyam, 38, with cannabis weighing 611.428kg at Zawan, Jos South, while in Kogi state, the operatives intercepted a commercial J5 bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Zaria, Kaduna state on Wednesday along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.
According to the statement, a total of 8,580 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were seized from a suspect, Yusuf Abdullahi, 40.
Meanwhile, the operatives on Tuesday, raided some lock-up shops at the new market in the Enugu metropolitan area, adding that 371.42kg cannabis and 9.49grams of methamphetamine were recovered.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, rtd, commended the efforts of the Borno, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, Osun, Lagos, Plateau, Enugu, Yobe and FCT Commands of the Agency for jobs well done in the past week.
Marwa charged them and their compatriots in other formations nationwide not to rest on their oars as they continue to intensify their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
