By Kolawole Omotola Olaide
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intensified their crackdown on illicit drug trafficking across the country, leading to the arrest of three physically challenged suspects and the seizure of hard drugs valued at over N5.8 billion in Lagos.
The anti-narcotics agency disclosed that the suspects were apprehended during separate operations carried out in Anambra and Kwara states as part of ongoing efforts to curb drug distribution nationwide.
According to the agency, a 60-year-old suspect identified as Romanus Nwabara was arrested in the Akpaka Forest area of Onitsha, Anambra State, after operatives reportedly recovered 250 grammes of skunk packaged in small retail sachets from him.
In another raid conducted in Ogbunike, also in Anambra State, NDLEA officers arrested 25-year-old Amos Kenneth. Authorities said substances recovered from him included Tramadol capsules, Diazepam pills, Exol 5 and quantities of skunk.
Similarly, operatives in Kwara State intercepted a commercial vehicle during a stop-and-search operation, where a physically challenged suspect, Usman Salisu, was allegedly found in possession of 6.3 kilogrammes of skunk concealed inside a school bag.
In Lagos, the agency recorded one of its biggest seizures after operatives attached to the Special Operations Unit stormed a mansion located in Lekki Phase 1 believed to be used as a drug warehouse.
During the operation, officials recovered about 4,000 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis weighing over 2,300 kilogrammes. NDLEA estimated the street value of the confiscated drugs at more than N5.8 billion.
The agency also seized two Mercedes-Benz buses and packaging materials allegedly used for distributing the drugs across different parts of the country.
Elsewhere in Nasarawa State, NDLEA operatives arrested Emmanuel Osita Okeke at Nyanya Karu with 129 kilogrammes of skunk.
In another operation along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, officers intercepted a commuter bus travelling to Abuja and recovered 76 jumbo bags of skunk weighing about 766 kilogrammes. Three suspects — Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond and Babangida Musa — were taken into custody.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos raided a suspected skuchies production centre in the Ijora Badia area, where two suspects identified as Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege were arrested.
Authorities said the suspects were caught producing skuchies, a dangerous cocktail made from cannabis and other illicit substances. About 270 litres of the mixture alongside Tramadol capsules were recovered from the scene.
The agency noted that its commands nationwide have continued sensitisation campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse initiative in schools, worship centres and communities to discourage substance abuse.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse across the country.
