Igbinosa Aituamen
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a series of successful operations targeting drug trafficking across Nigeria, resulting in the arrest of several suspects and the seizure of substantial quantities of illicit substances.
In a major bust in January 27th NDLEA operatives intercepted two Sienna buses on the Nasarawa-Toto road, Keffi, Nasarawa State.
According to the NDLEA spokesman Mr Femi Babafemi, the vehicles, en route from Onitsha, Anambra State to Yola, Adamawa State, were found to have concealed 190,960 tramadol pills in specially constructed compartments.
He said, two suspects, Zahradeen Adamu (27) and Abubakar Usman (44), were arrested at the scene, along with the driver of the second vehicle, Abba Usman (48).
While further investigation led to the arrest of Kingsley Mbaeri, identified as the Onitsha-based supplier of the consignment, on January 29th and two vehicles belonging to Mbaeri were also seized.
Giving other breakdown of their activities, Mr. Babafemi stated that, at the Abaji checkpoint in the FCT, Abuja, Chimezie Henry Ojingwa (32) was apprehended with 404.47 grams of methamphetamine, 506.49 grams of Loud (a synthetic cannabis strain), and 262.32 grams of dimethyl sulfone concealed in motor spare parts.
In other operations, 170,000 tramadol pills were seized in Yahe, Cross River State, on February 13th, from a truck driven by Paul Chukwudi (31).
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a container shipped from India on February 11th.
In Lagos, Samiat Olabisi Yussuf (28) was arrested on February 15th in Lekki, with 169.5 liters of nitrous oxide and 111 grams of Loud and in Taraba State, Ibrahim Usman (40) was apprehended with 88kg of Arizona and Ghana Loud in Wukari, while Solomon James (40) was arrested with 44.84kg of the same substance in Jalingo.