National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded another major breakthrough in its nationwide war against illicit drugs, intercepting a fuel tanker used to conceal over two tonnes of cannabis and seizing hundreds of kilograms of drug-infused cookies at the Tincan Port in Lagos.
According to a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the operations formed part of a coordinated anti-narcotics crackdown across nine states that also led to the recovery of more than two million opioid pills, large consignments of skunk and methamphetamine.
Babafemi disclosed that one of the most daring discoveries was made on Friday, September 4, when NDLEA operatives intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker with registration number MKA 960 XC along the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State.
He said the tanker, which had allegedly evaded arrest on previous occasions, was pursued after its driver ignored repeated signals to stop.
“The driver eventually abandoned the vehicle within the premises of a church in Ugbe Akoko and escaped into a nearby bush,” the statement said.
A thorough search of the tanker uncovered a specially constructed hidden compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145 kilograms, carefully concealed alongside the legitimate fuel cargo bound for Jos, Plateau State.
In another operation, NDLEA officers at the Tincan Port intercepted 598.08 kilograms of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies concealed inside a 40-foot container on Wednesday, September 2.
The agency linked the latest seizure to three suspects—Yashim Dauji, Larry Ifeanyi and Joseph Moji—who were arrested about a month earlier following the interception of 842.54 kilograms of cannabis-laced cookies at the same port.
He said: “In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Damilu and Jambutu axis in Jimeta, Yola North LGA, on Friday 4th September recovered 864,000 pills of opioids especially tramadol from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect, Patrick KC Frank, whose Honda Civic car rammed an NDLEA patrol vehicle before he escaped. In another interdiction operation in Michika area of the state, a major methamphetamine supplier from Lagos to Mubi and Michika axis, Calistus Ebubechukwu, 35, was arrested on Friday 4th September with a total of 2kg of the dangerous substance, while Attahiru Hussaini was intercepted with 750,027,530 pills of tramadol and other opioids concealed in a soap-laden Ford Galaxy bus marked JJM-953XD at Namtari check point in Mubi on Monday 31st August.
“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 4th September recovered 2,386.9kg of cannabis, 350grams of cocaine, over 100kg of assorted tramadol grades, 9.7 litres of codeine syrup and 4kg of rohypnol at Gbaji area of the state, while two suspects: Damilare Francis and Emeh Emmanuel were arrested with 720kg of cannabis at Agbara area.
“Three suspects: Saidu Mustapha, 35; Zaharadeen Salisu, 29; and AbdulSalam Abdullahi, 25, were nabbed with 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Owo, Ondo state to Jos, Plateau state along Okene/Lokoja highway in Kogi state.
“In Taraba, 58-year-old Kelechi Unachukwu, was arrested along Zaki-Biam road, Wukari LGA with a cocktail of over 109kg of tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, exol-5, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin being conveyed in his Toyota Corolla car marked KUJ-333BT from Onitsha, Anambra state to Yola, Adamawa state.
“A truck loaded with bags of cement was intercepted by NDLEA operatives along the Zaria-Kano expressway, Kaduna with 1,179kg of skunk recovered while a suspect Hamza Dahiru, 25, was arrested by NDLEA operatives in Bauchi in a follow up operation following the seizure of 322.5kg of cannabis at Deba town, Gombe state on Tuesday 1st September.
“In Ekiti state, two suspects: Chuks Alex, 50, and Asafa Adekunle, 35, were arrested after NDLEA operatives uncovered and destroyed a 4-hectare cannabis farm in Efon-Alaaye forest, recovering 117kg of already-harvested skunk, just as a 20-year-old Obinna David, was arrested at Ugbema Junction, Enugu with 40,590 capsules of tramadol on Saturday 5th September.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to nursing mothers and nurses at Ibereko Primary Health Centre, Abeokuta North, Ogun state; youths of Umouji/Okwo community at Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA, Abia, and NLNG staff and concessionaires at Saipem-Daewoo, NLNG terminal, Bonny LGA, Rivers state, among others.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) has commended the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, Ondo, Tincan, Lagos, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven approach to the various successful operations,
Brig. Gen. Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the current balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency. He reiterated that traffickers who believe they can reinvent themselves under new identities or legitimate business fronts will continue to be tracked down.
