By Ado Oyeyemi
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted 44.45kg of Colorado, a potent strain of cannabis, in two consignments shipped from the United Kingdom.
The agency also seized additional consignments of illicit drugs concealed in music speakers and loaves of bread during separate operations across Lagos, Kano, Delta, Plateau, Edo, Ondo, Kaduna and Bayelsa states.
The NDLEA disclosed the arrests and seizures in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said operatives at the import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted a UK-bound consignment containing 32.20kg of Colorado packed in 27 parcels.
A real estate agent, Abideen Jide Salami, was arrested on September 9 after allegedly arriving at the airport with a collection code reportedly sent by his brother based in the United Kingdom to enable him collect the luggage containing the drugs.
In a separate operation linked to another UK shipment, NDLEA officers intercepted 12.25kg of Colorado and arrested its intended recipient, 44-year-old Nurudeen Abiodun Kadiri.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that his brother in the UK sent the consignment to him.
In Lagos, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation also intercepted a music speaker containing three packs of Colorado at Maza-Maza Motor Park. The consignment was reportedly destined for Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and subsequently Liberia.
The agency said a tour agent, Ifeanyi Obed Augustine, 41, and the alleged owner of the consignment, Obasi Ugochukwu, 46, were arrested following a sting operation at a nearby eatery. At Iddo Park, another suspect, Ifeanyi Nwokolo Henry, was arrested on September 11 while allegedly attempting to dispatch 2.1kg of Colorado to Kano.
In Kano, NDLEA operatives arrested 20-year-old Saidu Adamu during a raid in Sabon Gari and recovered 785,000 capsules of pregabalin weighing 669.425kg.
A separate stop-and-search operation along the Zaria-Kano-Hadejia Road led to the seizure of 1,700 diazepam tablets allegedly concealed inside loaves of bread.
A 28-year-old suspect, Habibu Sabitu, was arrested in connection with the consignment.
The agency also reported separate drug seizures in Delta and Plateau states. In Ughelli and Asaba, operatives recovered pentazocine injections, codeine syrup, tramadol, diazepam, flunitrazepam, also known as Hypnox, and MDMA, popularly called Molly. Two suspects, Emeka Oji and Chukwuebuka Anedi, were arrested, with some of the substances reportedly concealed in music speakers. In Jos, 51-year-old Chinedu Uzor was arrested at Katako Market with 157,100 capsules of tramadol.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 4,832.56kg of cannabis, locally known as skunk, during operations on farms in Usen Forest, Igwe-Oke Forest and Ogboha Forest across Ovia South-West, Owan East and Owan West local government areas. A 39-year-old suspect, Sunday Segun, was also arrested during the operation.
In Ondo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided a residence along Oke-Iya, Ijoka Road, Akure, where they recovered 186kg of skunk allegedly hidden in the boot of a Toyota Avalon car. A 58-year-old suspect, Paul Ogbuwala, was arrested and was reportedly planning to transport the consignment to Jos for distribution.
The agency said 369.6kg of cannabis was recovered from a female suspect, Hannah Michael, in Kaduna, while four suspects, including 70-year-old Godwoman Gboriye, were arrested at Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, with 110 bags of cannabis weighing 876kg. The other suspects were identified as Motombo Silver, 44; Pere Andrew, 39; and Keme Andrew, 43.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its commands nationwide continued with its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities. Activities during the week included awareness lectures, advocacy visits and engagements with traditional and community leaders.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks.
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Marwa charged the operatives to continue blocking the routes used by drug cartels, including airports, seaports, land borders and areas where cannabis is cultivated.
