The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested three persons living with disabilities over alleged involvement in drug trafficking while uncovering a massive cannabis consignment valued at more than N5.8 billion in Lagos.
The agency said the arrests and seizures were made during coordinated operations carried out across Lagos, Anambra State, Kwara State, Nasarawa State and Kogi State as part of its intensified nationwide campaign against illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed on Sunday that a 60-year-old suspect, Romanus Nwabara, was arrested during an intelligence-led operation in Akpaka Forest, Onitsha.
According to the agency, operatives recovered 250 grammes of skunk packaged in retail sachets from the suspect.
In another operation carried out in Ogbunike, also in Anambra State, NDLEA officers arrested 25-year-old Amos Kenneth with several illicit substances, including 160.3 grammes of Tramadol pills, 80 Diazepam tablets, 38.23 grammes of Exol-5 and 176.93 grammes of skunk.
The agency also disclosed that operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu in Kwara State intercepted a commercial vehicle and arrested a passenger identified as Usman Salisu, who was allegedly found with 6.3 kilogrammes of skunk concealed inside a school bag.
In one of the agency’s largest seizures in recent months, NDLEA operatives raided a mansion in Lekki Phase 1 allegedly being used as a drug storage facility.
Babafemi said officers recovered 4,000 parcels of “Loud,” a potent imported strain of cannabis, weighing 2,326 kilogrammes and estimated to have a street value of over N5.815 billion.
The drugs were allegedly discovered at a property located on African Lane in Lekki Phase 1 during the operation conducted on Friday.
The agency also seized two Mercedes-Benz buses and designer packaging materials allegedly used for the retail distribution of narcotics.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives arrested Emmanuel Osita Okeke, 38, with 129 kilogrammes of skunk in Nyanya-Karu, Nasarawa State.
In Kogi State, officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja highway intercepted a white commuter bus travelling to Abuja and recovered 76 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 766 kilogrammes.
Three suspects, Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond and Babangida Musa, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
The agency also uncovered a makeshift “skuchies” production facility in the Ijora Badia area of Lagos during a separate raid conducted on Wednesday.
Two suspects, Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege, were reportedly arrested while allegedly mixing cannabis with other psychoactive substances.
According to NDLEA, operatives recovered 270 litres of prepared skuchies, a dangerous cocktail of illicit substances increasingly abused by young people alongside 106 grammes of Tramadol 225mg.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency stated that it continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse campaign through sensitisation programmes held in schools, communities and religious centres across several states, including Nasarawa, Ekiti State, Enugu State, Abia State, Lagos, Akwa Ibom State, Kano State and Oyo State.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations for sustaining the agency’s strategy of reducing drug supply while intensifying public awareness campaigns against substance abuse.
He urged commanders and operatives nationwide to maintain the momentum in the ongoing battle against illicit drug trafficking networks across the country.
