By Abraham Olatunbosun
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted no fewer than 294,440 tablets of Tramadol, Diazepam, Swinol, Rohyphnol and Exol-5 along with other illicit drugs in major operations in some parts of the country.
The operations, which were conducted in the last one week in Delta, Bauchi, and at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, also saw a total of 41 suspects arrested in raids in Abuja and Kaduna state.
A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, said that in Delta, one Christian Onah, 42, was arrested at Isele- Azagba junction with 23,160 tablets of Swinol and 66,000 tablets of Rohypnol, both weighing 71.6 kilogrammes while conveying the drugs from Benin, Edo State capital to Onitsha, in Anambra state.
In another arrest, a commercial vehicle from Onitsha going to Ibadan, Oyo state capital was intercepted at Abraka junction, Asaba, the Delta State capital last Wednesday with 78,000 capsules of Tramadol; 5,000 tablets of Diazepam and 97,500 tablets of Exol-5, while a suspect, Olaniyan Sunday, 42, was arrested.
Babafemi also revealed that a female suspect, Patricia Saduwa, 42, was arrested with 233.7 kilogrammes of cannabis during a raid operation in Orogun community close to Abbi town in Kwale Local Government Area of Delta State last Friday, adding that the raid of another house in the community same day led to the seizure of 123.7 kilogrammes of cannabis while the owner is still at large.
According to him, in Bauchi State, operatives acting on credible intelligence raided a warehouse at Gadar- Maiwa, Ningi local government area of the state, where 542.5 kilogrammes of cannabis; 6,800 tablets of Diazepam and 12,400 tablets of Exol-5 were recovered last Wednesday.
Babafemi also disclosed that at least, 30 suspects were arrested at Malali area of Kaduna during raids aimed at destroying drug joints across the state. A suspect, Usman Dahiru was arrested with 24 kilogrammes cannabis concealed in two sacks of used clothes lastThursday along Abuja-Kaduna express road, where another suspect, Abdulrazaq Rabi’u was also arrested with 100,000 counterfeit US dollars.
On the same day, operatives in Anambra State recovered 38,862 red star cartridges along with 13 cartons of illicit drugs when they raided a warehouse in Onitsha. In Abuja, FCT, 11 suspects were arrested and 81.2 kilogrammes of drugs seized in a major raid operation last Saturday on black spots like Torabora, Karu Abattoir, Jabi motor park and Forest.
At the Lagos airport, one Audu Muhammed was arrested at the SAHCO export shed last Saturday with 1.550 kilogrammes cannabis concealed in Golden Morn cereal packs meant for Dubai, UAE. Two days earlier, on Thursday, a suspect, Olalekan Ayinde was also arrested at the export shed with 4,980 capsules of Tramadol; 600 capsules of Rohypnol and some designer drugs concealed inside locust beans and hidden among food items for export to South Africa.
A principal suspect in the importation of 451,807 Captagon tablets weighing 79.119 kilogrammes in September, 2021 at Apapa Seaport Lagos, Nwoku Uche, 36, has been taken into custody after six months on the run.
Known as Jihadist drug, the consignment was the first ever recorded seizure of Captagon in West and Central African Sub-Region.
In his statements, Uche claimed to have met the person who gave him the job on LinkedIn while he was paid N5m to clear the container. He then used a third party bank account to process the Form M for the clearing of the illicit consignment.
Meanwhile, while commending officers and men of the Delta, Bauchi, Kaduna, Anambra, FCT, Apapa Port and MMIA Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant and on the offensive until all drug cartels in Nigeria are completely dismantled.
