The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of various illicit drugs in Abuja, Ondo, Kaduna, Jigawa, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kogi, Osun, Imo, and Yobe, respectively.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that in Abuja, two suspects, 60-year-old Ademola Elusakin and 34-year-old Nuhu Adamu, were arrested by operatives on Monday.
He said the suspects were found with 30.0kgs of cannabis (Indian Hemp) along the Kwali-Gwagwalada-Abuja expressway on their way from Lagos to Nasarawa state.
Mr Babafemi also said the suspects claimed they procured the consignment from Ghana via Lagos with Keffi, Nasarawa State, as their final destination, where they were to supply illegal miners operating in the area.
In another development, at least 305 blocks of cannabis weighing 152.5kg were recovered from a suspect, Sale Bukar, 39.
Mr Babafemi said Mr Bukar was arrested at Geidam in Yobe on Sunday, July 14, while taking the illicit consignment to Diffa in the Niger Republic.
He added that a suspect, Aham Chinemeze, 43, was nabbed on Thursday, July 18, with 60kgs of the same substance along the Owerri – Onitsha expressway, Imo.
The NDLEA spokesman also said one Adamu Abdullahi, 24, was also arrested with 40.500kg on Wednesday, July 17, along the Obajana-Kabba expressway, Kogi.
“The consignment was recovered from him in a commercial bus coming from Lagos en route to Kano,” he said.
Also, in Plateau, a raid on the storehouse of a notorious drug dealer, Choji Gyang (aka Pararam), who was currently at large at Rukuba Road, Jos, led to the recovery of 34 bags of cannabis (Indian hemp).
“The drugs weighed 312kg while his manager, Kelvin Onwutalu, 43, was arrested.
“Two suspects, Ifabiyi Johnson, 27, and Adeleke Musiliu, 54, were on Friday arrested with different strains of cannabis sativa weighing 30.4kg during a raid in Osogbo, Osun.
“In Jigawa state, the trio of Tukur Yahaya, 55; Idris Haruna, 28; and Tanimu Umar, 29, were nabbed with 90 blocks of cannabis (Indian hemp) weighing 116.8kgs at Roni junction, Kazaure LGA, on Friday, July 19.
“They were arrested while on their way to supply the illicit drugs to their customers in Kazaure, Yankwashi and Katsina state,” he said.
Similarly, the duo of Ibrahim Abdulkadir, 29, and Suleman Mohammed, 22, were arrested with 336 bottles of codeine syrup at Amingo, Kaduna.
Mr Babafemi said one Anwaliu Hashimu, 35, was also nabbed with 45 kilogrammes of cannabis (Indian hemp) along the Zaria-Kano highway.
“Acting on credible intelligence, a team of NDLEA operatives backed by soldiers raided a mechanic workshop opposite Benin garage, Akure, Ondo.
“The NDLEA operatives recovered a white Toyota Hilux Van with registration number EE 328 EKY loaded with 652 parcels of cannabis weighing 685kgs.
“In Nasarawa state, 38kgs of the same psychoactive substance and a locally made AK-47 rifle were recovered from the home of a suspect, Christopher Ombugadu, 32, in Akwanga during a raid on Sunday, July 14,” he said.
(NAN)