*Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, reveals the suspects are among 28 persons the regulatory agency’s operatives apprehended with 9,437.6 kilograms of cannabis and 138,053 tablets of pharmaceutical opioids, among others

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says the agency’s operatives have nabbed a pregnant woman, a nursing mother and a 200-level university student for drug abuse and peddling among other drug trafficking and substance abuse suspects聽 across 12 states of the Federation and Abuja, FCT.

Mr. Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, said this in a statement issued Sunday, October 16, 2022, in Abuja.

Babafemi revealed that the suspects were among 28 persons the regulatory agency’s operatives arrested with 9,437.6 kilograms of cannabis and 138,053 tablets of pharmaceutical opioids among others.

The Director of Media and Advocacy also stated the suspects were arrested during interdiction operations across 12 states and the FCT.

Babafemi listed the affected states as Yobe, Ondo, Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Lagos and the FCT, Abuja.

He also noted: 鈥淚n the FCT, operatives on Saturday October 15 stormed a village known as Chukuku, which is about 10 kilometers from Gwagwalada where they raided a large cannabis warehouse.

鈥淎 total of 510 jumbo bags of the illicit substance weighing 5, 640kgs were recovered from the store and a nursing mother in charge, Sa鈥檃datu Abdullahi, 35, was arrested.”

He said: 鈥淚n Yobe, while operatives intercepted 48kgs of cannabis in Buni Yadi, they also raided a location in Potiskum where they recovered 56 blocks (31kgs).

鈥淭wo suspects were arrested in connection to the seized drugs namely: Mohammed Mamuda and a married pregnant woman, Hauwa Haruna.”

According to him, at least 99 bags of cannabis and three bags of its seeds weighing 1,286kgs, were seized on October 13. when operatives raided a location in Ogbese area of Ondo State.

Another raid at Umukpe forest in Uhunmonde council area of Edo, Babafemi stated, led to the seizure of 410kgs of the same substance in addition to a motorcycle, two dane guns and the arrest of two suspects.

The two suspects were Numga Anim, 30, and Friday Ebije, 50, adding that not less than 50 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 623kgs were also recovered at Ekpom village in Igueben LGA with the arrest of the owner, Lucky Henry, 30.

According to him, another suspect, Ndidi Esegine, 52, was nabbed at Ugbodo forest, Ovia North East LGA with 266.8kgs cannabis sativa on October 11, said he.

The statement further said: 鈥淭wo days later, operatives stormed Uzebba forest in Owan West LGA to destroy four cannabis farms where two suspects: Ezekiel Raphael and Gideon Bassey were arrested with a total of 223.5kgs processed C/S recovered.

鈥淎 stop and search operation along the East/West Road, in Ahoada area of Rivers, has led to the recovery of 251.4kgs of cannabis sativa in a gold colour Toyota Sienna bus with Reg No 鈥� Abuja YAB 70 BR, and a suspect, Segun Ajayi, arrested.

鈥�161.4kgs were equally recovered, from an ash colour Toyota Camry saloon car with Reg No- Abuja RBC 590 BQ.”

Babafemi also said an attempt by a trans-border trafficker, Edet Osu James, 44, to export 2.4kgs cocaine was foiled by officers of the Marine unit of the agency in Akwa Ibom.

The NDLEA states the drugs, concealed in two large tins of powdered milk and to be exported to Cameroon, was intercepted October. 13, during an outward clearance of vessels going to Cameroon from Oron.

He noted: 鈥淚n Imo, no fewer than 10,690 pills of tramadol were intercepted during stop and search operations along Owerri-Onitsha Road.

鈥淭hree suspects: Saadu Usman; Godwin Emeka and Emeka Obijihe were arrested in follow-up efforts on Oct. 13.

鈥淚nterestingly, Emeka Obijihe was already standing trial for a similar offence for which he was arrested on May 9, and was on court bail when he was arrested again last Thursday for trafficking 6.5kgs of tramadol.

鈥淚n Jigawa, operatives recovered 67,300 pills of exol-5 and tramadol at Dansure/Roni junction, while in Kogi, a total of 46,100 pills of the same opioids were seized along Okene-Abuja highway both October 13.

Babafemi said six suspects were arrested at a notorious drug location in Ngurore town, Adamawa, with a total of 495kgs cannabis seized in addition to different quantities of opioids.

According to him, suspects arrested included: Chidi Titus, Vincent Donatus, Badishi Bitrus, Abubakar Inuwa, Abdul A. Abdul and Inuwa Ado Isa.

鈥淎t least, 5,480 pills of tramadol were seized from two suspects: Dalhatu Salisu and Hamisu Ishaq, who were arrested on Oct. 12 by operatives along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.

鈥淎 total of 3,800 bottles of new psychoactive substance, Akuskura and 7,760 tablets of tramadol were recovered from five suspects along Ilorin-Jebba highway,” Babafemi said.

He as well stated: 鈥淔our of the suspects: Idris Nadir, 38, Suleiman Mubammed, 68, Babangida Zaki, 30 and Yahaya Lawal, claimed they were coming from Ibadan, Oyo State and taking the Akuskura to Katsina, Kano and Birnin Kebbi.

鈥淭he fifth suspect, Nafiu Idris, who was arrested with the tramadol pills said he was taking them to Kankara in Katsina State.”

As regards Ms. Mercy Nyong, 30, a 200-level student of Mass Communication at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), the NDLEA she arrested Wednesday, October 12, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), in Ikeja, Lagos.

The female suspect was arrested for attempting to export 300 grams of tramadol 225mg concealed in incense products going to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), added Babafemi.

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