The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a woman Aisha Isah with 266 rounds of live AK- 47 ammunition during a patrol along the Abuja- Kaduna Expressway.
Isah was arrested at a toll gate along the highway after NDLEA operatives intercepted her with the ammunition according to a statement by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
In another operation along the Zaria- Kano Expressway operatives arrested a 68- year- old man Ifeanyi Egwolonwu at Gwargwaje Zaria with 2 770 ampoules of pentazocine injection 100 ampoules of diazepam injection 11 000 tablets of diazepam and 4 500 tablets of Exol- 5.
The arrests were part of a nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking that also led to the seizure of large consignments of narcotics and the arrest of several suspects across multiple states.
At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja two Europe- based Nigerians Aliocus Godian Odife and Sam Blackborn were arrested while attempting to board an Air France flight to Paris France with cocaine concealed in their stomachs Babafemi said.
According to the statement the two men who had returned to Nigeria for holidays were intercepted on Wednesday October 28 during the outward clearance of flight AF 832.
Following positive body scan results they were placed under observation and subsequently excreted 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3. 460 kilograms.
Odife who claimed to work in a factory in France had arrived in Nigeria on October 21. He excreted 110 wraps weighing 1. 901 kilograms while Blackborn excreted 90 wraps weighing 1. 559 kilograms the Spokesman revealed.
In Lagos NDLEA operatives on Sunday October 25 intercepted a Volkswagen LT 28 bus along Kudirat Abiola Way Ikeja recovering 537 kilograms of skunk a strong strain of cannabis.
Another operation along the Gbagada- Oshodi Expressway on the same day led to the seizure of 439 kilograms of the substance from a brown J 5 bus.
In Oyo State two suspects Oguntona Nasiru 46 and Soji Balogun 47 were arrested on Thursday October 29 while loading 554 kilograms of skunk into a Volvo truck along Idere Road Igboora.
The operation was part of a follow- up investigation targeting a suspected drug dealer identified as ‘Omo Oba’ who escaped arrest on October 25 when operatives seized 309.5. 5 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud allegedly linked to him.
In Kano State operatives raided a location in Tsamiya Gezawa on October 26 recovering 247500 tablets of diazepam weighing 57.7 kilogrammes and 100000 tablets of Exol-5 weighing 38.7 kilogrammes.
Two days later officers arrested Ziya’ulhaq Abdullahi 35 and Garba Muhammed 52 in Dorayi with 19250 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 13.6 kilogrammes.
Also in Kano a raid at Tashan Banke led to the arrest of seven suspects including Faisal Adamu and the recovery of 178.85 kilogrammes of cannabis alongside quantities of diazepam tramadol Exol-5 and pregabalin.
In Ondo State four suspects including Bassey Okon 24 Abraham Edet 20 and Oto Udo 24 were arrested during raids on cannabis farms in Ijare Forest on October 25. Operatives recovered 16 bags of processed cannabis weighing 180 kilogrammes.
In Edo State NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers destroyed a 1.646-hectare cannabis plantation at Eko Camp Ilushi Esan South-East Local Government Area on October 28. The plantation had an estimated yield of 4115.53 kilogrammes.
A 50-year-old woman Christiana Uboi was arrested at the camp with 301 kilogrammes of processed cannabis while another 176 kilogrammes was recovered during the operation.
In Sokoto State operatives of the agency’s Zone 7 Command arrested a 68-year-old man Ibrahim Ayuba with 236.6 kilogrammes of skunk on Saturday October 31.
Meanwhile NDLEA commands across the country sustained their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools workplaces worship centres and communities.
The activities included awareness lectures at Obawole Grammar School II Ojodu Lagos; Nsukka High School Enugu State; Government Technical College Dorayi Babba Rijiyar Zaki Kano; and Ajagbe Comprehensive High School Iperu Ogun State.
The NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) commended officers and men of the Abuja airport Lagos Kano Kaduna Sokoto Ondo Oyo and Edo commands for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa described the arrest of the two cocaine couriers at the Abuja airport as a warning to Nigerians who believe living abroad could provide cover for international drug trafficking.
He said officers at the country’s entry and exit points remained vigilant warning against the risks of ingesting illicit drugs for financial reward.
The NDLEA chief also urged officers to sustain the pressure on drug trafficking networks while intensifying efforts to reduce drug demand through a public sensitisation programme.