Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted large consignments of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana.
The consignment was loaded in two trucks and a J5 bus with a total weight of 14, 524.8 kilograms.
The three vehicles conveying jumbo bags of the psychoactive substance were trailed and intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos in the early hours of Sunday, January 28, 2024.
The Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi made the disclosure in a statement made available to Thelensng on Sunday.
Babafemi explained that in the process of blocking the vehicles, two of the drivers jumped off on motion while the third driver, 66-year-old Nasiru Ojomu, who works with wanted Akala, Mushin based drug baron, Suleiman Jimoh (alias Olowo Idi Ogede, also known as Temo) was arrested.
According to him, NDLEA operatives have seized several shipments of same psychoactive substance worth billions of naira linked to Temo in the last three years.
He added that the wanted drug lord has since gone into hiding while the Agency continues manhunt for him.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives on routine patrol around a warehouse sealed at Church Street, Idumota, Lagos by the Agency over an ongoing investigation on Thursday 1st of February arrested three suspects: Joseph Joshua; Muhammed Adamu and Balarabe Musa who burgled the store and loaded 546,700 pills of tramadol and other opioids into a waiting yellow bus marked BDG 447 XD and an unregistered Suzuki minibus.
Meanwhile, a male deaf and dumb suspect dealing in illicit substances has been arrested at Samaru area of Zaria, Kaduna State.
At the time of his arrest, 150 grams of cannabis were recovered from him while selling the psychoactive substance. Another suspect, Ibrahim Sani, 56, was also arrested in possession of 51 kilograms of same substance at Tirkaniya area of the state.
The statement further read: “Operatives in Abuja on Wednesday 31st January arrested Emmanuel Paul with 43.5kg cannabis concealed in used shoes loaded in a trailer coming from Ogbese, Ondo state to be delivered at Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
“In Katsina state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Dutsinma – Katsina road on Friday 2nd February apprehended a suspect, Murtala Isah, 35, with a total of 37,600 pills of tramadol and other opioids recovered from him.
“In Kogi state, operatives on Wednesday 31st January destroyed 833.32 kilograms of cannabis sativa on a two acre of farmland at Iluke community, Kabba- Bunu LGA while the owner, Samuel Atonila, 49, was equally arrested.
“On the same day, operatives in Nasarawa also arrested three suspects: Muhammed Musa, Bilyaminu Musa and Sadiya Ya’u with same psychoactive substance weighing 24.4kg at Uke, Karu local government area of the state, while no less than 258 kilograms of same substance were recovered from a bush store around Ikare bypass, Owo, Ondo state”.
According to Babafemi, NDLEA Commands across the 36 states and the FCT continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation lectures in schools, communities, work places and others in the past week.
Some of these include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students and staff of Gombe State College of Education and Legal Studies, Nafada; parents, students, and teachers of Kemta comprehensive high school, Olugbo, Odeda LGA, Ogun State; students of Government Day Science Technical School, Babura, Jigawa State; students and staff of Government science school, Mokwa, Niger State; students of Ansarudeen secondary school, Iludun, Osun State.
Also, students of St David’s Anglican Basic School, Ogbomoso, Oyo State; students of Government Girls Arabic Secondary School, Anguwar Danya, Wudil LGA, Kano State state; traders at Ogbo-Olu timber market, Anambra State and commercial motorcyclists in Oko Afo, Olorunda LCDA, Badagry, Lagos State, among others.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the arrests and seizures of the past week by officers and men of the Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Kogi and FCT Commands.
He charged them and their compatriots across all formations of the Agency to continue to remain vigilant and double their efforts on both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction simultaneously.