The nitrous oxide or laughing gas consignment bound for Abuja intercepted by NDLEA operatives
NDLEA intercepts 4,000kg of Abuja-bound ‘laughing gas,’ codeine syrup, skunk consignment
Operatives of the anti-narcotics agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over 4, 000kg of illicit and controlled drugs including consignments of nitrous oxide, also called ‘laughing gas,’ as well as, skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and tramadol.
According to the NDLEA, the discoveries were made during interdiction operations carried out in Lagos, Kogi, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo states, all within last week.
The agency, which disclosed this in a statement by its Spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, explained that over 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas with a total weight of 2,547.2 kilograms loaded in two Toyota Sienna buses were on Friday, September 22, intercepted along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.
“Two suspects: Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe who were taking the consignments to the FCT for distribution have been arrested and taken into custody.
“While one of the Toyota Sienna buses marked KTU 582 HV was conveying 99 cartons containing 594 cylinders weighing 1,267.200kgs, the second bus with registration number FKJ 329 YA was conveying 100 cartons of the substance with 600 cylinders weighing 1,280kgs.
“A 48-year-old woman, Mrs. Ugo Eluba was also arrested in Abuja in a follow up operation after 2,400 ampules of pentazocine injection and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 intercepted in Kogi state were traced to her,” Babafemi reported.
According to the NDLEA, operatives in the FCT also intercepted 977 kilograms of skunk earlier, on Wednesday, September 22, in a trailer truck marked LSR 343 XW, bearing cartons of ‘Maggi.’
“The skunk consignment was loaded into the truck at Ipele junction in Ondo state. While 959kgs of the substance were meant for distribution in Sokoto state, the rest was to be dropped off at Gwagwalada. “Two suspects: Auwal Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar have been arrested in connection with the seizure, while two other suspects: Mutari Abdulazeez, 31, and Ayuba Madaki, 28, were also arrested on Saturday 23rd September at Zuba area of the FCT with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis and 13, 930 pills of tramadol.
“In the same vein, Shuaibu Yusif, 27, and Abubakar Hussaini, 20, were on Saturday 23rd September nabbed with 89.1kgs of skunk along Kano -Hadejia road, Jigawa state during a stop and search patrol by NDLEA operatives,” the agency said.
Similarly, the agency reported that no fewer than 6,000 ampules of pentazocine injection were recovered from a suspect, Usman Musa Sidi, 35, on Monday 18th September along Abuja – Forest road, Kaduna while on his way to Bauchi state.
“A follow up operation in Bauchi State led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Dominic Chukwuma, 35, on Tuesday 19th September, with at least 2.58kgs of Diazepam and 36.55kgs of pentazocine injection recovered from his home.
“Two other suspects: Inuwa Nuhu and Isiyaku Dahiru Sani were also arrested same Tuesday in connection with the seizure of 49 blocks of cannabis sativa concealed in a black sack weighing 26kgs in a commercial vehicle coming from Ogere, Ogun state to Kano.
“While a total of 183kgs of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered from body compartments of a Peugeot J5 bus intercepted in Lagos on Wednesday 20th September, operatives in Sokoto, on Tuesday 19th September arrested one Charles Okeke, 44, with 473 bottles of codeine syrup at Unguwar Kosai area of Sokoto.
“In Edo state, 365 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 258kgs were recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KTU 886 EZ at Igarra, Akoko Edo LGA.
“In a massive operation between Monday 11th and Wednesday 13th September, NDLEA operatives stormed thick forests in Ijesha Isu-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti state, where they destroyed 40 tons (40,000 kilograms) of cannabis plants covering 16 hectares of farmland,” the agency reported.
