NDLEA seizes 12,385kg of Cannabis smuggled into Lagos, arrests 70yr-old woman in Edo with 5,000kg of illicit drugs

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed, Sunday, that its operatives seized 12,385 kilogrammes of Cannabis imported from an unnamed neighbouring country and smuggled into Lagos through the waterways.

Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, who made this known in a statement, Sunday, also informed that the illicit drug was the strong variant known as ‘Loud.’

Babafemi said the agency received credible intelligence that the illicit substance were brought in from a West African country through the ocean and ferried with boats to the Eko Atlantic Beach, Victoria Island from where they would be distributed to drug hotspots on Lagos Island, Peti Alagba and other places across the state and other states in the country.

He added further that over 50 NDLEA personnel had stormed the beach on Saturday, November 27, to recover the consignments along with two long trucks, a Toyota Sienna car.

NDLEA also said it nabbed three suspects in connection with the drug haul.

Those arrested are; Abdulkadri Zakari, 24, Ka’abu Sausu, 45 and Lawrence Adie, 27, the NDLEA spokesman said.

In other operations across he states in the country, the NDLEA spokesman said the agency arrested a 70-year-old woman, Mrs. Beatrice Aigbedion, alongside other suspects in parts of Edo in connection with the seizure of over 5,000 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs in the state.

“NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 24th November stormed a warehouse at Uhiere, Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state, where they recovered 4,261.5kg of cannabis sativa and a suspect, Ikong Stanley, was arrested.

“The previous day Tuesday 23rd November, 1,240kg was equally seized at a warehouse in Uzebba, Owan West LGA of the state.

“At the point of her arrest in Irrua last Wednesday, 70-year-old Mrs. Aigbedion was caught with different quantities of Codeine cough syrup, Swinol and Rohypnol while another dealer, Joseph Onyemaechi, 50, was also nabbed at Ikpoba Okha, Upper Sakponba- Benin City, on Friday with different types of psychotropic substances weighing 2.055kg.

 “Similarly, Gabriel Akioya and Isa Salihu were arrested on Thursday 25th November at Irrua, Esan Central LGA with various quantities of Codeine, Tramadol, Swinol and Rohypnol.

 “In Delta State, operatives raided Hampton Towers and Spa Hotel, Okpanam road, Asaba where Dobedient Etumudor and Thompson Chukwuemeka were arrested with different quantities of psychoactive substances, while another dealer, Emeka Ben was nabbed with 4.7 grammes of Methamphetamine along Asaba – Ibusa road.

 “Other suspects arrested on Thursday 25th November in the state for dealing in Meth, Cannabis, Cocaine, and Heroin include Ifeanyi Odibe, Uche Onwurah, and Justice Obika.

 “In Kano, a drug dealer, Alhaji Bukar Malan Abdu, was arrested and 143 kilogrammes of cannabis recovered from him while 466kg of the same drug was seized in the home of one Bashir Shuaibu, an indigene of Edo State but resident in Kano, who deals in Cannabis sativa.

 “On Thursday 25th November, a drug dealer in Maiduguri, Borno state, Chima Obi was arrested in a follow-up operation following the seizure of his drug consignment, 73.2kg codeine, at an NDLEA checkpoint in Postiskum, Yobe state same day.

“In his reaction to the arrests and huge seizures in Lagos, Edo, Delta, Kano and Yobe states, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men involved in the operations and urged them along with their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars.

“He charged them to always strive to record greater feats until the drug supply and drug demand reduction targets of the Agency are fully achieved.”