Men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), have uncovered a number of illegal drug activities of recent as well as arresting 26 persons at a pre-wedding drug party in Katsina state.
According to a communiqué by the Director Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, officers of the agency were acting on intelligence when they disrupted a pre-wedding ceremony drug abuse competition in a community popularly known as Shola Quarters, Katsina, arresting 25 youths participating in the drug party and the groom.
The statement indicates that the operatives swooped in on the suspects while they were taking turns abusing illicit substances including a mixture of multiple drugs in a plastic bucket.
Although the groom, Gwandi who organized the drug party along with his friends was not at the venue at the time the 25 others were arrested, he was however nabbed following a manhunt for him.
In Anambra state, a truck marked BEN 302 YS, (Edo), was arrested by the agency personnel in a stop and search that yielded 5, 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup; 57, 800 capsules of tramadol and 5, 100 ampoules of pentazocine injection, among others.
The driver, Ambrose Oyamedan and conductors Samuel Otejere and Obey Jonathan as well as the truck were taken into custody for further investigation.
Two ladies: Chiemenam Akusoba, 25, and Chidinma Ibenwa, 28, were also arrested on Saturday 9th December 2013 with 15.8503kg of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine and Cannabis sativa in Umuogbu, Nnobi and Onitsha respectively, the statement contains.
Meanwhile, at least, three suspects: Monday John, 50, Maryam Adang, 48, and Mohammed Lawal Musa, 36, were arrested in different parts of Kaduna state on illicit drugs related offences.
While John was arrested with 28.4kg cannabis on Thursday 7th December, Maryam was nabbed with 18.6kg of same substance on Saturday 9th December, same day Musa, an indigene of Damagaran, Niger Republic was arrested with 34 kilograms of cannabis sativa along Abuja- Kaduna highway while he was on his way to Niger Republic with the exhibit.
In Kogi state, 20-year-old Adamu Nuhu was arreste along Okene- Lokoja- Abuja expressway while coming from Onitsha, Anambra state enroute Kaduna with 2,700 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 11, 900 pills of tramadol 225mg and 100mg as well as 124, 000 tablets of diazepam.
The NDLEA in Borno state recovered a total of 81,975 pills of tramadol from three suspects: Mohammed Abubakar, 25; and Hassan Mohammed, 25, nabbed at, Bayo town while Suleman Hamidu, 27, was nabbed by soldiers on a follow up operation in Mubi town, Adamawa state.
In Ondo state,Taye Ali, 43, and Okon Peter, 60 were arrested with 97kg cannabis at Kanisuru, Ipele area on Saturday 9th December.
Nnabuke Christian, 29, was nabbed with 46,000 tablets of diazepam, 4, 900 pills of tramadol and 6, 000 ampoules of pentazocine injection at Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja. He admitted that the consignment was for onward supply to illegal miners at Sabongarin Doguwa in Kano State.
While commending the officers and men of the agency for their doggedness in the War Against Drug Abuse, IWADA) as evidence in the seizures last week, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, (CEO), NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba-Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across all formations of the Agency to maintain the offensive action tempo while creating a balance with their drug demand reduction efforts.
