NDLEA boss Marwa commends teams in Lagos, Edo, Benue, others

Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), has commended the laudable efforts of the Lagos, Edo, Ekiti, Benue and Adamawa Commands of the Agency for jobs well done in the past week.

Just within few days, NDLEA has arrested a 75-year-old grandpa in Ekiti, 70-year-old grandma in Benue for illicit drugs dealing; destroyed 11,636.185kg cannabis in Edo forest; intercepted 3 trailer loads of opioids, seized 3.5million pills, 344,000 codeine bottles

Agents of NDLEA raided the Iguiye forest in Ovia North East LGA, Edo state, on Saturday, 11th May, where a total of 11, 636.185kg cannabis was destructed on three farms measuring 114.63 acres, while additional 188,000g of the same illicit drug was recovered and a suspect, Itah Nyong was arrested during the overnight operation.

Jibril Audu, a 75 year old grandpa, was arrested on Friday, 10th May with 7,500 grams of cannabis at Oke-asa village, Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti state during a raid operation.

Similarly, a 70 year old grandma, Tikwase Nytor, was nabbed with 15600g of same substance on Thursday, 9th May during a raid operation at Achusa and International Market road, Makurdi, Benue state.

The operatives also have intercepted three trailer loads of opioids comprising three million four hundred and fifty thousand (3,450,000) pills and three hundred and forty-four thousand (344,000) bottles of codeine syrup at Abule Ado in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos state where three suspects were also arrested in connection with the seizure.

The consignments, which worth billions were loaded into two 40-ft container trucks and another 20-ft truck at the AML bonded terminal, Abule-Osun, near the International Trade Fair complex before heading to a large warehouse at Abule-Ado where NDLEA agents eventually arrested the suspects and recovered the opioid consignments on Thursday 9th May 2024.

Those apprehended include the warehouse agent, Cosmas Obiajulu, 51; Banjo Tayo, 30, Ridwan Balogun, 25, and both drivers of two of the trucks while the third driver jumped off to escape being in the custody.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 7th May arrested one Nwankwo Ejike in Coker area of Lagos where 100 litres of codeine syrup were recovered from him while 60 litres of the same substance were seized from Clinton Akinye in the same area same day. Not less than 37.5kg of cannabis sativa loaded in a Toyota camry car was recovered from another suspect, Adegbola Segun, 47, when the car was intercepted at Mile 12 area of Lagos on Monday 6th May.

Not only did Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) expressed his approval of the operatives efforts, he also stated with assurance that drug abuse,use and misuse of drugs, especially psychoactive substances will be reduced, as the Agency will partner at the local and international level.