The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency intercepted an illicit drug consignment concealed in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus, resulting in the arrest of two grandfathers involved in drug trafficking.
According to the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, Femi Babafemi, the operation took place on Thursday, March 7, 2024, along Gbongan – Ibadan road, Osun state. The bus, marked VDY 187 XA, was found to be carrying approximately 5.2kg of cannabis sativa and opioids within its engine compartment.
Babafemi stated, “The bus driver, Iorliam Sughnen Dominic, 35, who took responsibility for the concealment, was taken into custody for further investigation.”
In another operation, a 26-year-old lady, Obasanmi Esther Iyanu, involved in the production and distribution of skuchies, was apprehended during a raid on her hideout in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state. The raid resulted in the recovery of at least 16.5 litres of the illicit substance, along with various quantities of molly and cannabis.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives arrested a 70-year-old grandfather, Mallam Mai Gemu Adam, and a 65-year-old, Yamama Musa, for drug trafficking in Borno state. They were apprehended along with two other individuals, and 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from them.
The nationwide crackdown continued with operations in Yobe, Kano, Lagos, FCT Abuja, Plateau, Kogi, Kaduna, Enugu, and Ekiti states. Operations included the interception of a car heading to Niger Republic with cannabis, recovery of codeine syrup and tramadol pills, and the raid of a notorious drug joint in the FCT Abuja.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the efforts of the commands involved and urged them to intensify their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.
The NDLEA also engaged in War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns, conducting sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to schools, markets, worship centers, and communities across various states.
