ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested three persons living with disabilities, including a 60-year-old man, over alleged drug trafficking during separate operations in Anambra and Kwara states.
The agency also uncovered a cannabis stash house valued at over N5.8 billion in Lekki, Lagos, and dismantled a skuchies production factory during a series of coordinated raids across the country.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, operatives arrested 60-year-old Romanus Nwabara on Wednesday, May 6, after tracing him to Akpaka Forest in Onitsha, Anambra State, where he was allegedly found with 250 grams of skunk packaged in retail sachets.
Babafemi said another suspect, identified as Amos Kenneth, 25, was arrested during a separate raid at Ogbunike in Anambra State on Thursday, May 7.
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The agency said Kenneth, who is also a person living with disability, was allegedly caught with 160.3 grams of Tramadol in 225mg and 100mg variants, 80 Diazepam pills, 38.23 grams of Exol-5 and 176.93 grams of skunk.
“In Kwara, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu on Friday, May 8, intercepted a commercial vehicle and, in the course of a search, one of the passengers, a PWD, Usman Salisu, was found with 6.3 kilograms of skunk concealed in a brown school bag,” the statement added.
In another major operation, operatives of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit reportedly stormed a mansion located at 36 African Lane, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, allegedly being used as a drug stash house.
During the raid conducted on Friday, May 8, officers recovered 4,000 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 2,326 kilograms and estimated to have a street value of over N5.815 billion.
The agency also recovered two Mercedes-Benz buses and designer drug-packaging sachets from the building.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives arrested Emmanuel Osita Okeke, 38, with 129 kilograms of skunk at Nyanya in Karu, Nasarawa State, on Monday, May 4.
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Babafemi further disclosed that operatives on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State intercepted a white commuter J5 bus heading to Abuja on Friday, May 8.
A search of the vehicle reportedly led to the recovery of 76 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 766 kilograms, while three suspects Mathew Omohove, Ebuka Desmond and Babangida Musa were arrested.
The NDLEA spokesman also disclosed that officers raided a makeshift skuchies production factory at Ijora Badia area of Lagos on Wednesday, May 6.
According to him, two suspects identified as Bose Jamiu and Gbenga Gege were arrested while allegedly cooking cannabis and mixing it with other illicit substances.
“A total of 270 litres of already produced skuchies and 106 grams of Tramadol (225mg) were recovered from them,” Babafemi stated.
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The agency added that its commands across the country sustained the War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation campaign in schools, communities, worship centres and workplaces during the week.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain ongoing drug supply reduction and public sensitisation efforts nationwide.