28 persons including a pregnant woman, a nursing mother and a 200-level university student have been arrested by operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, with 9,437.6 kilograms of cannabis and 138,053 tablets of pharmaceutical opioids.
Director of Media and Advocacy of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said they were arrested during interdiction operations across 12 states of Yobe, Ondo, Edo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
“In the FCT, operatives on October 15 stormed a village known as Chukuku, which is about 10 kilometres from Gwagwalada where they raided a large cannabis warehouse.
“A total of 510 jumbo bags of the illicit substance weighing 5, 640kgs were recovered from the store and a nursing mother in charge, Sa’adatu Abdullahi, 35, was arrested.
‘In Yobe, while operatives intercepted 48kgs of cannabis in Buni Yadi, they also raided a location in Potiskum where they recovered 56 blocks (31kgs) from two suspects: Mohammed Mamuda and a married pregnant woman, Hauwa Haruna.
“At least, 99 bags of cannabis and three bags of its seeds weighing 1,286kgs were seized on October 13 when operatives raided a location in Ogbese area of Ondo State, while another raid at Umukpe forest in Uhunmonde council area of Edo State led to the seizure of 410kgs of the same substance in addition to a motorcycle, two dane guns and the arrest of two suspects: Numga Anim, 30, and Friday Ebije, 50.
“Not less than 50 bags of C/S weighing 623kgs were also recovered at Ekpom village in Igueben LGA with the arrest of the owner, Lucky Henry, 30, while another suspect, Ndidi Esegine, 52, was nabbed at Ugbodo forest, Ovia North East LGA with 266.8kgs C/S on October 11.
“Two days later, operatives stormed Uzebba forest in Owan West LGA to destroy four cannabis farms where two suspects: Ezekiel Raphael and Gideon Bassey were arrested with a total of 223.5kgs processed C/S recovered.
A stop and search operation along the East/West road, in Ahoada area of Rivers State has led to the recovery of 251.4kgs of C/S in a gold colour Toyota Sienna bus with number plate, Abuja YAB 70 BR, and a suspect, Segun Ajayi arrested, while 161.4kgs were equally recovered, from an ash colour Toyota Camry saloon car with Reg No- Abuja RBC 590 BQ.
Meanwhile, a 200-level student of Mass Communication at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Ms Mercy Nyong, 30, was on October 12 arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos for attempting to export 300 grams of tramadol 225mg concealed in incense products going to Dubai, UAE.
