NDLEA intercepts four tons of illicit drugs in seven states

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted four tons of illicit and controlled drugs in seven states within one week.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the drugs include nitrous oxide – popularly known as laughing gas – skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine, and tramadol.

Babafemi said the seizures were carried out during interdiction operations in Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo states.

He said 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas with a total weight of 2,547.2 kilograms were intercepted in Toyota Sienna buses on September 22, along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.

He added that two suspects, Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe, who were conveying the consignment to Abuja for distribution, have been taken into custody.

“While one of the Toyota Sienna buses marked KTU 582 HV was conveying 99 cartons containing 594 cylinders weighing 1,267.2kgs, the second bus with registration number FKJ 329 YA was conveying 100 cartons of the substance with 600 cylinders weighing 1,280kgs,” the statement reads.

“A 48-year-old woman, Mrs. Ugo Eluba was also arrested in Abuja in a follow-up operation after 2,400 ampules of pentazocine injection and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 intercepted in Kogi state were traced to her.

“In the FCT, operatives intercepted 977 kilograms of skunk on Wednesday 20th September in a trailer marked LSR 343 XW, bearing cartons of maggi. The skunk consignment was loaded into the truck at Ipele junction in Ondo state. While 959kgs of the substance were meant for distribution in Sokoto state, the rest was to be dropped off at Gwagwalada.

“Two suspects: Auwal Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar have been arrested in connection with the seizure, while two other suspects: Mutari Abdulazeez, 31, and Ayuba Madaki, 28, were also arrested on Saturday 23rd September at Zuba area of the FCT with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis and 13, 930 pills of tramadol.”

The NDLEA spokesperson said Shuaibu Yusif and Abubakar Hussaini were arrested on Saturday, along Kano-Hadejia road, Jigawa state, during a stop and search patrol by NDLEA operatives. The suspects were in possession of 89.1kgs of skunk.

He added that on September 18, 6,000 ampules of pentazocine injection were recovered from another suspect, Usman Musa Sidi, along Abuja-Forest road, Kaduna, while on his way to Bauchi state.

Also, Babafemi said a follow-up operation in Bauchi on September 19 led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Dominic Chukwuma, 35. He said the suspect was in possession of “at least 2.58kgs of Diazepam and 36.55kgs of pentazocine injection”, which was recovered from his home.