*Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency discloses its operatives’ recent raids across states in the country have led to several hundreds of arrests and recovery of prohibited drugs totalling 3394.2031 kilograms

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In continuation of the government agency’s offensive against drug trafficking and substance abuse in Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has raided notorious drug joints in Lagos, Abuja, Benue and other parts of the country.

The anti-narcotics agency disclosed its operatives had arrested a fake Police officer and a soldier suspected to also be fake, among 663 other drug traffickers and substance users when the officials stormed the locations.

Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA   

Mr. Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Spokesman, in a statement Sunday, October 17, 2021, noted that drugs seized were destroyed afterward.

Babafemi said during the raids, which led to the seizure of assorted illicit drugs weighing over 153, 256.876 kilograms, the NDLEA operatives also apprehended a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The agency as well said that in Lagos, a combined team of 70 NDLEA operatives and 30 soldiers in a joint operation code-named ‘ Operation Still Waters’, raided the notorious drug haven, Akala, in the Mushin area of the state Friday, October 15.

According to the Spokesman, about 27 suspects were arrested and the operatives seized various drugs, including Cocaine, Heroin, Tramadol, Rohypnol and Cannabis, with a cumulative weight of 2,463.876 Kg.

The statement further explained that a day earlier, operatives also raided drug joints in Ojo and Maryland areas of the state where six persons were arrested and different quantities of drugs seized.

That was said to have followed another raid in Alhaji Lasisi Street, Idioro, Mushin as well as Okota in the Oshodi-Isolo area of the state during which 12 suspects were arrested and over 165kg of assorted illicit drugs recovered.

Likewise in Ogun State, the NDLEA operatives last Friday intercepted certain Williams Esuabom along Ore- Shagamu Expressway with 562.5kg Cannabis being conveyed in a Toyota sienna bus, while in Benue State.

The narcotic officers in a joint operation with soldiers raided Lafia Park where six suspects, including a Youth Corps member, Paul Ndubuisi, were arrested with different quantities of drugs.

That came on the heels of the arrest of a suspected fake soldier, Abel John along Apir- Makurdi-Aliade Road with 3.5kg Cannabis Wednesday, October 13.

A suspected fake Assistant Superintendent of Police, Joshua Yusuf who claimed to be serving in Kano, was arrested along Gwagwalada Expressway while conveying 45.5kg of Cannabis in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory.

The operatives equally arrested three suspects during raids in Dabba and Luku village, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State where over 64kg drugs were recovered Wednesday.

The NDLEA operatives in their numbers stormed the forest reserve, in Ekiti State, located along Uso Road, Ise-Orun Local Government Area (LGA), where they destroyed over 150,000 kilograms of cannabis being harvested on 40 hectares of land during an operation that lasted more than three days.

The operation, which began Tuesday continued till Sunday, October 17, the agency stated.

On the series of operations, Babafemi noted that raids across other states in the country have led to the arrest of about 615 suspects and illicit drugs with a total weight of 3394.2031 kilograms recovered.

In his comment on the agency’s latest offensives against illicit drug users, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, commended the officers and men of the Lagos State Command and their counterparts in Benue, FCT, Ogun, Ekiti and other parts of the country for their resilience and commitment to the war against illicit substances in Nigeria.

Marwa charged them not to rest on their oars in this regard.

He urged continued collaboration between the NDLEA and other stakeholders, especially the Nigerian Armed Forces and other law enforcement agencies in the fight against illegal drug trafficking and substance abuse in the country.