Drug trafficking: NDLEA nabs 2 grandfathers as operatives uncover cannabis, Opioids in bus engine

*The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency discloses the anti-narcotics regulatory agency’s operatives intercepted a consignment of illicit drug consignment concealed in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus along Gbongan–Ibadan Road, in Osun State during a stop-and-search operation

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In the agency’s continued offensive against drug trafficking and substance abuse to protect the well-being of Nigerian consumers, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said the agency’s operatives intercepted a consignment of illicit drug consignment concealed in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus.

ConsumerConnect reports the anti-narcotics regulatory agency disclosed that two grandfathers have been taken into custody over drug trafficking.

Mr. Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters, in a statement issued Sunday, March 10, 2024, noted the operatives had discovered about 5.2kg of cannabis sativa and Opioids in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus, marked VDY 187 XA Thursday, March 7, 2024, along Gbongan–Ibadan Road, Osun State by NDLEA officers on stop and search operation on the highway.

The bus driver, Iorliam Sughnen Dominic, 35, who took responsibility for the concealment was taken into custody for further investigation.

The previous day Wednesday, 6th March, a 26-year-old lady, Obasanmi Esther Iyanu, who produces and distributes skuchies was arrested during a raid on her hideout in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

Babafemi in the statement revealed at least, 16.5 litres of the illicit substance and different quantities of molly and cannabis were recovered from her during the raid in the axis in the South-Western part of the country.

Likewise, the Director of Media and Advocacy stated the NDLEA operatives in Borno State also arrested a 70-year-old grandfather, Malam Mai Gemu Adam and 65-year-old Yamama Musa for drug trafficking.

They were arrested March, Saturday 9 along with 24-year-old Abubakar Ya’u and Babagana Abubakar Ali, 28, in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala respectively while 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from them.

Same day, operatives at Geidam in Yobe state intercepted a Golf 3 salon car heading to Gagamari in Niger Republic, where the occupant, Alhaji Mala Tijjani, 28, was to deliver 40 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.5kg to another dealer, while 42 cartons containing 8,400 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,260 kilograms were recovered from a driver, Mutari Ya’u, 29, at Katsina road, Kaduna on Tuesday 5th March.

In Kano state, Nura Yusuf, 35, was arrested with 62kg cannabis at Gadar Tamburawa area, where Abubakar Sani, 40, was also nabbed with 244 bottles of codeine syrup, while Mohammad Alkali, 28, was found with 49, 800 pills of tramadol along Kano-Maiduguri road, on Thursday 7th March.

This is just as NDLEA operatives in Lagos state on Wednesday 6th March arrested Aba Thomas at Igbo Elerin area of the state where 84 litres of skuchies, 1.1 litres of codeine syrup, 4kg cannabis sativa, and 800 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from him.

No fewer than eight suspects were arrested on Friday 8th March where NDLEA officers raided the notorious Karu abattoir drug joint in the FCT, Abuja with 51.3kg cannabis recovered from them.

Those arrested include:  Buhari Muhammadu; Jamilu Muhammed; Abubakar Wappa; Yahaya Tasiu; Ezekiel Mulanda; Abba Haruna; Habibu Umar and Shamsu Lawali.

In Plateau state, two suspects: Pam Thomas, 45, and Stephen Nyam,38, were on Monday 4th March arrested with cannabis weighing 611.428kg at Zawan, Jos South.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial J5 bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Zaria, Kaduna state on Wednesday 6th March along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway where a total of 8,580 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were seized from a suspect, Yusuf Abdullahi, 40.

Whereas in Enugu, operatives on Tuesday 5th March raided some locked-up shops at the new market in Enugu metropolitan area where 371.42kg cannabis and 9.49grams of methamphetamine were recovered.

The NDLEA Commands across the country in the same vein balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities.

Some of these include: WADA sensitisation lecture for 1,320 students of Government Secondary School, Madakiya, Kafanchan LGA, Kaduna; students and teachers of Kingdom Heritage School, Badagry, Lagos; students of Comprehensive Secondary School, Bichi, Kano; as well as WADA advocacy visit to Ekiti State First Lady, Dr. (Mrs) Olayemi Oyebanji and her Abia State counterpart, Mrs. Priscilla Otti, among several others.

Commending the efforts of the Borno, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano, Osun, Lagos, Plateau, Enugu, Yobe and FCT Commands of the Agency for jobs well done in the past week, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NDLEA, charged them and their compatriots in other formations nationwide to rest not on their oars as they continue to intensify their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities across the West African country, Babafemi stated.