Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested 17 suspects and seized no fewer than 2,601.5 kilograms of cannabis and 102,500 pills of pharmaceutical opioids during interdiction operations across Plateau, Edo, Delta, Taraba, Kogi, Kano, Lagos and Adamawa state in one week.

Spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, January 29, said four suspects arrested in connection with a seizure offered NDLEA operatives N3m bribe. 

“523.8kgs cannabis were seized in a bus heading to Port Harcourt along Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the early hours of Sunday 22nd Jan. Four suspects: Okechukwu Umen; Lanre Adebayo Ismaila, 47; Adeshina Adigun Fatai, 50; and Emmanuel Omijeh, 42, have been arrested in connection with the seizure and three million naira (N3,000,000) offered as bribe kept as part of the exhibits for their prosecution,” the statement read. 

“309kgs of cannabis were recovered from a Bauchi-bound Toyota Camry car marked KUJ 218 BS driven by a suspect, Godwin Ojo, 37, on Saturday 28th Jan. along Bauchi road, Jos, Plateau state, 718kgs of the same substance were seized in an uncompleted building in Sabongida-Ora, Owan West LGA, Edo state,” 

In Delta state, at least 250.3kgs of C/S were recovered from three suspects: Wilson Ejougo, 43; Okpor Charles Chuks, 33; and Grace Isaiah, 51, in raids across Abbi town, Ndokwa West LGA, and Asaba, the state capital.

A suspect, Umar Halidu, 35, was arrested with 18kgs of cannabis at Mutum Biyu, Gassol LGA, Taraba State, while the trio of Ali Abdulwahab, 48; Bashir Musa, 31, and Ibrahim Shuaibu Abdullahi, 38, were nabbed with 532kgs of the psychoactive substance in their truck in Kogi state.

Not less than 189 blocks of C/S weighing 131kgs were seized from a suspect, Shafi’u Abubakar, 29, in Mariri area of Kano and a total of 119.4kgs of the same substance recovered from four suspects in parts of Lagos state.

In Adamawa, 102,500 pills of opioids were recovered from the store of a mobile dealer at old park, Mubi in a joint operation with military personnel.

In his reaction, Gen. Marwa commended all the officers involved in the effort, stating that the feat is a confirmation that his warning to drug barons at a media briefing on 18th January is no fluke but a work plan well-grounded on determination and commitment of the officers and men of the Agency to rid Nigeria of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

He charged personnel of the MMIA Command, and those of Plateau, Edo, Delta, Taraba, Kogi, Kano, Lagos and Adamawa state as well as their compatriots across the country to remain steadfast and focused on the corporate goal of the agency.