Nigeria’s Anti-narcotic Agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has intercepted over four tons of illicit and controlled drugs including consignments of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas.
Operatives of the agency also, seized skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and tramadol during interdiction operations in Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo states.
The Director of media and advocacy of the agency Mr Femi BabaFemi disclosed this in a press statement on Sunday in Abuja.
He said, no fewer than 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas weighing 2,547.2 kilograms loaded in two Toyota Sienna buses were on Friday 22nd September by NDLEA operatives along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.
Two suspects: Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe who were taking the consignments to the nation’s Federal Capital Territory for distribution have been arrested and taken into custody.
Also, Mrs Ugo Eluba was 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.
BabaFemi explained that operatives in the FCT, 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.” Four suspects were arrested. He added.
In the same vein, Shuaibu Yusif, 27, and Abubakar Hussaini, 20, were on Saturday 23rd September nabbed with 89.1kgs of skunk along Kano -Hadejia road, Jigawa state during a stop and search patrol by NDLEA operatives.
BabaFemi said many suspects were arrested with hard drugs in Kaduna, Ogun, Sokoto and Edo states.
Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the week.
While commending the officers and men of the affected commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA advocacy.
