NDLEA Busts Drug Trafficking Syndicate, Nabs Grandparents and Others Across Several States
In a series of coordinated operations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made significant strides in combating drug trafficking across various states in Nigeria.
According to Femi Babafemi, the agency's Director of Media & Advocacy, a consignment of illicit drugs was intercepted concealed within the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus. The operation, conducted along the Gbongan – Ibadan road in Osun state, resulted in the discovery of approximately 5.2kg of cannabis sativa and opioids. The driver of the bus, Iorliam Sughnen Dominic, was promptly apprehended for further investigation.
In another development, a raid on a hideout in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state, led to the arrest of 26-year-old Obasanmi Esther Iyanu, who was allegedly involved in the production and distribution of skuchies. Substantial quantities of illicit substances, including 16.5 litres of skuchies, molly, and cannabis, were seized during the operation.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives apprehended two elderly individuals, Mallam Mai Gemu Adam (70) and Yamama Musa (65), for drug trafficking in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala, Borno state. Alongside them, Abubakar Ya’u (24) and Babagana Abubakar Ali (28) were also arrested, with a significant haul of 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection recovered.
Further operations yielded notable seizures in Yobe, Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Plateau, Enugu, and Kogi states. Noteworthy among these were the interception of a Golf 3 salon car transporting cannabis and codeine syrup in Yobe, the arrest of individuals with substantial quantities of cannabis, codeine syrup, and tramadol in Kano, and the seizure of drugs from suspects in Lagos, Plateau, Enugu, and Kogi.
The NDLEA's efforts were not limited to enforcement actions alone. Various commands of the agency also engaged in advocacy campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. These campaigns targeted schools, markets, worship centers, and communities, aiming to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, commended the successful operations conducted by the agency's commands nationwide. He urged NDLEA personnel to sustain their efforts in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities, emphasizing the importance of continued vigilance in combating drug-related crimes.
