The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recovered no fewer than 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine and 29.8grams of heroin from a warehouse in Bayelsa State.
A statement by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in Abuja yesterday, said the drugs were intercepted along Maj.-Gen. Isaiah Allison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, adding that four suspects were arrested.
According to him, it was when the NDLEA operatives raided the premises on April 16. “The four suspects arrested during the raid include: Kurtis Sarimiye, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Paul Sarimiye, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46,” he added.
Meanwhile, a total of 1,100 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from a delivery van with the driver, Ismail Abdullahi arrested in Surulere area of Lagos on April 17.
Babafemi said the NDLEA operatives in Kaduna on April 18 raided the hideout of a suspect, Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria, where no fewer than 31,950 pills of tramadol 225mg and diazepam were recovered.
Also, in Kebbi State, the NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bagudo road on April 18 intercepted a vehicle loaded with bags of charcoal coming from Malabil, Benin Republic.
“A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 97kg skunk concealed in the sacks of charcoal.
“Three suspects: Abubakar Ibrahim, 50; Mustapha Aliyu, 32; and Bashar Lawali, 28, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
“In a related development, the NDLEA arrested a 48-year-old, Okafor Marcel with 11.5kg skunk at Abatete, Anambra state.
“Babafemi said that the NDLEA operatives in Osogbo, Osun state, on Tuesday, April 15 also arrested Ajala Mercy, 27, with 43 litres of skushi, a mixture of black currant, cannabis and opioids.
“The NDLEA operatives recovered all of her room at Dada estate, Halleluyah area of the state capital,” he said.
Also, the operatives of the NDLEA have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in twenty sets of religious books bound for Saudi Arabia.
According to Babafemi, the cocaine consignment consisted of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500 grammes buried in the pages of the religious books.
He said the seizure occurred on April 15, when the NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) were searching through export cargoes bound for Saudi Arabia at the logistics firm.
On the same day, the NDLEA officers, Babafemi intercepted a separate shipment at another courier company with five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 2.8 kilogrammes hidden in a carton coming from the United States (US).
In a related development, the NDLEA operatives arrested a 22-year-old Muhammad Mohammed, who supplied illicit substances to bandits, in Kano, while on patrol along Bichi – Kano Road.
Babafemi said the suspect, who was heading to Katsina, had 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection tied to his thigh and private part with cellotape.
“He was intercepted on April 13, meanwhile another suspect, Mohammed Abdulaziz, 43, was arrested on the same day at Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30kg,’’he said.
In a similar development, the NDLEA operatives raided two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Edo State, destroying 3,717.8625kg of the psychoactive plant on 1.487145 hectares and recovered 136.5kg of processed cannabis.
Separately, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos, the NDLEA arrested a 40-year-old Kayode Basorun, who has been at large for two years, in connection with the seizure of 107kg of Loud imported from Canada in 2023.
Babafemi added that another suspect, Dauda Yakubu, who distributed illicit drugs within the seaport community was arrested by a team of operatives on April 14.
