- Recovers 900,000 opioid pills, 1,347.4kg cannabis in Kano, Kogi, Imo, Edo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti raids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended several individuals in connection with illicit activities involving counterfeit currency and dangerous substances, demonstrating its commitment to combating drug-related crimes across various states in Nigeria.
In a coordinated series of operations, NDLEA operatives intercepted a commercial bus transporting counterfeit cash amounting to N3.2 million. Among the three suspects apprehended during this operation were Favour Peter (24), who is eight months pregnant, Esther Adukwu (27), and Ochigbo Michael (39). The arrests followed the initial seizure of fake currency notes in Lokoja, Kogi state, leading to a subsequent operation at Jabi park in Abuja on Tuesday, April 9th.
Furthermore, in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy Ship Lugard base in Lokoja, NDLEA officers intercepted Aliyu Lawal (37) along the Lokoja-Abuja Road on April 8th, recovering 620 blocks of cannabis weighing 310kg. Additional seizures included 98kg of the same psychoactive substance intercepted from Jama Obodo (44) along the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway on April 10th.
In Cross River state, NDLEA operatives arrested a 40-year-old widow, Mrs. Theodora Ita, on April 8th in Calabar for producing and distributing a lethal new psychoactive substance known locally as ‘Combine’. Mrs. Ita was found in possession of 18 litres of the dangerous substance stored in used paint drums. Another suspect, Godwin Okon Samuel (48), was apprehended in Calabar on April 9th with 39.4kg of cannabis sativa.
Additionally, arrests were made in various locations including Kano, Imo, Ekiti, Edo, Ogun, and Ondo states, resulting in significant drug seizures and disruptions to illicit drug networks. These operations included the interception of 900,000 opioid pills in Kano, recovery of 230 blocks of cannabis in Imo, and seizure of 252kg of cannabis in Ekiti.
The NDLEA also conducted several War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns nationwide, reinforcing its commitment to both supply and demand reduction strategies. These efforts included sensitization lectures for students, military personnel, and meat butchers, as well as advocacy visits to state governors.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the exemplary achievements of the agency’s commands in Kogi, Cross River, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Imo, Kano, and Edo states. He praised their dedication to reducing drug supply and emphasized the importance of intensifying advocacy efforts to curb drug demand nationwide.
