The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in a duvet and packaged for export to the United Kingdom through the cargo shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development in a statement released on Sunday. He revealed that the discovery, made last Tuesday, led to the arrest of two suspects: Adakole Sunday and Austin Balogun. Six parcels of the psychoactive substance, with a gross weight of 3.5 kilograms, were recovered during the operation.
According to Babafemi, Austin Balogun, identified as the primary agent, admitted in his statement that he was paid ₦700,000 to facilitate the shipment but used a significant portion of the money to cover export handling charges and rent for an apartment.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives raided a hideout in Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu, Lagos, leading to the arrest of two suspects, Joseph Adewale and Biodun Adelakun. The raid yielded seven liters of skuchies—a psychoactive substance made with black currant, cannabis, and opioids—as well as a cache of weapons, including:
- Three locally made double-barrel rifles
- One locally made double-barrel pistol
- One English-made pistol
- One locally made single-barrel rifle
- Three cartridges
- An empty 9mm cartridge
- An iron-headed axe
In another raid on Sunday, January 19, NDLEA operatives seized 47 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, and 25.46 kilograms of nitrous oxide, commonly known as “laughing gas,” at the notorious Akala area of Mushin, Lagos.
In Ekiti State, a 26-year-old suspect, Adepoju Taiwo, was arrested on Iworoko Road, Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, with 1.95 kilograms of Canadian Loud last Thursday. In Kwara State, Auwal Sani was apprehended in Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area, with 50,000 pills of Tramadol 225mg weighing 36.56 kilograms.
In Kano State, a team of NDLEA operatives arrested three suspects, including a Nigerien national, Abubakar Lami, 45, alongside Abba Sani, 35, and Auwal Aliyu, 32, at Gadar Tamburawa. The operation resulted in the recovery of 13.1 kilograms of skunk and 125 liters of a psychoactive substance known locally as “suck and die.” Additionally, a cannabis plantation was discovered and destroyed in Gefen Kasa, Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of Sabo Muhammad, 45, in connection with the farm.
NDLEA also reported continued efforts in its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, with sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to schools, workplaces, worship centers, and traditional palaces across the country during the past week.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the efforts of officers in Lagos, Kano, Kwara, and Ekiti States for their successes in recent arrests and seizures. He also commended the nationwide teams for their commitment to WADA’s social advocacy initiatives, emphasizing the importance of community engagement in combating drug abuse and trafficking.
This series of coordinated operations underscores NDLEA’s resolve to disrupt drug trafficking networks and combat the proliferation of psychoactive substances across Nigeria.
