The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide offensive against illicit drug trafficking, intercepting a large consignment of opioids concealed in a truck transporting building materials in Taraba State and arresting a 75-year-old suspected drug dealer in Ebonyi State.
The operations, which also led to the arrest of several suspected traffickers, including female drug dealers in Edo, Imo, Kano and Gombe states, highlight the agency’s ongoing efforts to dismantle drug distribution networks across the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the largest seizure was recorded in Taraba State, where operatives, acting on intelligence, intercepted a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Jalingo.
A search of the vehicle at the Nukkai Timber Shade in Jalingo uncovered a substantial cache of illicit drugs hidden beneath the cargo. A 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was arrested in connection with the consignment.
Recovered items included 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 tablets of Rohypnol and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
The agency described the seizure as one of the largest opioid interceptions recorded in recent months, amid growing concerns over the abuse of prescription opioids and other psychoactive substances, particularly among young people.
In Ebonyi State, operatives arrested 75-year-old Okebe Samuel in Okposi community after allegedly recovering 300 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged for retail sale. Investigators said the suspect was involved in distributing the substance to youths within the community.
In neighbouring Imo State, NDLEA officers raided a known drug hub in Umulolo, Orlu, leading to the arrest of 32-year-old Chioma Okeke and the recovery of eight kilogrammes of skunk. The operation formed part of ongoing efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating in the South-East.
Meanwhile, coordinated raids in Benin City, Edo State, resulted in the arrest of four suspected traffickers, including three women.
At Uyosa, operatives arrested Chioma Igba, 24, and Precious Ozomah, 22, with assorted illicit substances, including skunk, Loud and methamphetamine. Another suspect, Anita Abraham, 21, was apprehended along Agbor Road with quantities of Scottish Loud and regular Loud, while Henry Okey, 43, was arrested at Upper Mission with various psychotropic substances, including Loud, Colorado, Swinol and methamphetamine.
In Kano State, officers arrested 19-year-old Saifullahi Lawan in the Kafi area of Madobi Local Government Area after recovering 40 blocks of skunk weighing 38 kilogrammes.
Similarly, in Gombe State, operatives intercepted 28-year-old Ugwu Ifebuchi near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area of the state capital and recovered 15,000 capsules of tramadol.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign nationwide, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools and communities to discourage substance abuse among young Nigerians.
Reacting to the latest successes, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers and personnel in Taraba, Ebonyi, Imo, Edo, Kano and Gombe states for their vigilance and dedication.
Marwa reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to sustaining pressure on drug trafficking syndicates across the country, stressing that offenders would continue to be pursued irrespective of age, gender or methods of concealment.
He also urged commands nationwide to maintain a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction strategies as part of broader efforts to curb substance abuse and safeguard communities from the harmful effects of illicit drugs.
