Edith CHUKU
In a bid to intensify the fight against drug abuse across Nigeria by promoting drug abuse awareness, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Zone 13, paid a courtesy visit to the Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, Dr. Edmund Dakoru, in Bayelsa State.
This was revealed on Sunday, by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, where he noted that the visit was part of the agency’s ongoing War Against Drug Abuse WADA, initiative, which includes sensitisation campaigns in schools and communities nationwide.
The NDLEA has made significant breakthroughs in recent operations. On Thursday, operatives intercepted a shipment of 66 parcels of Loud, a strong variant of cannabis, weighing 62.20 kilograms, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport MMIA, Lagos State.
The illicit drugs were disguised as green tea, and alleged to have arrived from Thailand via the United Arab Emirates on an Emirates Airlines flight.
The agency had placed the consignment under surveillance for over three weeks before executing a joint inspection with other stakeholders.
The NDLEA spokesperson noted that the seizure followed credible intelligence received ahead of the consignment’s arrival at the cargo wing of the airport.
According to him, “the NDLEA had watch-listed the shipment and maintained surveillance on it for over three weeks before inviting other stakeholders for a joint examination last Thursday.
“The Loud, weighing 62.20kg, was concealed in green tea wraps and imported from Thailand via the UAE on an Emirates Airlines flight.”
There was another operation in Lagos on Monday, June 2, where NDLEA operatives intercepted a 1,665kg consignment of skunk (another cannabis strain) along the Lekki-Ajah expressway. Two suspects, Gidado Abdulrasaq Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi, were arrested.
Elsewhere, in Kaduna on Tuesday, June 3, NDLEA officers arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam.
That same day, a 52-year-old wanted drug dealer, Kabiru Musa (aka KB), was arrested at Kurmin Mashi after 25.7kg of skunk was earlier recovered from his base.
In Edo State, 9kg of Loud was discovered hidden in the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon with license plate AAA 975 XU, driven by 45-year-old Atari Israel along the Auchi road.
On June 3, two young women, Favour Joy and Joy Igwe, were arrested in the Ikpoba Hill area of Benin City. Recovered from them were 106.57kg of skunk, 1kg of Loud, 800 grams of Colorado, and 302 grams of methamphetamine.
Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Retd), hailed the agency’s operatives for their commitment to both intercepting drug supplies and raising public awareness on the dangers of drug abuse.
