Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 75-year-old grandpa, Usman Bokina Bajama (alias Clemen) and 21 other suspects in operations across seven states.
The NDLEA also said during the operations, 1,001,387 bottles/capsules of banned new psychoactive substance, Akuskura and tramadol as well as 2,536 kilograms of cannabis were seized and over 10 hectares of its farms destroyed in Edo and Adamawa states.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said the grandpa was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, September 20, at Anguwan Sate, Mararraban Tola, Mayo Belwa council area of Adamawa State where he had a cannabis plantation from where 49kg of the illicit substance was recovered.
In Kwara State, at least 19,878 bottles of the banned new psychoactive substance, Akuskura were intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Ilorin-Jebba highway on Wednesday September 21 and two suspects: Oladokun Oluwaseun, 49 and Ibrahim Jimoh, 27 were arrested.
They claimed the consignment packed in 35 jumbo sacks was loaded in Ibadan, Oyo State and meant for distribution in Jos, Plateau State.
The NDLEA explained that earlier, two suspects: Ukoro Ifeanyi, 46 and Idowu Toyosi, 20, were arrested with 2,290 capsules of tramadol and 100 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Mararaba Park, Ilorin. The drugs were brought in from Onitsha, Anambra State.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a Volvo truck loaded with 2,146 kilograms of cannabis at Sangotedo area of Ajah and three suspects: Abdulazeez Rasheed; Afeez Raheem and Moshood Suleiman arrested.
In Edo State, six cannabis farmers were arrested when NDLEA operatives stormed their farms at Chigbite, Utese forest in Ovia North East LGA and Ekudo forest, Uhunmonde LGA, where over 10 hectares of cannabis plantation were destroyed and more than 193kg of the processed illicit substance seized.
Those arrested include: David Hanson; Ufuoma Progress; Marvelous Armstrong; Marvelous Efe; Joshua Abubakar and Elijah Abubakar.
Meanwhile, anti-narcotic officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos have arrested two freight agents over attempts to smuggle 26.20kg cannabis concealed in cereal packs through the SAHCO shed for export to Dubai, UAE.
The consignment was abandoned at the shed before the airport security transferred it to NDLEA.
Further investigation by the NDLEA led to the arrest of Olatunbosun Damilola Abimbola, 34, who works at Ashadox Logistics Services, a cargo company on Friday September 23 and he confessed to the crime but stated that he acted on the instructions of his managing director, Oloyede Shakiru Abiola, who was promptly arrested. The 40-year-old indigene of Ibadan West local government area of Oyo State stated that due to the strict security measures put in place by the NDLEA, he was forced to abandon the cargo to avoid being detected.
