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Tag: Illicit drugs

  • NDLEA arrested some Politicians in Possession of Illicit Drugs – Marwa

    NDLEA arrested some Politicians in Possession of Illicit Drugs – Marwa

    Buba Marwa, chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says officers of the agency arrested some politicians in possession of illicit drugs.

    Marwa said this on Sunday when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Hard Copy’.

    The chairman said he was “somewhat disappointed” that the drive to have public officers undergo drug-tests before they assume office did not go through.

    “But the idea is not original. We are promoting what is going on already in Kano state. In kano state, all politicians under the governor’s party, aspiring for an office, must first demonstrate in the screening process that they are drug negative and I’m in full support of that,” he said.

    “We have arrested politicians who either are holding political office or have retired. Recently one of them was jailed in Lagos, he was trying to smuggle 1kg, maybe to use it to run for office.

    “As you know, the cartels also participate in political institutions, they actually fund candidates into the various levels so that the correct laws (that favour them) are enacted.”

    Speaking on the rehabilitation of drug users, the NDLEA chief said there is a dearth of rehab centres “and there are thousands if not millions of drug users who need help but there’s no where to go. And so they snuck back into their bedrooms and continue to take drugs”.

    “Right now we have just 11 model rehab centres in the country which is very low. The Presidential Advisory Committee on Elimination of Drug Abuse (PACEDA) recommended that there should be about three centres per state looking at the prevalence and the federal government already through the ministry of health, has agreed to build one more rehab centre in every state,” he said.

  • NDLEA Seizes 22,160 KG Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

    NDLEA Seizes 22,160 KG Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has seized over 22,160 kilograms of Codeine syrup, Methamphetamine and Skunk at the Apapa seaport and a notorious drug den in Mushin, Lagos State in two separate operations.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.

    According to the statement, a total of 14,080kg codeine syrup (8,080 litres) and 4,352.43kg cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40ft container imported from India, were intercepted on Wednesday, February 2 at the Apapa port, while Cannabis and other drugs imported from Ghana including Methamphetamine weighing 3,727.72kg, were seized in an early morning raid at Akala, Mushin.

    17 suspects including five females were arrested in connection to the Mushin raid.
    The seizure at the Lagos seaport followed intelligence from foreign partners and the cooperation of other port stakeholders.
    At Akala, NDLEA Strike Force operatives in their numbers with support from the military stormed warehouses in the drug den and evacuated bags and bottles of cannabis, ‘loud’, ‘skunk’, ‘skuchies’ and Methamphetamine as well as the 17 suspects for further investigation.

    Meanwhile, a female drug kingpin, Jemilat Seriki, who is one of the owners of 12,385 pellets of ‘loud’ imported from Ghana and intercepted at Eko Atlantic beach, Victoria Island Lagos on Saturday, November 27, 2021, has been arrested by narcotics officers after weeks of manhunt.
    Seriki admitted to being one the owners of the consignments seized, adding that her bags of drugs had ‘Jah Bless’ written on them.

    Meanwhile, in Niger State, a 64-year-old former Divisional Police Officer of Idanre Police station, Ondo state, who was dismissed from service for drug-related offences, Mr. Monday George Chika, has again been arrested with an accomplice, Emmanuel Eniola, with 280 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 168kg.
    They were arrested on Sunday, January 30, in Mokwa, Niger State, after their Toyota Avalon car marked EKY 429 BZ (Lagos) loaded with the substance was intercepted at Idanre, enroute Kanji, Borgu area of the state.

    At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, attempts by some traffickers to export different quantities of Methamphetamine to Brazil and United Kingdom were scuttled by narcotics officers.
    The first bid was made on Friday, January 28, through the SAHCO export shed where operatives intercepted 0.80kg of Meth concealed in relaxer plastic containers for tranmission to the UK.

    A suspect, Akuta Chioma Lucy who presented the consignment for search, was arrested for further investigation.
    The second attempt was on Friday, February 4, during the outward clearance of passengers at Gate ‘C’ Departure hall of the airport when an intending male passenger on an Ethiopian Airline going to Brazil, Onyeaghala Chidi was intercepted with 500 grams of Meth concealed inside three plastic hair relaxer containers.

    Also at the airport, a male passenger, Iliyasu Yushau Yushau, coming from Kampala, Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya was intercepted by operatives with 268 debit cards belonging to Access Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank, during the inward clearance of passengers on the flight on Sunday, January 30.

    In Edo State, NDLEA operatives on Friday, February 4, stormed the Igbogiri forest, Orhionwon LGA and destroyed four dry season Cannabis farms measuring 3.067718 hectares, following the evacuation of 20 bags of compressed blocks of Cannabis weighing 269.5kg stored in a bush at Uzebba, Owan West LGA, the previous day and the arrest of Afadama James, 42, with 348kg cannabis at Owan, Ovia North East LGA on Wednesday, February 2.

    While operatives in Delta State arrested a 21-year-old student of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Kate Osagie over a 17.6grams designer drug she ordered from Onitsha, Anambra state, their colleagues in Borno State on Thursday, February 3 nabbed one Fatima Musa, 30, for attempting to smuggle pentazocine injections into the camp of surrendered insurgents.

    In Plateau State, operatives intercepted a truck marked LSD857XB coming from Ekpoma, Edo State with 885 blocks of Cannabis Sativa that weighed 736kg.
    The sun of N400,000 paid to bribe the arresting officers has also been warehoused as part of exhibits for prosecution, just as two suspects; Ebunoluwa Babalola, 40, and Sulyman Sheu, 30, were arrested at Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State with 90kg of Cannabis.
    In the same vein, 2kg of Methamphetamine being brought to Abuja by a 29-year-old Charity Omuche from Anambra state was intercepted on Friday, February 4, by operatives at Gwagwalada area of the FCT, while officers of the Kaduna Command of the Agency also arrested a suspect, Buhari Isah Umar with 300 shisha pens and 999 portions of synthetic cannabinoids with a gross weight of 9.690kg.

    Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended officers and men of the Strike Force, Apapa seaport, MMIA, Lagos, Niger, Edo, Borno, Plateau, Kwara, FCT and Delta Commands of the Agency for the successful interdiction operations that led to the seizure of thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs from across the country in the past week. He charged them and their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars.

  • NDLEA Seizes 22,160 KG Worth Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

    NDLEA Seizes 22,160 KG Worth Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has seized over 22,160 kilograms of Codeine syrup, Methamphetamine and Skunk at the Apapa seaport and a notorious drug den in Mushin, Lagos State in two separate operations.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.

    According to the statement, a total of 14,080kg codeine syrup (8,080 litres) and 4,352.43kg cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40ft container imported from India, were intercepted on Wednesday, February 2 at the Apapa port, while Cannabis and other drugs imported from Ghana including Methamphetamine weighing 3,727.72kg, were seized in an early morning raid at Akala, Mushin.

    17 suspects including five females were arrested in connection to the Mushin raid.

    The seizure at the Lagos seaport followed intelligence from foreign partners and the cooperation of other port stakeholders.

    At Akala, NDLEA Strike Force operatives in their numbers with support from the military stormed warehouses in the drug den and evacuated bags and bottles of cannabis, ‘loud’, ‘skunk’, ‘skuchies’ and Methamphetamine as well as the 17 suspects for further investigation.

    Meanwhile, a female drug kingpin, Jemilat Seriki, who is one of the owners of 12,385 pellets of ‘loud’ imported from Ghana and intercepted at Eko Atlantic beach, Victoria Island Lagos on Saturday, November 27, 2021, has been arrested by narcotics officers after weeks of manhunt.

    Seriki admitted to being one the owners of the consignments seized, adding that her bags of drugs had ‘Jah Bless’ written on them.

    Meanwhile, in Niger State, a 64-year-old former Divisional Police Officer of Idanre Police station, Ondo state, who was dismissed from service for drug-related offences, Mr. Monday George Chika, has again been arrested with an accomplice, Emmanuel Eniola, with 280 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 168kg.

    They were arrested on Sunday, January 30, in Mokwa, Niger State, after their Toyota Avalon car marked EKY 429 BZ (Lagos) loaded with the substance was intercepted at Idanre, enroute Kanji, Borgu area of the state.

    At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, attempts by some traffickers to export different quantities of Methamphetamine to Brazil and United Kingdom were scuttled by narcotics officers.

    The first bid was made on Friday, January 28, through the SAHCO export shed where operatives intercepted 0.80kg of Meth concealed in relaxer plastic containers for tranmission to the UK.

    A suspect, Akuta Chioma Lucy who presented the consignment for search, was arrested for further investigation.

    The second attempt was on Friday, February 4, during the outward clearance of passengers at Gate ‘C’ Departure hall of the airport when an intending male passenger on an Ethiopian Airline going to Brazil, Onyeaghala Chidi was intercepted with 500 grams of Meth concealed inside three plastic hair relaxer containers.

    Also at the airport, a male passenger, Iliyasu Yushau Yushau, coming from Kampala, Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya was intercepted by operatives with 268 debit cards belonging to Access Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank, during the inward clearance of passengers on the flight on Sunday, January 30.

    In Edo State, NDLEA operatives on Friday, February 4, stormed the Igbogiri forest, Orhionwon LGA and destroyed four dry season Cannabis farms measuring 3.067718 hectares, following the evacuation of 20 bags of compressed blocks of Cannabis weighing 269.5kg stored in a bush at Uzebba, Owan West LGA, the previous day and the arrest of Afadama James, 42, with 348kg cannabis at Owan, Ovia North East LGA on Wednesday, February 2.

    While operatives in Delta State arrested a 21-year-old student of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Kate Osagie over a 17.6grams designer drug she ordered from Onitsha, Anambra state, their colleagues in Borno State on Thursday, February 3 nabbed one Fatima Musa, 30, for attempting to smuggle pentazocine injections into the camp of surrendered insurgents.

    In Plateau State, operatives intercepted a truck marked LSD857XB coming from Ekpoma, Edo State with 885 blocks of Cannabis Sativa that weighed 736kg.

    The sun of N400,000 paid to bribe the arresting officers has also been warehoused as part of exhibits for prosecution, just as two suspects; Ebunoluwa Babalola, 40, and Sulyman Sheu, 30, were arrested at Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State with 90kg of Cannabis.

    In the same vein, 2kg of Methamphetamine being brought to Abuja by a 29-year-old Charity Omuche from Anambra state was intercepted on Friday, February 4, by operatives at Gwagwalada area of the FCT, while officers of the Kaduna Command of the Agency also arrested a suspect, Buhari Isah Umar with 300 shisha pens and 999 portions of synthetic cannabinoids with a gross weight of 9.690kg.

    Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended officers and men of the Strike Force, Apapa seaport, MMIA, Lagos, Niger, Edo, Borno, Plateau, Kwara, FCT and Delta Commands of the Agency for the successful interdiction operations that led to the seizure of thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs from across the country in the past week. He charged them and their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars.

  • NDLEA destroys 16, 146 kg of illicit drugs in Bauchi

    NDLEA destroys 16, 146 kg of illicit drugs in Bauchi

    Bauchi State Command of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday destroyed 16, 146 kilogrames of illicit drugs and narcotic substances seized by the command.

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Muhammad Mustapha, stated this at the destruction exercise at Dungal Village in Bauchi Local Government Area of the state.

    Mustapha, represented by his Chief of Staff, Oluru Femi, said the seized drugs consist of 6, 665. 852 kilogrammes of cannabis;  7, 011. 865 kilogrammes of cough syrups and 1, 883. 914 kgs of Tramadol.

    He decried the prevalence of pharmaceutical drug prescriptions and the indiscriminate abuse among  youth and women, describing the trend as “worrisome”, noting that the drugs might appear less injurious but harmful as cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

    “The burnt drugs points to the growing abuse of pharmaceutical drug prescriptions such as cough syrups containing codeine and Tramadol.

    “These drugs have become more prevalent  than cannabis sativa that are cultivated locally,” he said.

    Mustapha assured that the Agency was on the top of the challenges posed by trafficking and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs.

    He said the state government and people of the state had been supportive to the Agency’s onslaught against drug dealers.

    According to him, drug abuse and illicit drugs trafficking are neither a respecter of persons, age, religion, social class or race as everyone is vulnerable, hence, the need to address the scourge.

    The chairman pointed out that the safety of our country tomorrow depended on our counter-narcotic measures today.

    “We are working on strategies to arrest the development and prevent the situation from degenerating,” he added.

    Gov. Bala Mohammed, said the destruction exercise of the drugs would serve as lesson to the dealers who invested heavily in the illegal business.

    Mohammed who was represented by his deputy, Baba Tela asserted that no nation was immune to the devastating problems of drug abuse.

    According to him, he is disturbed by the effects of drugs abuse resulting to road accidents, mental health, family disruptions and other health related diseases.

    Mohammed who expressed shock over  the large quantity of illicit drugs seized in the state, observed that the country at a time was seen by international community as major transit point for hard drugs en route U.S and Western Europe.

    Also speaking, the State Commander of the Agency, Segun Oke, noted that illicit drugs were mostly the bases of crimes, prostitution, robbery, kidnapping and general insecurity in the state and the country.

    Oke called on the state government and the people of the state to support the Agency in its crusade against the menace.

    He added that the event was paramount and a pointer to the dealers that were bent on resisting the war against them. (NAN)