Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of illicit drug consignment concealed in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus just as two grandfathers were taken into custody over drug trafficking.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said no fewer than 5.2kg of cannabis sativa and opioids were discovered in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus marked VDY 187 XA on Thursday 7th March 2024 along Gbongan – Ibadan road, Osun state during stop and search operation on the highway.
He said the bus driver, Iorliam Sughnen Dominic, 35, who took responsibility for the concealment was taken into custody for further investigation.
Babafemi said: “The previous day Wednesday 6th March, a 26-year-old lady, Obasanmi Esther Iyanu, who produces and distributes skuchies was arrested during a raid on her hideout in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.
“At least, 16.5 litres of the illicit substance and different quantities of molly and cannabis were recovered from her during the raid.
“In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Borno state have arrested a 70-year-old grandfather, Mallam Mai Gemu Adam and 65-year-old Yamama Musa for drug trafficking.”
Babafemi noted that they were arrested on Saturday 9th March along with 24-year-old Abubakar Ya’u and Babagana Abubakar Ali, 28, in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala respectively while 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from them.
According to him, Same day, operatives at Geidam in Yobe state intercepted a Golf 3 salon car heading to Gagamari in Niger republic, where the occupant, Alhaji Mala Tijjani, 28, was to deliver 40 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.5kg to another dealer, while 42 cartons containing 8,400 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,260 kilograms were recovered from a driver, Mutari Ya’u, 29, at Katsina road, Kaduna on Tuesday 5th March.
Babafemi added that in Kano state, Nura Yusuf, 35, was arrested with 62kg cannabis at Gadar Tamburawa area, where Abubakar Sani, 40, was also nabbed with 244 bottles of codeine syrup, while Mohammad Alkali, 28, was found with 49, 800 pills of tramadol along Kano-Maiduguri road, on Thursday 7th March.
He stressed that this was just as NDLEA operatives in Lagos state on Wednesday 6th March arrested Aba Thomas at Igbo Elerin area of the state where 84 litres of skuchies, 1.1 litres of codeine syrup,4kg cannabis sativa, and 800 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from him.
Babafemi said no fewer than eight suspects were arrested on Friday 8th March where NDLEA officers raided the notorious Karu abattoir drug joint in the FCT, Abuja with 51.3kg cannabis recovered from them. Those arrested include: Buhari Muhammadu; Jamilu Muhammed; Abubakar Wappa; Yahaya Tasiu; Ezekiel Mulanda; Abba Haruna; Habibu Umar and Shamsu Lawali.