By John Moses
Nigerian authorities have intercepted over one million pills of illicit opioids and made multiple arrests across several states in a sweeping anti-narcotics operation led by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, the largest haul took place along the Bauchi-Darazo road in Bauchi State on 16 June. Acting on intelligence, officers arrested two suspects, aged 37 and 28, and seized 1,013,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam, and Exol-5.
In a separate incident the following day, a 38-year-old man was arrested on the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway in Gwargwaje with 14.2 kilogrammes of cannabis strain ‘skunk’, concealed inside sacks of charcoal and cartons of industrial rubber solution weighing 198 kilogrammes.
Further operations on 18 June in Abuja led to the arrest of six individuals during raids at Karu Abattoir and Torabora, resulting in the seizure of 6.9kg of skunk and 59 grams of methamphetamine.
On 16 June, NDLEA officers in Kano intercepted two individuals along the Zaria-Kano highway with 56.2kg of skunk. That same day, another suspect was apprehended in Fagge Local Government Area with 23,720 capsules of tramadol and 1,400 ampoules of pentazocine.
Two additional arrests were made on 21 June along the same Zaria-Kano road, with officers recovering 36.6kg and 32kg of skunk from the suspects.
In Kwara State, a 22-year-old female student of Kwara State Polytechnic was arrested on 19 June for allegedly selling illegal drugs to fellow students. NDLEA operatives recovered 1kg of skunk at her residence near the polytechnic campus in Ilorin.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, NDLEA teams destroyed over 4.2 tonnes of skunk at Ugbada camp in Uzebba forest, Owan West LGA, arresting one suspect in the process.
Additionally, raids on a supermarket in Emado, Esan West LGA, and a provision shop in Idumeka, Igueben, resulted in the seizure of various drugs including Colorado, Loud, Molly, Tramadol, and other opioids. Two suspects, including a female, were taken into custody.
NDLEA Chairman, retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, praised the coordinated efforts, reaffirming the agency’s determination to curb drug trafficking and abuse across Nigeria.
