Nigeria’s anti-narcotics marketing campaign has recorded a serious breakthrough because the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company dismantled a large-scale drug trafficking community, arresting suspects throughout a number of states—together with a 93-year-old man and a 69-year-old medical physician.
The intelligence-led operations, carried out over the previous week, spanned Abia, Kano, Ogun, Lagos, Imo, Niger, Edo, Borno, and the Federal Capital Territory, revealing the vast attain of illicit drug actions within the nation.
In some of the putting instances, operatives arrested 93-year-old Friday Chigbu at his residence in Osisioma Native Authorities Space of Abia State, the place 7.7 kilogrammes of skunk had been recovered. In line with the company, he admitted to a long time of hashish use and not too long ago ventured into distribution.
On the Mallam Aminu Kano Worldwide Airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted an Ivorian nationwide making an attempt to site visitors cocaine to Italy. The suspect had ingested 82 wraps of the drug, weighing 1.49 kilogrammes, and was allegedly promised €5,000 for supply.
Additional investigations led to the arrest of a medical physician, Dr. Chudi Ofomata, in Ogun State, who was accused of coordinating the trafficking operation. Managed substances, together with promazepam and promethazine injections, had been recovered from his residence.
Throughout the nation, a number of raids yielded important seizures. In Niger State, a pair was arrested after 118 kilogrammes of skunk was discovered of their house. In Ogun State, three suspects had been apprehended with 34 kilogrammes of hashish, whereas in Imo State, a girl was intercepted with over 56 kilogrammes alongside the Onitsha–Owerri street.
In Borno State, NDLEA officers seized hundreds of tablets of Rohypnol, together with codeine syrup and pentazocine injections hid in a trailer. In Lagos, operatives recovered 15 kilogrammes of high-grade hashish referred to as “Scottish Loud,” whereas a separate raid uncovered 26,800 bottles of codeine syrup.
In Abuja, eight suspects had been arrested at a recognized drug hub, with over 11 kilogrammes of skunk recovered.
The most important seizure occurred in Edo State, the place operatives intercepted two vans carrying 7,245 kilogrammes of skunk hidden amongst cartons of beer. 5 suspects had been arrested in reference to the consignment, which was reportedly heading to Abuja.
In line with NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the company has additionally intensified its Warfare In opposition to Drug Abuse (WADA) marketing campaign, concentrating on colleges, motor parks, and communities to cut back drug demand.
Chairman of NDLEA, Buba Marwa, counseled officers for the profitable operations, stressing the necessity to maintain each enforcement and preventive training within the struggle towards drug abuse.
By Michael Olugbode
Times Nigeria