By Queen Madaki
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large consignment of opioids and other illicit substances concealed in a truck transporting building materials in Taraba State, while also arresting a 75-year-old man and several other drug suspects in coordinated operations across multiple states.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi.
Truck Carrying Building Materials Used to Conceal Drugs
According to the agency, the Taraba operation followed credible intelligence that prompted operatives to search a truck conveying building materials from Onitsha in Anambra State to Jalingo.
NDLEA officers who intercepted the vehicle at Nukkai Timber Shade in Jalingo discovered a substantial cache of illicit drugs hidden beneath the cargo.
A 22-year-old suspect, Buhari Abdullahi, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
The recovered substances included 320,840 capsules of tramadol, 600 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 4,500 tablets of rohypnol, and 299 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup.
75-Year-Old Man Arrested in Ebonyi
In a separate operation in Ebonyi State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 75-year-old suspect identified as Okebe Samuel in Okposi.
The agency said the elderly suspect was found in possession of 300 grams of skunk allegedly packaged for retail distribution within the community.
NDLEA noted that the arrest demonstrates that age does not exempt individuals from prosecution under Nigeria’s drug laws.
Female Suspects Arrested in Edo and Imo
In Imo State, officers raided a drug distribution point at Umulolo in Orlu, leading to the arrest of a 32-year-old female suspect, Chioma Okeke.
During the operation, eight kilograms of skunk were recovered.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, operatives arrested four suspected drug traffickers, including three women, during separate raids in Benin City.
At Uyosa, Chioma Igba, 24, and Precious Ozomah, 22, were apprehended with quantities of skunk, Loud, and methamphetamine.
Another suspect, Anita Abraham, 21, was arrested along Agbor Road with Scottish Loud and regular Loud, while Henry Okey, 43, was arrested at Upper Mission with assorted psychotropic substances.
Additional Arrests in Kano and Gombe
In Kano State, NDLEA operatives arrested Saifullahi Lawan, 19, in the Kafi area of Madobi Local Government Area.
The suspect was allegedly found with 40 blocks of skunk weighing a total of 38 kilograms.
In Gombe State, officers intercepted Ugwu Sabastine Ifebuchi, 28, near Dantiti Plaza in the Tumfure area with 15,000 capsules of tramadol.
NDLEA Intensifies Anti-Drug Campaign Nationwide
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency disclosed that its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued in schools and communities across Oyo, Lagos, Anambra, and Kano states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the operations and reiterated the agency’s commitment to disrupting drug trafficking networks across the country.
Marwa said NDLEA would continue targeting drug traffickers regardless of age, gender, or methods used to conceal illicit substances.
The Bureau Journal reports that the agency has intensified intelligence-led operations in recent months as part of efforts to curb the circulation of dangerous drugs across Nigeria.
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