The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted no fewer than 300,000 pills of exol-5 in Ogun and Katsina raids, respectively.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that operatives of the agency on Wednesday arrested a 29-year-old suspect with 150,000 pills of Exol-5, 800 ampoules of pentazocine injection, and 22,000 capsules of tramadol at New Bussa, in Niger.

Similarly, in Kaduna, a suspect, 27, known simply as Farin Malam, was nabbed at the Abuja/Kaduna toll gate while conveying 150,000 pills of Exol-5 from Lagos to Katsina.

Meanwhile, 27,510 pills of Rohypnol concealed in sachets of alcoholic drinks going to South Africa were also intercepted by NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.

“After the initial arrest of a freight agent and a cab driver linked to the shipment, a follow-up operation at Oyingbo market in Lagos led to the arrest of the mastermind, a 46-year-old man, on October 2.

“On the same day, an Italy-based businessman was arrested by operatives while attempting to export 3,700 pills of tramadol 225mg and 2,600 tablets of tapentadol 200mg, hidden in food items, to the European country.

“He claimed he was trafficking the opioids for someone else for a fee of €945,” he said.

In Edo, a raid on the home of a suspect, Emmanuel Sunday, 33, at Ugbekpe Ekperi in Etsako Central Local Government Area (LGA) led to the recovery of 47kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis.

He said two suspected drug dealers, Nureni Ayobami Eleweodo, 48, and Oladejo Taiwo, 52, were arrested on Wednesday, October 8, in Omifufun village, Ife South LGA, Osun. This followed the seizure of 635 kilogrammes of skunk from their Toyota Hiace bus marked DDA65ZY, with two other suspects arrested.

“Another 41-year-old and 36-year-old suspected drug traffickers were nabbed at the same location with 100kg of skunk recovered from them along with their motorcycle.

“Another suspect, 20, and 25 years old, respectively, were arrested in different parts of Port Harcourt, Rivers, in connection with the seizure of 8.5kg skunk on Friday, October 10.

“Again, a 46-year-old suspected drug trafficker was nabbed after 29.5kg of the same substance was found in his house at Bayan Asibiti, Jibia town, Katsina State, on Saturday,” he said.

In the same vein, Mr Babafemi said 312kg of skunk was recovered from a bush at Ologede camp, Ogbese, Ondo State.

He said operatives on patrol along the Benin-Lagos expressway on Thursday intercepted two suspects in a car conveying 141.8kg of skunk.

In like manner, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week.

These included WADA sensitisation lectures to students and staff of General Murtala Mohammed College, Yola, Adamawa; Assembly of God Secondary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; and Community Girls Secondary School, Bakori, Katsina.

Others were Girls Secondary School, Nenwe, Awgu LGA, Enugu; Day Secondary School, Tungan Mallam, Paikoro LGA, Niger; Sacred Heart Secondary School, Kabba, Kogi; Ebenezer Model Secondary School, Onitsha, Anambra; and Government Secondary School, Borikiri, Rivers.

“The rest were Government Junior Secondary School, Wakili Bawa, Ungoggo LGA, Kano; and Baptist High School, Ede, Osun, among others,” he added.

Mr Babafemi said the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the Edo, Rivers, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, and Osun commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.

Mr Marwa urged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain their tenacity, professionalism, and balanced approach to the agency’s drug control efforts.

(NAN)