The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted a massive load of 2,217.6 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis, at an abandoned fuel station in Kagini, Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The illicit consignment was being distributed into six vehicles for onward transportation to Northern states. The intelligence-led operation, conducted at 1:20 am on Saturday, resulted not only in the seizure of the drugs but also the trailer and the six vehicles involved: a Toyota Van, Toyota Camry, Toyota Sienna, JAC 4-wheel-drive Hilux truck, Toyota Corolla, and a Vento Passat. A 42-year-old suspect, Isaac Monday Desmond, was arrested in connection with the operation.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the drugs had been loaded into the trailer at Uzebba in Owan Local Government Area of Edo State. In a separate raid in Nyanya, FCT, NDLEA officers arrested two suspects, Anthony Nnamdi and Abba Ali, recovering 1.398 kilograms of cocaine and a precursor substance used to prepare crack cocaine.
Additionally, the NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) uncovered 20 wraps of cocaine, weighing 330 grams, concealed in a cargo shipment bound for Australia at a logistics firm in Lagos.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers intercepted 338,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup, with a street value of over N1.19 billion, during a joint examination of containers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, on January 9th and 10th, 2025.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives apprehended the traditional chief priest of the Igunuko shrine, Bariu Aliu (alias Malo), who had been on the run for over three months following the recovery of 2,760 kilograms of skunk at the shrine in October 2024. Two of his accomplices had already been arrested and convicted.
Furthermore, a suspect named Habibu Ya’u was arrested in Kano on January 9th, where officers seized 45 blocks of cannabis (weighing 24.2 kilograms) and 40,800 pills of opioids, including tramadol.
The NDLEA has also been actively conducting its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization programs across schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities.
NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers for their outstanding efforts in arrests and drug seizures, acknowledging their balanced approach to both drug supply reduction and demand reduction across the country
