From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in a duvet and packaged for export to the United Kingdom through the cargo shed of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
Two suspects, Adakole Sunday and Austin Balogun, linked to the bid to export the consignment to the UK, were promptly arrested following the discovery by operatives of the agency on Tuesday, 21 January 2025.
Six parcels of the psychoactive substance, with a gross weight of 3.50 kilograms, were concealed inside the duvet. In his statement, Austin Balogun, the main agent who hired Adakole, claimed he was paid ₦700,000 to ship the consignment to the UK but spent a fraction of the money on export handling charges and the bulk on paying for an apartment.
In a separate operation, two suspects, Joseph Oluwasegun Adewale and Biodun Adelakun, were arrested at Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu, Lagos, when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout in the community. Seven litres of Skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with blackcurrant, cannabis, and opioids, were recovered.
A statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, yesterday revealed that other exhibits seized from the duo included: three locally made double-barrel rifles, one locally made double-barrel pistol, one English-made pistol, one locally made single-barrel rifle, three cartridges, one empty 9mm cartridge, and an iron-headed axe.
Another raid in Lagos on Sunday, 19 January, led to the seizure of 47kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, and 25.46kg of nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, at the notorious Akala area of Mushin.
Elsewhere in Ekiti, the anti-narcotic agency arrested a 26-year-old suspect, Adepoju Taiwo, on Thursday, 23 January, with 1.950kg of Canadian Loud on Iworoko Road, Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital. Similarly, Auwal Sani was nabbed by operatives on Monday, 20 January, at Bode Saadu in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, with 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg, weighing 36.56kg, recovered from him.
In Kano, a Nigerien, Abubakar Lami, 45, and two others, Abba Sani, 35, and Auwal Aliyu, 32, were arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, with 13.1kg of skunk and 125 litres of “suck and die,” a new psychoactive substance, recovered. At Gefen Kasa in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, a cannabis plantation was located and destroyed by NDLEA officers, who also arrested a suspect, Sabo Ali Muhammad, 45, linked to the farm.
Meanwhile, across the country, NDLEA Commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, traditional rulers’ palaces, and communities throughout the past week.
Instances included: a WADA sensitisation lecture for students and staff of Army Children Secondary School, Oyo, Oyo State; Government Day Secondary School, Gwadangwaji, Kebbi State; Government Day Secondary School, Suleja, Niger State; St. Dominic Comprehensive College, Oron, Akwa Ibom State; District Junior College, Agege, Lagos; and residents of Pompomari community, Damaturu, Yobe State, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, and Ekiti Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), also applauded their counterparts across all commands in the country for intensifying the WADA social advocacy lectures and sensitisation activities within their areas of responsibility.