The agency said the arrests and seizures involved cannabis, opioids, codeine syrup and other controlled drugs recovered in several states and at major ports.
By Titilope Adako
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a notorious drug supplier linked to banditry in Niger and Zamfara states and intercepted large consignments of illicit substances in coordinated operations across the country.
The agency said the arrests and seizures involved cannabis, opioids, codeine syrup and other controlled drugs recovered in several states and at major ports.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said operatives arrested 33-year-old Mohammed Sani, also known as Gamboli, in Kuta, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
Babafemi said Gamboli was apprehended three weeks after escaping an earlier raid on his residence in Anguwan Makera on November 20.
During the raid, NDLEA operatives recovered 471.8 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, from his house.
“Intelligence reports revealed that Gamboli was a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits terrorising Shiroro Local Government Area,” Babafemi said.
He added that Gamboli went into hiding after the raid before he was eventually arrested on December 11 at one of his drug joints in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta.
In another operation, NDLEA intercepted 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline and bromazepam concealed inside containers of black soap and designer clothing.
The consignments, which were destined for the United States, Canada and Sweden, were seized at two courier companies in Lagos between December 9 and 10.
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers, working with the Nigeria Customs Service, intercepted 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579 kilograms on December 13.
In Abia State, operatives uncovered a clandestine codeine syrup factory at Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, in Osisioma Local Government Area.
A total of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,152.2 kilograms were recovered from the site.
In Enugu State, NDLEA arrested Ossai Emeka, 45, along the Onitsha–Enugu Ezike Road with 7.2 kilograms of skunk.
Another suspect, Enoje Agada, 40, was apprehended along the Enugu Ezike–Ette Road with 94.6 kilograms of the same substance.
In Oyo State, operatives seized 3.4 kilograms of skunk, 1.6 kilograms of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, and 400 grams of methamphetamine at a drug joint known as Beere the California.
One Ajibade Faruk was arrested during the operation, while the owner of the joint escaped.
Also in Ibadan, Oyo State, Olusanya Abosede, 35, was arrested with 238.4 kilograms of skunk.
In Badagry, Lagos State, Bashiru Babalola, 43, and Ugunwale Ranti, 50, were arrested with 50,000 tramadol pills.
In Ogun State, NDLEA arrested Akinwale Makanjuola and Joseph Owolabi with 73 kilograms of skunk, while Wasiu Lateef was nabbed with 25 kilograms.
In Ondo State, operatives arrested Veronica Obi, 55, and her son, Bright Obi, 29, with 1,187 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In Edo State, Ohiomah Igbafe, 44, was arrested with 461 kilograms of skunk and cannabis seeds.
In Gombe State, NDLEA arrested Muhammed Sani, also known as Sha-Mu-Sha, 50, with 40,000 tramadol capsules.
Two other suspects, Muhammad Abdullahi, 52, and Muhammed Hamza, 32, were arrested with 56 kilograms of skunk.
Meanwhile, the agency said its commands nationwide have intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities.
The campaigns were carried out in states including Katsina, Kano, Benue and Enugu.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations.
Marwa urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug abuse prevention across the country.
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