NDLEA intercepts Abuja-bound loads of laughing gas consignments, destroys 40 tons of cannabis plants

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted over four tons of illicit and controlled drugs including consignments of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas, skunk, codeine syrup, methamphetamine and tramadol during interdiction operations in Lagos, Kogi, FCT, Jigawa, Kaduna, Sokoto and Edo states.   According to the NDLEA, no fewer than 1,194 cylinders of laughing gas with a total weight of 2,547.2 kilograms loaded in two Toyota Sienna buses were on Friday 22nd September intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway.   NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday said the two suspects: Onyebuchi Ikpozu and Kenneth Igwe who were taking the consignments to the nation’s Federal Capital Territory for distribution have been arrested and taken into custody.   The statement disclosed that a Toyota Sienna buses marked KTU 582 HV was conveying 99 cartons containing 594 cylinders weighing 1,267.200kgs, while the second bus with registration number FKJ 329 YA was conveying 100 cartons of the substance with 600 cylinders weighing 1,280kgs.   Similarly, the anti-narcotics agency said a 48-year-old woman, Mrs. Ugo Eluba, was also arrested in Abuja in a follow up operation after 2,400 ampules of pentazocine injection and 100,000 tablets of Exol-5 intercepted in Kogi state were traced to her.   Meanwhile, NDLEA claimed its operatives intercepted 977 kilograms of skunk on September 20 in a trailer marked LSR 343 XW, bearing cartons of maggi.   According to the statement, the skunk consignment was loaded into the truck at Ipele junction in Ondo state, adding that 959kgs of the substance were meant for distribution in Sokoto State, while the rest was to be dropped off at Gwagwalada.   NDLEA added that two suspects: Auwal Mohammed and Abdullahi Abubakar, have been arrested in connection with the seizure, while two other suspects: Mutari Abdulazeez, 31, and Ayuba Madaki, 28, were also arrested on Saturday, September 23, in the Zuba area of the FCT with different quantities of methamphetamine, cannabis and 13, 930 pills of tramadol.   In the same vein, Shuaibu Yusif, 27, and Abubakar Hussaini, 20, were on Saturday 23rd September nabbed with 89.1kgs of skunk along Kano -Hadejia road, Jigawa state during a stop and search patrol by NDLEA operatives.   Meanwhile, NDLEA said no fewer than 6,000 ampules of pentazocine injection were recovered from a suspect, Usman Musa Sidi, 35, on Monday 18th September along Abuja – Forest road, Kaduna while on his way to Bauchi state.   The agency further disclosed that a follow up operation in Bauchi led to the arrest of the actual owner of the consignment, Dominic Chukwuma, 35, on Tuesday 19th September, with at least 2.58kgs of Diazepam and 36.55kgs of pentazocine injection recovered from his home, adding that two other suspects: Inuwa Nuhu and Isiyaku Dahiru Sani were also arrested same Tuesday in connection with the seizure of 49 blocks of cannabis sativa concealed in a black sack weighing 26kgs in a commercial vehicle coming from Ogere, Ogun state to Kano.   In a related development, a total of 183kgs of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, were recovered by the NDLEA from body compartments of a J5 bus intercepted in Lagos on Wednesday 20th September, operatives in Sokoto, on Tuesday 19th September arrested one Charles Okeke, 44, with 473 bottles of codeine syrup at Unguwar Kosai area of Sokoto, while 365 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 258kgs were recovered from a Toyota Camry car marked KTU 886 EZ at Igarra, Akoko Edo LGA.   In addition, NDLEA said its operatives stormed thick forests in Ijesha Isu-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti state, in a massive operation between Monday 11th and Wednesday 13th September, where they destroyed 40 tons (40,000 kilograms) of cannabis plants covering 16 hectares of farmland.   This is even as the anti-narcotic agency said its Commands across the nation continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the week.   Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the Lagos, FCT, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kogi, Sokoto and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.   Marwa also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.