Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) started off the new year with the interception of a shipment of “Colorado,” a potent cannabis strain, cleverly concealed in boxing kits imported from the US.
In a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy of the agency, on Sunday, the agency said after a week of meticulous tracking, its operatives nabbed the recipient, 38-year-old Olorunfunmi Saheed Olakunle, who distributes the dangerous substance to dealers across Lagos. This haul weighed in at 1.8 kilograms.
The statement also added that NDLEA operatives across the country racked up impressive arrests throughout the week. In Kaduna, 28-year-old Bilkisu Suleman, a notorious supplier of ammunition to bandits, topped the list of 12 suspects apprehended. Caught red-handed with 249 rounds of live ammunition, she was on her way to deliver the deadly cargo to a bandit in Katsina when she was apprehended.
Collaboration with the military also yielded results, the statement added. In Lagos, authorities at Bonny Camp transferred suspect Francis Suru and a whopping 63 bags of cannabis (weighing over 2 tons) to the NDLEA. The suspect was initially intercepted by NDLEA officers near the camp in December, but armed escorts attempted to obstruct the operation with gunfire. Soldiers had to intervene to ensure the suspect and drugs were handed over to the agency.
NDLEA’s vigilance on the roads paid off as well. In Niger state, a J5 bus travelling from Ondo to Kaduna was stopped and found to be carrying 23 bags of cannabis, leading to the arrest of two suspects. Meanwhile, in Osun, a routine patrol on New Year’s Day led to the discovery of a drug shipment sent via waybill from Lagos. Further investigation resulted in the arrest of Ibrahim Olawale and the seizure of a diverse assortment of drugs, including cannabis, Loud, Colorado, and Molly.
It added: “NDLEA Commands across the 36 states and the FCT equally continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitisation lectures in schools, communities, work places and others. Some of these include: WADA sensitisation lecture for students of Nurul Huda Community Islamiyya school, Farin Yaro, Katsina; members of first aid group of Jamaatul Izalatul Bidi’a Waiqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS) at Ajilari community school, Gomari, Maiduguri, Borno; WADA sensitisation lecture at the 2024 Oke Afo youth day, Olorunda LCDA Lagos and WADA advocacy visit to the Emir of Gaya, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Gaya by the Kano state command of the Agency.”
”Commending the arrests and seizures of the past week by officers and men of the MMIA, Lagos, Niger, Kogi, Kano, Borno, and Osun Commands, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their compatriots across all formations of the Agency to continue to remain vigilant and double their drug demand reduction as well as drug supply reduction efforts in the new year.”
