Ahead of the May 29 inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has arrested 534 illicit drug peddlers in a nationwide raid.
The agency said as part of efforts to purge the nation of enablers of crime and violence and to ensure a peaceful presidential inauguration, it began a nationwide raid of drug joints under the codename “Operation Mop Up”
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said in a press release on Friday that 534 suspects were arrested in the first few days of the operation.
During the raid, large quantities of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, condeine-based syrup, cannabis sativa, and other new psychoactive substances, were seized in various states and the Federal Capital Territory, said Babafemi.
He said the highest arrests and seizures were made in Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, Rivers, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Osun, Benue and Plateau.
The spokesperson said the Chairman / Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa(Retd), applauded the officials and the men of the state commands for their professionalism and maintaining the standard procedure of the agency.
“I’m impressed by the level of compliance with the directive to all our commands and formations to dismantle all drug joints within their areas of responsibility, mop up all illicit substances in such locations and arrest all those culpable.
“This will in no small measure take out of the equation, enablers of crime and violence such as illicit drugs, their dealers and all those relying on mind-altering substances to disrupt the May 29 inauguration ceremonies across the states and the Federal Capital Territory,” Marwa said.
