Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted an illicit drug consignment concealed in the engine compartment of an interstate commercial bus just as two grandfathers were taken into custody over drug trafficking.
A statement yesterday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, said that no fewer than 5.2 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa and opioids were discovered last Thursday in the engine of the bus marked VDY 187 XA along Gbongan – Ibadan road, Osun state by NDLEA officers on stop and search operation on the highway.
He said the bus driver, Iorliam Dominic, 35, who took responsibility for the concealment has been taken into custody for further investigation.
Babafemi said last Wednesday, a 26-year-old lady, Obasanmi Iyanu, who produces and distributes “skuchies” was arrested during a raid on her hideout in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, during which at least, 16.5 litres of the illicit substance and different quantities of molly and cannabis were recovered from her during the raid.
He stated that NDLEA operatives in Borno state have arrested two grandfathers, a 70-year-old Mallam Mai Gemu Adam and 65-year-old Yamama Musa for drug trafficking.
He said they were arrested on Saturday along with 24-year-old Abubakar Ya’u and Babagana Ali, 28, in Maiduguri and Gamboru-Ngala respectively while 32,000 ampoules of tramadol injection were recovered from them.
He revealed that on the same day, operatives in neighbouring Yobe State at Geidam intercepted a Golf 3 salon car heading to Gagamari in Niger republic, where the occupant, Alhaji Mala Tijjani, 28, was to deliver 40 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.5 kilogrammes to another dealer.
Also 42 cartons containing 8,400 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,260 kilogrammes, he said, were recovered from a driver, Mutari Ya’u, 29, at Katsina road, Kaduna last Tuesday.
In Kano state, Nura Yusuf, 35, was arrested with 62 kilogrammes cannabis at Gadar Tamburawa area, where Abubakar Sani, 40, was also nabbed with 244 bottles of codeine syrup, while Mohammad Alkali, 28, was found with 49,800 pills of tramadol along Kano-Maiduguri road, last Thursday.
Besides, NDLEA operatives in Lagos state last Wednesday arrested Aba Thomas at Igbo Elerin area of the state where 84 litres of skuchies, 1.1 litres of codeine syrup, 4 kilogrammes cannabis sativa, and 800 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from him.
“In Abuja, no fewer than eight suspects were arrested last Friday where NDLEA officers raided the notorious Karu abattoir drug joint in the city FCT with 51.3 kilogrammes cannabis recovered from them.
“Those arrested include: Buhari Muhammadu; Jamilu Muhammed; Abubakar Wappa; Yahaya Tasiu; Ezekiel Mulanda; Abba Haruna; Habibu Umar and Shamsu Lawali.
“In Plateau state, two suspects: Pam Thomas, 45, and Stephen Nyam, 38, were on Monday arrested with cannabis weighing 611.428kg at Zawan, Jos South, while in Kogi state, NDLEA officers intercepted a commercial J5 bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Zaria, Kaduna state on Wednesday March 6, along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway where a total of 8,580 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were seized from a suspect, Yusuf Abdullahi, 40.
“In Enugu state, operatives last Tuesday raided some locked-up shops at the new market in Enugu metropolitan area where 371.42 kilogrammes cannabis and 9.49 grammes of methamphetamine were recovered,” he added.
