21st August, 2022
Over 2.3 million tablets of illicit pharmaceutical opioids and other psychoactive substances meant for distribution in seven Northern states have been intercepted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The drugs were going to Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, Gombe and Nasarawa States. They were intercepted in series of interdiction operations in the past week.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, in a statement on Sunday said in all, 2, 325, 553 tablets and capsules of Tramadol, Pregabalin, Hypnox, Diazepam and Exol-5, including 7, 353 bottles of a new psychoactive substance locally called Akuskura meant for the seven states were seized from locations across Kaduna, Kogi, Sokoto, and the FCT.
He said in Kaduna, a drug dealer Umar Sanusi, was arrested on Friday 12th August during a follow up operation in Kano and brought back to Kaduna where his consignment of 50 cartons of pregabalin 300mg, containing 750,000 capsules, weighing 375kgs earlier seized along Abuja-Kaduna expressway was counted and weighed in his presence.
“Same day, operatives also intercepted along Abuja-Kaduna express road 7,068 bottles of a new dangerous substance of abuse called Akuskura meant for Kaduna, Zamfara, Gombe, Kano and Borno.
”The recipients in Kaduna and Zamfara have been arrested during follow up operations. The following day, Saturday 13th August, 285 bottles of the NPS were recovered from a dealer, Abubakar Ahmad, along the same highway.
”In Kogi, no fewer than 696,000 tablets of Tramadol and Exol-5 among others loaded into a truck at Onitsha, Anambra state and heading to Maiduguri, Borno state, were seized along Okene-Abuja expressway on Friday 19th Aug, while NDLEA operatives also recovered 300,000 tablets of Diazepam from a suspect, Faruku Bello, 30, in Sokoto State on Wednesday 17th Aug,” he said.
Babafemi added that the Anti-narcotic officers of the Agency in Abuja FCT equally at the weekend intercepted a bus loaded with 323, 200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg and others at Onitsha, Anambra state heading to Nasarawa state.
He said the driver of the vehicle, Osita Nwobodo, 45, who made fruitless bids to compromise the operatives is now in custody.