19th September, 2022
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a J5 vehicle coming from Onitsha enroute Kaduna-Zaria with 18 pieces of pump action rifles and 1,300 cartridges.
A statement issued by NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday said in Kogi state, operatives on patrol along Okene-Abuja expressway on Saturday 17th Sept. intercepted a J5 vehicle coming from Onitsha enroute Kaduna-Zaria with 18 pieces of pump action rifles and 1,300 cartridges.
He said the two suspects conveying the arms and ammunition, Chukwudi Aronu, 51, and Shuaibu Gambo, 23, were arrested.
Babafemi added that another suspect, Anthony Agada, 37, conveying 1,000 cartridges, was equally nabbed in a bus coming from Onitsha to Abuja same day, while 1,404 bottles of codeine syrup and 2,040 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized from another vehicle coming from Onitsha enroute Sokoto, with the receiver, Stanley Raymond, 39, and the sender, Shadrack Ifediora, 46, arrested in follow up operations in Sokoto and Anambra respectively.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that a notable producer of new psychoactive substance, popularly called Akuskura, Qasim Ademola has been arrested by anti-narcotic officers who intercepted 26, 600 bottles of the illicit substance meant for distribution across Northern states.
“The consignment was seized on Thursday 15th Sept. along Zaria-Kano road, Gadar Tamburawa, Kano while the 39-year-old proprietor from Akinyele LGA, Oyo state and three of his distributors were arrested in follow up operations.
“In Kaduna, a drug dealer, Mohammed Mustapha Dalhatu a.k.a Dawa, was arrested at Sabon Gari Zaria with eight bags of cannabis sativa weighing 67kg, and another, Maikudi Hassan, arrested at Gubuci village of Ikara LGA with five bags of cannabis weighing 54.2kg.
“On Thursday 15th Sept, operatives also arrested Mary Ugwu and Hawwa Idi, at Anchau town, Kubau LGA with 721 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 37,000 tablets of exol-5 and nine ampoules of diazepam injection as well as 6.8kg of rubber solution.
“In Edo, operatives recovered 285kg cannabis in two raids at Okpuje, Owan West LGA, on Friday 16th Sept, while in Lagos, 972.5kg of the same substance was recovered from an electronic shop at Alaba Int’l market and one of the suspects, Mrs. Ebere Aja, 38, arrested. No less than 335.1kg of cannabis was also seized in a raid at Kwanar Kundum area of Bauchi town, with two suspects: Usman Garba and Najib Ibrahim, arrested,” he said.
While directing the Kogi state command to immediately hand over the arms and ammunition seized to the police for further investigation, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the command and others for their vigilance and resilience.
He charged them and others across the country to remain focused as they daily discharge their responsibilities.