The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 75-year-old grandfather, Usman Bahamas, alias Clement and 21 others across the country for being in possession of tons of illicit drugs.

The suspects were arrested in raids carried out in seven states.

NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja that the septuagenarian was arrested on September 20 at Anguwan Sate in the Mayo Belwa council area of Adamawa.

“It was discovered that he had an Indian hemp plantation from where 49kg of the illicit substance was recovered,’’ he added.

Mr Babafemi also stated that 1.01 million bottles and capsules of a newly-banned psychoactive substance, “Akuskura’’ and tramadol, were intercepted during the operations.

He added that 2,536kg of Indian hemp were seized, while more than 10 hectares of Akuskura farms were destroyed in Edo and Adamawa.

NDLEA operatives also intercepted at least 19,878 bottles of Akuskura on the Ilorin-Jebba Highway in Kwara on Wednesday, September 21.

Mr Babafemi stated that two suspects, Oladokun Oluwaseun, 49, and Ibrahim Jimoh, 27, were arrested in connection with the drug.

“They claimed the consignment, packed in 35 jumbo sacks, was loaded in Ibadan and meant for distribution in Jos.

“Earlier, two suspects, Ukoro Ifeanyi, 46, and Idowu Toyosi, 20, were arrested with 2,290 capsules of tramadol and 100 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Mararaba Park, Ilorin.

“The drugs were brought in from Onitsha, Anambra,’’ he stated.

NDLEA operatives also intercepted a Volvo truck loaded with 2,146kg of Indian hemp at Sangotedo Area of Ajah in Lagos State.

Mr Babafemi stated that three suspects, Abdulazeez Rasheed, Afeez Raheem and Moshood Suleiman, were arrested for the drug.

“At least 979,119 capsules of expired `Pregabalin’ weighing 733kg were recovered from one Musbahu Ya’u, 28, and five others at Dansarai Area of Kano.

“In Enugu, 197.8kg of Indian hemp was recovered from a store at New Market on Tuesday, September 20,’’ he added.

He also stated that 117.7kg of psychoactive substances were intercepted on the Okene-Abuja Expressway in a truck travelling from Lagos to Abuja.

Mr Babafemi added that six Indian hemp farmers were arrested when NDLEA operatives stormed their farms in Edo.

They were arrested at Chigbite in Utese Forest in Ovia Northeast Local Government Area and Ekudo Forest in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the state.

The operatives destroyed more than 10 hectares of Indian hemp plantations and seized more than 193kg of the illicit substance in the process.

“Those arrested are David Hanson, Ufuoma Progress, Marvelous Armstrong, Marvelous Efe, Joshua Abubakar and Elijah Abubakar,’’ Mr Babafemi stated. 

(NAN)