The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested a 70-year-old suspected drug trafficker, who allegedly supplied illicit substances to Boko Haram insurgents and bandits.

The agency’s spokesman Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement made available to reporters on Saturday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect, who hailed from Dallawa town, Agadez, Niger Republic, was arrested on Thursday with 10 pallets of skunk in Jebba, Niger.

According to him, he had brought into Nigeria hides and skin from the Niger Republic to sell in Lagos.

During interrogation, the suspect claimed he sold his goods for N300,000 in Lagos and used the fund to buy 10 pallets of skunk at N25,000 each.

“He was on his way back to the Niger Republic through the North-West where he sells drugs to bandits when he was intercepted in Jebba,” he said.

Mr Babafemi said that the arrest was a further confirmation of the nexus between drug abuse and security challenges in parts of the country.

In another development, NDLEA operatives in an operation backed by soldiers in Ondo State, have identified and destroyed three large cannabis farms measuring 95 hectares, located at Ogbese forest.

The Commander of the NDLEA in Ondo state, Haruna Gagara, said that although no arrest was made during the operation, investigation had since commenced to apprehend the owners of the farms.

Also, operatives of the agency in Kogi intercepted and seized 116.1 kilogramme of cannabis at a patrol point along Okene-Lokoja expressway.

The Commander, NDLEA, Kogi, Alfred Adewunmi, said the suspect, who was arrested with the illicit drug, claimed he got them from Edo and was heading to Kaduna state.

Mr Adewumi said the drug was concealed in sacks of chicken wastes loaded in a Mercedes-Benz 814 Truck with registration number Taraba XA 366 ARD.

In his reaction, Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the commanders, men and officers of the three commands for their commitment to rid their areas of responsibility of illicit drugs.