The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recovered tons of illicit drugs across FCT, Borno, Jigawa, Kwara, Kaduna, Ekiti, Edo, Kano, Delta, Oyo, Benue, Lagos, and Ondo States.

In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said that as part of efforts to disrupt the supply chain of illicit drugs to terror groups, operatives in Borno State on Wednesday, January 21, intercepted 179,590 pills of tramadol.

He said this included diazepam, which was concealed in sacks of charcoal and animal feeds in a public transport car coming from Potiskum, Yobe State.

“A follow-up operation at Bulabulin, Maiduguri led to the arrest of the owner,” he said.

The NDLEA spokesman said a female suspect was arrested on Friday, January 23, in Mokwa, Niger State, in a follow-up operation by operatives.

This, he said, followed the seizure of her consignment of 78,500 pills of tramadol on the same day at Bode Saadu, Kwara, in a truck coming from Lagos.

“Her husband, currently remanded in prison and facing trial, was arrested for the same drug trafficking offence last year,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Ekiti, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, January 24, arrested a 72-year-old suspected drug peddler at 15 Aramoko Road, Mushin, Ilawe-Ekiti, and another in the New Jerusalem area, Erijinyan Road, Ilawe-Ekiti, for illicit drug dealing.

“A total of 62 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from the duo,” he said.

Also, a village head and another suspect, have been taken into custody by the Edo Command of NDLEA, following their arrest and prompt transfer to the agency by soldiers of the Nigerian Army 4 Brigade, Benin City.

Mr Babafemi said this was after a raid operation at Lagos camp, Ilushi, in Esan South East Local Government Area, where 681kg of skunk and 181kg of cannabis seeds were recovered from them on Wednesday, January 21.

In another development, three suspects were arrested in the Sabon Gari area of Kano on Tuesday, January 20, with 1,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection.

Mr Babafemi said two others were nabbed at Paris lounge, Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday, January 22, with 181.5 litres of skuchies, a mixture of skunk and other illicit substances recovered from them.

In Benue State, a female suspect was arrested in the Yes Ikyuan village, Guma Local Government Area, with 210kg of skunk, while  254.5kg of the same psychoactive substance was seized from another suspect along Abaji-Toto Road, FCT, on Thursday, January 22.

In the same vein, 39,800 pills of tramadol 225mg were recovered from two suspects at Alaba Rago, Mile 2 area of Lagos, on Monday, January 19.

“No fewer than 30,003 pills of tramadol, Molly, and other opioids, as well as 20 litres of codeine syrup, were seized from a suspect by NDLEA officers along Sapele road, Warri, Delta state, on Thursday, January 22.

“Another suspect was nabbed at the Mobil roundabout, Akure, Ondo State, with 1,500 kilograms of skunk recovered from him on Friday, January 23,” he said.

Mr Babafemi said the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the affected states for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity.

Mr Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to maintain the current standard of professionalism in all their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities.

(NAN)