The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested eight suspected bandits in Ala Forest, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The spokesperson for NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, named those arrested as Austin Dickson, 47, who is the gang leader; Sunday Adekunle, 31; Kayode Oluwaseun, 29; Kolawole Kazeem, 33; Oladimeji Makinde, 37; Emeka Charles, 46; Ojo Oluwadare, 40; and Lanre Oluwajana, 44.

He said the agency arrested the suspects on Friday and recovered twenty-five bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing 299kg.

Also, Mr Babafemi said, “six explosive devices, six cartridges, four motorcycles and assorted charms used in terrorising farmers in the forest” were recovered from the suspects.

Mr Babafemi said the NDLEA operatives also discovered 5.5kg of cannabis concealed in CD players in a commercial bus along Sokoto-Bodinga road on Saturday.

“Upon search, 5.5kgs of cannabis were discovered inside the CD players, and the owner, Nasiru Ibrahim, was arrested.

“While in another bus, a suspected bandit, Sani Ibrahim, 37, was arrested with some ammunition and cannabis Sativa along Kware road, Sokoto State,” he said.

Meanwhile, an Abuja businesswoman, Onyinye Nwoke, 38, has been arrested following an intelligence-led raid at her residence, 56 Aldenco Estate, Galadimawa.

He added that the operatives uprooted fresh stems of cannabis plants weighing 18.4kgs in the house’s backyard, while 800grams of cannabis seeds were also recovered from the house.

Mr Babafemi quoted the chairman, NDLEA, Buba Marwa, as commending the officers and men of the Sokoto, Ondo, and FCT for the arrests and seizures.

Mr Marwa charged them and their compatriots across the country to intensify the heat on drug cartels in Nigeria while balancing their efforts on supply reduction with drug demand reduction activities. 

(NAN)