The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in the Kuta area of Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) in Niger State.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that the suspect was nabbed three weeks after escaping arrest at his home.

He said NDLEA operatives had, on November 20, raided his house at Anguwan Makera, Kuta, where they recovered 471.8 kilogrammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis.

“Though he escaped arrest during the raid and has since been in hiding, the manhunt for him eventually paid off on Thursday, December 11.

“This was when NDLEA officers, acting on processed intelligence, traced and arrested him at one of his drug joints in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta.

“Intelligence reports had indicated that the suspect is a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in the Shiroro Local Government Area,” he said.

Meanwhile, NDLEA officers in Abia raided a clandestine codeine syrup-manufacturing factory in the Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, in the Osisioma LGA of the state on Thursday, December 11.

Mr Babafemi said that during the operation, operatives recovered a total of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,152.2kg.

Also, in Enugu State, operatives on Thursday, December 11, arrested another suspect along the Onitsha-Enugu-Ezike road with 7.2kg of skunk.

Mr Babafemi said another suspect was nabbed along the Enugu-Ezike-Ette road with 94.6kg of the same psychoactive substance.

“A raid carried out by NDLEA operatives at a notorious drug joint known as “Beere the California” at Ido in Oyo state on Thursday, December 11, led to the seizure of 3.4kg of skunk.

“Others are 1.6kg of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis, and 400 grams of methamphetamine. The owner of the drug joint is currently at large, while a suspect was nabbed at the joint.

“Another operation at Idi Oro, Elekuro, Ibadan, on Friday, December 12, led to the arrest of Olusanya Abosede, 35, and the seizure of 238.4kg skunk,” he said.

In the same vein, two suspects were arrested on Wednesday, December 10, at Gbaji checkpoint, Seme Road, Badagry, Lagos, with 50,000 pills of 250mg tramadol.

Mr Babafemi said NDLEA operatives in Ogun State arrested another two suspects with 73kg of skunk in Iperu, adding that a suspect was nabbed with 25kg of the same substance at Oke Agbede, in the Imeko area of the state, on Tuesday, December 9.

“In Ondo State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Monday, December 8, raided a compound in Ogbese, Akure North Local Government Area, where they arrested a 55-year-old woman and her 29-year-old son.

“The NDLEA operatives also recovered 1,187 kilograms of skunk and its seeds from them,” he said.

Similarly, a suspect was arrested during a raid operation at the Uroe community in the Owan East LGA of Edo State, where 461kg of skunk and its seeds were recovered on Tuesday, December 9.

Mr Babafemi said that in Gombe State, a suspect was arrested with 40,000 capsules of tramadol in the Tunfure area, adding that two other suspects were nabbed at Ashaka Jalingo with 56kg of skunk on Monday, December 8.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline, and bromazepam were intercepted and seized by NDLEA operatives at two major courier companies in Lagos.

Mr Babafemi said the drugs were concealed in containers of local black soap and designer wears in six different consignments going to the U.S., Canada, and Sweden.

He said the drugs were seized between Tuesday, December 9, and Wednesday, December 9, respectively.

Also, at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Saturday, December 13, intercepted a consignment of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579kg during a joint examination of a container with men of the customs service and other security agencies.

Mr Babafemi said the agency’s commands and formations continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among others, in the past week.

This, he said, included WADA enlightenment lectures to students and staff of Community Senior Secondary School, Sheme, Katsina; Government College, Tudun Wada Dankade, Kano; and Methodist High School, Makurdi, Benue.

Mr Babafemi said the Enugu State command of the agency paid a WADA advocacy visit to Ikechukwu Asadu, chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers.

The NDLEA chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of DOGI, Niger, Abia, Oyo, Enugu, Seme, Ogun, Ondo, Gombe, Apapa, and Edo commands for the arrests, seizures, and their dexterity.

(NAN)