The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large illicit drug consignments in Lagos, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Nasarawa, Borno, Niger, Ogun, Gombe, Kaduna, and Kogi raids.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that no fewer than 71,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna highway on Wednesday, July 23.

He said this was when the suspect was travelling with the consignment of opioids in a commercial bus going to Kano.

Meanwhile, in Borno, a 30-year-old lady was arrested on Wednesday, July 23, by NDLEA officers who recovered 30.1kg of skunk from her house at Muna Moforo area of Maiduguri.

Mr Babafemi said a follow-up operation later led to the arrest of her accomplice in the same area of the Borno State capital on Friday, July 25.

According to him, three brothers were arrested on Saturday, July 26, when NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis plantation at Bending Corner Forest, Idoani, Ose Local Council Area of Ondo State.

“They destroyed 2,500 kilogrammes of skunk on a hectare of land and recovered 121.4kg of the same psychoactive substance,“ he said.

Also, in Edo State, NDLEA officers on Wednesday, July 23, raided the Asakpa community in Benin City, where they arrested a 26-year-old lady.

Mr Babafemi said the operatives recovered various quantities of Colorado, Loud, Arizona, and skunk, all strains of cannabis, as well as Methamphetamine from her.

In the same vein, a 105.4kg skunk was recovered by NDLEA operatives from an abandoned Honda car marked ABC 204 KM in Keffi, Nasarawa state.

Mr Babafemi said their counterparts in Niger State on Monday, July 21, arrested a suspect with 6,400 pills of tramadol 225mg in the Kasuwan Gwari area of Minna.

He said a notorious drug dealer was taken into custody and a 113kg skunk was retrieved from his enclave in Ifo, Ogun State, on Thursday, July 24.

“This was after a violent resistance and attack on NDLEA operatives by members of his gang,” he said.

In another development, 10,910 capsules of tramadol were seized from a suspect by NDLEA officers on patrol along the  Gombe-Bajoga road, Gombe State, on Saturday, July 26.

Mr Babafemi said NDLEA operatives in Kogi State on Thursday, July 24, intercepted a consignment of skunk concealed inside garri, dried scent leaves, and other food items along the Okene-Lokoja highway.

A follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of a 27-year-old planning to travel to Katsina State with the cargo and later to Qatar.

“Similarly, operatives in Kogi on Saturday, July 26, recovered 23,600 pills of tramadol, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 700 grams of skunk from a truck at a motor park in Ayingba area of the state,” he said.

Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa as commending the officers and men of the affected commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.

Mr Marwa praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

(NAN)