By Ridwan Adekunle

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 75-year-old man, Usman Bokina (alias Clemen) alongside 21 other suspects in operations across seven states in the country.

In a statement disclosed by the Agency spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday,he said that one million one thousand three hundred and eighty-seven (1,001,387) bottles/capsules of banned the psychoactive substance, Akuskura and tramadol as well as 2,536 kilograms of cannabis were taken hold of.

He added that over 10 hectares of farms where these substances were being cultivated have been destroyed in Edo and Adamawa.

The septuagenarian was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, 20th September at Anguwan Sate, Mararraban Tola, Mayo Belwa council area of Adamawa where he had a cannabis plantation from where 49kg of the illicit substance was recovered.

Meanwhile, in Kwara, at least 19,878 bottles of the banned new psychoactive substance, Akuskura were intercepted by NDLEA operatives along Ilorin-Jebba highway on Wednesday 21st September and two suspects: Oladokun Oluwaseun, 49, and Ibrahim Jimoh, 27, arrested.

They claimed the consignment packed in 35 jumbo sacks was loaded in Ibadan, Oyo state, and meant for distribution in Jos, Plateau state. Earlier, two suspects: Ukoro Ifeanyi, 46, and Idowu Toyosi, 20, were arrested with 2,290 capsules of tramadol and 100 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Mararaba park, Ilorin.

According to the NDLEA spokesman, the drugs were brought in from Onitsha, Anambra state.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives in Lagos while acting on credible intelligence intercepted a Volvo truck loaded with 2,146 kilograms of cannabis at Sangotedo area of Ajah.

Three suspects, Abdulazeez Rasheed; Afeez Raheem and Moshood Suleiman, were arrested.

At least, 979,119 capsules of expired pregabalin weighing 733kg were recovered from Musbahu Ya’u, 28, and five others at Dansarai area of Kano, while in Enugu, 197.8kg cannabis was recovered in a store at new market, Enugu on Tuesday 20th Sept.

In the same vein, 117.7kg of the psychoactive substance was intercepted along Okene-Abuja expressway in a truck coming from Lagos to Abuja.

Furthermore, the statement disclosed that in Edo State, six cannabis farmers were arrested when NDLEA operatives stormed their farms at Chigbite, Utese forest in Ovia North East LGA and Ekudo forest, Uhunmonde LGA, where over 10 hectares of cannabis plantation were destroyed and more than 193kg of the processed illicit substance seized.

Those arrested include: David Hanson; Ufuoma Progress; Marvelous Armstrong; Marvelous Efe; Joshua Abubakar and Elijah Abubakar.

Also, the anti-narcotic officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos have arrested two freight agents over attempts to smuggle 26.20kg cannabis concealed in cereal packs through the SAHCO shed for export to Dubai, UAE. The consignment was abandoned at the shed before the airport security transferred it to NDLEA.

Further investigation by the agency led to the arrest of one Olatunbosun Damilola Abimbola, 34, who works at Ashadox Logistics Services, a cargo company on Friday 23rd Sept.

He confessed to the crime but stated that he acted on the instructions of his Managing Director, Oloyede Shakiru Abiola, who was promptly arrested. The 40-year-old indigene of Ibadan West Local Government Area of Oyo State stated that due to the strict security measures put in place by the NDLEA, he was forced to abandon the cargo to avoid being detected.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of Adamawa, Kwara, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kogi, Edo and the MMIA Commands for their resilience.

Gen Marwa charged them and others across the country to remain vigilant and committed to the collective goal of saving Nigeria from the drug scourge.