By Adedapo Adesanya
As the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intensifies operations at drug joints and routes nationwide ahead of the May 29 inauguration, its operatives have intercepted a consignment of 32 pieces of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) being taken to bandits’ camp in Niger State.
In a statement, it was revealed that the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mr Mohamed Buba Marwa, has since ordered the immediate transfer of a suspect, Mr Musa Muhammadu, caught with the explosives on Monday, May 22 along Wawa road, Kainji, Niger State to the military.
NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed on Sunday that the arrest was made barely a week after NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja Lagos intercepted a consignment of 30.10kg methamphetamine going to London, the UK.
Another shipment containing 379 grams of the same illicit substance concealed in a false bottom of six black soap containers, packed in a carton containing local hand fans, heading to Cyprus in Europe, was also recovered at a courier company in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) in the agency.
In Adamawa state, operatives on stop and search patrol along Michika- Bazza road on Friday, May 26, arrested a Cameroonian, Mr Ndawai Emma Ngalou, with a pair of Nigerian Army camouflage uniform bearing Sunday U and two ATM cards belonging to a Turaki Mohammed and an Ekene Izuegunam.
Also, two ladies, Miss Bilkisu Yusuf, 33, and Miss Kauna Katsina, 25, were on Monday, May 22 arrested, in Ningi town, Bauchi state, with 11,080 pills of tramadol, while Mr Uche Shadrach, 22, was arrested with 20,480 pills of the same pharmaceutical opioid on Wednesday, May 24 along Okene-Lokoja highway, Kogi state on his way from Onitsha, Anambra state to Minna, Niger state.
In the same vein, two suspects, Mr Surajo Adamu and Mr Muhammad Ali, were arrested on Friday, May 26, with 379,200 tablets of Diazepam in the Alimosho area of Lagos.
The MMIA Command of the agency took custody of 22 cartons of Tramadol 225mg weighing 1,144.30 kg and 12 cartons of Tramadol 120mg with a total weight of 320kg, all containing 2,317,400 pills transferred to the Agency by the Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Thursday, May 25.
Meanwhile, in Delta State, NDLEA operatives supported by men drawn from the Nigerian Army, NSCDC and the Police on Wednesday, May 24, raided Abbi town, Ndokwa West LGA, where three suspects: Mrs Eunice Eneh, 52; Miss Animan Ifeoma, 26, and Mr Chuks Webema Dennis, 35, were arrested with a total of 343.9kg cannabis recovered from them.
A similar mop-up operation in Bayelsa has led to the arrest of a wanted suspect, Mr Ozoemena Egbochue, 38, at the Swali market in Yenagoa on Monday, May 22, following the earlier arrest of his sales boy, Mr Morgan Eredeowei with 11,748 pills of tramadol and diazepam.
While commending the officers and men of the agency across all Commands nationwide for their professionalism and synergy with other law enforcement agencies in the mop-up operation, Mr Marwa urged them to sustain the offensive action even after the Monday, May 29 handover ceremonies.
