Agency destroys 65,000kg of skunk in Delta raids, seizes ammunition and drug-laced edibles nationwide
By DANJUMA AMODU
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted consignments of cocaine and opioids concealed in carton walls and destined for the United Kingdom and Australia, as part of a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse.
The seizures were made by NDLEA operatives at a courier company in Lagos on Friday during the examination of export shipments. According to the agency, 170 grammes of cocaine sealed in cellophane parcels were discovered hidden within the walls of a carton containing clothes bound for Australia.
In another shipment heading to the United Kingdom, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said officers uncovered a cache of opioids concealed in a carton. The haul included 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 1,100 capsules of tramadol, and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection.
The agency also recorded major breakthroughs in Delta State, where operatives raided forests and cannabis farms in separate operations supported by military personnel. At Ejeonu village in Ukwuani Local Government Area, officers destroyed 27,500kg of skunk cultivated on 11 hectares of farmland and recovered an additional 22.9kg of the substance. A suspect, 52-year-old Ifeanyichukwu Peter, was later arrested during a follow-up operation in Obiaruku.
Similarly, operatives raided Orogun village in Ughelli North Local Government Area, destroying another 37,500kg of skunk grown on 15 hectares of farmland while recovering 55.4kg of the illicit drug. Thirty-year-old Godwin Vincent Osadera was arrested in connection with the operation. The two operations resulted in the destruction of 65,000kg of skunk in total.
In Kaduna State, operatives arrested 42-year-old Husaini Suleiman after recovering 361kg of skunk during a raid at Dan Magaji area of Zaria town.
Along the Abuja-Kaduna highway, officers intercepted 1,989 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition concealed inside sacks of garri. The suspect, 35-year-old Abdullahi Hassan, was apprehended while transporting the ammunition. NDLEA said both the suspect and the recovered ammunition had been transferred to another security agency for further investigation.
In the Federal Capital Territory, operatives arrested 29-year-old businessman Ogadi Peter, alleged to specialize in producing drug-laced cakes and cookies for parties and social gatherings. He was arrested at his residence in Life Camp, Abuja, following intelligence reports. Officers recovered 800 grammes of skunk and 2.7kg of drug-infused cookies from the premises.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives in Ogun State recovered 181kg of skunk from a suspect, Aliyu Sani, during a raid in Ogere. In Taraba State, 27-year-old Sufiyanu Mohammed Misa was arrested along the Zaki-Biam road in Wukari Local Government Area with 105,850 pills of opioids, including tramadol, diazepam, and exol-5.
Two suspects, Adeleke Aliyah, 20, and Aloba Abdulazeez, 25, were also arrested in Saki town, Oyo State, in connection with the seizure of 99 litres of skuchies, a cocktail of illicit substances.
In Edo State, officers destroyed 1,388.4kg of skunk on two farms during a raid on Ago forest in Orhionmwon Local Government Area. In Kano State, operatives recovered 1.2kg of tramaking 225mg pills concealed in a 25-litre jerry can of palm oil at Kofar Ruwa motor park. Another suspect, Aminu Isa, was arrested with 30.5kg of skunk at Sabuwar Sharada area of the state.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign continued across the country, with awareness lectures delivered in schools in Oyo, Niger, Lagos, Katsina, Ekiti, and Kano states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers in Delta, Kaduna, Oyo, Taraba, Kano, the FCT, and Edo states for the successful operations. He assured that the agency remained committed to balancing drug supply reduction with intensified drug demand reduction campaigns nationwide.
