Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted two imported consignments of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, in Lagos.
The Loud consignments, with a combined weight of 5,344.1 kilograms were intercepted along the Epe-Lekki Corridor and at the Alfa Beach, Lekki area of Lagos State.
This was as the anti-narcotics agency also recovered 834.2kg of same substance from two ladies, others and also destroyed 2.5 hectares of cannabis farm in Edo State.
The interception, recovery and destruction of the illicit drugs were contained in a press release by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
The NDLEA operatives laid ambush for a white truck conveying 50 jumbo bags of Loud, weighing 2, 434.1kg along the Epe-Lekki Expressway in the early hours of last Monday.
“The truck driver however jumped out of the vehicle and escaped in a security hilux van escorting the truck, after the anti-narcotics officers successfully demobilised the truck conveying the drug exhibits.
“In the same vein, officers of the Marine Command of the agency the following day, Tuesday, also acting on intelligence, intercepted a boat loaded with the same imported substance (Loud) weighing 2,910kg around Alfa Beach, upon arrival from Ghana.
“Two Ghanaians, Monday Saba (30) and Hakeem Kwana (27), found with the consignments were promptly arrested,” Babafemi stated.
In Niger State, two suspects -Abubakar Mohammed (32) and Nuhu Sale (43)- were arrested on Sunday, 18 June along Abuja Expressway, Suleja with 31 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 517kg.
Also a lady, 30-year-old Amina Alilu, was arrested with 171kg of the substance last Wednesday at Ogbogodo Village, Dekina Local Government Area, Kogi State.
A suspected fake female security agent, Ogedegbe Dorcas (34), was also nabbed at the Ajegunle Asa Dam Area of Ilorin, Kwara State with 30kg of cannabis last Thursday.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives intercepted 42-year-old Segun Olajide with 49.2kg of same substance on Saturday, 24 June in Oyo Town.
Similarly, operatives in Edo State, in the early hours of last Monday, stormed Ekudo Forest, Uhunmwode Local Government Area where they destroyed a cannabis farm measuring 2.494863 hectares.
They recovered processed weeds weighing 67kg and arrested six suspects namely, Onyeka Onyedinma; Monday Onyedi; Alex Eboh; Edosa Imariagbe; Godbless Tunde and Godstime Osarobo.
Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has commended officers and men of the Lagos, Kogi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Edo and Marine commands for blocking over five tons of Loud and other illicit substances from going into circulation in the country in the past week.
He charged them and their compatriots across other formations to remain committed to the corporate goal of ridding Nigeria of the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
