Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 40-foot trailer loaded with skunk — a strain of cannabis, weighing 2,217.6 kilograms.
The consignment, found in Kagini, Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, was being loaded into six vehicles for distribution to some Northern states at an abandoned fuel station.
Similarly, suspects Anthony Nnamdi, 42, and Abba Ali, 27, were apprehended by NDLEA officers at Nyanya, where a total of 1.398 kg of codeine and a substance used to prepare crack were found.
These were disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi
The statement read; “The intelligence-led operation, which took place at 1:20 am on Saturday, January 11, 2025, led to the seizure of not only the large illicit consignment but also the trailer and the six vehicles: a Toyota Van, Toyota Camry car, Toyota Sienna bus, JAC 4-wheel-drive Hilux truck, Toyota Corolla car, and a Vento Passat car, as well as the arrest of a suspect, 42-year-old Isaac Monday Desmond. The consignment was loaded into the trailer at Uzebba in Owan local council area of Edo State.
“No fewer than 20 wraps of cocaine weighing 330 grams have been recovered from a cargo going to Australia at a logistics firm in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) in NDLEA.
“The cocaine parcels were concealed around the body of face cream containers in the shipment. A total of 338,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth more than N1,190,168,200.00 in street value were intercepted in two containers watch-listed by the Agency following processed intelligence.
“The illicit consignments were discovered during a joint examination of the containers by NDLEA operatives, Customs, and other security agencies on Thursday, January 9, and Friday, January 10, 2025, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State.”
The operatives also arrested a traditional chief priest at the Igunuko Shrine, Bariu Aliu, in the Alpha Beach area of Ajah, Lekki, following a three-month manhunt over the recovery of 2,760 kilograms of skunk from his shrine on October 25, 2024.
“In Lagos, the traditional chief priest of the Igunuko shrine, Alpha Beach, Ajah, Lekki, where 2,760 kg of skunk was recovered on October 25, 2024, Bariu Aliu (alias Malo), has been arrested by NDLEA operatives after over three months of a manhunt for him.
“Though two of his accomplices were earlier arrested at the shrine last year and had since been charged and convicted in court, Bariu was said to be the leader of the syndicate.
“A suspect, Habibu Ya’u, 23, was nabbed by NDLEA officers who raided Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria Road, Kano, on Thursday, January 9, where they recovered 45 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.2 kg and 40,800 pills of opioids, including tramadol, from him,” Femi said.
While praising the officers and men of the agency’s DOGI, FCT, PHPC, Lagos, and Kano commands for the arrests and seizures, the agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd) said that their operational successes are greatly appreciated, particularly their efforts to reduce drug supply and demand in a balanced manner.