By Uzor Odigbo
A fake Assistant Superintendent of Police, soldier and a youth corps member were among 663 drug traffickers and users arrested when operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided notorious drug joints in Lagos, Abuja, Benue and other parts of the country in the past week.
Femi Babafemi, the anti-narcotics agency spokesman revealed in a press release Obtained by TheNiche that during the raids, assorted illicit drugs weighing over 153, 256.876 kilograms were either destroyed or seized.
Babafemi said that in Lagos, the notorious drug haven, Akala in Mushin area of the state was on Friday, October 15 raided by a combined team of 70 NDLEA operatives and 30 soldiers in a joint operation code named ‘Operation Still Waters.’ No less that 27 suspects were arrested while various drugs such as Cocaine, Heroin, Tramadol, Rohypnol and Cannabis, with a cumulative weight of 2,463.876 Kg were seized.
He disclosed the other successful operations as follows: “A day earlier, operatives also raided drug joints in Ojo and Maryland areas of the state where six persons were arrested and different quantities of drugs seized. This followed another raid of Alhaji Lasisi street, Idioro, Mushin as well as Okota in Oshodi-Isolo area of the state during which 12 suspects were arrested and over 165kg of assorted illicit drugs recovered.
“In Ogun state, operatives on Friday 15th October intercepted one Williams Esuabom along Ore-Shagamu expressway with 562.5kg Cannabis being conveyed in a Toyota sienna bus, while in Benue state, narcotic officers in a joint operation with soldiers raided Lafia park where six suspects including a youth corps member, Paul Ndubuisi were arrested with different quantities of drugs. This came on the heels of the arrest of a suspected fake soldier, Abel John along Apir along Makurdi-Aliade road with 3.5kg Cannabis on Wednesday 13th October.
“In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, a suspected fake Assistant Superintendent of Police, Joshua Yusuf who claimed to be serving in Kano was arrested along Gwagwalada expressway while conveying 45.5kg of Cannabis.
“Three suspects were arrested during raids in Dabba and Luku village, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State where over 64kg drugs were recovered on Wednesday 13th October.
“In Ekiti state, NDLEA operatives in their numbers stormed the forest reserve along Uso Road, Ise-Orun LGA, where they destroyed over 150,000 kilograms of cannabis being harvested on 40 hectares of land during an operation that lasted more than three days. The operation, which began on Tuesday continued till Sunday 17th October”.
In raids across other states in the country, Babafemi said that no fewer than 615 suspects were arrested and illicit drugs with a total weight of 3394.2031 kilograms recovered.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended officers and men of the Lagos State Command, Benue, FCT, Ogun, Ekiti and other parts of the country for their resilience and commitment to the war against illicit substances, charging them not to rest on their oars.
Marwa called for continued collaboration between the agency and other stakeholders especially the armed forces and other law enforcement agencies
