A large quantity of llicit drugs identified as skunk, a psychotropic substance weighing 3,003 kilograms of over three tons, have been set ablaze in a forest located in Iwe community, Owan West local government area of Edo state, by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The drugs were put on flames when the operatives of the Agency raided the forest and discovered a large warehouse of skunk, used to store 231 jumbo bags of the substances.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday, that the operation involved hundreds of well-armed NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Tuesday 30th May.
According to him, the NDLEA worked on intelligence that a wanted drug kingpin had stored tons of the illicit substance in the forest ready for distribution to other parts of the country.
Babafemi claimed that not less than 76.9 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis were recovered from four used vehicles in a container marked MSDU 6686346 from Canada at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state.
The discovery and seizure, according to Babafemi, was carried out between Thursday 1st June and Friday 2nd June, in a joint inspection of the shipment with men of the Nigeria Customs Service.
According to him, the request for 100 percent examination of the shipment followed earlier intelligence received by the Agency on the container.
“In Kano state, two suspects: Ma’aruf Rabiu and Abubakar Mustapha were arrested on Tuesday 30th May along Zaria-Kano road with 260 blocks of cannabis weighing 139.4kg, while Auwal Ibrahim was nabbed with 38kg of the same substance the following day Wednesday 31st May along Kaduna-Abuja road, same day 35-year-old female suspect, Bilkisu Isiya, was arrested at Birnin Yero, Kaduna in possession of 5.6kg cannabis.
“In Borno state, two suspects: Abubakar Usman (aka Alhaji Mai Kero) and Adamu Yusuf were arrested at Bargu village, Shani LGA, on Saturday 3rd June with 165 blocks of skunk weighing 140.7kg. Their arrest was effected deep inside a fluid insurgents environment with military support.
“A female suspect, Hauwa Ibrahim, 25, was also nabbed in the same village with 6.4kg of the psychoactive substance, while another suspect Alhaji Abubakar, 27, was arrested at Njimtilo checkpoint with 4,200 ampoules of pentazocine injection and different quantities of D5 and exol-5 tablets.
“A 30-year-old suspect, Iroko Wasiu was arrested at a drug joint at Sabo Aba-Owolowo along Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway on Tuesday 30th May and 31.2kg of cannabis recovered from him, while two suspects: Deji Adelabu, 35, and Mutiu Salau, 37, were nabbed the following day Wednesday 31st May in Sabo area along Oyo- Ogbomoso road and Awuro Dada area in Orire local government area of Oyo state with a total of 8kg cannabis recovered from them.” The statement said.
Babafemi added that the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), urged the operatives and their compatriots across the country to intensify the offensive action against drug cartels, while ensuring a balance with drug demand reduction efforts.
He commended the officers and men of the Edo, Onne Ports, Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Oyo state Commands for their commitment and synergy with other law enforcement agencies in their areas of responsibility.
