The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has Seizes 2,217.6kg of Skunk Hidden in 40ft Trailer in Abuja, Arrests Suspects in Nationwide Raids.
Operatives of the agency seized the consignment at an abandoned fuel station in Kagini, Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as it was being distributed into six vehicles for onward delivery to Northern states.
Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
He disclosed that the intelligence-led operation, conducted at 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, January 11, 2025, resulted in the seizure of the trailer, six vehicles, and the arrest of a 42-year-old suspect, Isaac Monday Desmond.
“The consignment was loaded into the trailer at Uzebba in Owan Local Government Area of Edo State,” Babafemi said.
In another operation within the FCT, the NDLEA arrested two suspects, Anthony Nnamdi (42) and Abba Ali (27), at Nyanya, where officers recovered a combined 1.398kg of cocaine and a precursor substance used to produce crack cocaine.
Babafemi added: “No fewer than 20 wraps of cocaine weighing 330 grams were also recovered from a cargo destined for Australia at a logistics firm in Lagos.
The cocaine parcels were cleverly concealed around the body of face cream containers.”
Further highlighting the agency’s success, Babafemi revealed the interception of 338,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at over ₦1.19 billion in two containers during a joint examination by NDLEA operatives, Customs, and other security agencies at the Onne Port, Rivers State, on January 9 and 10, 2025.
Arrest of High-Profile Suspects
In Lagos, the NDLEA apprehended Bariu Aliu, the chief priest of the Igunuko shrine in Ajah Lekki, three months after a 2,760kg skunk haul was recovered from the shrine in October 2024. Babafemi stated that two of Aliu’s accomplices had earlier been arrested and convicted, while Aliu was identified as the leader of the syndicate.
In another raid on January 9, operatives in Kano arrested a suspect, Habibu Ya’u (23), at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria Road, recovering 45 blocks of cannabis weighing 24.2kg and 40,800 pills of opioids, including tramadol.
War Against Drug Abuse Intensifies
The NDLEA spokesman further disclosed that the agency had stepped up its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization efforts nationwide during the week under review.
He reiterated the agency’s resolve to combat drug trafficking and abuse, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to tackle the drug menace in Nigeria.
