75-year-old man, others arrested over illicit drugs

A 75-year-old man, Usman Bokina Bajama, popularly known as Clemen, has been arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly planting cannabis in Adamawa State.

The septuagenarian was arrested on Tuesday at Anguwan Sate in Mayo Belwa area of Adamawa State where he had a cannabis plantation from where 49kg of the illicit substance was recovered.

The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this via a statement issued on Sunday.

Babafemi noted that 19,878 bottles of the banned new psychoactive substance, Akuskura, were intercepted by the NDLEA operatives along Ilorin-Jebba highway in Kwara State on Wednesday, adding that two suspects, Oladokun Oluwaseun, aged 49, and 27-year-old Ibrahim Jimoh, were arrested.

“They claimed the consignment packed in 35 jumbo sacks was loaded in Ibadan, Oyo State, and meant for distribution in Jos, Plateau State.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: 2 arrested for attempting to smuggle cannabis at Lagos airport

“Earlier, two suspects: Ukoro Ifeanyi, 46, and Idowu Toyosi, 20, were arrested with 2,290 capsules of tramadol and 100 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Mararaba park, Ilorin. The drugs were brought in from Onitsha, Anambra State,” he stated.

The NDLEA spokesperson added that the anti-drug agency operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a Volvo truck loaded with 2,146 kilograms of cannabis at Sangotedo area of Ajah.

Babafemi stated that three suspects, Abdulazeez Rasheed, Afeez Raheem, and Moshood Suleiman were arrested.

He said 979,119 capsules of expired pregabalin weighing 733kg were recovered from Musbahu Ya’u, aged 28, and five others in Dansarai area of Kano State, while 197.8kg of cannabis was recovered in a store at a new market in Enugu State on Tuesday.

He stated that 117.7kg of the psychoactive substance was also intercepted along the Okene-Abuja expressway in a truck coming from Lagos to Abuja.

Babafemi added that no fewer than six cannabis farmers were arrested when the NDLEA operatives stormed their farms at Chigbite, Utese forest in Ovia North East Local Government Area, and Ekudo forest in Uhunmonde LGA of Edo State.

The NDLEA spokesman said over 10 hectares of cannabis plantation were destroyed, adding that more than 193kg of the processed illicit substance was seized.

According to him, those arrested included David Hanson, Ufuoma Progress, Marvelous Armstrong, Marvelous Efe, Joshua Abubakar, and Elijah Abubakar.

Speaking on the arrests and seizures, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the anti-narcotic officers for their resilience just as he charged them and others across the country to remain vigilant and committed to the collective goal of saving Nigeria from the drug scourge.

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The Star