NDLEA arrests 85-year-old woman, seizes tonnes of cannabis

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an 85-year-old woman in Edo State during a series of raids that yielded tonnes of cannabis and large consignments of opioids across several states.

The woman, identified as Grace Ehimeka, was arrested in Warake, Owan East Local Government Area, with 179 kilogrammes of skunk, the agency said.

In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said six suspects were arrested during operations in Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities between October 15 and 16.

Another suspect, Ayo Aigberadion, 53, was arrested with 220.8 kilogrammes of skunk at Ewe/Irue, while other suspects were found with cannabis, cannabis seeds and various controlled substances.

In Ondo State, operatives raided a cannabis farm in Okemoro Isinbode camp forest on Saturday, destroying 7,500 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated across three hectares.

Five suspects were arrested during the operation. The agency said officers also recovered 92 bags of skunk weighing 1,267 kilogrammes, 11 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and three kilogrammes of fresh stems.

In another operation in Owo, a 53-year-old suspect, Okunebe Ndidi, was arrested at a hideout in Ameyinti, where 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375 kilogrammes were recovered.

The agency also reported major drug seizures in Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory.

In Bauchi State, operatives intercepted a Volkswagen Golf wagon at Ragwam village, Katagum Local Government Area, on October 14, recovering 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets from a suspect, Shamsu Garba, 35.

On the same day, officers patrolling the Bauchi-Gombe road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265 kilogrammes from an abandoned vehicle at Tudun Natsira village.

In Kano, two suspects were arrested along the Zaria-Kano road with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg, while another suspect was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.

In Kaduna, three suspects were arrested at Kayimi village with 496.5 kilogrammes of cannabis. A separate operation at Food Palace on Ali Akilu Road led to the arrest of a man with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg.

In Abuja, operatives arrested a 42-year-old suspect, Odo Jonas Ejike, in the Utako area with 29,500 capsules of tramadol on Saturday, October 17.

Lagos operations also yielded 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from a store at Idumota market. Officers separately arrested two men in Mushin with more than 121 kilogrammes of skunk and intercepted a truck carrying 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as insecticide.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged commands across the country to sustain efforts against drug trafficking.

The agency said its commands also continued public awareness campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse initiative in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.