The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Sunday, said its operatives have intercepted large consignments of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis sativa, smuggled into Lagos from Ghana loaded in two trucks and a J5 bus with a total weight of 14, 524.8 kilograms.
According to the NDLEA, the three vehicles conveying jumbo bags of the psychoactive substance were trailed and intercepted at Ojuelegba area of Lagos in the early hours of Sunday 28th January 2024.
The agency revealed that two of the drivers jumped off on motion in the process of blocking the vehicles, while the third driver, 66-year-old Nasiru Ojomu, who works with wanted Akala, Mushin-based drug baron, Suleiman Jimoh (alias Olowo Idi Ogede, also known as Temo) was arrested.
This was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy.
Babafemi stated that NDLEA operatives have seized several shipments of the same psychoactive substance worth billions of naira linked to Temo in the last three years, adding that the wanted drug lord has since gone into hiding while the Agency continues manhunt for him.
He further announced that the NDLEA operatives on routine patrol around a warehouse sealed over an ongoing investigation at Church street, Idumota, Lagos have arrested three suspects.
According to him, the suspects: Joseph Joshua; Muhammed Adamu and Balarabe Musa, burgled the store and loaded 546,700 pills of tramadol and other opioids into a waiting yellow bus marked BDG 447 XD and an unregistered Suzuki minibus.
Announcing further interceptions and seizures made over the week by the NDLEA, Babafemi said: “Operatives in Abuja on Wednesday 31st January arrested Emmanuel Paul with 43.5kg cannabis concealed in used shoes loaded in a trailer coming from Ogbese, Ondo state to be delivered at Gwagwalada area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT. In Katsina state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Dutsinma – Katsina road on Friday 2nd February apprehended a suspect, Murtala Isah, 35, with a total of 37,600 pills of tramadol and other opioids recovered from him.
“In Kogi state, operatives on Wednesday 31st January destroyed 833.32 kilograms of cannabis sativa on a two acre of farmland at Iluke community, Kabba- Bunu LGA while the owner, Samuel Atonila, 49, was equally arrested. On the same day, operatives in Nasarawa also arrested three suspects: Muhammed Musa, Bilyaminu Musa and Sadiya Ya’u with same psychoactive substance weighing 24.4kg at Uke, Karu local government area of the state, while no less than 258 kilograms of same substance were recovered from a bush store around Ikare bypass, Owo, Ondo State.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the arrests and seizures of the past week by officers and men of the Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Katsina, Nasarawa, Kogi and FCT commands.
Marwa charged them and their compatriots across all formations of the Agency to continue to remain vigilant and double their efforts on both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction simultaneously.
