NDLEA intercepts 5.6m opioid pills in Kano

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 5, 653,000 pills of tramadol 250mg and exol-5 from three suspects in Kano.

This is contained in a statement by the Director Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.

While Nura Abdullahi, 38, and Tahir Muhammad Mukhtar, 42, were arrested at Bacharawa area of Kano with 5, 404,000 pills of tramadol 250mg on Sunday 14th January, Yusuf Umar, 50, was nabbed at Gadar Tamburawa area of the state the previous day Saturday 13th January with 249,000 tablets of exol-5 by NDLEA operatives.

In Lagos State, two suspects: Ali Abubakar and Murtala Sani, were arrested at Ojodu Berger area on Tuesday 16th January with 110kg of cannabis sativa while 69kgs of the same substance was recovered from the hideout of a fleeing suspect in Akerele, Surulere same day.

Also, not less than 2, 800 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup were recovered by NDLEA officers on Saturday 20th January during a raid operation at Aleita, Airport Road FCT, Abuja.

The suspected owner of the consignment, Jideofor Sochima is still at large.

While a total of 100, 510 pills of opioids were seized from a suspect, Ike Emmanuel, 35, on Thursday 18th January at Dan-Anacha village, Taraba State, NDLEA operatives in Abia State arrested 60-year-old Joseph Isiguzoro, as well as Emmanuel Eugene and Malachi Ndu in parts of Abia State with 34,200 pills of opioids.

Isiguzoro was equally found with monetary exhibit totalling N2,885,045 only.

While commending the officers and men of Tincan, MMIA, Abia, Taraba, Lagos, Kano and FCT Commands as well as the special units of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and others across all formations of the agency to remain focused and resolute in pursuit of the corporate goal of winning the war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.

He further charged them to maintain the flame of collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders in their areas of responsibility.