By Olykayide Idowu
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted another consignment of 175,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup imported from India at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers state.
This is barely a week after a shipment of the same drug with equal quantity was seized at the same port, according to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi.
He said the two seizures followed earlier intelligence, which made the agency request that the shipment be stepped down for 100 percent examination, noting that the latest seizure of 875 cartons of codeine containing 175,000 bottles and weighing 26,25 kilogrammes, was made last Friday during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs Service and other security agencies.
He said the container marked HASU 4787890 from India was enroute C to C bonded terminal in Enugu.
Babafemi also said NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) last Wednesday intercepted five different parcels containing illicit drugs concealed in ladies’ clothes and synthetic hair going to the United States and United Kingdom.
He noted that some of the seized drugs include 620 ampoules of pentazocine injection, promethazine and other opioids. The drug consignments were seized at a courier firm in Lagos.
In Kebbi state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kalgo-Birnin Kebbi road on Saturday arrested a 32-year-old Nigerien, Hassan Mummuni with 4,000 pills of diazepam and 1.250 kilogrammes cannabis, concealed in four pesticide tanks, while operatives in Gombe state same day arrested Ibrahim Abubakar (aka Alhajiji) at Herwagana, with 6,740 pills of tramadol and 20,000 tablets of diazepam.
He said not less than 1,098 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a suspect, Onyekachi Iwula, 42, following his arrest in a commercial bus at Aloma junction, Otukpa, Ogbadibo LGA, Benue state.
In Bauchi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Ningi-Kano road last Wednesday
arrested a 20-year-old lady, Hasana Usman, with 25 blocks of cannabis sativa that weighed 28.2 kilogrammes, while their counterparts in Yobe state nabbed Ali Mohammed, 42, along Kano-Potiskum road, with 19,000 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in a black sack and the suspect’s travelling bag.
In Oyo state, 57-year-old Oladimeji Samson was arrested in a commercial bus at the Ibadan end, of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway with 79 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing of 44.4 kilogrammes and 48 grammes of ecstasy, all concealed in the engine compartment under the driver’s seat of the bus.
Babafemi said not less than 17,980 pills of tramadol and other opioids were seized from a suspect, Ali Mohammed, 36, following his arrest at Ganaja village, Lokoja local government area, Kogi state, while the duo of Blessing Samuel, 35, and Unnanchi Mike, 34, were arrested with 804 bottles of codeine syrup at Narayi, Kaduna state.
Also in Kaduna, Tijjani Umar, 37, and Yahaya Suleman, 35, were arrested with 33.9 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa at Lafiya area, Kudan local government area of the state.
At least, nine suspects including Salisu Sanda, 48, and James Andrew, 25, were arrested by NDLEA operatives during a raid at Toaabora hills area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Saturday with a total of 83.01 kilogrammes cannabis recovered from them.
Babafemi noted that the commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week with the same drive.
Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of PHPC, Gombe, Benue, Kogi, Kaduna, Oyo, Yobe, Bauchi, Kebbi and FCT Commands as well as those of DOGI for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to maintain the zeal and tempo.