By Bukar Bolori
Abuja – A Nigeria-based Congolese, Kandigu Kadi and a Nigerian, Makowulu Anthony have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for attempting to export controlled and illicit drugs to the United States of America and United Arab Emirates.
The suspects were arrested at the NAHCO and SAHCO export sheds of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday said Kandigu was arrested on Tuesday, May 31 at NAHCO export shed for attempting to export 2.1 kilogrammes of pentazocine injection while Makowulu was arrested
on Friday, June 3 for attempting to export parcels of cannabis sativa concealed in cereals packs to Dubai, UAE through the SAHCO cargo shed.
According to Babafemi, investigations revealed that the pentazocine consignment was being sent to Kinshasa, Congo, while a similar package containing 200 bottles of pentazocine injection intercepted a week earlier at the airport was heading to the US.
He said in his case, Makowulu was caught with eight parcels of cannabis weighing 2.9 kilogrammes concealed in Nutribom Cereals cartons among other natural packs of the cereal, as part of a consolidated cargo meant for different people in Dubai.
In other clampdowns, anti-narcotic officers in Edo have intercepted 10,280 tablets of tramadol, 2000 tablets of diazepam, 300 tablets of Swinol, 5000 tablets of Axol and 10 bottles of codeine based syrup in Irrua area of the state.
He said the Edo officers also destroyed 5.3 hectares of cannabis farm in Oke forest, Ovia North East local government area, as part of efforts to disrupt all cannabis planting activities for the season in the state.
‘In Yobe state, NDLEA operatives last Friday raided Tsohuwar Kasuwa area of Potiskum town, where a notorious drug dealer, Usman Alhaji a.k.a NEPA was arrested and 22 blocks of cannabis sativa recovered from him,” the statement said.
Babafemi further disclosed that in the past one week, 39 suspects were arrested during raids across drug joints in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, saying that different quantities of assorted illicit drugs were recovered from them.
According to him, areas raided between Saturday, June 4 and Saturday, June 11 include Apo Mechanic (Cashew forest), Apo NEPA, Tora Bora, Gishiri junction, Jabi park, Jabi forest, Jabi Gidan Bola, Deidei area, Rugga area, City Gate, Sabon Lugbe, Basa village and Airport road.
Babafemi said the raid, which continued across Abuja, is a joint operation between the FCT Command of the Agency and the Chairman Monitoring Special Task Force to rid the capital territory of the activities of drug dealers and peddlers.
Reacting, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig- Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the officers and men of MMIA, Edo, Yobe and FCT Commands as well as the C-MSTF for their resilience and dedication to duty.
He,however,charged them and others across all commands to remain vigilant and committed to the collective goal of saving Nigeria from the drug scourge.(vitalnewsngr.com)
