The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a 75-year-old man, Jibril Audu, with 7.5 kilograms of cannabis at Oke-asa village in Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The septuagenarian was arrested during a raid operation by the NDLEA officers in Ekiti State on Friday, May 10, 2024.

The spokesperson for the anti-drug agency, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed the arrest of the 75-year-old man via a statement issued on Sunday, said a 70-year-old woman, Tikwase Nytor, was also nabbed with 15.6kg of cannabis during a raid operation at Achusa and International Market Road in Makurdi, the Benue State, on Thursday, May 9.

He noted that the NDLEA operatives, on Saturday, May 11, raided the Iguiye forest in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State and destroyed 11,636.185kg cannabis on three farms measuring 4.654474 hectares.

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Babafemi said 188kg of the same psychoactive substance was also recovered, adding that a suspect, Itah Nyong, was arrested during the overnight operation.

Babafemi stated that NDLEA Commands across the country balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities.

He listed some of the campaigns to include WADA sensitisation lecture to Muslim faithful at Sultan Bello Jummat Mosque, Kaduna; students of Oduduwa University and Oduduwa Polytechnic, Ipetumodu, Osun; students of Nigerian Tulip International Colleges (Boys Section), Kano; students of Federal University of Technology, Babura, Jigawa; and students of Father Tansi International  College,  Okpuno Awka, Anambra; among others.

He quoted NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) as assuring that the officers of the agency will continue to work with local and international partners to ensure that the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking is brought to the barest minimum in Nigeria.

The Star