The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 40-year-old widow and mother of two, Theodora Ita, for allegedly producing and selling a lethal new psychoactive substance, locally called ‘Combine’, at Bassey Edom, Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, April 14, 2024.

Babafemi said the woman was arrested on Monday, April 8, adding that 18 litres of the dangerous substance in used paint drums were recovered from her.

The NDLEA spokesman noted that the widow, in her statement, claimed she started the illicit drug production and distribution in October 2023.

He stated that another 48-year-old suspect, Godwin Okon Samuel, was apprehended at Essit Ebum area of Calabar with 39.4kg of Cannabis Sativa on Tuesday, April 9.

NDLEA seizes drugs hidden in noodles packs, nabs suspects

Babafemi added that two suspects – Sani Mohammed, 43, and Christopher Eze, 64 – were arrested in the Sabon Gari area of Kano with 900,000 pills of opioid recovered from them on Tuesday, April 9.

He disclosed that the NDLEA operatives on patrol along Owerri-Onitsha Road in Imo State, on Friday, April 12, intercepted a logistics truck and recovered 230 blocks of Cannabis Sativa weighing 119kg hidden under household items after a thorough search.

The NDLEA spokesperson stated that the various commands of the agency across the country continued the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign in the past week with the sensitisation lecture for students and staff of Gboko Polytechnic, Gboko, Benue State; officers of 15 Engineering Field Regiment Nigerian Army, Topo, Badagry Lagos; meat butchers at Odo Eran abattoir, Osogbo, Osun State; and WADA advocacy visit to Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, among others.

While commending the anti-narcotic officers for their outstanding feats in drug supply reduction, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), equally applauded them and their counterparts in all the commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures, aimed at drug demand reduction.

The Star