The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has explained why its operatives raided and sealed the Diplomatic Suite Hotel in Abuja.

The NDLEA operatives had raided the hotel located at the Asokoro area of Abuja and arrested about 200 people during a party on Wednesday night.

However, the NDLEA, in a statement issued and made available to The Star on Thursday by the agency spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the hotel was raided to stop a cannabis party and the launch of a suspected new psychoactive drink.

Babafemi stated that about 200 attendees, including three young ladies, who organised the hemp party are currently being interrogated, while bottles of the new drink have been taken for laboratory analysis.

He noted that the hotel was raided at about 8:18pm on Wednesday, following actionable intelligence that some youths were planning to hold a hemp party at the hotel.

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The NDLEA spokesman stated that quantities of cannabis sativa, otherwise known as marijuana, were recovered from the pockets and bags of those arrested at the hemp party.

“The audacious party no doubt is part of attempts by some elements to create a drug subculture in the Nigerian social space.

“The NDLEA will however continue to work with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders to ensure abuse of illicit substances is not allowed to get entrenched in the country under any guise,” Babafemi said.

The Star