The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized no fewer than 2,684,900 pills of tramadol and other pharmaceutical opioids during interdiction operations in some states.

In Adamawa State, 250,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 as well as 1800ml of codeine neatly concealed in the reserve fuel tank of a trailer from Onitsha, Anambra State were seized at Mubi, while a dealer, Hussaini Ibrahim, popularly known as Bafu, was arrested.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, made the disclosure via a statement issued on Sunday.

Babafemi revealed that 279,000 pills of tramadol 200mg and 225mg were recovered from a suspect, Hammajan Suleman, along Okene-Abuja highway in Kogi State on Monday, February 13, adding that 376 blocks of skunk weighing 229.36kgs and a Toyota Camry car used in conveying the consignment from Edo State enroute Kano by another suspect, Moses Alabi, were handed over to NDLEA by a patrol team of the Nigerian Army, in Lokoja on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.

He stated that two suspects, Christian Nnachor and Chinonso Obiora, were arrested with 1,843,900 tablets of Diazepam and 300,000 pills of Exol-5 by soldiers along Abuja-Kaduna expressway on Monday, February 13.

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He said the arrested suspects were transferred to the Kaduna State Command of NDLEA, adding that a 31-year-old suspect, Christopher Maduka, was arrested with 10,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection by the operatives of the anti-drug agency on Saturday, February 18 along Abuja-Kaduna highway.

The NDLEA spokesman disclosed that a suspect, Ahmed Suraj Rabiu, was nabbed with 89 bottles of codeine syrup in Badawa area of Kano State, adding that Amadu Musa and three others were arrested in Kofar Mata with 53 blocks of cannabis weighing 41.9kgs.

“In Niger State, a trans-border trafficker, Abdullahi Isah, was arrested along Jebba-Mokwa highway with 188 blocks of skunk that weighed 107 kilograms, which he was attempting to take to Niger republic.

“While 24kgs of Arizona variant of cannabis and 2,000 pills of opioids were recovered from Ibrahim Isiyaku along Nguru-Kano road in Yobe, no fewer than four suspects: Usman Abubakar, a Chadian; Muhammad Ali; Ibrahim Yahaya and Babagana Abdullahi were arrested in connection with the seizure of 61.45kgs of cannabis and 22.1kgs of exol-5 in Jigawa with follow up operations in Kano. The consignments were ordered by Usman with a view to taking them to Chad,” Babafemi added.

In his reaction to the arrests and seizures, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers of the anti-drug agency for their commitment and vigilance.

Marwa urged them and their compatriots across the country to continue with the current working synergy with other security agencies toward ridding Nigeria of the menace of illicit drugs.

The Star